The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renée Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Number of pages: 416 pages (hardcover)

★★★★/5

Synopsis: A reimagined tale based on One Thousand and One Nights and The Arabian Nights. In this version, the brave Shahrzad volunteers to marry the Caliph of Khorasan after her best friend is chosen as one of his virgin brides and is summarily murdered the next morning. She uses her storytelling skills, along with well-placed cliff-hangers, to keep herself alive while trying to discover a way to exact revenge on the Caliph. However, the longer she stays in the palace, the more she realizes there's more going on than just a murderous prince. While her feelings for the Caliph grow and change, the first love she left behind is busy plotting to overthrow the entire palace.

My review:  

What have you done to my feels ? This book was so moving. I ordered it on Amazon based on the suggestions, and I'm not disappointed at all. The cover. THE COVER. The colours of the cover are simply gorgeous. And when you open it, the girl who is half hidden is printed on the page. Seriously, how COOL is that ?
I love the idea, the retelling of the One Thousand and One Nights. I grew up with those stories (in French, Shahrzad/Shazi is called Schéhérazade), and I was eager to read another version of the story. 
The story takes place in a semi-fictional middle Eastern setting. Throughout the story, the author uses specific vocabulary, and there's a vocab list at the end of the book. The reader really feels immersed into Shazi's fascinating world (and I'm also a language nerd, I love to learn new things language-related).
I think the storytelling was A-MA-ZING. It's beautiful. Just... beautiful. Renée Ahdieh is a very talented author, and I admire her so much, given that it's her first novel. Some quotes are just gorgeous.

“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”

Or this one :

“I love you, Shahrzad al-Khayzuran. There is nothing I would not do for you. Nothing I would not consider if it meant keeping you safe. The world itself should fear me if it stands between us.”

She creates complex characters. Everyone of them, not just the main characters. They are all so likable (even if I have my favourites). I think that the power of this book is not the epic story, or the rhythm, it's the atmosphere, the pictures it creates in your mind. That's what makes this book truly beautiful.
I can't say more, I don't want to spoil any of you guys !

3 reasons to read this book :

• It's based on the One Thousand and One Nights.
• The atmsophere of this book is... magical.
• You'll fall in love with the characters.