The Rose & the Dagger

By: Renée Ahdieh

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

Instant New York Times Bestseller

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.

Narrator ruined the book.

The story may have been better if it had a different narrator. It seemed more like she was trying to read a history book to students and attempting to make it more interesting. Very little difference between some characters and none between others. Often you could not tell who was saying what. I would read this book if another one came out in the series but only if it had a different narrator.

story great, narrator not so much.

narrator was so not good it took away from the awesomen story. but worth the read.

lacked story

very slow. had to listen to it at 1.2x
the story itself lacked imagination, explications and details. disappointing.

Get this if you want the conclusion to the series

Personally, I enjoyed the first book better. Because I love the palace and the focus on Khalid and Sharzad's chemistry. This is not to say that we don't get the chemistry on Book 2. We do. But not as much as Book 1 in my opinion.

On the other hand, if you loved Book 1, I think it would be a shame not to get The Rose and the Dagger. The author made me care for those two lovebirds in Book 1. And it was a joy to see how their story concluded in Book 2.

Just be warned that you might be bored with the first half of this book as it was basically a build up of the second half. On the other hand, the second half (I feel) is so worth it

Loved it

A lot of people complain about the reader, but I thought she did fine. I enjoyed it. it's a wonderful story and I appreciate being able to listen to it.