** spoiler alert ** 
 "No. He was not here to wreak revenge. 
 For revenge was trifling and hollow. 
 No. He was not here to retrieve his wife. 
 For his wife was not a thing to be retrieved. 
 No. He was not here to negotiate a truce. 
 For a truce suggested he wished to compromise. 
 He was here to burn something to the ground." 
 Minor spoilers, not the big ones. But still, I'm just as a subtle as a bull in a fine china shop and would hate to attempt to elude to something, to inevitably run head first into the most expensive china set so - read at your own risk. 
 It's books like this that made me glad I haven't completely forsaken books that feature a predominant romance plot. I loved Shazi and Khalid in book one, I would die for them in book two. This is the sequel to the (rightfully deserved) hyped book, The Wrath and The Dawn and it does not disappoint. The romance takes a back seat, in favour of interpersonal relationships between family and friends, magic, and a shit load of twists and turns. But that doesn't take anything away from Khalid and Shazi, what I love most about them - is their ability to stand on their own. They aren't co-dependent on each other, they are their own people. 
 "You can't keep doing as you please and expecting everyone to wait for you. As though we have nothing better to do. As though we are capable of nothing else." 
 "Some things do not have to be said. You didn't have to tell me you were in love with Khalid Ibn al-Rashid. And I didn't have to tell you I cried myself to sleep for weeks after you left. Love speaks for itself." 
 The relationship between sisters Isra and Shazi felt real. Isra held Shazi accountable and resented her for some of her choices. I loved this on an exceptionally spiritual level because I hate when protagonists tend to do things that the people around them don't agree with (or are kept in the dark with) and they just go along with it, they don't question or resent them. This is honest, and raw, and BOY I'm here for it. 
 I didn't expect to love Isra so much as a character, but I did. Isra starts as a hesitant and shy young girl that is forced to overcome her fears, and grows into a strong woman. The relationship she built gave me butterflies, and I loved the brotherly sisterly dynamic between her and Khalid. I'll basically bow down to Renee Ahdieh with every interpersonal relationship she has written. 
 "He did not belong to her. And she did not belong to him. It was never about belonging to someone. It was about belonging together." 
 The dynamic between Shazi and Kahlid is perfect. They want to protect each other, but when it comes to situations, they never hold each other back. They support each other. So often in YA we see a romantic interest tell the protagonist "you can't do this. It's too dangerous" and I can get that it's coming from a place of love, that they don't want to see them get hurt, but controlling someone isn't okay. They are their own person, they are in control of what they choose to do. They're usually going to do it anyway, so wouldn't you rather be by their side when they do? 
 I talked about their relationship so much while reading it because Young Adult doesn't have a great track record healthy relationships *cough* twilight *cough*, and I hate that young people read these books, and think this is how relationships should be *cough* Hopeless *cough*. Things like jealousy are looked at as admirable, because if your romantic interest gets jealous "it means they care". That's not true, it's possessiveness and it springs from someone not having control over another person. I won't spiral into a full length discussion on healthy and unhealthy relationships, but I just thought I would mention it because we see Tariq get jealous. 
 I liked Tariq's arc, sure I would have rather read Khalid's pov in those pages - but I really grew to like his character. He's in love with his childhood friend, he would do anything to get her back and protect her - even start a war. But she doesn't reciprocate his feelings for him, and he resents it. He harbours that anger and feeds it towards Khalid. 
 "In a rather short letter, the Caliph of Khorasan had managed to put to words exactly how Tariq had always felt about the only girl he'd ever loved. Had always felt but never managed to say with such simple eloquence." 
 "For the first time, Tariq saw what Shahrzad saw when she looked at Khalid Ibn al-Rashid. He saw a boy. Who loved a girl. More than anything in the world. And he hated him all the more for it." 
 There is a moment in the book where he considers killing Khalid, but he doesn't. He thinks about how much it would hurt Shazi, and decides not to. This is love, his reasons for wanting to kill Khalid are selfish, his reasons for not are love. 
 This duology was phenomenal. The writing as beautiful as the first, the characters are well developed and three dimensional, the world is wonderful, the stories told in the story are intriguing, and I just need more. I would read a full-length novel about them sitting in a waiting room. I can't summarise everything I loved because I've barely scratched the surface. I'm just going to leave you with some quality quotes: 
 "Destiny was for fools. Sharzad would not wait for her life to happen. She would make it happen." 
 "I've missed the silence of you listening to me." Shahrzad attempted a weak smile. "No one listens to me as you do." His expression turned quizzical. "You don't wait to speak," she clarified. "You truly listen." "Only to you," Khalid replied gently." 
 "Understood what it meant to feel at home wherever you were. To feel as though you belonged in any moment, at any place, in any time." 
 "Sometimes," he gasped, "the family you choose...is stronger than blood."