This Woven Kingdom

"This was a really good book."

"4.5 star. This book caught me unawares. I am not usually one for the Middle Eastern genre but this Persian rendition has converted me. I will say there didn't seem to be much world-building in the beginning but the author did tack it on later though more like an afterthought. And unfortunately, I am a cartographer at heart so the lack of a map physically hurt me. The main character Alizeh was very relatable. It was a pleasure following her. She was capable and overpowered but never abused her strength. Alizeh was so selfless and compassionate which made Kamran even more ashamed for suspecting her. A powerhouse letting others beat her down because of her humility. And the crafty fight scene had me falling in love even more. Still, she gave them a choice even if the answer was always the same. The only thing keeping this from a five-star for me was the dragging of the plot. Still, it was interesting enough I never faltered in my reading. And also the two main characters grew on me as I went. The plot twist. Yaaaaaaas! That's all I'm saying. So even though the pacing was at a snail's pace I thought it brilliant how the plot twists were revealed after each build-up. The relationship gave me Pride and Prejudice energy. I very much enjoyed the slow-burn forbidden love. Always been a fan favorite. So a warning before you go. If you do start this story and fall in love as I did, beware of the screaming, cursing cliffhanger at the end. I was unfortunate enough to read this the year it was released so I will be staring blankly at a wall to cope with the trauma inflicted on me. P.S. Look up the illumicrate exclusive edition and prepare to be jealous. One of the most gorgeous editions I have seen and those sprayed edges though. "

"4.5 stars — I thoroughly enjoyed this and couldn’t stop reading. I really liked the audiobook narrator too. Now I’m dying though because the book ends on a total cliff hanger and I didn’t know this book was only just published! Now the wait is on…"

"THAT PLOT TWIST IN THE MIDDLE HAD ME GASPING 30 TIMES IN A ROW THE ENDING?? DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT I EXPECTED Also Kamran 🧎‍♀️🙏"

"Beautifully written, as usual, but the fact I could guess there might’ve been a dragon AND I WAS RIGHT was surprising the most to me. Will definitely keep supporting Tahereh Madi’s work for all that she does with her deep, meaningful books."

"The ending was so funny I had to give it 5 stars BUT I AM SCARED TO START THE SECOND CONSIDERING HOW MUCH TIME I TOOK TO FINISH THIS BOOK...."

"The dialogue here is what can only be described as… exquisite. Too bad the ending was drier than stale crackers or else my rating would have been higher."

"I don’t often read YA anymore, so I was happy I gave this one a go. I enjoyed the world building and found the main female character refreshing, she didn’t try too hard to be “a strong independent woman” trope and the although the romance aspect was strong in the book, it wasn’t the only thing to be invested in. "

"2.5 stars <br/>Don't be deterred, I did enjoy this but there are some issues I'll address. Maybe the writing style is an acquired taste, but the biggest issue I had with this was all the info dumping, filler words and so much unnecessary verbiage that the points were often was lost on me. <br/><br/>There was a good plot twist halfway through, but it took a long time for it to unfold. This took off at a very slow pace. Another plot twist towards the end that was sadly obvious. Then a series of horrifyingly twisted, plot twists, which were well executed. <br/><br/>Of course we have instalove which I am not a fan of but I understand some people don't mind. This WAS a Cinderella retelling afterall, so maybe I'm being unfair. You can determine for yourselves if this is really so bad.<br/><i>"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?"</i> <br/>A hopelessly romantic prince. *Swoon* As long as I overlook the fact that he met her TWO DAYS beforehand. On top of that, Kamran is a hot headed, arrogant, impulsive, spoiled prince who constantly complains about his silk shirts being too stiff. Probably my least favorite person in the book.<br/><br/>I wanted to like Alizeh, but there just wasn't much to like. The thing that stood out most to me was her poor judgement in character. Even with a magical, lie detecting object in her possession, she still manages to misjudge.<br/><br/>Of course the very best character was introduced at the end. I fell in love with him ✨instantly✨ and yes I know I'm a hypocrite. I'm definitely reading the second book. This first installment seems to exist just to set the stage for a good series anyways. My fingers are crossed for the second book to be a Beauty and The Beast retelling. <br/><br/>Nevertheless this did have some pretty quotes among all the over the top writing. One of my favorites despite it being from Kamran. <br/><i>"I grow tired," he said, trying to breath, "of being in my right mind. I much prefer this kind of madness."</i>"