Publication: April 26th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Goodreads Summary: The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."
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.
Goodreads Page
My Thoughts:
I don't even know where to begin with this... It was amazing! I never seem to be a big fan of sequels but this one did not disappoint just as I expected from Ahdieh.
This book picks up only a few days after the first one ends. It was a little difficult for me to remember every detail from the first but I remembered enough and enough was filled in within the sequel that I managed. This book was just as difficult to put down as the first one was for me (although admittedly I like the first one better). The sequel is filled with twists and turns and characters being revealed for who they truly are and their true motives and it was so good!
Although I am partial to extreme romance throughout books, I liked that Shazi and Khalid had moved past the mooning sort of love and more into the settled kind of love if you know what I'm saying. The heartbreak and uncertainty has disappeared from this second installment leaving a mature, happy relationship in its place. Truly fitting and realistic. They both know what they want now and will do anything to fight for it.
Tariq. Oh Tariq. I still like his character. I loved some of his quotes. But I also love that Khalid put him in his place and told him some things he really needed to hear. (I have a blog post of all of my favorite quotes from this book) Although we aren't left knowing for sure Tariq's romantic fate, I like the way it ended for him.
I loved Irsa!! She is such a different character from everyone else presented in this book. A perfect counterpart to the headstrong, vivacious Shahrzad, Irsa is more timid, quieter, but feels just as strongly as Shazi though not so outspoken about it. Irsa brought a lot to the story through how she felt and I loved who she was paired with within these pages.
Jahandar will always be annoying to me. I totally get his purpose in the story and his motives behind his actions but my gosh I just didn't want to deal with him and his craziness. Neither Despina nor Jalal nor Vikram feature much in this last installment but I am happy with how everything ended with them.
The plot had many twists and turns in it. Like I said, it was difficult to put down! I thought I was being handed a book that was filled with events about breaking the curse but I was handed much more! Definitely not disappointed with the turns this book took and that it wasn't only about the curse and had more plot points than just that. And the ending. I love endings that circle around to the first. A sweet, perfect ending.
Read the sequel! You won't be disappointed.
Likes: Khalid, Shazi, IRSA!, Rahim, I could go on. Plot ran pretty quickly and interestingly. Liked the twists and turns it took and that it wasn't only about their quest to break the curse. The ending.
Dislikes: Jahandar obvs. Totally get his purpose but he just irks me.
Recommend?
Yes!
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