I had already written a review for this book but my computer decided not to cooperate and I lost it...

So here we go again!

I really enjoyed this story. I think that Mariko is a great main character. She is so strong and so delicate at the same time; I liked the fact that she still has her feminine side while being a warrior. I agree this is something really typical in most YA books, but I never get tired of it. It is, I think, something important that girls need to be reminded of.

The setting was what appealed to me the most in this book. It takes place in feudal Japan and it is definitely something I’m not used to in YA books! It was amazing to see how Mariko could easily pass as a boy and that nobody noticed. It emphasizes the place of women in this society; they don’t realize she is a girl because a girl would not be capable of what she does. The fact that her brother don’t even recognize her (or thinks he does, but then he knows it can’t be her) is even more reveling.

The plot was interesting but was not what I preferred in the book. It felt a bit too long at certain moments then a bit rushed at the end. But in general, I enjoyed the story.

However, I have one major disappointment: the love interest. I would have preferred it not to happen like that, but then again, it is only my personal opinion.

Also, I thought it was a standalone while reading it and I was frustrated at the end, so I’m really glad there will be other books in the series because I definitely want more of this world.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Although I totally enjoyed it, I was not hooked. I don’t know if it’s because I was expecting something different, but it was just not as great as the first one. Still, I had a great time reading this and the characters were really amazing.

The ending was, I think, my biggest issue with this book. I was not expecting the first big thing that happened (I’m trying to avoid spoiler here, but if you have read the book you will know what I’m talking about) but what follows was kind of expected. I’m not saying it was a bad thing but it was too predictable and I would have liked the book to end differently (but this is my own personal opinion).

Apart from that, Shahrzad was totally amazing. I love how hot-tempered she is and how she will never let people dictate her what to do; she really is a strong woman. We also got to know Khalid a little bit more in this book and I loved that, he is a really interesting character.

The love triangle was also handled perfectly; it was not annoying like most love triangles are (to me). Shahrzad has a really mature reaction to all of this and I definitely enjoyed that.

In brief, I loved the book and its characters but it did not blow my mind. I liked books that made me think and this one did not. However, it did make me travel because the reality in this book is so far from my own, and it was great. I still recommend this book, because it was good!

Another really popular book that I had to read, I enjoyed this story and its characters and Shazi is really badass!

This is a retelling of A Thousands and one night where Shahrzad decides to volunteer to become the Caliph’s wife to avenge her best friend, killed by him on one dawn. But Shahrzad will discover that Khalid, the Caliph, is not exactly who he seems to be....

Like always with books from Middle Eastern inspiration, I struggled with the names. I cannot pronounce them in my head and I keep mixing them, because they are so different from what I know. But I love it: it makes me travel far away and makes me dream about beautiful exotic countries. It is a part of the world I’m not familiar with at all and it is such a shame. The descriptions in this book were just magnificent.

You don’t have any introduction or world building, you’re thrown into this world and it’s a really bold choice from the author, but it was also really well done. After all, it is a story that everybody is familiar with so it was not a problem. I just felt like the middle section of the book was too slow, but the ending was amazing.

The characters are so mysterious, even after one entire book, you still don’t really know Shahrzad, she makes decisions you really don’t expect. Khalid is even more mysterious and you can’t help but love him, even if he seems to be a monster.

This first book was so mysterious, I have many questions and many expectations for the second book (which is currently sitting on my shelf!), I can’t wait to read The Rose and The Dagger!