The Wrath and the Dawn is both beautifully written and shoddily plotted. The lush prose elevates a flimsy plot and one-note characters. Sadly, this isn't enough to make the whole thing rise above other YA fantasy romances. 
 I feel that Ms Ahdieh could have done more with Shahrzad's character, could have made her involved as a spy in an actual rebel alliance against Khalid. Instead I got a brash girl with no plan risking her life for what might have amounted to nothing at all. It's no surprise that her loved ones are planning a revolt in her absence, believing her in danger and having little faith in her survival (or her judgment). Because seriously, if you want to kill a king you better have a conspiracy to get you there. 
 Khalid, the caliph, is disappointingly bland. He's hot, rich, proud, and has a dark past - there's nothing new. Second lead Tariq, at the very least, has his annoying possessiveness to make him more distinctive. 
 I wish the romance was a slower burn, a developing understanding rather than sudden bursts of cinematic kissing far too early in a story that spans three books. The payoff - Shahrzad and Khalid falling in love - feels cheap and unearned as a result. 
 All these things said, the language is beautiful. Read it for that alone and dial down your expectations for everything else.