This Woven Kingdom

Written by Tahereh Mafi

Narrated by Kate Reading

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.

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.

“An original fantasy saga threaded through with Persian myths written by a queen of the genre. A* grade world-building” – The Times Best YA Books for Summer 2022

‘Forbidden love and Persian mythology are at the center of this new trilogy series, and it might be Mafi's best work yet.’ – Cosmopolitan, Best YA Books of 2022

‘Master of YA fantasy’ Pop Sugar

‘Gut-wrenchingly beautiful.’ – Kirkus 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 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

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Feb 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9780008508302

Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi is the #1 international bestselling and National Book Award nominated author of over a dozen books, including the Shatter Me series, the Woven Kingdom series, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, and An Emotion of Great Delight. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages. She lives in Southern California with her husband, fellow author Ransom Riggs, and their daughter. You can find her online at taherehmafi.com.

Reviews for This Woven Kingdom

[Shalane Du Preez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow okay! So it took me a couple of chapters to get into this book, but once I was in I was hooked. I absolutely adore Kamran, I loved his dry wit and overall persona, and I adore Alizeh. I mostly enjoy them together :) my gosh, you could feel the chemistry between the two. And that ending..... ?Highly recommend.

[Chelsea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meh.. it was ok.
The storyline was fine, but the way it was written didn't do it for me.
The dialogue and self introspection of the characters really rambled on to the point i lost interest. Also the Persian influence seemed a bit surface level which was disappointing.
I'll probably listen to the second one when it's out just to see what happens.

[Jessica Rodriguez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 ⭐️
I was not a fan of the narrator, I love her accent but I didn’t like the voices that she gave to each character (except maybe the elderly ones).

[black2lilly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun, quick read with a very nice world building and interesting characters.And while I liked that Ms Mafi tried to capture the lushness and colourfulness of Arabian fairy tales, it is sadly also one of my criticism and the reason it didn't give four stars. Trying to capture the flow and elaborate way of Farsi does not translate into English at all, which is not Ms Mafi's fault, but I blame the clunkiness of the English language for it. A little bit less would have made the reading flow more enjoyable.Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the second book in the series, as the cliffhanger was literally a drop off.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alizeh is just a lowly servant. Or is she more than she appears? Even though the kingdom has forged a fragile peace with the Jinn, they are still forbidden from using any of their magic or capabilities. In order to hide her identity, Azileh becomes a servant who sews gowns on the sides. It's backbreaking work, but as a Jinn, she can withstand the pain a little better. She is completely unnoticeable, or at least she thinks she is. A chance encounter with the prince will change both their lives in ways they can never imagine. A well built young adult fantasy world that is new and fresh. It ends on a complete cliffhanger so readers will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This fantasy combines elements of the Arabian Nights with Cinderella. It is set in the Kingdom of Ardunia at a time when humans (or “Clay” because they are made of dirt and water) and Jinn (forged from the essence of fire) live in tentative peace after the Fire Accords. They are supposedly equal, but “equality” meant Jinn were to deny the inherent powers of their race, and cease any “supernatural operations” (such as the ability to become invisible) or face certain death. Thus they not only had to “come down” to the level of humans, but be subordinate to them, because of the violence humans wreaked upon them.As this story begins we meet Kamran, 18 and the Prince of Ardunia, who has just returned from a year with the military. Kamran’s father was killed when Kamran was eleven, and now he is heir to the throne when his grandfather, King Zaal, dies. The King insists Kamran host a ball in order to find a bride, preferably from the Seven Noble Houses, and produce an heir. King Zaal tells his grandson that his soul “is eager to depart.” But he said he cannot die without first “ensuring that our line is protected - that our empire will be protected.”Kamran didn’t want to be king. “He did not want his grandfather to die, did not want to marry a stranger, did not want to father a child, did not want to lead an empire. This was the secret he seldom shared even with himself - that he did not want this life.In alternate chapters we meet Alizeh, also 18, but a Jinn. Moreover she has ice in her veins, marking her as special even among Jinn. Alizeh works as a servant, required to wear a snoda to cover her face, which also serves to hide her eyes, a dead giveaway about her uniqueness. Her irises flickered, alternating color constantly. Occasionally they appeared brown, but most often they were a piercing shade of ice blue, hardly a color at all. Alizeh is abused by her employer, but she takes it in stride as part of the price of survival. It wasn’t the hard labor or physical hardship that upset her; it was 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. It was grief.”Alizeh bears another burden; she is constantly plagued by visits from Iblees, the Jinn devil, who seems obsessed with her, repeatedly appearing and plaguing her with riddles. She heard his voice before every death and every sorrow, “a perverse sort of kindness, as if he thought he might blunt an inevitable pain with a warning.” But all too often she didn’t understand the meaning of his riddles until much later.Kamran happened to be in the town when he witnessed an encounter between Alizeh and Omid, a 12-year-old who tries to rob Alizeh. She protected herself and told him there were better ways to get bread, inviting him to come to the house where she worked so she could give him food. Kamran was fascinated, and convinced she was no ordinary servant girl; perhaps she was a spy from the enemy kingdom of Tulan. With Kamran trying to find out more about the girl, King Zaal got wind of her too, and announced he planned to have her murdered, because of the prophecy. King Zaal had “been warned of the rise of a fearsome adversary, a demon-like creature with ice in its veins. It was said to be an enemy with allies so formidable its mere existence would lead to the king’s eventual demise.”King Zaal informed Kamran that Alizeh was the one he has been searching for (he obliquely mentioned he thought he already got rid of her). He added “She is, among her people, considered a queen.” He allowed that Alizeh may not know who she is, but explained to Kamran that didn’t matter, because their enemies will know who she is and were undoubtedly searching for her right now. King Zaal thought it important to take a preemptive strike. Kamran resisted on the basis that it was unjust, but this just enraged King Zaal.Everything comes to a head at the ball. Alizeh unexpectedly found she had a “fairy godmother” of some sort who delivered to her a dress and shoes for the ball. The items came with a note that she must leave the ball by midnight or there would be “repercussions.”During the festivities, a hard truth about King Zaal is revealed, and Alizeh finds herself in more danger than she ever faced.And alas, readers must wait until the next installment to find out what happens next.Evaluation: This series - a trilogy, one presumes - got off to a great start. The author showed in previous books that she has an excellent grasp of teenage angst and the emotional roller coaster of young love. I also adore the way she handles erotic sequences. While not explicit, they are supremely romantic as well as sensual. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightfully complex with appealing characters, this one's ending puts a whole new meaning in the phrase 'leaves you hanging.' Too bad we'll have to wait a while for what comes next.

