Tahereh Mafi

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people--New York Times bestselling author Tahereh Mafi's first novel in this epic, romantic fantasy series inspired by Persian mythology.

This Woven Kingdom

It is a difficult thing, is it not? To worry always how you will be perceived for who you are; to wonder always whether you will be accepted if you are truly yourself?

To behold a rose and perceive only its thorns, never the bloom.

A human body could not withstand so much, and they take advantage of you because they can.

…perhaps only in death might she find the freedom she so desperately sought, for she had long ago given up hope of finding solace in this world.

Sara Vasilescu

What worlds he might be inspired to give up, he wondered, in the pursuit of knowing more of her mind.

"Does it not frighten you, sire? Are you not terrified to imagine what you might do for her - what you might do to yourself-if she became suddenly real? If she were to become flesh and blood under your hands? Does this not strike you as a terrible weakness?"

Sophia

Slowly, Alizeh looked up to face the stranger. “Did you really feel it necessary to add that last part?”

 she said, echoing his emotionless tone. “Do you enjoy being needlessly petty?”

The fact he doesn't even know her yet makes this so much better omg

“You have consumed my thoughts since the moment I met you,” he said to her. “I feel now, in your presence, entirely strange. I think I might fetch you the moon if only to spare your tears again.”

Kamran heard the distinct rustling of fabric, and he closed his eyes. He was a gentleman of honor. He would not imagine her undressing.

“Speak,” she said. “Tell me what you seek here. Answer honestly, and I give you my word I will leave you unharmed.” 

Was it terrible that his heart pounded in his chest at the soft sound of her voice? Was it worrisome that he felt nothing but pleasure to be held at her mercy?

The prince’s voice was low and murderous, his eyes flashing a shade of black so fathomless it terrified even Alizeh to look at him.

💀😂 or as he would say audacious haha

"I gave you a direct command, bade you find a wife—”

A moment of madness prompted Kamran to say, “This girl has royal blood, does she not?”

Alizeh knew she could survive long hours of hard labor, knew she could persevere through any physical hardship. It was not the burden of her work or the pain in her hands that broke her— it was the loneliness. It was the friendlessness of her existence; the days on end she spent without the comfort that might be derived from a single sympathetic heart.

Elizabeth

It never occurred people that Alizeh's most compassionate spirit was wrought not from a frail naïveté, but from a ferocious pain. 

elle 

“By the angels,” he whispered. “You really are afraid of the dark. You strange girl.”

Emily Klo

You might do us all a favor, Hazan, and begin to manage your expectations of my state. This is where I live, minister. Here, between angry and irritable, lies my charming personality. It does not change. You may be grateful that I am consistent, at least, in being boorish.

Souhaila

It is a difficult thing, is it not? To worry always how you will be perceived for who you are; to wonder always whether you will be accepted if you are truly yourself?” [...] 

“Let us hope for the day when we might all remove our masks, sir, and live in the light without fear.”

Fictional men are ruining my life 😮‍💨

“I haven’t the slightest idea what we’re doing,” he said softly. “Though if you mean to take me captive, you need only ask. I would come willingly.”

Whatever magic Miss Mafi did to improve her writing from the Shatter Me series to this, I approve of it. 

It was a bizarre sensation, for what he felt even as she held a knife to his neck was not fear, but elation. [...] 

I often feign stupidity in exchange for peace of mind🙃 

No doubt she could feign stupidity in exchange for safety.

Lana

I reallyyy wanted to like this book, but it was not as good as I expected. It was still fun to read and kept me engaged, so I feel like the next one could offer more of what I'm looking for because the writing was lovely, and I think Alizeh is a good character. Although the entire book takes place over a few days, it still felt extremely slow and took me a while to get through. The plot isn't my favorite premise in the world, but I have hope that it'll pick up more as the trilogy goes on. In terms of romance, I was underwhelmed. I think I will like Cyrus much more than I did Kamran bc wdym you're obsessed with this girl, but you're willing to watch her die with little to no intervention LIKE ? Overall, fine, but not my favorite.

