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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was the most beautifully written story, the description so immersive I felt transported to the Seljuk era. Jamila Ahmed has written a crucially important book in bringing stories of the Islamic past to the present. This novel completely exceeded my expectations with the most captivating storytelling I have read in a long time, with characters that are so vivid they will stay in my heart.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the first 200 pages of this book were beautifully fleshed out, and Schaherazade was precisely how I have pictured her. She's tough and clever but passionate and loving at the same time. The author gives Schaherazade so much agency and its exactly what she deserves. The Malik also became a complicated and interesting character which I enjoyed. The medieval setting is EXACTLY up my alley, and the Crusades have always been an interesting piece of history. The sister and father relationship was a highlight for me as well.
To counterbalance that, nothing really happened for the rest of the book. I felt that Schaherazade's stories took me out of the main plotline, and no other minor characters were important in their own right. The way Dunya's character was handled at the end was cheap and disappointing.
Here is the thing that PISSED ME OFF TO NO END: Schaherazade was making all the right decisions this whole time. She was careful in manipulating the Malik and the other rulers to avoid excess bloodshed and protect her family and people. Shes a smart woman, she knows the stakes. You mean to tell me that she OPENLY SHOWED AFFECTION for one of the Malik's emirs and got CAUGHT???!!?? She was clever and manipulative and cunning and all the things she's supposed to be, and then throws it all away for some throw-out character whose only purpose is to distract her???? He literally meant NOTHING. If this "romantic" side plot didn't exist, she'd be my hero. Girl, you are smarter than that.
To counterbalance that, nothing really happened for the rest of the book. I felt that Schaherazade's stories took me out of the main plotline, and no other minor characters were important in their own right. The way Dunya's character was handled at the end was cheap and disappointing.
Here is the thing that PISSED ME OFF TO NO END: Schaherazade was making all the right decisions this whole time. She was careful in manipulating the Malik and the other rulers to avoid excess bloodshed and protect her family and people. Shes a smart woman, she knows the stakes. You mean to tell me that she OPENLY SHOWED AFFECTION for one of the Malik's emirs and got CAUGHT???!!?? She was clever and manipulative and cunning and all the things she's supposed to be, and then throws it all away for some throw-out character whose only purpose is to distract her???? He literally meant NOTHING. If this "romantic" side plot didn't exist, she'd be my hero. Girl, you are smarter than that.
I really wanted to like this book but I found it a real struggle to read. I just didn't really connect with the characters or story.
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have so many thoughts, and most of them are vague feelings of anger and betrayal.
I loved how this book started out, I loved the world and work put into making it historically accurate—this comes through beautifully, and as historical fiction I loved it. I was so so happy to see a retelling where the beheading prince is humanized, but our MC does not forget that he is a murderer or excuse him of those sins just because he is attractive and sometimes (?) nice (cough cough [book:The Wrath and the Dawn|18798983] cough cough). It was also wonderful to have a story where the MC thinks she can “save him” but ultimately, she can’t.
What I don't understand is why why why why WHYYY Sherazade is so ABDOMINABLY DUMB as to havea SIDE ROMANCE when she is MARRIED TO A MAN WHO HAS KILLED SEVERAL WOMEN BC HE WAS ANGRY ABOUT HIS EX CHEATING???????? We are told. So often. That she is so cunning. Oh so cunning. What a cunning smart woman who tells such good stories.
no. no she is NOT cunning. If she were cunning, she would notbe <i>constantly</i> chasing after her side ho in public places, kissing him in public places, or in fact actually interacting or even <i>having</i> a side ho at all. She would not be accepting notes from him, or books, or gifts at all. She is given CHANCE after CHANCE to reject him, and at several points he even chooses to distance himself from her! But she, being the dumb dumb girl that she is, always has to WIN HIM BACKKK.
