I did enjoy This Woven Kingdom. I thought the world building was good, and it was beautifully written. However, I found the romance aspects a little underwhelming. The characters, for me, didn't interact enough to warrant the level of affection they had for eachother. It felt a little too instalove to me. Saying that, I am still looking forward to continuing this series and want to see how the story progresses in the next book. The narrator did a good job with the different voices of the characters.

This was a great gripping fantasy which was enjoyable to an extent. My review is for the audiobook version, I’m sure this book is YA but I found the narrator’s voice sounds a little middle aged to my ears. It’s just a personal preference, I would have preferred someone younger narrating as the main character is late teens I assumed. Still would recommend.

Firstly, thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Audio and Netgalley for this ARC.

I had already heard so many amazing things about this book, yet I still went into it slightly blind and not knowing what to expect. Tahereh Mafi has done an exceptional job at building a world that is so enthralling and Kate Reading did an amazing job at bringing it to life through the audiobook. I was able to visualise this world of fantasy as well as the characters within it. I spent every free moment listening to this and truly felt like I had been transported into the world of the story.

The plot of this had me so enraptured with so many plot twists, which had me gripped right until the very end. I loved how the characters were written, and how even though we are seeing things from their own perspectives we are learning about them to the very end. The elements of romance were weaved into this fantasy world so seamlessly and I cannot wait to see where this takes these characters.

All I can think about right now is the cliffhanger at the end of the book and I cannot wait to get my hands on These Infinite Threads to find out just what happens next.

This was an easy pick up for me as Kate Reading is one of my favourite narrators. Having listened to the entire Wheel of Time series, Kate Reading feels like home.

This Woven Kingdom follows the story of Alizeh, an orphaned servant who appears weak and beaten. She works tirelessly, as well as doing additional jobs to save coin in the hope of a better life. Her face is always covered by the traditional servant clothing which helps hide her strange eyes and ethereal beauty. No one would suspect that she was anything more than a servant and that suits her just right.

The Crown Prince Kamran has a dedicated sense of duty and has never cared for or been distracted by women. The thought of marriage is merely a part of his royal duties and protecting his Kingdom his sole priority. That is until he unwittingly witnesses an intriguing woman being robbed by a young boy and decided to punish the boy and search for the woman.

The biggest intrigue of This Woven Kingdom is that you are finding out along with Alizeh about the lost Jinn Kingdom and those who have sworn to protect it.

There is romance, intrigue, mystery, magic, assassins and a hint of a dragon!

I have also listened to These Infinite Threads on Audible and can also highly recommend not only for the narrator but the continuation of the story. For some reason I had thought it was going to be a duology but it is in fact a trilogy and therefore lots still to discover.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The narration was great. The story was fast paced and interesting. I love the Middle Eastern inspired world building. The characters were so well written and I really enjoyed both POVs, There were twists and exciting revelations I didn’t see coming! I was so entranced in the story that I had no idea I was already at the end of the audiobook, and immediately had to purchase the sequel! After that ending, I cannot wait to see what comes next!

This is the first instalment in the This Woven Kingdom series.

This is the first novel in an epic and romantic trilogy, inspired by Persian mythology featuring Alizeh, a servant hiding her ancient Jinn ancestry and the impact she can have on the future of the world, and Kamran, the prince who fears losing both his father and his kingdom but never assumes that the strange-eyed servant might be the cause for his concerns.

I have much love for Mafi's writing and whilst it still retained much beauty here, the lyrical prose I had anticipated reading did not appear. There were many beautiful moments and some stunning quotes, but the poetic quality of her writing, that I have previously experienced, was a little lacking. I know not all have loved her writing and found it too flowery, but this is what I came here to experience and was a little disappointed not to receive it.

However, the initially fast-paced and intriguing plot more than made up for it. I adored plunging into the mythology of the feared jinn, exploring the geography of this beautiful world, and becoming absorbed in the dually political and magical focus. The romance was never too over-bearing and, whilst not my favourite, was sweet, slowly moving, and did not detract from my enjoyment of the other elements.

