Science Fiction & Fantasy
![Tahereh Mafi - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B005DISZ0Q.jpg)
This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom, 1)
Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people-bestselling author Tahereh Mafi's first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can't put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom-and the world.
Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.
"In a tale as exquisitely crafted as one of Alizeh's own garments, Mafi weaves a spell of destiny and danger, forbidden love and courtly intrigue, magic and revolution."-Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Hours
"This Woven Kingdom is an exquisite fantasy. Rich with clever prose, delicious twists, and breathtaking world building. Prepare to be destroyed-this one will wrench at your heart and make it pound, and in the end it will leave you entirely speechless."-Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can't put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom-and the world.
Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.
"In a tale as exquisitely crafted as one of Alizeh's own garments, Mafi weaves a spell of destiny and danger, forbidden love and courtly intrigue, magic and revolution."-Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Hours
"This Woven Kingdom is an exquisite fantasy. Rich with clever prose, delicious twists, and breathtaking world building. Prepare to be destroyed-this one will wrench at your heart and make it pound, and in the end it will leave you entirely speechless."-Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
Editorial Reviews
"In a tale as exquisitely crafted as one of Alizeh's own garments, Mafi weaves a spell of destiny and danger, forbidden love and courtly intrigue, magic and revolution." -- Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Hours
"This Woven Kingdom is an exquisite fantasy. Rich with clever prose, delicious twists, and breathtaking world building. Prepare to be destroyed-this one will wrench at your heart and make it pound, and in the end it will leave you entirely speechless."
-- Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
"This story is so magical and transportive that I fully expected the book would know the moment I'd finished - within hours, no less - and promptly unravel into a pile of jewels and silks in my hands. Mafi's diamond-bright lyrical voice weaves a tale that is gilded in magic, laced with subterfuge, adorned with the brocade of a tortuous romance, and richly embroidered with Persian mythology. I cannot wait for more." -- Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Wolves
"I've been longing to read a story inspired by The Shahnameh, and This Woven Kingdom captivated me with its deft worldbuilding and searing romance. Alizeh's quiet strength unfurls against a darkly magical backdrop. This book is a glittering jewel, complete with razor-sharp edges."
-- Renée Ahdieh, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath & the Dawn series
"Richly textured, descriptive prose coupled with agonizing romance combine in this fantastical epic. Gut-wrenchingly beautiful." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[An] illustrious tale of magic, court intrigue, and romance. Captivating readers from the very first chapter... A magnetic series opener that will delight fans of Mafi's previous series."
-- Booklist
"Drawn from Persian mythology and Islamic texts, this epic fantasy is brilliantly structured to maximize readers' emotional buy-in. Eloquent prose brings vivid immediacy to each scene. Although Alizeh and Kamran are only together a handful of times, Mafi gives full due to their steamy, forbidden attraction. [The] ending ensures a breathlessly awaited sequel." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"In a heart-wrenching novel based in Islamic texts and Persian poem the Shahnameh, Mafi complements rich worldbuilding with lushly descriptive, sensorial prose that inspires the novel's mythological backdrop, against which plays out an emotional plot, and a tortured romance, layered with court intrigue."
-- Publishers Weekly
"An enchanting and lush YA fantasy, This Woven Kingdom
"This Woven Kingdom is an exquisite fantasy. Rich with clever prose, delicious twists, and breathtaking world building. Prepare to be destroyed-this one will wrench at your heart and make it pound, and in the end it will leave you entirely speechless."
-- Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series
"This story is so magical and transportive that I fully expected the book would know the moment I'd finished - within hours, no less - and promptly unravel into a pile of jewels and silks in my hands. Mafi's diamond-bright lyrical voice weaves a tale that is gilded in magic, laced with subterfuge, adorned with the brocade of a tortuous romance, and richly embroidered with Persian mythology. I cannot wait for more." -- Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Wolves
"I've been longing to read a story inspired by The Shahnameh, and This Woven Kingdom captivated me with its deft worldbuilding and searing romance. Alizeh's quiet strength unfurls against a darkly magical backdrop. This book is a glittering jewel, complete with razor-sharp edges."
-- Renée Ahdieh, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath & the Dawn series
"Richly textured, descriptive prose coupled with agonizing romance combine in this fantastical epic. Gut-wrenchingly beautiful." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[An] illustrious tale of magic, court intrigue, and romance. Captivating readers from the very first chapter... A magnetic series opener that will delight fans of Mafi's previous series."
-- Booklist
"Drawn from Persian mythology and Islamic texts, this epic fantasy is brilliantly structured to maximize readers' emotional buy-in. Eloquent prose brings vivid immediacy to each scene. Although Alizeh and Kamran are only together a handful of times, Mafi gives full due to their steamy, forbidden attraction. [The] ending ensures a breathlessly awaited sequel." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"In a heart-wrenching novel based in Islamic texts and Persian poem the Shahnameh, Mafi complements rich worldbuilding with lushly descriptive, sensorial prose that inspires the novel's mythological backdrop, against which plays out an emotional plot, and a tortured romance, layered with court intrigue."
-- Publishers Weekly
"An enchanting and lush YA fantasy, This Woven Kingdom
Readers Top Reviews
Talvi
Fans of the Shatter Me series will be happy to find that Mafi has written a very similar style of book, this time reinterpreting Cinderella in a Persian setting. Cue strong willed but defeated/tormented girl with unique snowflake superpower, a very earnest and high moral valued young man with whom there is a mutual attraction, then add in the emo amoral wise-cracking young man who will upset all those plans. et voilà! Shatter Me in a fantasy Persia with magic and Cinderella homage. While it all sounds great, there are some serious logic holes, inexplicable character decisions, and a first arc ending that goes far too off the rails to be enjoyable. Story: Household servant Alizeh is a Jinn - hated by humans for their magic. But she is also the daughter of Jinn royalty and carries a secret powerful and unique magic that makes her a hunted creature among the humans. Kamran is the idealistic crown prince who believes in honor and loyalty to his family and country. When he bumps into a mysterious young servant girl he is immediately intrigued; little does he know she carries a prophecy that could destroy everything he values. Most of the book follows the Cinderella story - from the put upon girl with no family to the big ball and losing a shoe at the end of this book one. In this story, however, the evil stepmother is the head of a noble house's servants and the step sisters are fellow servants. You'll immediately recognize the other elements in the fairytale though This Woven Kingdom definitely does not follow the fairytale slavishly. It will be interesting if, in the second book, a different fairy tale is given homage treatment. Note that this first book ends on a very nasty cliffhanger. The plot moves well and readers will root for Alizeh as she makes allies and friends. But there are some issues that I wish would have been handled by a strong editor. The first is character inconsistencies and logic issues. Both Alizeh and Kamran are said to do/be/believe one thing but then constantly do the opposite. E.g., Alizeh, who has had several assassination attempts on her life and wears a hood/face covering all day to hide from them, for some incomprehensible reason feels it is fine to go to a ball where all her enemies are - instead of hightailing it out of town. Kamran, meanwhile, loves his father dearly, is so loyal that he won't stop his father executing a young girl, but at the same time goes and secretly meets up with that girl and gives her presents. It doesn't make a lot of sense and the motivations of a lot of the characters only make sense if they knew the future (or were writing the story). The other issue is that the book goes bonkers at the end - and not in a good way. It's like Mafi felt it would be fun to be over the top but it is so unexpected and nearly completely destroys the somber and more serious plot that ...
ReaderDTalvi
A lush, thrilling, endlessly inventive book with everything you could ask for in a fantasy book. I loved it.
Maya GarrettMaya
SUCH a pretty book!! I’ve read a very large expanse of sea and an emotion of great delight, I have shatter me on my shelf to read! I’m so excited to read this one!! The cover is stunning and so shiny, the spine is like a classic book design and so pretty, haven’t even read it yet but I’m already in love❤️❤️❤️
CristinaMaya Garr
I did enjoy the writing and prose of this book, however it did not capture my attention completely. I am sad to say that it was a bit of a disappointment. I loved the Shatter Me series and the description of this book was captivating but I believe it fell a bit short in excitement and flow. I still liked the story and characters quite a bit and I would like to continue the series to see where it goes from here. But for some reason it didn't capture my interest completely. Still very rich in character and world building with a great story to tell. I will stick with the series as I'm curious of the conclusion.
