Jen, Moriah, and Ambur's Excellent Read-a-long Adventures: THE WRATH & THE DAWN!

Hi everyone! 

Welcome to the first installment of Jen, Moriah, and Ambur's Excellent Read-a-long Adventures!! This post is all about THE WRATH & THE DAWN!

Last week, Jen from The Book-Nook, Moriah from Feel Your Books, and I all posted our reviews for THE WRATH & THE DAWN by Renée Adhieh after we buddy read it together. 

You can find our reviews here: Jen | Moriah | Ambur

This week, we all came up with a question related to the book and we're posting our answers today!

We're planning to read the sequel, The Rose & The Dagger, together too, and we'll be doing another special "Read-a-long Adventure" type post for that one, too!!! For each buddy read we're going to mix up what type of post it is though. This time it's questions, but the possibilities are absolutely endless. ;)

Now...onto the questions!

---

Jen's Question: You're stranded on an island for one month. One of these characters can be your partner and help you find food/water/resources. Who do you pick?

Image from http://leonmarinus.com.

As much as I would LOVE to spend some up-close and personal time with Khalid, I'd pick Shazi! She's smart, and I think the two of us could totally come up with a fantastic survival...and rescue plan! I can totally picture us creating a shelter, hunting/foraging for some food...taking some time to relax on the beach, and then plotting our way off the island. We'd also take turns to tell each other stories at night. She'd be a much better companion that Tom Hanks had in Castaway...sorry Wilson. :P

---

Moriah's Question: What would a dish named after a character from this book look, taste, and smell like? Be as detailed as you wish.

I'm going to create a dish for Khalid...and rather than a main dish, I'm totally going with dessert. :P haha

I was originally going to name it something super elaborate because he has almost as long of a title as Daenerys Targaryen, but I decided to go with something short and sweet instead. Khalid's dish would be called "Tiger Eyes" (for his own eyes if it isn't super obvious :P haha), and it would be spicy with a hidden burst of sweetness in the centre. I don't think it would be something that they would eat in the book, but I know I'd love to eat it! I'd make it a cupcake with a chai-like flavour full of cinnamon and nutmeg, and it would have quince chutney in the centre. The combination of the colours of the cupcake and the quince chutney would also be designed to look like tiger strips, and it would smell similar to a delicious chai tea! I think the combo of spicy with a dash of sweet also represents how Khalid's character is revealed in the story...plus, Shazi lovessss quince chutney! ;)

---

My Question: If the characters of THE WRATH AND THE DAWN went to Hogwarts, which houses do you think they'd be sorted into? Sort as many characters as you like, but Khalid and Shahrzad are a must! ;)

If you've followed my blog for a while, you might notice that I tend to want to sort everyone from absolutely every book into Hogwarts houses, so I'm sure this question doesn't surprise you. :P haha

Now, onto the sorting!!!

SHAHRZAD

Shazi is one of those characters that could end up in multiple houses, but I think she's best suited for Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I think her strongest power is her mind, and since both of these houses are perfect for people who have cunning, are good at strategy, and are intelligent, I think she'd fit in well with either! Her motives at the beginning of the book are driven by grief and she's longing for revenge...but she isn't stuck on the one path. I think if I have to pick one, I'm going with RAVENCLAW though because above everything, when pressed, Shazi goes with the solution that will logically give her the best outcome every time.

KHALID

Oooh, Khalid is tough!! He's a bit hard to peg, but I think I'd put him in GRYFFINDOR. I think he's incredibly brave, and he's sacrificed a lot for his kingdom. Even though his people may not understand what he does and they definitely resent him, Khalid has always done what was in their best interest...despite how it makes him look. So, I would define him by his bravery, and when I think brave, I always think Gryffindor!

DESPINA

Well...you meet Despina pretty early in the story, and I think her upfront nature, clear sense of cunning, and drive make her extremely well-suited for SLYTHERIN! It also doesn't hurt that she's pretty secretive, yet very upfront about spying. :P I think she'd be Slytherin and she'd wear the Slytherin colours with an immense amount of pride!

JALAL

Now, this choice is going to make it seem like I just wanted a character to fit in each house, and maybe subconsciously I did...but I also think it's the best fit for him! I think Jalal fits in HUFFLEPUFF! His light-hearted nature, ever-present smile, and desire to help Khalid find happiness make him well suited for my house. He's incredibly loyal, and he always has the best interests of others at heart.

---

BONUS: If THE WRATH & DAWN was adapted into a movie, who would you cast as Shahrzad and Khalid?

I love the idea of dream casts...but I must admit, I'm not very good at them. I feel like The Wrath & The Dawn could be an AMAZING film, but I'd like it to be authentic and to use actors that actually fit the ethnicity of the characters. It would be amazing to start seeing some of these incredible books coming out of the diverse YA movement become movies where they stick true to the characters. I've chosen two actors that I found by searching through Bollywood actors. They're a little older than the characters, but they fit how I picture them for the most part!

SHAHRZAD

Image from http://photogallery.navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/.

PUJA GUPTA

She's 31 now, so I don't think she'd be playing Shazi if they really did make a movie, but I think she looks so much like how I picture her. She has such a lively spirit that comes through even in photos, and I think that's exactly what Shazi has. She's beautiful, vibrant, full-of-life, and the kind of person that you just can't take your eyes off of...just like Shazi!

KHALID

Image from http://www.dnaindia.com.

ARJUN KAPOOR

Again, Arjun is probably too old to play Khalid if they did make a movie since he's also 31, but he definitely captures the look that I was trying to find for Khalid. He's not overly buff, but he's lean. He also has fantastic hair, a great broody face, and a hidden smile that lights up his whole face. I think he's also handsome enough that you couldn't blame Shazi for feeling attracted to him even before she gets to know him. :P

---

Wow! I had a lot of fun coming up with my answers for this post, and I hope you enjoyed reading my answers. Make sure to let me know your reaction in the comment or if you have suggestion for future read-a-long posts, I'd love to hear them!

 Don't forget to check out Jen's and Moriah's Buddy Read/Read-a-long posts, too! 
 
So, what did you think?
Did you enjoy the first installment of our read-a-long adventures?
Agree/Disagree with my answers?
Do you have your own dream cast for a movie of THE WRATH & THE DAWN?