Title: THE
WRATH & THE DAWN
Author:
Renée Ahdieh
Pub. Date:
May 12, 2015
Publisher:
Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 388
Find it: Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, iBooks, Goodreads
A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
Now on to the interview!
Hi Renée! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks
on Books! I loved THE WRATH AND THE DAWN it is by far one of my favorite books
of 2015! I loved Shazi and Khalid’s story sooooo much! And Khalid is my new
book boyfriend! I am so happy that you could stop by for a visit! BTW I can’t
wait for its sequel!
For the readers: can you
tell us a little bit about THE WRATH AND THE DAWN and the characters? Do you
have any actors that come to mind?
First off, thank you so
much for having me on your blog! THE WRATH AND THE DAWN is loosely based on the
story of Scheherazade, with a little bit of Beauty and the Beast and The Count
of Monte Cristo thrown into the mix. It’s a story of love and revenge . . .
with some occasional swordplay, for good measure. (I’m a sucker for anything
with swords!) The main character, Shahrzad, is a calculating spitfire,
hell-bent on wreaking vengeance for the death of her best friend. And her hero?
Let’s just say he’s not exactly your typical white knight.
What about the sequel? Do
we have a title yet?
The
sequel is tentatively titled THE ROSE AND THE DAGGER.
Were any of the characters
in the book inspired by people from your real life?
I
think every character exhibits at least one or two traits from those around me.
Probably the character most true-to-life is Jalal—I based much of his
personality on my husband. Jalal is a schemer and a flirt, but loyal to a
fault. Now it makes me smile when I see people say how much they loved Jalal’s
character . . . because I agree wholeheartedly. But I may be a bit biased.
Who was your favorite
character to write? What about your least favorite?
This
is such a tough question! I think I enjoyed writing Khalid the most, because I
found him to be such an interesting character. I also love broody bad boys. But
a close second would be Shahrzad—she is everything I wish I were at sixteen. When
I was that age, I remember so many occasions where I would think of the right
thing to do or say all too late. Shazi says and does precisely what she wants.
I hope readers find her empowering, because I felt empowered writing her. As
for least favorite, I love all my characters, so I enjoyed writing them all,
though I did have the most difficult time writing Jahandar. I would tell you
why, but it would be a spoiler!
What is your favorite
passage/scene in THE WRATH AND THE DAWN?
Two
come to mind. Am I allowed to choose two? I sure hope so. The first is a kissing
scene I wrote midway through the book. It takes place in a souk—an outdoor
market—at night. I loved writing it because—KISSING SCENE—and also because
bringing to mind the sights and smells and sounds of the souk, which I based on
the Khan el-Khalili of Cairo, was so much fun. The second scene is a scene at
dinner, fraught with political intrigue. When I was writing it, I channeled some
of the more “awkward” family dinners written by George R. R. Martin.
What kind of research did
you have to do for the story?
Much
of the worldbuilding was based on ancient Persia, so I was able to go to my
husband’s family and ask questions to my heart’s leisure. I also did a great
deal of research into the Abbasid Caliphate and the Sassanid Empire. Lastly, I
made it a point to read two translations of The
Arabian Nights—the Burton one and the Haddawy one—in order to establish
tone and style.
What are you reading right
now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
Right
now I’m reading Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of
Thorns and Roses. Anne Rice’s latest in The Vampire Chronicles is on my
TBR, as well as Megan Shepherd’s The Cage
and an ARC of Amanda Panitch’s Damage
Done. Really my TBR is embarrassingly long . . . and ever-growing.
Who is your ultimate Book
Boyfriend?
This
is just impossible. It changes on the daily. But I adore Arin from Marie
Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Trilogy. And I’m a huge fan of Zuko . . . which I
realize is not a book character, but he’s amazing, so I’m gonna go with it.
What inspired you to write
YA?
Honestly
I write the books I want to read. I love YA so much; it represents such a
wonderful time in life, when things are new and anything feels possible.
Lightening Round Questions
Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter
Favorite Superhero?
Storm.
Or Lady Shiva.
Favorite TV show?
Game
of Thrones. Or Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Sweet or Salty?
Salty
Any Phobias?
Spiders.
I can deal with snakes. But no spiders.
Song you can’t get enough
of right now?
I’m
half-Korean, and I’m a huge fan of K-pop. Right now I can’t get enough of
anything by Taeyang.
Fall Movie you’re most
looking forward to?
Guillermo del Toro’s
Crimson Peak
Thanks so much Renée for
answering my questions! I can’t wait to read
About Renée:
Renée lives in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with her husband Victor and
their dog Mushu. Her YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, will be published
on May 12th, 2015. In her spare time, she likes to cook, dance salsa, and wreak
havoc on the lives of her characters.
She’s also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as an active member of theScience Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE WRATH & THE DAWN and a book inspires scarf. US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the Tour Schedule!
The Young Folks – Guest post - May 11
Two Chicks on Books – interview - May 12 (HERE)
Once Upon a Twilight – interview – May 13
Addicted Readers – review – May 14
Cuddlebuggery – review – May 15
The Eater of Books! – Top 10 list – May 18
Love is not a triangle – guest post – May 19
Mostly YA Book Obsessed – character profiles/Where I See Fashion – May 20
Gone with the Words – interview – May 21
Fiktshun – review - May 22
Read.Breathe.Relax. – interview – May 25
The Daily Quirk – review – May 26
The Irish Banana – Would You Rather? – May 27
No BS Book Reviews – review – May 28
Me, My Shelf and I – 25 Random Things – May 29
Two Chicks on Books – interview - May 12 (HERE)
Once Upon a Twilight – interview – May 13
Addicted Readers – review – May 14
Cuddlebuggery – review – May 15
The Eater of Books! – Top 10 list – May 18
Love is not a triangle – guest post – May 19
Mostly YA Book Obsessed – character profiles/Where I See Fashion – May 20
Gone with the Words – interview – May 21
Fiktshun – review - May 22
Read.Breathe.Relax. – interview – May 25
The Daily Quirk – review – May 26
The Irish Banana – Would You Rather? – May 27
No BS Book Reviews – review – May 28
Me, My Shelf and I – 25 Random Things – May 29
Thanks to both of you for the interview! It's very interesting! I especially liked Renee's answer to the question on research. Ancient Persian empires must be FASCINATING to read about! I can't wait to read this book, so I'm crossing my fingers....
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the giveaway, as well!! : )