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A review by lizaktzxy
The Rose & the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh
4.0
And thus ends another series.
I'm glad this series was only a duology. Because Renee Ahdieh has done a marvellous job at wrapping up this story perfectly in two books. The writing was smooth, the pace was fast and there was a pleasing lack of fillers that would unnecessarily drag everything out. And even with so much of the plot moving, there was no compromise done with regards to character and world building.
The fantasy is written with great balance to the more realistic part of the story, and the subtlety of it made the magical storyline more mystical. Although I wish there was a better explanation of some things, like Artan and his family, and the sorceress aunt and their relationship with the book. Maybe I just missed something, but that part of the storyline just didn't feel quite as...whole.
The characters especially stood out to me for the eloquence with which they have been crafted- the care that has been taken to taint them in their many shades and layers, to make them seem more than just one colour. The main characters, of course, are wonderful, but I would like to especially mention Irsa. I am so thankful to the author for fleshing her out and giving her life in this book. There are many books out there and they showcase many strong women, but so often the strength of women is showcased to lie in the ideal they possess which are in defiance with generalised effeminate traits. Yet, Irsa here has a softer personality and is still strong and mighty when the time comes, and I appreciate the example. She is probably my favourite character in this book.
When I first started The Wrath and The Dawn, I didn't expect much. But the book has pleasantly surprised me and thus, going into The Rose and The Dagger, my expectations were much higher. This book is pretty different from the first one, and maybe that was the reason but it made me a bit disinterested when I started reading this book. Yet, as I continued, I became more and more engrossed, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised again.
I'm glad this series was only a duology. Because Renee Ahdieh has done a marvellous job at wrapping up this story perfectly in two books. The writing was smooth, the pace was fast and there was a pleasing lack of fillers that would unnecessarily drag everything out. And even with so much of the plot moving, there was no compromise done with regards to character and world building.
The fantasy is written with great balance to the more realistic part of the story, and the subtlety of it made the magical storyline more mystical. Although I wish there was a better explanation of some things, like Artan and his family, and the sorceress aunt and their relationship with the book. Maybe I just missed something, but that part of the storyline just didn't feel quite as...whole.
The characters especially stood out to me for the eloquence with which they have been crafted- the care that has been taken to taint them in their many shades and layers, to make them seem more than just one colour. The main characters, of course, are wonderful, but I would like to especially mention Irsa. I am so thankful to the author for fleshing her out and giving her life in this book. There are many books out there and they showcase many strong women, but so often the strength of women is showcased to lie in the ideal they possess which are in defiance with generalised effeminate traits. Yet, Irsa here has a softer personality and is still strong and mighty when the time comes, and I appreciate the example. She is probably my favourite character in this book.
When I first started The Wrath and The Dawn, I didn't expect much. But the book has pleasantly surprised me and thus, going into The Rose and The Dagger, my expectations were much higher. This book is pretty different from the first one, and maybe that was the reason but it made me a bit disinterested when I started reading this book. Yet, as I continued, I became more and more engrossed, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised again.