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Showing posts with label Renee Ahdieh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Renee Ahdieh. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2023

The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

 

Pages: 420

"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."

I am happy and upset at the same time with this ending. I loved how we got some more of the magic than the first book and how it was woven in to the story. Though now I am crying for Irsa, she deserved a happy ending. I wished we had more interactions between the main pairing as I loved their chemistry but this second half of the duology was more focused on the curse and near war.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

 

Pages: 404

"Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all." 

I love the blend of Arabian nights stories. A story of revenge turns into an intriguing romance with 'touch her and die' vibes. I love Shazi and how she is always putting people in their place, even if it gets her in trouble. And now a secret curse that would shed a new light on the heinous crimes of the boy-king is leading into the second book and leaving off on a cliff-hanger!

Friday, January 21, 2022

The Righteous by Renee Ahdieh

The characters growing on me, and like...opening up and getting backstory. Chef's kiss.
My ships.. fdjkslajkdsfl
 *sees a character that's familiar. hey hey hey.
The character development and the life experiences.
I love Bastian. I miss him. 
Arjun and Pippa are great.
432 Pages

Friday, December 31, 2021

The Damned by Renee Ahdieh

Corgi puppy!
Aha. Me remembering things
I can't believe I didn't put it together that Bastian is giving me some Cardan vibes....I mean totally different personality, but like..
I now understand why this series is four books instead of three...also like...the world building.... excellent.  Also my ship. I love them. 
464 Pages

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Ok so I've been to the Ursuline convent that's mentioned in the story... It's a museum now...which makes me sad. Did I know more about the stained glass windows and the statues than the tour guide...yes.
I love Bastian. Like. I just love him. So much. 
480 Pages

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

dfsklajajfkljasklf;jalfjasjf;skla
So I love it when one character is locked up and another isn't.....like...I love this trope.....although it's only really cool in fantasy....
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH Y'ALL.
Okami.... I love him. I love him. I love him. The way that he loves Mariko like....perfection...absolutely perfect. 
Mariko literally carrying all of the world on her back, solving all the problems. She has the brain cell.
I really liked how the magic and the setting developed. 
I love it when people realize that they're stupid and wrong. 
That epilogue... All the heart eyes. 
 448 Pages

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

I am suspicious of all y'all..... Cause you doing shady things...Like I'm suspicious of her brother and the fiancé. 
I love how much Mariko loves to learn.
Fantasy feudal Japan. Awesome
Oh my gosh the Robin Hood vibes and the Mulan vibes (but definitely not retelling vibes).
I live for sneaky sneaks. Alexa play Mission Impossible theme song.
I love Yoshi.
All the pretty words....I love a guy who can say really pretty things about love ok.....I'm fine... Okami is really smooth.....
I love feuding families and the drama that goes with it.
I'm excited to see how Kenshin grows.
432 Pages


Monday, August 31, 2020

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

The Rose and the Dagger (Wrath and the Dawn Series #2)Alexa play "A Whole New World"
Ok but Khalid being the sweetie that he is.....
....Families, and father figures in particular, suck, I guess.....
Is that a snake or someone pretending to be a snake.
I just want the cinnamon rolls to be happy, is that too much to ask?!?! It's not fair.
fsajkldfsjdaklfjsklafjsla;fjasfjlasjf;jsafj;
Also there are so many quotes to go in my Common Place journal once I start one.
THE EPILOGUE. I AM WRECKED.
The writing is so pretty and the chemistry and the tension and someone send help and someone buy me the hardcover edition of these books because the cover is gorgeous.
440 Pages

Friday, August 28, 2020

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn (Wrath and the Dawn Series #1)Dude the Caliph is Zuko with his two swords.
the blue spirit | Tumblr
Alexa play "Speechless" from Aladdin.
I love Shahrzad. She fierce. Shazi is so BA. I love her.
Also all of the mystery of Khalid.... and his angst, and his walls and his secrets. I'm fine. He protec. (and he has anger issues, like same).
Jalal.... Bro... like....Mr. Bingley vibes, anyone?
The drama. The tension. The chemistry.
ALL OF THE ANGST AND THE YEARNING. I LIVE FOR YEARNING AND PINING. Send help.
Despina. Heart eyes.
Also the writing is beautiful.
432 Pages

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

The Damned by Renee Ahdieh

The DamnedI love Bastien.
Every time I hear Michael and the fact that he's a police person, my brain just jumps to Jane the Virgin.
Aaaaaand the world just got a whole lot bigger.
So those last few chapters....anyone?
416 Pages

Friday, July 10, 2020

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

The BeautifulSo I went on a Spring Break mission trip to New Orleans...and I love New Orleans and the atmosphere and the food... I miss it y'all. Louisiana is so pretty. ugh.
Ok because this is historical fiction and Catholic things are happening.. Imma be over here Catholicing... Don't mind me over in the corner checking for historical accuracy (I did this with the live action Beauty and the Beast, it's normal, I'm fine).
Ursline sisters? I know one of those!
Tangled dance gif
Ok but thanking someone for sharing their secrets and hard to tell truths. Yes! Acknowledging that some things are hard to share, and that you're honored to have them shared.
Ok so the commentary on how sin is kind of a grey area...yes.
Snaps for all the words of wisdom.
And all the action happened real fast.
My ship...I'm fine. I'm torn...Two ships...Which one will I go down on...
448 Pages

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn, #2)The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 2 in the Wrath and the Dawn series

The most heartbreaking moment was realizing this was the final book in the series. I had no idea, and it traumatized me when I reached the end of this world, despite the satisfying ending.

Someone should have warned me. The book should have come with a disclaimer, something like:

"This is the end of the series. Prepare yourself for epic feels followed by severe withdrawals. Dude, seriously. It's going to get ugly for you. Have chocolate on hand. Alert your friends that you'll be ignoring their texts. Explain to your dog what bereft means. Side effects include elation, devastation, and moping. Finishing will lead to an inability to start a new novel."

Otherwise, it was gorgeous and exciting.

Pages: 432

Monday, May 2, 2016

The Mirror & the Maze by Renee Ahdieh

The Mirror & the Maze (The Wrath and the Dawn, #1.5)The Mirror & the Maze by Renee Ahdieh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a Wrath and the Dawn Novella (1.5).  It's from Khalid's perspective.

I'll take any little piece of this world I can get. Please and thank you!

Pages: 11

Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath & the Dawn (The Wrath & the Dawn, #1)The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Note: This is a twist or retelling of the Arabian Nights.

3/31/2016 --I finished this book and immediately went online and preordered book two. Now I'm going to feel terribly sorry for myself while I wait out the next 26 days until it arrives.

Update on 4/1/16: In the middle of the night, after I finished reading this book, I was still up thinking about it. I decided to write down some more thoughts on the book, to try to get it out of my head. Here's what I wrote on my post-it note, and I think it basically sums things up:

If you thought you were the master of dysfunctional relationships, THINK AGAIN. This book ate your most dysfunctional relationship as an appetizer for breakfast.

Pages: 432