Book Review - The Rose and The Dagger By Renee Ahdieh

The Rose and The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
(Sequel to The Wrath and The Dawn)

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers

Release Date: 03 May 2016

Pages: 432

Summary: Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought he was a monster, but his secrets showed that he is tormented by guilt and a powerful curse that might keep them apart forever. She is reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart. But Tariq's forces are set on destroying Khalid's empire. While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magic he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie within her. With the help of a old, worn carpet and a young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

My Thoughts: I quite liked The Rose and The Dagger. I was disappointed in it in comparison to The Wrath and The Dawn, which I thought was excellent, as it just felt slow and honestly, kind of boring at times. The Rose and The Dagger is the final book in this duology and I think Renee Ahdieh didn't make the most of it as a conclusion.

The majority of the book was building up to the last 100 pages or so but had quite little action or drama. It took me until the main climax to actually make me feel as if I wanted to continue reading the book. It felt like it was all just flowing at a steady pace until then and it did nothing for me. However, the entire book is written so beautifully and the language is very unique.

Shahrzad is a great character. She really made it for the book in my opinion. She's very quick tongued and very fiery and the banter between her and other characters is always lovely to read. I love that Renee added a deeper relationship between Shahrzad and her sister, Irsa, as it created a softer touch to the story.

Although the beginning of The Rose and The Dagger was quite lackluster in my view, the finale was very gripping. It just got to a point where everything changed and I was very engrossed in the plot. It did make up for most of my previous disappointments and it finished with a lovely, calm epilogue which finished it off nicely.

For me, the characters pretty much made the series. The Wrath and The Dawn was way ahead of the sequel but I'm still delighted that I finished the series. I do think it is worth your while giving it a go as it is an interesting story line and the small element of magic is just enough. Plus, this series has some pretty amazing covers and the deckled edges are just gorgeous! I absolutely love the hardback versions! 

What do you guys think of this conclusion? Thumbs up or thumbs down? I'm going with middle of the road for me, if it wasn't for that ending it would have a much worse rating. 3 stars is still quite good!