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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
“...ꜰᴏʀ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴀɢᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴅ; ɪɴᴅᴇᴇᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ꜰᴀꜱʜɪᴏɴᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ”
I cannot stress that this was incredibly hard for me to rate! With that being said, I feel like I truly enjoyed this book like it was a 4-star read, but being critical, it was closer to a 3. Because of that, I ended with my current rating of 3.5
Why did I enjoy it so much? Well, I think I may be biased because I listened to the audio-book, where the narrator brought to life the beautiful prose and world that Tahereh Mafi describes. Every scene laid out felt so striking and left me wishing to be in that place, for example:
"ʟᴀʀɢᴇ, ᴄᴏʟᴏʀꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴅ ʀᴜɢꜱ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʀᴏʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ᴄᴏʙʙʟᴇꜱᴛᴏɴᴇ, ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ɪɴ ʙʀɪɢʜᴛ, ꜰʟᴏʀᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴅᴏʀꜱ ꜱᴀᴛ ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱ-ʟᴇɢɢᴇᴅ, ʟᴀᴜɢʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴀʀɪɴɢ ɢᴏꜱꜱɪᴘ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʙᴜꜱʜᴇʟꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ ꜱᴀꜰꜰʀᴏɴ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴅᴇꜰᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴘᴀᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏᴄᴄᴀꜱɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴏ ꜱɪᴘ ᴛᴇᴀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɢɪʟᴛ-ʀɪᴍᴍᴇᴅ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱᴇꜱ.."
This book is bursting with color and texture inspired by Persia and Persian mythology. It is fresh and lovely, and really what made this book so inviting and warm! Scenes are just stuck in my head that I keep revisiting:
"...ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏꜱᴇ ꜰɪᴇʟᴅꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏ ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ ᴡɪɴᴅꜱ ᴛᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜱᴛᴇᴍꜱ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴛᴀʟꜱ ꜰᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴇᴇᴘ, ᴘᴇʀꜰᴜᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ. ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴʟʏ ᴅʀɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʀɪᴠᴇʀ ʀᴏꜱᴇᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴛ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ."
Now, you can obviously tell what things enchanted me - let's talk about reality. This book is a rags-to-riches Cinderella-like story. The romance can be characterized as insta-love. I think that the big strengths of this book are the trappings - the magic, the world, and the culture that weaves a beautiful image as you read the book. The core story leaves me feeling like it is a bit.. basic?
I am hoping book 2 proves me terribly wrong and more depth is added to the story over time. This book ends on a huge cliffhanger, meaning I feel bad judging the core plot in its entirety until I see where things go!
Quotes:
"ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴇᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴ ɪꜰ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴘᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ."
“ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜰɪʀᴇ ʙᴇꜱɪᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ, ᴀʟɪᴢᴇʜ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇᴅ ꜱʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴛᴛᴇʀ-ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ɢᴇɴᴛʟᴇ ʀᴀɪɴ; ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀᴄᴄᴀᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴀᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏꜰ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ᴀᴛᴛɪᴄ ʀᴏᴏᴍ. ʜᴏᴡ ʙɪᴢᴀʀʀᴇ, ꜱʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ʜᴇʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ꜱᴏ ᴇꜱꜱᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
I cannot stress that this was incredibly hard for me to rate! With that being said, I feel like I truly enjoyed this book like it was a 4-star read, but being critical, it was closer to a 3. Because of that, I ended with my current rating of 3.5
Why did I enjoy it so much? Well, I think I may be biased because I listened to the audio-book, where the narrator brought to life the beautiful prose and world that Tahereh Mafi describes. Every scene laid out felt so striking and left me wishing to be in that place, for example:
"ʟᴀʀɢᴇ, ᴄᴏʟᴏʀꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴅ ʀᴜɢꜱ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʀᴏʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ᴄᴏʙʙʟᴇꜱᴛᴏɴᴇ, ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ɪɴ ʙʀɪɢʜᴛ, ꜰʟᴏʀᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴅᴏʀꜱ ꜱᴀᴛ ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱ-ʟᴇɢɢᴇᴅ, ʟᴀᴜɢʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴀʀɪɴɢ ɢᴏꜱꜱɪᴘ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʙᴜꜱʜᴇʟꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ ꜱᴀꜰꜰʀᴏɴ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴅᴇꜰᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴘᴀᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏᴄᴄᴀꜱɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴏ ꜱɪᴘ ᴛᴇᴀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɢɪʟᴛ-ʀɪᴍᴍᴇᴅ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱᴇꜱ.."
This book is bursting with color and texture inspired by Persia and Persian mythology. It is fresh and lovely, and really what made this book so inviting and warm! Scenes are just stuck in my head that I keep revisiting:
"...ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏꜱᴇ ꜰɪᴇʟᴅꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏ ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ ᴡɪɴᴅꜱ ᴛᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜱᴛᴇᴍꜱ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴛᴀʟꜱ ꜰᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴇᴇᴘ, ᴘᴇʀꜰᴜᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ. ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴʟʏ ᴅʀɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʀɪᴠᴇʀ ʀᴏꜱᴇᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴛ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ."
Now, you can obviously tell what things enchanted me - let's talk about reality. This book is a rags-to-riches Cinderella-like story. The romance can be characterized as insta-love. I think that the big strengths of this book are the trappings - the magic, the world, and the culture that weaves a beautiful image as you read the book. The core story leaves me feeling like it is a bit.. basic?
I am hoping book 2 proves me terribly wrong and more depth is added to the story over time. This book ends on a huge cliffhanger, meaning I feel bad judging the core plot in its entirety until I see where things go!
Quotes:
"ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴇᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴ ɪꜰ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴘᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ."
“ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜰɪʀᴇ ʙᴇꜱɪᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ, ᴀʟɪᴢᴇʜ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇᴅ ꜱʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴛᴛᴇʀ-ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ɢᴇɴᴛʟᴇ ʀᴀɪɴ; ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀᴄᴄᴀᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴀᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏꜰ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ᴀᴛᴛɪᴄ ʀᴏᴏᴍ. ʜᴏᴡ ʙɪᴢᴀʀʀᴇ, ꜱʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ʜᴇʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ꜱᴏ ᴇꜱꜱᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cinderella but she’s a queen already
the persian mythology in it is so cool (very city of brass vibes)! casually dropping in that ending was crazy?? ~3.5 lots of build up for the next book but had me immediately reading it once I finished so doing something right
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great world building - the first half is much slower but definitely worth sticking with it
did this almost take me 3 months to get though, yes, did i also complain to my bsf about how long and slow burn this is, also yes, BUT OMG IT WAS SO WORTH IT
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated