An Exceptional End to a Beautiful Duology – The Rose and the Dagger {Review}

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #2
Publisher: G P Putnam's Sons (2016)
Hardcover (420 pages)
Rating:
Also by this author: The Wrath and the Dawn
Also in this series: The Wrath and the Dawn
Reading Challenges: 2016 Retelling Challenge, 2016 Royal Challenge, Read 2016

Synopsis

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.

Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

My Review

So I didn’t realize until the end that this is the last Shazi and Khalid novel. This series is only a duology! And this book is still utterly amazing even if I do want more Shazi.

I loved The Rose and the Dagger! Shazi is one of my favorite characters of ever. I can’t even come up with enough awesome words about her. She is an epically strong young woman who won’t let anything get in her way. Can she please be my friend?

There is more magic! I know, I know, after the way The Wrath and the Dawn ended, this isn’t really a shocker. But, seriously, there is a lot more magic. There is not just Shazi and her father (who doesn’t seem to do anything during most of the novel) but also Artan. How can you not like Artan? He even has a dragon!

Tariq got completely on my nerves. He is a fool. He never has a chance with Shazi and yet he won’t give up! I disliked him quite a bit. He seemed to think that everything was owed to him because of who he was. Talk about a little entitled! He even started a war because Shazi didn’t choose him. Who does that? Apparently, Tariq!

Isra was a welcome addition to The Rose and the Dagger. She was mentioned briefly previously but we definitely see her grow. Isra isn’t afraid to question her sister and demand answers, even if Shazi has no intention of sharing. It is obvious, though, that the sisters do really care about one another.

Oh, Khalid, you are amazing. We definitely get to see him more as a person here. He cares about his people even when they think he is a monster. He has done so much to keep them safe and they have no idea. He’s even helping them rebuild the city.

I love Shazi and Khalid together. They are such a great couple! I am so grateful that there was not a love triangle that came up. The two just love each other completely, even if it is impossible.

I have to say that I am in love with the way Renee Ahdieh writes. I absolutely adore The Rose and the Dagger. I almost want to say that it is even better than The Wrath and the Dawn.

Shazi does everything she does out of love for Khalid. Would love make you willing to do anything for your beloved?