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ashlightgrayson 's review for:
The Rose & the Dagger
by Renée Ahdieh
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fitting conclusion to this duology. It helped further explore the complexities of characters we had not gotten to see as much of in the last book.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Sharzhad’s father was presented as more of a villain in this story. He went from being a father seeking power to help his daughter to someone who selfishly sought power for himself. Thankfully, by the end of the story, he was able to redeem himself. We also got an interesting story for side characters like Despina who is not all that she appears to be the next time we see her. Artan was probably one of my favorite side characters. He added depth to the world and was a fun vehicle to gain insight into the magic of the world. Turns out he ends up being an excellent ally by the end. The scene in the book when he first meets Khalid was one of the most entertaining and I’m sure I’ll be going back and rereading it in the future.
The romance between Irsa and Rahim helped bring some humanity to the people that were working with Tariq to bring down Khalid. Rahim was the perfect example that in war things aren’t very black and white. He was a sweet person and just wanted to do the right thing and like Tariq was misinformed about the situation. We got to know and care for him as a character so when he dies you definitely feel the loss, so I think he was a good choice for a character death since he acts as an example of casualties of war.
By the end of the book I was happy with Sharzhad’s father’s character arc as well as Despina’s. Yasmin and her were always underestimated by their father and both of them, especially Despina, were able to prove him wrong which was super satisfying. It was great when Despina’s plan was revealed and she was finally able to reunite with Jalal. It’s also really funny to me that Tariq becomes romantically involved with Yasmin. I would be completely okay with reading that story if it ever becomes available. They are both interesting side characters and I always wanted to get to know Yasmin a little better. Overall, I’m very happy with the conclusion of this duology. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ahdieh. Until then…
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Sharzhad’s father was presented as more of a villain in this story. He went from being a father seeking power to help his daughter to someone who selfishly sought power for himself. Thankfully, by the end of the story, he was able to redeem himself. We also got an interesting story for side characters like Despina who is not all that she appears to be the next time we see her. Artan was probably one of my favorite side characters. He added depth to the world and was a fun vehicle to gain insight into the magic of the world. Turns out he ends up being an excellent ally by the end. The scene in the book when he first meets Khalid was one of the most entertaining and I’m sure I’ll be going back and rereading it in the future.
The romance between Irsa and Rahim helped bring some humanity to the people that were working with Tariq to bring down Khalid. Rahim was the perfect example that in war things aren’t very black and white. He was a sweet person and just wanted to do the right thing and like Tariq was misinformed about the situation. We got to know and care for him as a character so when he dies you definitely feel the loss, so I think he was a good choice for a character death since he acts as an example of casualties of war.
By the end of the book I was happy with Sharzhad’s father’s character arc as well as Despina’s. Yasmin and her were always underestimated by their father and both of them, especially Despina, were able to prove him wrong which was super satisfying. It was great when Despina’s plan was revealed and she was finally able to reunite with Jalal. It’s also really funny to me that Tariq becomes romantically involved with Yasmin. I would be completely okay with reading that story if it ever becomes available. They are both interesting side characters and I always wanted to get to know Yasmin a little better. Overall, I’m very happy with the conclusion of this duology. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ahdieh. Until then…