Book Review: The Rose and The Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

 

 As soon as I finished reading the previous book - "The Wrath and The Dawn" see my review here - I picked up reading this one, since the previous one ended on a cliffhanger and wanted to learn what was the conclusion of this epic story.

I was not disappointed at all!

This book is such a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Sharzhad and Khalid. I liked how cleverly the author used plot twists and turns, which were properly delivered. I enjoyed how certain elements from the classic tales we are familiar with were embedded on this story, but at the same time fresh storylines and places were included without making the plot feel crowded.

Our protagonists go through struggles and hardships, however their feelings remain strong for each other. Sharzhad valiantly faces several situations, and how she is challenged by her situation of being the Calipha (the Caliph's wife), since she had survived what others didn't. Her relationship with Khalid is more mature and less angsty, but not less emotional. They both face betrayals and many surprises, but the outcome of the story is positive.

As I was finishing this book, I felt this type of ending would have been what we should have had in several concluding sagas - wink Game of Thrones and Star Wars, especially shows what TROS could have been with proper storytelling - where there was pain and heartbreak but at the end of the day there is hope and love above all.

I feel as if anything I say will come out short of describing the true wonders of this book, especially this duology of books that takes its inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights but somehow give the flavour of a brand new story with added elements that make it good enough to stand on its own.

I enjoyed how the character of Khalid was complex to understand his motivations and the reasons behind his actions - and even if he had to live with what he had done, he could move forward and enjoy his love with Sharzhad and their family. It makes one think of how personal flaws on a character can provide proper basis for understanding, and how at a certain point, it gives a understanding too of the actions taken by Reza and Sharzhad's father.

I cannot recommend enough this book - it's such a rollercoaster with fantastic elements and it is a great conclusion for this story!