The Rose & The Dagger

The Rose & The Dagger is the last book of Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath & The Dawn duology.

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 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 Breakdown:
1. Ahdieh's follow up book is just as good at the first book of this duology.  She does so well with guiding this story through and developing characters that were more peripheral in the first book. I thought the way she dealt with both the curse and the war fit so well in the book.

2. I was a big fan of the development of Irsa, Shazi's young sister. She is sweet and loving, but she has a fierce loyalty that comes out at the best of times. She proves herself to be a wonderful ally for Shazi in her quest to break the curse and stop the war. Plus, she proves herself to become quite adept with herbs for healing.

3. I love every interaction between Shazi and Khalid.  They are so well suited for each other, and so wonderfully in love.  On of my favorite scenes was seeing Khalid win over Irsa's trust and loyalty by her watching him care for Shazi when she was injured.

4.  I liked the introduction of the character of Artan. He is a little mysterious, a little insolent, but he develops quite the friendship with Shazi, and really comes through when needed. The only downside is I wish there was a little more of him.

5. I loved all the twist and turns of this book.  With Tariq learning the truth of Khalid, Shazi developing her magic, and even seeing that revenge and power can change those who we love the most.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read