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Wendy Darling's Reviews > The Wrath and the Dawn
The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn, #1)
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Wendy Darling's review
bookshelves: young-adult, fantasy, poc, retellings-and-inspirations, read-2015, too-many-povs, historical-fantasy
Jan 05, 2014
bookshelves: young-adult, fantasy, poc, retellings-and-inspirations, read-2015, too-many-povs, historical-fantasy
Hm. People are loving this much-hyped book, but I have rather mixed feelings about this one.
Things I liked:
-- awesome premise, obviously
-- a world very different from what we're used to
-- a few intriguing conversations between women (Shazi and Despina, Shazi and Yasmine)
-- diversity, yay
-- a few nice action scenes towards the end
-- the romance, which eventually sparked and got me very invested in what's going to happen next!
Things I wanted more of:
-- Magic (perhaps this will come in the next book)
-- Complexity of emotion
-- development of character, particularly in secondary ones
-- showing versus telling (the writing feels a bit...mannered?)
-- less glossing over/quickly moving past important scenes (view spoiler)
-- more interesting recounting of The Arabian Nights. I mostly skimmed those parts, tbh, since we were already told so much of the main story, and Shazi's "telling" of the tales didn't have a unique spin/evocative writing/subtext
-- explanation for why the two main characters are drawn together, particularly why Khalid is so intrigued by Shazi that he continues to spare her life.
Honestly, I was keenly interested throughout this entire story, but I didn't feel particularly swept away by it, or moved until closer to the end. Until the last few chapters, the whole thing needed more complexity and subtlety and subtext and mystery. When there's finally an outpouring of emotion, however, followed by the scenes when everything's finally on the table and the betrayal and sacrifice as a result of that? That's when the story catches a little fire and made me genuinely invested in the characters, and anxious to see what happens to them. Here's hoping the sequel continues the momentum and delivers in the promise implicit in the last few chapters of The Wrath and the Dawn.
Okay, 4 am ramblings are at an end. I will probably come back and tinker with this a bit to finish it off.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
Things I liked:
-- awesome premise, obviously
-- a world very different from what we're used to
-- a few intriguing conversations between women (Shazi and Despina, Shazi and Yasmine)
-- diversity, yay
-- a few nice action scenes towards the end
-- the romance, which eventually sparked and got me very invested in what's going to happen next!
Things I wanted more of:
-- Magic (perhaps this will come in the next book)
-- Complexity of emotion
-- development of character, particularly in secondary ones
-- showing versus telling (the writing feels a bit...mannered?)
-- less glossing over/quickly moving past important scenes (view spoiler)
-- more interesting recounting of The Arabian Nights. I mostly skimmed those parts, tbh, since we were already told so much of the main story, and Shazi's "telling" of the tales didn't have a unique spin/evocative writing/subtext
-- explanation for why the two main characters are drawn together, particularly why Khalid is so intrigued by Shazi that he continues to spare her life.
Honestly, I was keenly interested throughout this entire story, but I didn't feel particularly swept away by it, or moved until closer to the end. Until the last few chapters, the whole thing needed more complexity and subtlety and subtext and mystery. When there's finally an outpouring of emotion, however, followed by the scenes when everything's finally on the table and the betrayal and sacrifice as a result of that? That's when the story catches a little fire and made me genuinely invested in the characters, and anxious to see what happens to them. Here's hoping the sequel continues the momentum and delivers in the promise implicit in the last few chapters of The Wrath and the Dawn.
Okay, 4 am ramblings are at an end. I will probably come back and tinker with this a bit to finish it off.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
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Reading Progress
January 5, 2014
– Shelved
April 12, 2015
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Started Reading
April 13, 2015
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Finished Reading
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I rated down on the stars, and on reflection I decided on a solid 3 stars after all, Steph. I'm actually really glad to hear you had mixed feelings, too--every single other person I know who's read this has raved about it, although Layla's in the middle of it now and struggling a bit, too. I didn't fall for the storytelling style, either, and I totally agree--the ending is when things finally got interesting! And emotional! It hooked me in the ending few scenes. And hah, yes, I had to go back and reread the couple of sentences where that major life-changing event happened to make sure I understood it was all over. I mean, I don't think scenes need to be explicit, but come on! It merited more thought and discussion than that, even if it was in retrospect. It was treated as if she'd just had her first meal with him or something, and then it was all over in two sentences.
Steph wrote: "it was enjoyable, but didn't quite enthrall me as much as I wanted."
Same. Disappointing. But fingers crossed the second one (is it three books? I always assume three books) maybe undergoes a few more drafts and the writing/characterization are more developed.
It was not realistic at all, Nick. If the author wanted to move past that part within the context of the scene, fine, but for that character to have no internal dialogue about that before or after? Baffling. Especially when, as you say, she actually loathes him (view spoiler). Something like that just doesn't happen without consequence, physically, psychologically, emotionally. But it's part of the way the whole book was written, really--it definitely lacked the emotional stakes and deliberation I look for in books like these.I'm sorry you were disappointed by this one, too. But I'm also glad I'm not the only one, hah. By my count, right now there's just you, me, Steph from Cuddlebuggery, my co-blogger Layla (her review posts tomorrow for the blog--I'll update my review with a link then), and one other friend who doesn't seem to be dazzled by this one, everything else seems to be 4 and 5 stars.
Black sheep, black sheep! Baaa.
Yes, the loathing part was what really bothered me too. I remember texting my friend when I read that first scene, telling her I was unsure that it had actually happened. I had to re-read it multiple times. I was expecting (view spoiler) And I agree, the writing didn't pack an emotional punch and it could have. Like I said in my review, the flowery prose took away from the emotional aspect of the book.
I will have to check out Layla's review today. She and I usually feel very similarly about books. I'm sad that you didn't love it either, but I'm also secretly pleased that I'm not alone. We can bask in our black-sheepness together. On a side note, perhaps the other A Thousand And One Nights retelling by E.K Johnston will be better for us. Crossing my fingers that it will be a better read.
You were a bit less harsh than me, Wendy, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who didn't love this book! I agree with all of your criticisms. The plot felt so contrived, especially the romance, and the writing walked the wrong side of the fine line between beautiful and purple prose. I'm also hoping that Johnston's retelling will be better.
I'm 50 pages in and seriously contemplating a DNF on this one, for all the reasons you mention. It's SO well reviewed, but I'm struggling to see what everyone else is loving about it. So glad to see I'm not alone in my ambivalence.
I've learned to try to not read your ratings/reviews/blog posts on books I want to read because you and Layla had GREAT observations about the story and/or writing that I really didn't notice... I think that's why I will never make a great book blogger, ha! I mostly read for what happens and in this case, was fascinated by the setting and story and layers (probably aided by the fact that I know next to nothing about the original work). Anyway, thank you for reviews! :)
This book was SO HYPED.I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt ambivalent about it. Like you, I didn't feel like her stories were very compelling (especially since they were supposed to have saved her life!), and I was sad that there weren't more of them included.
Having just finished this, I can see your areas of concern, Wendy. They were mine for a good third of the book, but then I just sort of inexplicably fell in love with the two leads. I also think you raised an interesting point about the thing glossed over. (view spoiler) It was interesting to see the other side of the interpretive coin.
Great review! I completely agree about the glossing over. It was weird.
Hi, Wendy D
Thank you for review this.
Do you read the full version of Arabian Nights? Which one is the best in your option? Because I am current read the Lyons version.
Thank you for review this.
Do you read the full version of Arabian Nights? Which one is the best in your option? Because I am current read the Lyons version.
Thank you for this great review Wendy! I was afraid I was alone in not loving this book as everyone seems to do. I had the same issues as you did - the instalove Khalid had for Shazi, and her lack of emotion during her first (and consequent) nights. Although I loved the flowery prose, I did not love other aspects of her writing style. It felt very foreign to me. Thank you, again, for your wonderful review.
I, too, felt the writing was on for show throughout the novel. I spent precious time mentally "fixing" the sentences to seem more natural. Another thing that bugged me was all the "boy" comments. "I'm just a boy..." I honestly don't think that anyone, especially at that time, would consider an 18 year old a child. I felt like that word was peppered throughout the story only to make it YA, which cheapened it.
Petty grievances: Shazi was a bit of a Mary Sue, and I obviously didn't do my homework, but I could not believe it when I came to the end of the book...and realized it would be a series. Very disappointing for the money I paid for it.
I absolutely agree! I was the only one in my book club who felt it was lacking but I really wasn't captivated until more than halfway through!
I agree that her story telling wasn't great but it wasn't her story telling that saved her life. Wasn't it more the fact that Khalid's mother told him stories before bed.
I loved it, but I expected more magic as well
My sentiments exactly. Though the storytelling isn't a major focus, readers are still going to expect it from her. And, I felt that even if Khalid's mother used to tell him stories, it just...doesn't seem like enough of a reason to spare Shahrzad. There's not enough in that scene between them for me to understand what he sees in her. Being defiant and a smartmouth isn't enough for me.
I'm so glad someone had the exact same thoughts on this book as me. Because everyone love it so much and I only loved the second half of the book. When the romance between them ignited, that was the beginning of the book for me to be honest. And I did need more explanation on to why he spared her because I don't think the story telling was the reason
I actually disagree in the consummation aspect. She's only 16 years old, and I think if they delved deeper into the scene with a MINOR in it, I would have been painfully uncomfortable and rather disgusted...
The first half dragged a little for me, but I did enjoy the ending when the action picked up.
Also, ditto on your spoiler! I thought the same thing and was actually left wondering if it really happened at all because it's never really talked about. Overall, it was enjoyable, but didn't quite enthrall me as much as I wanted.