Scan barcode
vireogirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Good but not as well written as the first one. Some of the plot twists seemed forced. People forgave too easily.
There were beautiful descriptions such as the flying scenes.
There were beautiful descriptions such as the flying scenes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
jackiepreston's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
celery's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
eelizard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
imaginationindex's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“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.”
I loved this conclusion; it was both expected and not what I was expecting at the same time.
What I enjoyed:
- Irsa. I am starting with her as my new favourite character (Shahrzad is still alright, less decisive this round) as the presence and growth was so important. I’m glad we had her POV added.
- Even though Shahrzad and Khalid were apart more in this book, the romance was clear. We get passion, we get action, though it remains that Shazi is not just the damsel in distress while Khalid is not always the knight in shining armour. They get their eventual happy ending.
- Renee Ahdieh knows how to write a scene. I swear at times I could feel the fabrics or taste the herbs that were described. It’s world-building at its finest!
Adding this final point. To be clear this is not something I loved, but rather how it was addressed.
- TW: Attempted rape. A scene addressed the horrendous acts a side character could have taken were acknowledged in this book. It also further showed the fight Shazi had in her!
What I didn’t enjoy
- While the first book focused so much on the curse, it was brushed under the carpet (ha, flying carpet humour) in a brief plot point.
- Despina. Not her character and the reveal (I actually liked that since I truly didn’t see it coming) but I felt like her role as a spy was not utilized to its full potential. Also her and Jalal, was hoping for more scenes between them.
- The magic system didn’t always make sense to me. Maybe I misunderstood but
Shahrzad’s father has to kill a horse but Shahrzad can just absorb it… like a sponge??
This is one of the first duologies where I’ve given both books the same rating. I don’t think this is a bad things, but further shows how equal in romance, action, heartbreak, tension, humour, and passion they are.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
meghansarmiento97's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
haleyatucker's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
chef’s kiss
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I finally did it. I finally read this book. It only took me seven years to get to. Not my finest reading moment, but patting myself on the back for it nonetheless.
Where the first book focused on the enemies to lovers romance and the complexities of its characters, this one focused more on world-building, politics and war. The pacing was about the same, the romance still present, but there was something about The Rose and the Dagger that didn’t live up to its predecessor; I just can’t pinpoint it.
Maybe it was that I predicted nearly all of the plot twists, and the ones I didn’t predict were resolved too quickly to have much of an impact. Maybe it was that I found I didn’t care about most of the characters, or the budding romance between two of them. Maybe it was the disproportionate amount of planning vs action, or the abruptness of the ending. Maybe it was all of the above.
The saving grace was the characters I did care about: Shahrzad, Khalid, Despina and Jalal. If I didn’t like them so much, if I wasn’t so thoroughly invested in Shazi and Khalid’s romance, I suspect this review would be very different, my rating lower. But luckily, I have a weak spot for fierce, ambitious girls and the soft, traumatized-and-in-need-of-a-hug boys that adore them. I also have a weak spot for snarky best friends. And it was those weak spots that ensured I did like at least some aspects of this book.
Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book. Despite my criticisms of it and my preference for her later work, Ahdieh is undeniably an excellent storyteller. And although this duology isn’t a favorite of mine, it’s still enjoyable, and I’m glad I finally finished it.
(Also, I want to put this here so I don’t forget: I noticed an interesting amount of similarities between this and the Sands of Arawiya duology by Hafsah Faizal. Both feature fierce girl protagonists, traumatized-and-in-need-of-a-hug love interests, and snarky side characters to round out the found family, whose relationships develop in unexpected ways. The protagonists of both books have shyer younger sisters with a knack for medicine that come into their own over the course of the story. Both stories also feature an enemies to lovers ship you can’t help but go down with, and a magical book you probably shouldn’t trust.) (I’m not saying anyone copied anyone else. I quite like both duologies. These are just my own early-hours-of-the-morning musings.)
Representation
Where the first book focused on the enemies to lovers romance and the complexities of its characters, this one focused more on world-building, politics and war. The pacing was about the same, the romance still present, but there was something about The Rose and the Dagger that didn’t live up to its predecessor; I just can’t pinpoint it.
Maybe it was that I predicted nearly all of the plot twists, and the ones I didn’t predict were resolved too quickly to have much of an impact. Maybe it was that I found I didn’t care about most of the characters, or the budding romance between two of them. Maybe it was the disproportionate amount of planning vs action, or the abruptness of the ending. Maybe it was all of the above.
The saving grace was the characters I did care about: Shahrzad, Khalid, Despina and Jalal. If I didn’t like them so much, if I wasn’t so thoroughly invested in Shazi and Khalid’s romance, I suspect this review would be very different, my rating lower. But luckily, I have a weak spot for fierce, ambitious girls and the soft, traumatized-and-in-need-of-a-hug boys that adore them. I also have a weak spot for snarky best friends. And it was those weak spots that ensured I did like at least some aspects of this book.
Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book. Despite my criticisms of it and my preference for her later work, Ahdieh is undeniably an excellent storyteller. And although this duology isn’t a favorite of mine, it’s still enjoyable, and I’m glad I finally finished it.
(Also, I want to put this here so I don’t forget: I noticed an interesting amount of similarities between this and the Sands of Arawiya duology by Hafsah Faizal. Both feature fierce girl protagonists, traumatized-and-in-need-of-a-hug love interests, and snarky side characters to round out the found family, whose relationships develop in unexpected ways. The protagonists of both books have shyer younger sisters with a knack for medicine that come into their own over the course of the story. Both stories also feature an enemies to lovers ship you can’t help but go down with, and a magical book you probably shouldn’t trust.) (I’m not saying anyone copied anyone else. I quite like both duologies. These are just my own early-hours-of-the-morning musings.)
Representation
- full POC cast
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Kidnapping
britgirlreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery
kenziewol's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault