The setting takes place in a fictional middle eastern …show more content…
And when Shahrzad’s closest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad seeks vengeance. This she plans to do by volunteering to be his next bride. She is not only determined to stay alive, but also to end the caliph and his reign for good. Night after night Shahrzad tells him enthralling folk tales, but leaves him with a thrilling cliff-hanger each time so that she’ll survive. Ultimately, she finds herself falling in love with the very boy who killed her closest friend. Shahrzad now decides to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life for the many lives he’s …show more content…
She often used terms from the Arabic language, which is something I have not experienced in a novel before. It was interesting to learn a few Arabic terms and phrases, but it got a bit confusing at times. However, there was a glossary at the very last page of the book with translations, but I didn’t find it until after I finished the book.
In an interview with Huffington post Ahdieh explains what it was that drew her to the One Thousand and One Night stories, and why this book is so important for her. She says; “I'm the child of mixed race, and I've always been drawn to different worlds. When I was younger, it struck me as odd that there weren't many diverse books readily available for kids. I know I really wanted to feel like the heroine of my own story, so it was important to me to write a book reflecting people from all walks of life”. And it is from that thought Ahdieh developed the idea of turning the folk tales into a Young Adult Novel.
The book was an enjoyable read, but there are a few things I missed in the book. I wanted more magic, more recounting of stories from the “One Thousand and One Nights” and more character development in the secondary characters. I hope all this develops more into the next book, but all together I really liked the novel and will definitely check out the next