Ahdieh's writing is beautifully poignant. Like an artist she carefully paints a vibrant and bold world that fully encompasses the reader from the very onset. Her character's are vivacious, imperfect and filled with just the right amount of temerity that they leap off of the page in such a way that the reader cannot resist the overwhelming pull of the story and their own compelling urge to turn just one more page. 
 Ahdieh's main character, Shazi, is a fascinating and confident girl. She is fearless, courageous and boundless. Not only does she have the power to captivate the Caliph but the reader as well, and as her story continues we are just as conflicted by her warring emotions, and we find ourselves just as wound up in her frustrations. 
 The Wrath and the Dawn is a wonderfully beautiful and creative retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Ahdieh's spin is unexpected and refreshing. Her descriptions of the world around her characters are luscious, so much so you can almost smell the spices in the air as Shazi sits to dine, see the decadence of the shimmering silks and gems as they glitter around her, and the beating of the Caliph's heartbeat beneath her very palm.