The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh -- Review

Title: The Wrath & the Dawn 
Author: Renee Ahdieh 
Pages: 388
Publishing: May 12th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0399171614

Synopsis: 

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

Review: 

The Wrath & the Dawn is a breathtaking and beautifully written novel. I kept seeing this book all over instagram and I finally decided to check out the audiobook for myself. The physical book is absolutely gorgeous, but I decided to go for the audiobook from the library to make my wallet feel a little better. I was not disappointed. The narrator was amazing and had a beautiful accent and I felt like I was inside the book with the characters. The setting was gorgeous and I found myself wishing I could be walking through the palace and tasting all of the delicious food. 

The main character Shahrzad is a gorgeous girl who volunteers herself to marry the Caliph in hopes that she will be able to seek revenge for her best friend's death. The reader follows Shahrzad through her trials and tribulations in the Caliph's home and as she reasons out plans to stay alive as well as murder the Caliph. While making my way through the novel, I couldn't help but become attached to Shahrzad. Her strong will and sharp wit made me love her character almost instantly. As Shahrzad begins to learn more about the Caliph, her heart begins to soften. The novel takes a turn when the Caliph and Shahrzad begin to fall in love. As their romance grows, secrets are revealed and the true colors of the Caliph are shown, leading up to a dramatic cliffhanger ending. 

There are some books that receive way to much hype on instagram but this definitely was not one of them. The atmosphere was so realistic and I felt like I was there with the characters the entire time. I loved The Wrath & the Dawn and would highly recommend in to readers who love the YA genre. 

Rating 4/5