On the Same Page | The Wrath and the Dawn | Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn • Renee Ahdieh

I’m going to let you all in on a secret about On the Same Page: The three of us read the same book each month, but we almost never read the book at the EXACT same time. We talk about it and gush or complain or discuss, but never while we’re all in the act of reading together. Never “OMG I’m on page 54,” “OMG I’m two pages behind you THIS IS AMAZINGGGG.” That is, until THE WRATH AND THE DAWN. I have to say, it was incredibly fun and very lucky that we all wound up having overlapping free time.

Another thing that was awesome about this month’s book? Umm, EVERYTHING. Ahem. I meant to say that the vibrant setting created an incredibly vivid environment for the story of Shazi and Khalid. It felt like I was reading a grown-up Aladdin. Picturing the palaces, the clothes, the food, the desert was all so easy to do. Because reading THE WRATH AND THE DAWN was so visual for me, it was a no-brainer that I put together another Pinterest board. I’m going to try not to overwhelm you guys with pins, but I might fail. There’s just so much to see!

The culture of Shazi and Khalid in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is refreshing to read. I simply haven’t encountered one like it in my reading. The source material–loosely–is 1,001 Arabian Nights and it was just incredibly fun to envision. Taking to Pinterest after I was finished reading was just as striking.

Just a little illustration of Khalid’s palace in the middle of the desert to set the mood.

This instantly reminded me of Shazi, even though it’s not a photograph. Something about the expression on her face really grabbed me. Shazi is brave, ballsy, tough, and clever. She’s got a PLAN, you guys, and she is not going to let her fear win. Too bad she has to look at this guy every day and fight THE WAVERING.

KHALID. I’m not sure who this guy is in real life, but there’s pictures of him everywhere. They’re all amazing. Picturing the stoic, troubled Khalid like this makes it much more understandable that Shazi would eventually fall for the Caliph. But aside from his good looks, Khalid struggles mightily with things that are both awful and beyond his control. Hot AND tortured. Kryptonite.

A lot of the interactions between Shazi and Khalid, especially in the early chapters of THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, take place at the table in Shazi’s bedroom where they share tea and meals. Aside from the fact that all the talk about the food made me hungry and think about how now I NEED to have Moroccan tea glasses even though I generally prefer coffee, these chats are what save Shazi’s life in the beginning and what builds the foundation of their growing relationship later.

Markets, or souks, are important and vibrant elements of Middle Eastern culture and the culture in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN. A turning point for Shazi and Khalid takes place on a nighttime trip they take to the souk. Things are still in a state of flux for them: Shazi has always intended to kill Khalid to avenge the death of her best friend. But her plans are beginning to change (see picture above) and their trip to the souk forces Shazi to take a really close look at how far she’s now willing to go.

I imagine Shazi’s bedroom at the palace a little like this: bright with lots of curtains and cushions and tables for food. It’s probably bigger than this, though. She is the Calipha after all.

So one of the subplots in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN involves Shazi’s father and this magical book he steals for some initially mysterious but clearly nefarious purpose. It’s kind of a big deal, especially as the story progresses.

I couldn’t read this book without thinking of the amazingly detailed architecture of the Middle East. IT’S GORGEOUS. The colors and the shapes and the mosaics. I die.

Khalid’s bedroom is described as being dark, so I immediately thought of it when I saw this picture. The THINGS that happen in this bedroom….

Kind of frivolous, but Khalid is nuts over the way Shazi’s hair smells like lilacs. It’s a thing. A reallllyyy swoony thing.

There are elements of magic that make little appearances in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN at the hands of various people. If you put a few things together, you might understand that this isn’t meant to be just a picture of a tatty old rug. The magical elements are, without a doubt, one of the things I’m REALLY looking forward to learning more about in book 2.

Tariq is the OTHER guy in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN. There’s really no triangle since Shazi and Tariq spend almost no time together at all, and her feelings for Khalid take root and change into something bigger than she ever felt for Tariq. But that doesn’t mean he and his pet falcon don’t still play an important role in the story, and will likely play an even bigger one in book 2. DUN DUN DUNNNN.

Guys, I’ll be reviewing THE WRATH AND THE DAWN a little bit closer to it’s pub date, but I ADORED this book. These images and the others on my board only serve as a small look into the seriously dramatic setting, and will only whet your appetite for all things Khalid and Shazi, including the world they live in.

Follow Amy’s board The Wrath and the Dawn on Pinterest.

Don’t forget to check out Brittany and Alyssa‘s posts today!