Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
Book Review:
I'm going to write this review a little differently. I'm going to highlight points that I would like to discuss instead of giving an overall review.
- Shazi: A strong female main character. It's hard not to adore her, or discover why Khalid is so smitten with her.
- Khalid: I'm not a fan of his lack of emotion...it's something we see in YA over and over again. That being said, we do see a softer side through his conversations with Shazi and through his letters.
- I would have liked to see more the back story that included Shazi's former lover and her father. There were hints of magic and rebellion...I hope to see more of this in the next book.
- The supporting characters really fill out the story nicely. I really enjoyed Shazi's interactions with her handmaiden and Khalid's guardsmen. SO GOOD.
- The setting and world building of this story is so complex and wonderfully spun.
- Can I get a YAY! for some diversity?! I loved reading about an area in the world that I know very little about.
- I would have liked to learn more about Khalid's curse. It feels like there is more to the story.
Quick thoughts: This is a sultry tale filled with action, romance, magic, and suspense. The unique and diverse setting adds spice and interest to the overall story line. While some areas fell a little short for me, this fast paced story was near impossible to set down. I devoured this tale in just a few sittings. I highly recommend this book for YA fantasy lovers. Also, I need the sequel like now!!!
Cover Art Commentary:
It's not that I don't like it per say...It's just kind of awkward. I'm not sure what the pink overlay is for. I would rather just have the pink cover with the designs or the picture of the girl underneath as the cover.
Rating:
