The Rose & the Dagger

By: Renée Ahdieh

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Instant New York Times best seller

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.

©2016 Renée Ahdieh (P)2016 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"A satisfying fast-paced conclusion, Ahdieh explores the difficulty of family, lasting loyalty, and love giving you a tale you won't soon forget." (InStyle)

"Whimsical, fantasy enthusiasts are sure to adore this sequel." (Buzzfeed)

“Beautiful, lyrical writing combines with a cohesive plot, richly drawn backdrop, and just the right mix of action and romance to create an undeniable new classic.” (School Library Journal, starred review)

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.

Great story, awful narration.

Entertaining story but very poor narration. Not as flat as the performance in the last book, but still really fell short.

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.

Thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion to a great series

4 1/2 stars!
There are mixed feelings from many of my book friends who shared in the anticipation of this book, after the great love and Splendour of The Wrath & The Dawn.
I listened to this via audible, and perhaps it raised my experience due to the great narration, but I simply loved this final conclusion to this wonderful series. Fantastical, magic carpets, magic. Perhaps it may have been a bit easy to reach its conclusion, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
I Enjoyed this audible version, it was a pleasure and an escape, and I couldn't wait to get back to this tale when I had to put it down.

I wish I had read this book instead of listened

Would you consider the audio edition of The Rose and the Dagger to be better than the print version?

No.

I had just finished listening to The Raven King and that narrator was so talented at telling the story. Considering that these books are based on the retelling of stories you would think the narrator would be just as strong.

It was like going to a Jr High school play where the kids just learned their lines the week before. I was more forgiving while listening to the first book thinking she just had to find her feet but by the end I didn't even want to keep listening

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The story and character development was well done, the story is what kept me listening!

Loved it.

It was a good continuation from the first book. Definitely an entertaining and shocking read.

Breath taking

I read a lot of reviews that they didn’t like the voice that read the books. It took me a while to get accustomed to it in the wrath and the dawn, and I thought she did a wonderful job in this book as well. I personally like the slight voice changes for each character and the theatrics she displayed while reading. All in all a wonderful book that I will cherish.