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A review by ikramxlek
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
5.0
After so many books that i hated, books that i thought were okay, books that almost hit the mark for me but never quite got me obssessed, i have finally found a new 5/5 stars book. This makes it sound as if i'm super severe and serious about my ratings when, really, not at all. But throughout the entirety of last year and the beginning of this one, I haven't felt like reading and the books I did read weren't exactly what I was looking for. I genuinely started to believe that I couldn't love books the same way that I used to, that no book would ever make me feel like they used to again. I was scared to even reread my favorite books because what if I started hating those too. But then i started feeling like reading again. And then this book delivered everything that I desperately wanted. I feel so motivated to read more now and I might even fuck around and give a try to the Shatter Me series. I'm being dramatic. I have nothing specifically against this series, except that it's a young adult dystopian series written in 2011 and I'm a very judgmental person. But honestly, after reading This Woven Kingdom, I'm tempted to read anything by Tahereh Mafi. This book is an absolute new favorite and I can't fucking wait for the sequel.
WRITING : 4.5/5
I'm gonna start with the only part of this book that isn't a definitive 5 stars for me.The writing wasn't bad at all. There were just times when I felt like the descriptions were doing too much and the dialogue could be very formal which made it hard to read at times. It kind of reminded me of how some classics are written. But it's something that I really got used to and that didn't bother me all that much. I'm just being picky for the sake of not calling this book perfect.
WORLD BUILDING/MAGIC SYSTEM : 5/5
Tahereh Mafi really knows how to build a solid fantasy setting without resorting to info-dumping. You familiarize yourself with it throughout the book while simultaneously realizing that the characters themselves don't know everything. The world and magic take a lot of inspirations from Persian mythology mixed with Victorian England vibes which was so refreshing to read about. I loved the Jinn as supernatural beings and the history behind them was very interesting. There are also a lot of fairytale inspirations in this story, mostly Cinderella. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a retelling though. I won't go into any spoiler but there was also a reference to Aladdin And The Magic Lamp towards the end of the book. That is to say that, no, this isn't a Cinderella retelling. The book just takes pinches from those stories and introduces them in a way that gives it that much more of a magical feel. It made the whole setting even more immersive and I loved it.
PLOT : 5/5
This book made my jaw drop on several occasions for two reasons. First, the political/court intrigue in here was very well written. I can think of so many scenes of back and forth dialogue between some characters, particularly between Kamran and Hazan or Kamran and King Zaal. They were easy enough to follow that you didn't feel detached from the politics of the court but also had layers of complexity that challenged the characters' and the readers' morals. It was all very engaging and I was deeply invested in what was happening. I would allow a comparison to Game Of Thrones in that sense but that's really where the similarities end. Second, the foreshadowing and the reveals/plotwists in here are some of the most clever i have read in a while. And I love that they didn't aim to outsmart the readers. They all felt very pertinent to the story and were incredibly executed. To give you an idea, something will be vaguely mentioned and set up in a certain chapter and it will all make sense several chapters later. I love this type of build up and delivery and it constantly kept me on the edge of my seat.
CHARACTERS : 5/5
I'm not about to lie and say that Alizeh is now a new favorite character of mine. But the fact that I don't hate her is enough for me. Female protagonists that aren't detestable in young adult literature is so hard to find. The bar is literally in hell. So props to Alizeh for not making me want to throw the book on the other side of the room. Very refreshing. I did feel for her though. She really goes through a lot in this but she manages to keep a good heart. Which I know is litteraly every Y/N character but still. She had her complexities and I hope they get explored more in the next books.
When it comes to Kamran, though, I can fully say that he's a new favorite character of mine. I've been looking for a while for a male character that I would love, not just because of his dark hair and his defined jawline, but actually because of his personality. And Kamran delivered just that. Kamran is a complex character that doesn't get reduced by any stereotypes. He deals with a lot of anger issues and what I believes is some sort of war trauma. The book is in dual perspective and his point of view gave a lot of insight on his fears and his vulnerabilities. He's inherently very arrogant because of his status as a prince. Like he's really not self aware about how pretentious he can be. But he's also kind and never aims to hurt anyone. He's also smart and strategic. All these character traits don't just get thrown at you and you have to believe it. You actually get to see them for yourself.
The secondary characters are also very interesting and complex but it's hard to talk about them without getting into spoilers. I really liked King Zaal and Hazan as characters.
Romance : 5/5
I left my favorite part of the book for the end so y'all dont think I enjoyed this just cause I'm a simp. The romance between Alizeh and Kamran got me blushing and giggling. It is absolutely swoon-worthy and very well executed. It takes a lot of ennemies to lovers/forbidden romance tropes but there are a lot of layers to it. It's somewhat insta-love but it's more of a crush and a lot of development is built on it and that's what truly matters to me. I could rant about them for a while.
To conclude, here are some of my favorite quotes in here. I took out all the spoilery ones.
“What a strange girl you are,” she said quietly. “To behold a rose and perceive only its thorns, never the bloom."
“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.”
“Never fear, Your Highness. This brief interlude will be relegated to a graveyard populated by all manner of half- forgotten memories.”
“I grow tired,” he said, trying to breathe, “of being in my right mind. I much prefer this kind of madness.”
"I, too, feel forced to hide who I am from the world. 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?”
Would he forever compare all others to her? Would anyone else ever make him feel as much? And if not, would he be cursed forever to live only a half-life, a life of quiet acquiescence, of unfulfilled expectations? Was it worse, he wondered, to never know what you might have—or worse to have it snatched away before you might have it?
WRITING : 4.5/5
I'm gonna start with the only part of this book that isn't a definitive 5 stars for me.The writing wasn't bad at all. There were just times when I felt like the descriptions were doing too much and the dialogue could be very formal which made it hard to read at times. It kind of reminded me of how some classics are written. But it's something that I really got used to and that didn't bother me all that much. I'm just being picky for the sake of not calling this book perfect.
WORLD BUILDING/MAGIC SYSTEM : 5/5
Tahereh Mafi really knows how to build a solid fantasy setting without resorting to info-dumping. You familiarize yourself with it throughout the book while simultaneously realizing that the characters themselves don't know everything. The world and magic take a lot of inspirations from Persian mythology mixed with Victorian England vibes which was so refreshing to read about. I loved the Jinn as supernatural beings and the history behind them was very interesting. There are also a lot of fairytale inspirations in this story, mostly Cinderella. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a retelling though. I won't go into any spoiler but there was also a reference to Aladdin And The Magic Lamp towards the end of the book. That is to say that, no, this isn't a Cinderella retelling. The book just takes pinches from those stories and introduces them in a way that gives it that much more of a magical feel. It made the whole setting even more immersive and I loved it.
PLOT : 5/5
This book made my jaw drop on several occasions for two reasons. First, the political/court intrigue in here was very well written. I can think of so many scenes of back and forth dialogue between some characters, particularly between Kamran and Hazan or Kamran and King Zaal. They were easy enough to follow that you didn't feel detached from the politics of the court but also had layers of complexity that challenged the characters' and the readers' morals. It was all very engaging and I was deeply invested in what was happening. I would allow a comparison to Game Of Thrones in that sense but that's really where the similarities end. Second, the foreshadowing and the reveals/plotwists in here are some of the most clever i have read in a while. And I love that they didn't aim to outsmart the readers. They all felt very pertinent to the story and were incredibly executed. To give you an idea, something will be vaguely mentioned and set up in a certain chapter and it will all make sense several chapters later. I love this type of build up and delivery and it constantly kept me on the edge of my seat.
CHARACTERS : 5/5
I'm not about to lie and say that Alizeh is now a new favorite character of mine. But the fact that I don't hate her is enough for me. Female protagonists that aren't detestable in young adult literature is so hard to find. The bar is literally in hell. So props to Alizeh for not making me want to throw the book on the other side of the room. Very refreshing. I did feel for her though. She really goes through a lot in this but she manages to keep a good heart. Which I know is litteraly every Y/N character but still. She had her complexities and I hope they get explored more in the next books.
When it comes to Kamran, though, I can fully say that he's a new favorite character of mine. I've been looking for a while for a male character that I would love, not just because of his dark hair and his defined jawline, but actually because of his personality. And Kamran delivered just that. Kamran is a complex character that doesn't get reduced by any stereotypes. He deals with a lot of anger issues and what I believes is some sort of war trauma. The book is in dual perspective and his point of view gave a lot of insight on his fears and his vulnerabilities. He's inherently very arrogant because of his status as a prince. Like he's really not self aware about how pretentious he can be. But he's also kind and never aims to hurt anyone. He's also smart and strategic. All these character traits don't just get thrown at you and you have to believe it. You actually get to see them for yourself.
The secondary characters are also very interesting and complex but it's hard to talk about them without getting into spoilers. I really liked King Zaal and Hazan as characters.
Romance : 5/5
I left my favorite part of the book for the end so y'all dont think I enjoyed this just cause I'm a simp. The romance between Alizeh and Kamran got me blushing and giggling. It is absolutely swoon-worthy and very well executed. It takes a lot of ennemies to lovers/forbidden romance tropes but there are a lot of layers to it. It's somewhat insta-love but it's more of a crush and a lot of development is built on it and that's what truly matters to me. I could rant about them for a while.
To conclude, here are some of my favorite quotes in here. I took out all the spoilery ones.
“What a strange girl you are,” she said quietly. “To behold a rose and perceive only its thorns, never the bloom."
“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.”
“Never fear, Your Highness. This brief interlude will be relegated to a graveyard populated by all manner of half- forgotten memories.”
“I grow tired,” he said, trying to breathe, “of being in my right mind. I much prefer this kind of madness.”
"I, too, feel forced to hide who I am from the world. 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?”
Would he forever compare all others to her? Would anyone else ever make him feel as much? And if not, would he be cursed forever to live only a half-life, a life of quiet acquiescence, of unfulfilled expectations? Was it worse, he wondered, to never know what you might have—or worse to have it snatched away before you might have it?