All This Twisted Glory by. Tahereh Mafi | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom, #3)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 2/5/24

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Devil, Jinn

The highly anticipated third novel in the This Woven Kingdom series, full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.

As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people—and she might’ve found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.

Cyrus’s dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy—and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.

Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her—much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.

Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge…

Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the captivating, bestselling This Woven Kingdom series.

Content Warning: violence, blood magic

I am kind of irritated that this is not the final book! I was assuming it was, which is my mistake.

+ I needed to read this just for Cyrus and Alizeh alone. I need them to have a happily ever after and this book was serving so much angst between them, and not even one real kiss – there is a spicy scene in the book but it was a dream?! I felt Cyrus’ anguish…like what more does this man have to endure? I need a full on real life spicy scene between them asap. 😅

+ What I didn’t expect was the found family/friendship happening with Kamran, Hazan, Huda and the rest of their crew. There were some funny moments between them and some growing animosity between Kamran and Huda which may turn into an enemies to lovers romance maybe? Anyway, I thought this group of characters together were kind of funny because the whole story is so angsty and filled with beautiful prose because of Cyrus and Alizeh and then Kamran and Huda will start fighting or Deen and Omid will interject with something so random.

+ I liked learning more about Cyrus, because he is more than what we know so far. And I cannot believe this man is going to risk it all for Alizeh – he is so in love but their story is so tragic right now.

~ Nothing really happens in this book, which is what I said about the previous book! Where is the plot?! How can there be two books about nothing but angst between Cyrus and Alizeh? And why am I eating it up? 😅 This book barely moves the story forward and yet it boggles my mind that I was fully invested in it so much that I couldn’t put it down and I will admit that investment was just to see if in any part of the book Cyrus and Alizeh would at least share a kiss. I felt as insane as Cyrus was feeling throughout the whole book. Still, I wish there was more to this story about maybe revealing a way to outwit the devil or something. Like was there really a need to make this book more than a trilogy?

~ There is something about Alizeh that I don’t quite totally love on her own, which has been my complaint since book two. I love it when she and Cyrus are together but as an emerging Queen to her people she is soft, not hardened at all, and maybe that’s a strength for her? But for me, I don’t see it yet, she is naive and maybe it’s just all due to character growth that is coming. I’d like to have seen some of that growth by now in book three though.

My Final Thoughts:

Did I devour this book? Yes I did and yes I admit it was all because of Cyrus. Or I kept reading to see if something more would happen between Cyrus and Alizeh. Kamran was a jerk, Alizeh at times was just too soft so Cyrus was my favorite. There is a spicy scene and every other scene between them is filled with so much angst and tension – which I really love and why this gets a 3.5 instead of a 3. Nothing happened to move this story forward which was how I felt about the last book so I was hoping this third book would have been finishing the series, but I was wrong. Am I still going to read book four, yes, because I need to see Cyrus and Alizeh be endgame but is it frustrating as hell? Yes. They better start trying take the devil down in the next book! Anyway, I don’t know what magic spell this book has put over me but I’m here for the romance.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This Woven Kingdom by. Tahereh Mafi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These Infinite Threads by. Tahereh Mafi ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Restore Me (Shatter Me #4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Defy Me (Shatter Me #5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This Woven Kingdom by. Tahereh Mafi | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Woven Kingdom

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Jinn, Romance

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.

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.

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Abuse

First, this cover – it is gorgeous. Second, this is from Tahereh Mafi and I loved the Shatter Me series because of Warner lol. So I was very excited to see what This Woven Kingdom was about and hope there was some new tortured boy to fall in love with.

I got Cinderella vibes from this one but more sinister and infused with Persian mythology. The world building is detailed and the writing is lyrical. The romance is swoon-worthy if you are into insta-attraction and yes…I am into it haha.

As far as the characters are concerned, Alizeh is struggling to survive but she is strong, determined, has powers because she is a Jinn and still has her weaknesses like being afraid of the dark. She was a bit of a contradiction. She is powerful with her Jinn powers and a Queen in hiding at that, she even killed people…yet she is constantly abused by the head maid. Kamran is an arrogant and spoiled prince, but one who is trapped in his own misery at court and under his grandfather’s eye. He never seems to live up to the King’s expectations, no matter how many battles he is sent off to fight and when he meets Alizeh, it muddies the situation even more.

The beginning moved a bit too slow for me. I know it’s because we are being introduced to the characters, the setting, the history of the Jinn and Clay people in this kingdom. The devil, Iblees, speaks to Alizeh in the beginning but we don’t really know why. She’s in hiding, that much is clear, but soon she is found by Kamran, who is the prince of Ardunia, and that causes a lot of problems. But for the first half of the book, nothing much happens except Alizeh getting hurt and running away and Kamran trying to find her and figure out if she’s a spy from another kingdom. The second half of the book moves much faster and there are a few twists and turns that was really exciting.

Why you should read it:

  • the romance is swoon worthy, it’s an enemies to lovers/forbidden love type of deal but definitely with instant attraction – now I’m not sure how the sequel will go and if this could possibly be a love triangle? not sure…but Alizeh and Kamran are electric together
  • Persian mythology, Jinn, Iblees, magic
  • cinderella vibes

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it’s the same trope: special girl, prince who is miserable with his life, theirs is a forbidden kind of attraction – if you aren’t into those tropes, this won’t be for you
  • slow beginning

My Thoughts:

This was more of a 3.5 star read for me but the ending bumped it up to a 4. The beginning was slow but it does pick up and the second half has action. I definitely want to read book two because of that ending. I do hope Alizeh meets a female character she can trust and befriend in the next book because friendly females were lacking in this story. If you want a story like Cinderella but with Persian mythology, Jinns, magic, romance, and a dragon….then you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda


Quotes from the Book:

I haven’t the slightest idea what we’re doing,” he said softly. “Though if you mean to take me captive, you need only ask. I would come willingly.”

― Tahereh Mafi, This Woven Kingdom

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.”

― Tahereh Mafi, This Woven Kingdom