lena

I like it but I think with the ending the next one will be even better! very YA but the writing is gorgeous, almost on the verge of being too purple but not quite over the edge. it reminded me a bit of laini taylor but read way faster. the plot itself took a while to set up and was pretty basic, but i like the characters and it was cute

fris🐝

matti horckmans

nina 

took me a while to get into and finish, there was one or two good lines, the rest was predictable and boring I’ve read better things on watt pad I feel like I just dont like this authors style of writing loved the dragon though, definitely my favourite 

amelia <3

i enjoyed the book, but i personally just couldn’t get into it until about chapter 23. Very slow paced at lest to me.

tiahna rojas

This book was pretty slow until the ending but the ending fully convinced me to continue this series omg 

Savannah

Annabella

I've never been more confused in my entire life but I very much like the book. Why make him a read-head tho?

Ellie

It took me a while to get into it just because the writing was so far from what I expected. Once I got into it I really liked it!

The ending was kind of insane haha so much happened in so little time I have no idea what to make of everything.

The devil thing was a bit weird ngl but the firefly was so cute it made up for it haha

It definitely felt like an introduction book so there wasn't that much plot but you were fed the world building and characters bit by bit which I liked because I struggled with the words at first haha

I'm excited for the next book now that the story is finally "happening"!

It took me a while to get into it just because the writing was so far from what I expected. Once I got into it I really liked it!

The ending was kind of insane haha so much happened in so little time I have no idea what to make of everything.

The devil thing was a bit weird ngl but the firefly was so cute it made up for it haha

It definitely felt like an introduction book so there wasn't that much plot but you were fed the world building and characters bit by bit which I liked because I struggled with the words at first haha

I'm excited for the next book now that the story is finally "happening"!

I keep debating on if I want to round my rating up to four stars or not. This book wasn't bad. In fact, I had a lot of fun with it. It just needed something extra.

The part of this book that stood out to me was the characters. This book is heavily character-driven, so it makes sense that it would dive deeper into their mindsets and show their different layers. Alizeh was a protagonist who was easy to get behind. Kamran (when he wasn't obsessing about Alizeh) showed a lot of potential. The side characters (especially Miss Huda) all had distinct personalities that made it easy to tell them apart.

The plot, though, needed some work. There was absolutely no point to it, no overall destination they were trying to reach. If you're a plot-driven reader, you probably won't like this book. I could handle it, but I do wish we had more of a point to the story.

The romance was also fairly insta-lovey, but knowing this author's track record, that's on purpose. For me, it was very melodramatic, and I ate it up like popcorn. Still, I hope my suspicions are right about the future of the romance. I think it can still be saved.

Besides that, the pacing was very consistent, if slow, and the world felt lush. I also am glad I waited until the sequel was out because it left off on a cliffhanger. I am extremely interested to see what the deal is with Cyrus, as I think he could be a great character.

Overall, I did really enjoy this, I just had a few criticisms. I still recommend it if you're like me and A) like Tahereh Mafi's work, B) enjoy a character-driven narrative or C) are here for the drama. If that sounds good to you, check it out! 

Emily B

3.75 STARS:

I keep debating on if I want to round my rating up to four stars or not. This book wasn't bad. In fact, I had a lot of fun with it. It just needed something extra.

The part of this book that stood out to me was the characters. This book is heavily character-driven, so it makes sense that it would dive deeper into their mindsets and show their different layers. Alizeh was a protagonist who was easy to get behind. Kamran (when he wasn't obsessing about Alizeh) showed a lot of potential. The side characters (especially Miss Huda) all had distinct personalities that made it easy to tell them apart.

The plot, though, needed some work. There was absolutely no point to it, no overall destination they were trying to reach. If you're a plot-driven reader, you probably won't like this book. I could handle it, but I do wish we had more of a point to the story.

The romance was also fairly insta-lovey, but knowing this author's track record, that's on purpose. For me, it was very melodramatic, and I ate it up like popcorn. Still, I hope my suspicions are right about the future of the romance. I think it can still be saved.

Besides that, the pacing was very consistent, if slow, and the world felt lush. I also am glad I waited until the sequel was out because it left off on a cliffhanger. I am extremely interested to see what the deal is with Cyrus, as I think he could be a great character.

Overall, I did really enjoy this, I just had a few criticisms. I still recommend it if you're like me and A) like Tahereh Mafi's work, B) enjoy a character-driven narrative or C) are here for the drama. If that sounds good to you, check it out! 

Firstly, thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Audio and Netgalley for this ARC.

I had already heard so many amazing things about this book, yet I still went into it slightly blind and not knowing what to expect. Tahereh Mafi has done an exceptional job at building a world that is so enthralling and Kate Reading did an amazing job at bringing it to life through the audiobook. I was able to visualise this world of fantasy as well as the characters within it. I spent every free moment listening to this and truly felt like I had been transported into the world of the story.

The plot of this had me so enraptured with so many plot twists, which had me gripped right until the very end. I loved how the characters were written, and how even though we are seeing things from their own perspectives we are learning about them to the very end. The elements of romance were weaved into this fantasy world so seamlessly and I cannot wait to see where this takes these characters.

All I can think about right now is the cliffhanger at the end of the book and I cannot wait to get my hands on These Infinite Threads to find out just what happens next.

Firstly, thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Audio and Netgalley for this ARC.

I had already heard so many amazing things about this book, yet I still went into it slightly blind and not knowing what to expect. Tahereh Mafi has done an exceptional job at building a world that is so enthralling and Kate Reading did an amazing job at bringing it to life through the audiobook. I was able to visualise this world of fantasy as well as the characters within it. I spent every free moment listening to this and truly felt like I had been transported into the world of the story.

The plot of this had me so enraptured with so many plot twists, which had me gripped right until the very end. I loved how the characters were written, and how even though we are seeing things from their own perspectives we are learning about them to the very end. The elements of romance were weaved into this fantasy world so seamlessly and I cannot wait to see where this takes these characters.

All I can think about right now is the cliffhanger at the end of the book and I cannot wait to get my hands on These Infinite Threads to find out just what happens next.

“What a strange girl you are... To behold a rose and perceive only its thorns, never the bloom.”

I am saddened to say I was disappointed by this book - when I read the blurb I was so excited, a fantastical story about forbidden romance between two royal heirs on opposing sides, sign me up. The story is about a woman, Alizeh, who is the lost queen to the forgotten and overthrown kingdom of Jinn and a man, Kamran, the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Ardunia - a human, whose people were the ones to hunt and oppress Jinn, and then eventually grant them tentative peace. Alizeh has been in hiding since she was a young girl after her parents were both killed, forced to become a servant, or snoda as they're referred to in this book, to earn a living and to keep her identity better hidden. One day she shows compassion to a street urchin who tries to rob her but unbeknownst to her the Prince of Ardunia was watching the exchange, when he interferes he triggers chaos, the King wants to kill Alizeh for she is prophecised to be the ruin of Ardunian Kingdom.

This Woven Kingdom read a bit like a fever dream, unfortunately. The first 250 or so pages are incredibly slow, the pace almost torturous - nothing really happens, the two meet and fall instantly in love but in between that and the climax point of the novel we don't get a lot of substance. Both characters extensively share their feelings about the situation, repetitively, in long, drawn out blocks of thought and in unnatural, over done conversations. Despite this we never really get to know the characters very well except on a surface level or relating to their meeting, and therefore the reader doesn't really form a connection with them. Kamran comes across as a spoiled privileged boy, his feelings about having to become the king and his disagreements about how the kingdom are run are valid but outside of this he continuously complains about the quality of clothing he wears, whines about the quality of women surrounding him (a bit 'not-like-other-girls' tropey) and treats his only friend, Hazan, like trash. Alizeh is interesting to begin with, her connection with the devil Iblis, her strange eyes connected to her rare powers of ice are both fascinating but then she continues to make strange choices that threaten her life and seems a little bit slow to whats happening around her.

I didn't enjoy the way things just kept happening too suddenly and over dramatically without much lead up. There is so much tell and not enough show that it read like a "and then, and then, and then" story and this only gets worse as the story goes on. The last 75% of the story is the most exciting part about the book but it was all over the place. 

SPOILER: One minute she's at Miss Huda's putting on a dress, next shes spirited away by a stranger in a weird hat who turns out to be the Tulanian King, then she's with Kamran, then with Omid the street urchin and Hazan is there, then there's screaming and magical fire, next the King has snakes coming out of his back, then there's a dragon... see what I mean by fever dream!? END SPOILER.

I also wish some of the pieces where the characters flashes back to previous situations had been written as actual flashbacks rather than the character zoning out and recounting what had happened - it meant that it read very jarringly, you could imagine the other character in the scene just staring at them as they zoned out like 🤨

Overall, there are enjoyable parts to this story - I think it's a case of a good idea but poor execution. Tahereh Mafi uses overly flowery prose a little too often and while parts are absolutely beautifully written the heaviness of the language used make the rest hard to read and a bit dull. I really, really wanted to enjoy this story with it's nods towards Cinderella (got to leave the ball by midnight) and Aladdin (with the mention of a flying carpet), and the fascinating mythical story line based on a beautiful culture - but unfortunately, this was a real let down.

Genevieve 

“What a strange girl you are... To behold a rose and perceive only its thorns, never the bloom.”

3.5 ⭐s

I am saddened to say I was disappointed by this book - when I read the blurb I was so excited, a fantastical story about forbidden romance between two royal heirs on opposing sides, sign me up. The story is about a woman, Alizeh, who is the lost queen to the forgotten and overthrown kingdom of Jinn and a man, Kamran, the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Ardunia - a human, whose people were the ones to hunt and oppress Jinn, and then eventually grant them tentative peace. Alizeh has been in hiding since she was a young girl after her parents were both killed, forced to become a servant, or snoda as they're referred to in this book, to earn a living and to keep her identity better hidden. One day she shows compassion to a street urchin who tries to rob her but unbeknownst to her the Prince of Ardunia was watching the exchange, when he interferes he triggers chaos, the King wants to kill Alizeh for she is prophecised to be the ruin of Ardunian Kingdom.

This Woven Kingdom read a bit like a fever dream, unfortunately. The first 250 or so pages are incredibly slow, the pace almost torturous - nothing really happens, the two meet and fall instantly in love but in between that and the climax point of the novel we don't get a lot of substance. Both characters extensively share their feelings about the situation, repetitively, in long, drawn out blocks of thought and in unnatural, over done conversations. Despite this we never really get to know the characters very well except on a surface level or relating to their meeting, and therefore the reader doesn't really form a connection with them. Kamran comes across as a spoiled privileged boy, his feelings about having to become the king and his disagreements about how the kingdom are run are valid but outside of this he continuously complains about the quality of clothing he wears, whines about the quality of women surrounding him (a bit 'not-like-other-girls' tropey) and treats his only friend, Hazan, like trash. Alizeh is interesting to begin with, her connection with the devil Iblis, her strange eyes connected to her rare powers of ice are both fascinating but then she continues to make strange choices that threaten her life and seems a little bit slow to whats happening around her.

I didn't enjoy the way things just kept happening too suddenly and over dramatically without much lead up. There is so much tell and not enough show that it read like a "and then, and then, and then" story and this only gets worse as the story goes on. The last 75% of the story is the most exciting part about the book but it was all over the place. 

SPOILER: One minute she's at Miss Huda's putting on a dress, next shes spirited away by a stranger in a weird hat who turns out to be the Tulanian King, then she's with Kamran, then with Omid the street urchin and Hazan is there, then there's screaming and magical fire, next the King has snakes coming out of his back, then there's a dragon... see what I mean by fever dream!? END SPOILER.

I also wish some of the pieces where the characters flashes back to previous situations had been written as actual flashbacks rather than the character zoning out and recounting what had happened - it meant that it read very jarringly, you could imagine the other character in the scene just staring at them as they zoned out like 🤨

Overall, there are enjoyable parts to this story - I think it's a case of a good idea but poor execution. Tahereh Mafi uses overly flowery prose a little too often and while parts are absolutely beautifully written the heaviness of the language used make the rest hard to read and a bit dull. I really, really wanted to enjoy this story with it's nods towards Cinderella (got to leave the ball by midnight) and Aladdin (with the mention of a flying carpet), and the fascinating mythical story line based on a beautiful culture - but unfortunately, this was a real let down.

Ngl it felt kinda like a reversed TOG but I’m like, not against it. 