[jmchshannon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are not many downsides to being a book blogger. One of the few of them is that moment you read a review copy that is so good that you immediately want the sequel. Except, because you read a review copy before the publication date, you realize you have to wait longer than most readers for that sequel. This rare occurrence sums up my feelings about Tahereh Mafi’s newest book, This Woven Kingdom. I want the sequel, and I want it now.The heart of This Woven Kingdom is Alizeh. She ends up being such a tough character that you want to follow her forever. Yet, her backstory is so heartbreaking that her poise and self-confidence are as admirable as surprising. At the same time, while authors tend to gloss over the lasting effects of trauma on their characters, I feel Ms. Mafi instills Alizeh with the correct balance of trauma and determination to form her character. It is a balance that makes her such a fascinating character to know.The other reason I fell in love with This Woven Kingdom is because of Ms. Mafi’s writing. Her sentences are fluid to the point of being lyrical. Yet, she is not verbose. Instead, I feel that she carefully chooses each word to maximize its impact on whatever she conveys, whether world-building or establishing the setting. The result is a story that flows so smoothly that you arrive at the end well before you are ready and a world that is brilliant in its clarity.I so thoroughly enjoyed This Woven Kingdom that I felt disappointed when I finished it. I loved watching Alizeh grow feisty. Given all that we discover towards the end of the novel, I am particularly anxious to find out what happens next for Alizeh and Kamran. Unfortunately, now I can do nothing but wait and stalk HarperTeen and Ms. Mafi on social media to find out just how long that wait will be.

[verkruissen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Woven Kingdom is absolutely magical. The story of a young Jinn woman destined to be queen to her lost nation, she struggles to hide herself from enemies taking work in homes as a servant and seamstress. When her path crosses with the prince of the city, both their lives are changed forever. He is tasked to eliminate her as she is the one foretold to bring the death of the king. But he has been captivated by her and by trying to help her he may have changed the course of his destiny. I absolutely loved this story. I found myself completely immersed in the culture, the rich details of the city and the immediate attraction between Prince Kamran and Alizeh, the lost heir to an ancient kingdom. I will definitely be recommending this. I cannot wait for the next book!