tatyana_'s reviews
173 reviews

This book is a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. Sharzhad volunteers to marry the young king, Khalid, who has been notoriously killing his wives after one night. She manages to evade death by telling him stories each night, while she attempts to gain intel and ultimately destroy the king who has destroyed so many families. No one in the palace knows that she is motivated by the death of her closest friend from childhood who was one of the king’s latest victims. However, she quickly reveals there is more going on and everyone is keeping secrets. As a young adult fantasy, it was right up my alley. I enjoyed the loyalty between characters due to familial and friendship dynamics. Many characters are strong-willed and willing to fight for what they believe in. I found the book captivating, but for a while, it did seem like Sharzhad had forgotten about the troubles her people faced when she was wrapped up in the intrigue of palace life. I also wish we explored the magical side of the world more given the impact it had on the characters and the plot twist. The author introduced elements of magic that were not fully explained by the end of the book. Hopefully, the second book in this duology can tie up some of those loose ends.