The Wrath and the Dawn- Renee Ahdieh- Fantasy Friday

Hello! This is my first Fantasy Friday post, a new series I have started in order to share my favorite fantasy and other speculative genre reads with you. Many of those featured in this series will be books I did not receive for review, but either really enjoyed or else believed the review was one worth sharing.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book which played with the ideas of black and white morality. All of the characters have secrets, some of them are more noble than others, though all have selfish reasons. The story this is based on is not one that I am familiar with but I am sure I will look out for more like it from here on out.

There are some draw backs to the story, one being that while I liked the book I would not have categorized it as YA. Beyond the character's ages, there is nothing in this book which reminds me of the age group. Though off screen, there is sex along with some language and murder.

What redeems the story, and the characters, is their regret and forgiveness. I am excited for the release of this book's sequel, where we see what becomes of these characters who struggle to right the wrongs they, and others, have committed.