She. Is. Not. A. Smart. Woman. In fact, she's not even that cunning! She just happens to be married to a guy who is very powerful, and who just literally does whatever she tells him to do. She is not subtly manipulating him. It is just that every once in a while she says what she really thinks and then he listens. That is not cunning???? That is just secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes which okay, nice work I guess. Also. She is NOT good at politics--in fact, as far as I can tell, there IS no court politics in this book. Most of the women in the court ignore her / don't like her and she NEVER does anything to remedy this, and then wow so surprising at the end when the woman who is ACTUALLY having some power in the courtexposes her affair to her husband . And she should be good at this!! She grew UP in the court!!
And also, if she is so cunning then why that ending???????????
Or maybe that ending IS proof of her cunning, because it’s dumb dumb dumb beyond BELIEF that after all of this, after this whole DISASTER which she has brought upon her people with her “cunning” decisions, she gets off completely free? She’s all “oh I’m giving up so much so sad to leave my nation behind.” Bitch. Your entire nation is conquered. Your sister has sold herself off as a bride to a warlord in order to keep more people from dying. Your husband is going to stay in the court for the rest of his life to be a reminder of the warlord’s power. MEANWHILE you get to <I>ride off into the f*cking sunset with your side ho beside you</I> (also did I mention that he has no personality?? He has no personality. The guy who is beheading ppl has personality. Side ho? None to speak of) while your nation burns to the ground behind you.
I thought. At the very least. That this book would obey the “play stupid games win stupid prizes” rules. I was kinda excited for everything to fall apart because of her bad choices and so on. But no. Everyone else gets the stupid prizes for HER stupid choices and she gets the love of her life and a life of adventure. UGH. I’M SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW.
I think what is most frustrating about this book is that it felt like it had so much POTENTIAL.
Truly. This started as a 4 star book at least, but honestly at the end my emotions towards it are a two star situation, EVEN THOUGH I feel like the world alone means it should get at three stars!! But ultimately my emotions win out, sorry sorry.
I loved how this book started out, I loved the world and work put into making it historically accurate—this comes through beautifully, and as historical fiction I loved it. I was so so happy to see a retelling where the beheading prince is humanized, but our MC does not forget that he is a murderer or excuse him of those sins just because he is attractive and sometimes (?) nice (cough cough [book:The Wrath and the Dawn|18798983] cough cough). It was also wonderful to have a story where the MC thinks she can “save him” but ultimately, she can’t.
What I don't understand is why why why why WHYYY Sherazade is so ABDOMINABLY DUMB as to have
no. no she is NOT cunning. If she were cunning, she would not
She. Is. Not. A. Smart. Woman. In fact, she's not even that cunning! She just happens to be married to a guy who is very powerful, and who just literally does whatever she tells him to do. She is not subtly manipulating him. It is just that every once in a while she says what she really thinks and then he listens. That is not cunning???? That is just secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes which okay, nice work I guess. Also. She is NOT good at politics--in fact, as far as I can tell, there IS no court politics in this book. Most of the women in the court ignore her / don't like her and she NEVER does anything to remedy this, and then wow so surprising at the end when the woman who is ACTUALLY having some power in the court
And also, if she is so cunning then why that ending???????????
Or maybe that ending IS proof of her cunning, because it’s dumb dumb dumb beyond BELIEF that after all of this, after this whole DISASTER which she has brought upon her people with her “cunning” decisions,
I thought. At the very least. That this book would obey the “play stupid games win stupid prizes” rules. I was kinda excited for everything to fall apart because of her bad choices and so on. But no. Everyone else gets the stupid prizes for HER stupid choices and she gets the love of her life and a life of adventure. UGH. I’M SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW.
I think what is most frustrating about this book is that it felt like it had so much POTENTIAL.
Truly. This started as a 4 star book at least, but honestly at the end my emotions towards it are a two star situation, EVEN THOUGH I feel like the world alone means it should get at three stars!! But ultimately my emotions win out, sorry sorry.
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes