Renée Ahdieh’s novel, The Wrath and the Dawn, is a fun reimagining of the classic tale Arabian Nights. It focuses on Shahrzad, 16, who wishes to get revenge on the caliph who takes a new bride each night only to have them executed at dawn. 

     Shahrzad volunteers to marry the caliph, Khalid, after he executed her best friend, Shiva. She plans to survive the dawn and get her revenge. She tells Khalid an intriguing story, but at dawn, she refuses to finish until the next night. Khalid accepts her proposal and lets her live another day. Eventually, Khalid makes the decision to never kill Shahrzad. As the two begin to grow closer, Shahrzad feels torn between avenging her dead friend, or staying loyal and giving into desires with Khalid. 

     Ahdieh’s descriptive writing style combined with the rich Middle Eastern culture creates a beautiful setting and builds a captivating world that the reader cannot help but fall into. The dialogue is quick, realistic, and poetic, and the inner turmoil of the characters is perfectly depicted in order to add to the drama of it all.

     Overall, The Wrath and the Dawn is a beautifully written novel that allows the reader to be transported into a world of revenge, loyalty, love, and secrets, all set in stunning Middle Eastern culture.