Events did move a little slowly, one the first portion of this novel had passed, but I did find this an intriguing and absorbing read, leading my to dive straight into the second series instalment immediately upon finishing this one.

This was definitely completely different from the Shatter Me series, but I really enjoyed this book.
Mafi's writing is beautiful (as expected), and the story was intriguing.
I'm looking forward towards reading the sequel.

I’m a sucker for a juicy fantasy romance and this Cinderella story in a Persian setting gave me a lot to sink my teeth into, although some of it was hit-and-miss. The prose was lush and poetic, the worldbuilding was interesting, and I love the ‘queen hidden among the common people’ trope.

The romance didn’t totally work for me, especially from Alizeh’s side of things. Kamran has a massive case of insta-love (which in general is not to my taste) but I could make sense of it as him being obsessed with his attraction to her. But Alizeh didn’t seem particularly taken with him until *flips a switch* she can’t take her hands off him.

In general this is the sort of book I enjoy when I don’t think about it too much — if I focus on the central story and not on the fact that the only likeable and well-rounded female character is Alizeh (and possibly a girl who’s introduced towards the end, who has the potential for development in later books but in this one is simpering) something that’s exacerbated by Kamran’s general disdain towards every woman except her.

The book finished on quite a cliffhanger — the ending was kind of abrupt, like it was a set up for the next book, without a lot of tying up of this one — and I will probably pick up the next one, though I’m not in massive rush.

Despite everything that didn’t work for me, I nonetheless enjoyed listening to the audiobook, and easily finished it in three or four days. Kate Reading was skilled in her narration, but it took my a while to get my head around the fact that characters were in the teenage/young adult age range because her voice sounds much more mature.

I have heard wonderful things about this book, however I don’t think listening to it on audiobook is for me! It has been hard for me to wrap my head around the characters and their dialogue with the narration so I think this will be one that I need to pick up physically to get into.

As I loved Tahereh Mafi “Shatter me” book series, I immediately wanted to have my hands on this new masterpiece.

From the start the story involved me, my thoughts and as soon as I needed to put this book down - I loved the mix of romance, persian mythology intertwined with fantasy is something that need to be in most of the books.

The only downside is the narrator, I didn’t particularly find her matching the character age … if that makes sense, she sounded too mature.

This Woven Kingdom (book one) by Tahereh Mafi was 5 blessed stars. It was narrated by Kate Reading. Yes, Kate Redding! She was my first experience with audiobooks and she did a wonderful job.
I highly recommend listening to this fantasy, sci-fi romance.
I loved the characters and can’t wait to get my hands on book 2. I’m a huge fan of TM and her writing just keeps getting better. She did a really good job with this and I’m hooked.
Thanks Harper Collins UK audio via NetGalley.

This Woven Kingdom

Oh wow, what a start to this story! Loved the premise and I was immediately immersed into the world that was created - I loved that this was based on Persian mythology - I was really intrigued by the different kingdoms and cultures within this story line and the undercurrent of politics that drive the plot.

The storyline kept me engaged and I was interested to see where it was all going to go - the ending and its revelations though… wow! I need book 2 immediately, what a brilliant way to leave the readers wanting more! So glad I don’t have to wait to get my hands on the second instalment.

The narration of this was great for the most part, I didn’t always love the male voices, but the narrator did bring the story to life for me overall and it was easy enough to differentiate between character perspectives.

Once a Royal member of a Northern nation called the Jinn from the area of Tulan, Alizeh was just 13 when she had to flee her homeland after her family home was set ablaze killing her mother. Now 18, she finds herself hiding her identity as a servant, treated with distain and told to forget her knowledge and be subservient to the upper classes.



Alizeh uses her lowly position this to cover strength and wisdom, obscuring her face with a local face scarf called a snoodah, worn by the eponymous servants of the region.When A local beggar child tries to mug her she protects herself, but is seen by Kamran the Crown Prince of Ardunia, where she now resides. He immediately believes she is not all she seems to be and makes it his mission to find her. Initially he thinks she is a spy from a rival nation as she has such self defence skills, however when he locates her, he discovers something very different.



