Tag: Tahereh Mafi

All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi

All This Twisted Glory
by Tahereh Mafi
HarperCollins

The third installment in the bestselling epic romantic fantasy series based on Persian folklore, by the powerhouse author of the Shatter Me series, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, and An Emotion of Great Delight.

Picking up at the explosive cliff-hanger ending of These Infinite Threads, Alizeh, the heir to the Jinn throne, has been stolen away to the neighboring kingdom of Tulan by Cyrus, its mercurial ruler. He plans to marry her there, giving her everything she needs to become the Jinn queen. Only then will he be able to fulfill his own bargain with the devil.

Alizeh is determined to escape, until she realizes that Cyrus’s plan may be the key to fulfilling her own destiny—and that she may actually have begun to trust him.

Back in Ardunia, Kamran has been trying to pick up the pieces after his grandfather’s murder, only to find out that the palace advisers have betrayed him. He seizes upon a mysterious parcel, left to him by his grandfather, that holds a magical way for Kamran to finally get to Tulan to find Alizeh. And along the way he finds an unlikely trio of supporters to aid him in his journey.

Cover image and summary via Edelweiss
Posted in Books, Reviews

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

Posted on by Ariana Hussain

Mafi,Tahereh. This Woven Kingdom. Feb. 2022, 512 pp. HarperCollins, $19.99. (9780062972446). Grades 9 – 12

In the world of This Woven Kingdom, once powerful Jinn are living as second-class citizens to humans. 

Alizeh is a Jinn; alone in the world at a young age, she works laborious jobs for humans in order to survive. Because of the actions of Iblees, who eventually became Shaytan (the devil), her people are collectively demonized, even at a truce with human beings, their powers are reduced, and they are subject to constant exploitation and threats of violence. Alizeh is additionally set apart from her people by the ice runs in her blood and identifies her as part of a larger prophecy that could lead to the liberation of jinnkind or the destruction of mankind. She lives in hiding and constant fear of being killed or used. 

Heir to the kingdom of Ardunia, currently led by his grandfather, King Zaal, Kamran encounters Alizeh by chance. Immediately attracted to each other they grow close, but as plots are uncovered and more is revealed about Alizeh, their situation grows increasingly complicated and each must make irrevocable decisions.

Mafi’s prose is deliberately paced to build tension and intensity while building a rich fantasy world based on Islamic folklore and the Persian Shahnameh epic. Intended to be a multi volume series, Mafi skillfully builds the foundation for a tale that promises adventure, romance, and political intrigue. Alizeh is a formidable protagonist and readers will find themselves emotionally invested in her happiness.

The world of This Woven Kingdom is predicated on Islamic stories of jinn and the creation of humankind, with jinn having the same moral capability of humans to exercise free will and thought in which they choose to worship Allah. However, in many cultural contexts, jinn are associated with evil, and Mafi’s use and tying of the actions of Iblees and the properties of jinn and their abilities to the status of jinnkind is both intriguing and validating, moving this story beyond common tropes or retellings of western fairytales. Iblees moved into a villain role devoid of religious context still very much works for the story, while also having the reader examine and reflect on the irony of the lack of freewill the characters have at times, and the structures of power upon a subjugated people. Elements of Islam, Islamic practices, and culture (i.e. miswak used for oral hygiene) throughout the book are instantly recognizable to those familiar, though religion itself is never mentioned in the world. Instead, Mafi translates these religious concepts of Islam to a fantasy world setting impeccably and respectfully. This Woven Kingdom is an outstanding fantasy novel that feels fresh and swoonworthy, in a world accessible to any reader.

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
Harper / HarperCollins

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 based on Persian folklore.

Long ago his grandfather had explained that on the day of his coronation, Kamran would receive two visits.

The first, from the Devil.

The other, from a Diviner.

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 explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award–nominated superstar author Tahereh Mafi blends an intricate, absorbing world, steamy romance, and glimmering magic with Persian mythology.

Cover image and summary via Edelweiss

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi
HarperCollins

From bestselling and National Book Award–nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy—even when you’re trapped in the amber of sorrow.

It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down.

She’s too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots.

Shadi is named for joy, but she’s haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there’s the small matter of her heart—

It’s broken.

Shadi tries to navigate her crumbling world by soldiering through, saying nothing. She devours her own pain, each day retreating farther and farther inside herself until finally, one day, everything changes.

She explodes.

An Emotion of Great Delight is a searing look into the world of a single Muslim family in the wake of 9/11. It’s about a child of immigrants forging a blurry identity, falling in love, and finding hope—in the midst of a modern war.

Cover and summary via HarperCollins