Book Review: The Rose & the Dagger

Title: The Rose and the Dagger
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn, #2
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

MY THOUGHTS
A beautiful conclusion of one of the many fantasy books I've come to love. The Rose & the Dagger takes us to Shahrzad back with her family and the people whom she knew most of her life yet are enemies with her husband, Khalid. During her stay, she discovered secrets that could either help her and the people she loved or could put them in danger and be used for destruction.

My emotions were all over the place because The Wrath & the Dawn left me in a state where I want the next book ASAP. This duology easily became my favorite because of its interesting characters with their own stories to tell, the world-building where there's magic and curses discovered, Shazi's stories and the love between her and Khalid--and not just them though. Other characters were falling in love and they all made me so happy and... heartbroken (you'll know when you read it). Their love stories are the kind that made my heart flutter and shatter at the same time. When Sharhzad and Khalid fell in love, a part of me fell in love with them.

I love Renée Ahdieh for that plot twist. I did not expect that AT ALL. I had to keep myself awake because all I could think of was "I WON'T STOP UNTIL I FINISH THIS BOOK TONIGHT" and I did. Although the book have some stuff that I think weren't necessary (posted them in my Goodreads review but warning: SPOILER ALERT). Still, I gave this a solid 5 stars because I might have some bit of issue with it, the good stuff outweighed (a lot!) the ones that I think were irrelevant or just plain no.

Shahrzad al-Khayzuran is truly a queen. With or without a crown, to me she is one. A strong girl who doesn't belong anyone but herself. A girl with a brave heart and a bright mind. I love her so much. Also a standing ovation to the other female characters in these books because they have their own unique personalities, wits and smarts. I won't discuss them because I might give away. Their stories is for you to discover.

The ground did not exist. Nor did the sky.
Here, she was truly boundless.
Fear would never overtake her again.

This is the last book and it's time for that goodbye. As hard as it is for me not being able to read more about them, I'm glad and satisfied. Thank you, Renée Ahdieh, for the story that made my reading and waiting so worthwhile.

MY RATING

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Book Review: The Forbidden Wish

Title: The Forbidden Wish
Author: Jessica Khoury
Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

MY THOUGHTS
Another great read, another book to add to my favorites list.

“But every wish has its price, and the price of the Forbidden Wish is thy life. Thou must swear upon the souls of thy people that thou wilt never speak those words. If thou shouldst suffer for the love of me, I would never forgive myself.”

Every bit of The Forbidden Wish was a ride of adventure and I enjoyed every thrilling turn with the emotional ups and downs. The story sucks you in with its magical world and interesting characters from the poor people who seek revolution and freedom to the royals who have their secrets to keep and to the creatures who possess magic and power for either good or evil.

Zahra–I love her. She has been inside the lamp for thousands of years and still haunted by the memory of her past with a human. Which also caused my heart to break for her. Reading what she’s been through and the bond she’s formed with a queen who treated her like a sister only for things to end tragically was just sad. Stuff like this always make me go “WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD CHARACTERS”. And as always, my favorites ones are the ones who are always doomed. But despite all that, Zahra managed to be a strong female lead not just physically but also emotionally and mentally. I admire her strength and how smart she is. Aladdin, on the other hand, was a fun character to get to know. I love his witty self and how he cares for Zahra and the people who thought he would be their hero even though he’s very sure that he is not one and will never be. His and Zahra’s chemistry also made me swoon and had me elighted to read every moment they shared. It made me so happy on the inside everytime.

Zahra and Aladdin aren’t the only two with amazing stories to share. There’s Caspida and her Watchmaidens who are the very definition of “squad goals” and “girls bite back”. Really, if I could step into a fictional world with enough abilities to fight, I want them to recruit me to join them. I love the Watchmaidens loyalty to Caspida and how they would risk their lives to protect her and of course, Caspida cares about them a lot too. I was a bottle of emotions when it came to them… and later on with Caspida and Zahra. The female friendship and girls fighting alongside each other here made me love this book even more.

“Are you with me?”

“In victory or death, I will be at your side, sister.”

This book is worth rereading and if you love fantasy and fairy tale retellings then I definitely recommend you get your hands on this. The Forbidden Wish even has a light humor in it that will definitely ease up the worries or tension you for the characters.

MY RATING

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