This is a captivating YA fantasy book by Tahereh Mafi with exceptional world building. Based on Persian Mythology it has a sense of magical realism about it, which keeps it grounded in our world making it all the more believable. I can’t wait for the follow up!

Kate Reading is an excellent narrator, clear enunciation and reads with emotion and great characterisation.

I’ve been a long time lover of Tahereh Mafi after the Shatter Me series so this book was highly anticipated for me! She is a truly immense writer and one that can so steadily and securely draw you in and have you so fully invested, you can’t help but devour the book and consume it whole. At least, that was certainly my experience with this book. There was just no way I could put it down.

And coupled with the narration too, it was so hypnotic. It brought the book to life and gave all the characters a voice (Alizeh was such an amazing lead character). I absolutely adored this story and will definitely be an avid follow of this series now. I need more!

The whole concept was just *chefs kiss*. With the Jinn, a lost queen, a slow romance, a prince protecting a lowly servant, just all the tropes that make a book great. And the writing was so effortlessly easy, reading was effortless and the story flow was perfect.

I couldn’t not give this book less than 5 stars and it’s certainly worth more than that! Seriously seriously great book.

Thank you to the publisher for providing the audiobook in exchange for a review.

To the world, Alizeh is a disposable nobody servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom trying to survive in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, knows of the prophecy foretelling the death of his king. But he can’t help but feel for 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.

I don’t tend to read YA romantasies, yet the hype this book has received made me give in, especially when I was given the chance to receive a free audio sample.
I read Mafi’s Shatter Me series when it first came out and I can’t say it left a lasting impression on me. However, I think the more fantastical setting made me more amenable.

It is steeped in Persian culture, myth and magic. The characters were well-crafted, brought alive by the audio’s narrator. Whilst Kamran seems quite shallow in his interests (sadly like many YA love interests), he was endearing despite his unrealistic morality, nobility and honour.

However, I do have to admit I found the insta love still too cringy for any type of YA.
And the ending… I don’t know, it was a cliffhanger but I just felt slightly annoyed by it. It was too…. Common? Troupe-y? It was used just to completely set up book 2. The story didn’t feel even a semblance of resolved by the end, even as a book 1.

This Woven Kingdom is Cinderella theme story wrapped beautifully in Persian Mythology which captured my attention this year. With lush Middle East worldbuilding inspired and enrich with Jinn historical origin this story basicly sucked me into the world instantly since first narration.

This is my first read from Tahereh Mafi and absolutely isn't the last. I found the narrator's voice suited with author's storytelling style. It give grand and dramatic vibes, suitable to narrate slow burn fantasy with detail description. The plot is slower almost half book but it is truly mezmering. I love both MC and enjoyed their interactions. I can't wait to see more of them and how they forge their bond stronger with each problem.
I really like it and can't wait to dive into the second book.

Thank you Netgalley and Electric Monkey from Harper Collins Audio for provide my digital audio copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

The last time I was so madly in awe with a couple was while reading Serpent and Dove, and now this. Essentially for the fans of #romantasy an epic work by @tahereh has blown my mind.

But first things first, this ends on a Cliffhanger and I am so mad I don't know what's to happen next. The book is based on the worlds of different clans at war with one another against the basic necessities of life. Intertwined with that are the magical elements that are so hard to find and the great Jinn characters. There is a strong pull between the two protagonists and an uncertain affliction towards each other that may as well be their death. With forced proximations, the bud of love is planted, but with so much going on around - only time can tell if the bud will take a sprout!

Wonderfully written, stomach-drop moments and a dropping end at an unexpected time. Absolutely loved it.

Genre: #fantasy #ya #romance
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley @tahereh @harpercollinsuk for the Digital ARC

#ThisWovenKingdom #NetGalley