Also that scene in her room was ✨✨✨

Okay time to go find out when the next book comes out. 

Ummm. What???? What was that ending???

Ngl it felt kinda like a reversed TOG but I’m like, not against it. 

Also that scene in her room was ✨✨✨

Okay time to go find out when the next book comes out. 

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—New York Times bestselling author Tahereh Mafi’s first novel in this epic, romantic fantasy series inspired by Persian mythology.

Great book. Cliffhanger ending. Will definitely buy the next book out in 2023. 

Tina Abbott

The last 10% was the best part and the ending was good

Matilda Liljestrand

Did I just find a new favorite of the year? I think I just did. 

Alizeh is a snoda, a servant who belongs to the lowest social class of the Ardunian empire. As a snoda she has to always wear her eyes covered while she works which she uses as an opportunity to hide her true nature, she's is a djinn, the heir to the throne of an ancient civilization.

I have to admit that I love stories set in Arab countries or with Arab vibes and this book delivered. The magic system  even though it hasn't been explained in detail, we see how magic is something that's extracted from the earth as if it were a mineral, this seems very new to me and different and added to the history of the jinns and their relationship with humans and the role that Iblees plays is something that has me intrigued.

I loved the characters, I feel like they are different from the ones that you usually find in this kind of book and that's something that I liked. The story, although slow, is interesting and although at first nothing special happens, the small plots that Miss Mafi gives us are not boring and helps to get to know the characters. 

The romance was a bit insta-lovey for my liking but god, those two! They had me giggling and fangirling like a fool and I loved it.

And oh my god let's talk about the writing. It was exquisite! Granted, it won't be for everyone but I personally loved it, it had me mesmerized with its descriptions and lyrical historical tone.

Now, that ending???? How am I supposed to wait five months for the next book???? Please kill me now and revive me on February 7th, thank you.

Did I just find a new favorite of the year? I think I just did. 

Alizeh is a snoda, a servant who belongs to the lowest social class of the Ardunian empire. As a snoda she has to always wear her eyes covered while she works which she uses as an opportunity to hide her true nature, she's is a djinn, the heir to the throne of an ancient civilization.

I have to admit that I love stories set in Arab countries or with Arab vibes and this book delivered. The magic system  even though it hasn't been explained in detail, we see how magic is something that's extracted from the earth as if it were a mineral, this seems very new to me and different and added to the history of the jinns and their relationship with humans and the role that Iblees plays is something that has me intrigued.

I loved the characters, I feel like they are different from the ones that you usually find in this kind of book and that's something that I liked. The story, although slow, is interesting and although at first nothing special happens, the small plots that Miss Mafi gives us are not boring and helps to get to know the characters. 
The romance was a bit insta-lovey for my liking but god, those two! They had me giggling and fangirling like a fool and I loved it.

And oh my god let's talk about the writing. It was exquisite! Granted, it won't be for everyone but I personally loved it, it had me mesmerized with its descriptions and lyrical historical tone.

Now, that ending???? How am I supposed to wait five months for the next book???? Please kill me now and revive me on February 7th, thank you.

More 

1,5⭐* No se si fue porque yo tenia las re expectativas pero dios no me gustó mucho este libro que digamos osea los protas me parecieron meh y no tenian mucha quimica e la historia se me hizo muy lenta pero aún así pienso que el universo tiene algo de potencial

I was so hooked I read it in one sitting! 

Emily

caly

oh i’m beyond excited for the rest of this series

June

I loved the whole backstory and world building of the Jinn and Clay, love the Alizeh and her sweetness, love that it spent so much time focusing on how characters feel. Sometimes the writing felt like the fanciness was too forced, but at the same time I liked how it made the book feel. It has instalove which I'm not a fan of, but with the characters also not finding it reasonable and some spoilery reasons I'm actually not minding it this time. The first half of the book felt kinda slow and the end somewhat rushed but I still plan to reread it many times and look forward to the next in the series. 

Emma Kamer

At first I didn’t really like the story. It was to slow. But after a while that changed completely! It had amazing caracters and plottwist. I was happy with the ending (although I am not sure I can wait for the seccond book to come put).

This Woven Kingdom

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