Title: The Rose and the Dagger

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: G.P. Putnam

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.

Review:

Well this duology is over and I feel like I need more. This story was beautifully written and I really became immersed in the story.

Shazi is determined to find the cure for the curse that plagued her husband, and she must learn to do so without upsetting the people that have sworn to protect her. In this book she learns who her true allies and enemies are, and has to learn how to trust those who have her best interest at heart.

When there presented a love triangle in the first book I was a bit skeptical on how it would play out, but I thought it was written quite well as Shazi makes it very clear where her feelings lie. I could say more on this aspect but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m just going to say that I really liked how it was written and resolved. I never know what could be a spoiler and what isn’t, so its best to stay quiet if unsure 😂

I also really liked that we got to see the sister develop as a character! She is interesting in her own right and really made an impact on the development of the story!

This duology is full of love, magic, heartache and war, and it will not disappoint! I highly recommend if you’re a fan of YA!

Happy reading!