What is the book about?
In Khorasan, a land ruled by a murderous king, all families dread the start of a new dawn as they wait in fear that their daughters will be taken from them. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new girl to be his wife each day and then has her executed at sunrise for no known reason. This is why is comes as a terrifying shock when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to become Khalid’s next wife and victim. However, although Shazi may be acting like an innocent young girl, she enters the palace with a plan to stay alive and avenge the countless girls Khalid has murdered, especially her best friend. Against all odds, Shazi gets through to the dawn no others have seen and brings hope to the people in Khorasan, who wish for an end to their torment and fear. However, everything comes for a catch and this time it may be more than Shazi can deal with…she may be falling for the villainous king. However, things don’t seem to be what they appear and Shazi discovers that the cold, cruel Caliph is not as vicious as he seems and may have a heart after all and the deaths of all those girls may be for a true reason. It is up to her to uncover the truth and end the murders before it is too late.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
Initially, I wasn't sure I would like the book mainly due to the interesting cover that didn't exactly look like the books I usually read. I had had this book – and the next book in the duology – sat on my shelf for quite a while because they had been lent to me by a friend before the GCSE exams, so I hadn't had time to actually read them until now. Although at first glance I didn't think I would enjoy the book and wasn’t entirely sure I even wanted to read it, I decided not to judge a book by its cover and once I looked a little deeper and read the blurb I did think that there was a possibility that I would actually like the book as it seemed a lot more like the books I usually read and had an element of enemies to lovers romance (by far the best fictional book genre in existence). However, what really made me start reading was that it was strongly recommended by one of my friends who usually likes books that I like too and I knew that, if she wanted me to read it and was willing to have me keep the books for over 4 months, then it must have been a special book duology indeed. Finally, I started to read the book and I was really glad that I did because it had all the elements that I love in a book and I reached the end quicker than I would have thought.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character by far was Shahrzad, not just because she was the main character and the person I heard the most from, but because she had all the qualities that I think make a great person. She was brave, strong, smart, resilient and, although this may not seem like a redeeming and lovely quality, stubborn. She represented all that I want to be and all that I wish I could be. She knew that the chances of her surviving through to the dawn were very slim, yet she still went into the palace with confidence and did not give up. Shazi knew she had to try because, if not, she would have never been able to live with herself knowing that she had let her cruel king get away with the murder of her best friend and the murders of countless other girls, who had years of happiness ahead of them. I loved seeing how she was not afraid to tell people her opinion and that she had the courage to stand up for herself, even when she really should have kept quiet. Her stubbornness helped her in so many cases and it really showed me that it's alright to know what you want and go for it and not let anyone stop you, so I hope that I have the courage and stubbornness to go out there and get what I want, once I know what that is, of course. Although all these qualities make Shazi seem like a perfect girl, she was far from it and what I liked best about her was that she was still human and she was still a young girl, who wanted nothing but someone to care for her. She was taken in by the promises of love and care and, despite her best efforts, fell in love with her enemy, and for that I admire her.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
As always this is a very hard question to answer and as always I somehow find an answer. In this book my favourite was actually a series of parts where Khalid and Shahrzad begin to open up to each other and embrace the fact that they were falling in love. It was hard for both of them to accept it, but once they stopped fighting their emotions, everything was different and more special. Out of all of these moments the best is when Shazi is told the truth and she is finally able to understand why so many young girls had to die. She had found something that made her question whether the Caliph was really as cold-hearted as he seemed and she realised that maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought. I can’t say much else without fear of ruining the story; I just hope that this romance lasts until the end of the next book because I really think that they are perfect for each other.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and loved every second I spent reading it. Before I start talking about all the amazing things that I loved, there is one small thing that really annoyed me and that was the fact that there were so many (too many) words that I could not pronounce and could not figure out how to say them and, although it made the book unique, I just wished that there was some way to hear how the author intended for them to be said because it really annoys me and worries me as I feel like I can’t talk about the book with anyone so as not to pronounce something wrong. But, the book was truly amazing, so let’s get to complimenting the author for the amazing story she wrote. One of the things that I loved the most about it was that it was written in the third person. Now, normally I despise all books that are not written in first person, mainly because I always felt like it was impossible to truly get into a book unless you are able to be the person and feel what they feel, however this book was an entirely new experience. I didn't feel at all limited and I actually found that I was able to get into the story of a lot more than if it had been written in the first person. When a book is written in the first person, you are only able to see what that one person sees, however, in the third person you can spot all sorts of different details that you didn't think you would be able to because it's like there's an omniscient narrator in the background watching everything and listening to all conversations. I also really enjoyed how this book kept me on edge the entire time. The whole story centred around one secret that was only revealed at the very end, so I found it very difficult to put down the book as I was desperate to discover the truth. I really loved the sense of mystery which brought me back to the first book genre I really loved – murder mystery. Although the book didn't make me cry and didn't really make me laugh, I felt something and once a book makes you feel something you know that this is a good book because if it doesn't make you feel something then the book has not completed its purpose. One last thing that I utterly adored was the enemies to lovers romance. Ever since reading the Folk of the Air trilogy I have not been able to stop thinking about this romance and, although it seems like the most complicated type of romance in the world, I can't help wishing that I could have something like that. It really completed the whole story and, even though I could see it coming from a mile away, I loved the romance and I loved everything about the book. I cannot wait to start the next book and, although it is the final book, I'm excited to see how it ends and if it is anywhere near as good as the first.
Would you recommend this book?
I absolutely recommend this book to all who would like to dive into a new adventure full of mystery and romance. I particularly recommend this book to readers over 13 and those who enjoy romance (enemies to lovers), mystery, action and adventure.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A thrilling, romantic mystery that all will enjoy.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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