The Rose & the Dagger

By: Renée Ahdieh

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly.

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

Good story - bad narration

It was overall a good story with a solid plot which helped me get through listening to the entire two books. Honestly, the narration almost turned me off of wanting to finish it. The narrator actually made the story boring. There was little difference in any of the voices, if at all, and she spoke in the same monotone throughout the entire story. I think with the right narrator, the book could really come to life and make it a completely different experience.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

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!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

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

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

story great, narrator not so much.

narrator was so not good it took away from the awesomen story. but worth the read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Well done conclusion!

This was a great conclusion to the original story line. the narrator NAILED IT!! I wholeheartedly enjoyed this from beginning to end.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

So disappointed

This narrator, oh man. She sounds like she's reading out loud in English class. I remember not liking her with the first book, but the first book was so engaging that I could ignore the bad performance.

I was so excited for this book. But in my opinion, it didn't live up to the first one. The last half was better for sure, but by that point, I was so bored and sick of the narrator, that I just wanted the book to be over.

If you loved the first book like I did, get the print version of this one. I almost switched to Kindle, but I'm blind, and the robot voice would have butchered so many names.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Started Out Strong But Ended Rushed

All in all a pleasurable read, but I didn't think it quite lived up to the build up of the last book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Masterful and Original Storytelling

Immersive. Spell bounding. Rich character development and surprising twists and turns of plot. A masterful sensory experience with such rich descriptive language and gorgeous sceneries you’ll lose yourself. Fantastic storytelling...a tale for the ages. This series is a journey not to miss and the narrator truly brings it to life in the full richness of the characters in the full technicolor of emotional and intellectual depth. An escape I will forever treasure.

In love with this series

I give this series over all five stars because it had me from the very beginning. I am good at predicting some outcomes but Ahdieh managed to surprise me. He captured not just my attention but my heart. There were times that I cried and that's not an easy thing to be accomplished. Absolutely recommend this series to others.

Not a major fan

Would you try another book from Renée Ahdieh and/or Ariana Delawari?

To be fair Renee Ahdieh is a dramatic writer, however, Ariana Delawari reads this story with ridiculous theatrics. Also SOMETIMES her cadence on sentences are off, not all the time but often, enough to take you out of the story. I keep thinking someone should've been there on the other side of the glass saying, "Let's take that line again." but obviously they weren't. I don't want to be mean but I'm not sure if Ariana has found her calling.

What did you like best about this story?

Crazy twist at the end. Thank God! It saved the story. It was seeming VERY predictable for the first 300 pages.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

See above. Ariana pretty much ruined this book for me. I'm sorry to say that but it's true.

Could you see The Rose & the Dagger being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It could absolutely be a movie. It'd put the 1st book and the 2nd book together into 1 film. I'm not sure who would play the characters, I can't think of any Indian actors/actresses off the top of my head...

kinda predictable and the ending was v. rushed.

eh definitely a ya book with several characters that needed more development. not unenjoyable but not necessarily satisfying.