Waiting on Wednesday: The Rose & The Dagger

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

The Rose & The Dagger

by Renee Ahdieh

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

Release date: May 3, 2016

From Goodreads:

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

My Thoughts:

The Wrath & The Dawn was one of my favorite reads of 2015 and I have been eagerly anticipating its sequel, The Rose & The Dagger. I actually pre-ordered this book as soon as that option became available online because I am dying to get my hands on it. If you want to read about my love for the world Ahdieh created, you can check out my full review of The Wrath & The Dawn here.

I also had the extreme pleasure of meeting Renee Ahdieh last year right after her book was published and she is such a nice fun person. Even with just one book published so far, she has become an auto-buy author for me because she convinced me what a remarkable story teller she is and I am convinced that her writing style alone would always draw me in.

I would also like to mention that are two novellas associated with the series:

1. The Crown & The Arrow which is available now for FREE and it is Khalid’s perspective on meeting Sharzi for the first time, and

2. The Moth & The Flame that will be released on March 22 which will give more insight to Jalal and Despina.

These two novellas are sure to get me even more excited, if that’s even possible, for the release of The Rose & The Dagger.

I cannot wait to get back to the amazing world created by Renee Ahdieh and see what becomes of the characters that have captured my heart!