Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 07/04/2022
Cover:
The gold design with pops of red and green immediately draws the eye. I love the contrast between the lush yellow background and the simple, central illustration. Although this illustration is suitable for the genre, it fails to capture a significant element of the story it is supposed to represent.
Writing:
I must applaud Tahereh Mafi’s picturesque and vivid writing style in this story. The smooth flow of her writing effortlessly conjures a mental image of every action and scene. The world-building may not be intricate or elaborate, but the rich Jinn history embedded within the narrative was fascinating. I also liked the alternating points of view (POVs), as this adds depth and complexity to the world-building. However, while each POV typically ends on a cliffhanger before switching, I was not invested enough in the story to be frustrated or intrigued by this plot device.
Was it worse…to never know what you might have, or worse to have it snatched away before you might have it
Storyline:
In contrast to Tahereh’s dazzling writing style, the thin storyline dampened my interest in the story. There are far too many filler scenes and internal monologues that did nothing to keep me engaged. These could have been replaced with more exciting scenes or moments exploring relevant themes to give some much-needed emotional depth. Instead, the tediously slow storyline is only shaken up by a few action scenes. While some mystery is brought up towards the end of the story, at that point, I was only interested in finishing the book. Even the big cliffhanger at the end failed to spark my interest as it just seemed like an attempt to draw readers to get the next book.
Main character:
The protagonists, Alizeh and Kamran, are predictable. They are both super attractive characters who are oblivious to their good looks and intensely attracted to each other. They have no flaws and experience very little growth throughout the story. As a result, both characters lacked complexity and relatability, earning numerous eye rolls. Sadly, the storyline relies heavily on these flat characters, which is another reason I found it unsatisfying.
Secondary characters:
The handful of secondary characters are given minor roles with little room for readers to connect with them. However, they are used well to provide comic relief or drive the story forward. There are also hints that some of these characters may have bigger roles in the next book or later in the series.
Romance:
I loved the cute and funny moments from the initial interactions between the main characters. The contrast in how they perceived the interactions is portrayed nicely through the alternating POVs. It is a shame that the ‘romance’ that develops is nothing more than a forced obsession. Although Tahereh tries her best to justify why the connection between the characters is more than physical attraction, I was unconvinced as this is told, not shown.
Fire was her soul but water was her life
In short, ‘This Woven Kingdom‘ starts off extremely promising, and I fell in love with the writing and world. Over time, the weak storyline and characters gradually decreased my investment and engagement in the story. While it is clear that a lot has been set in place for the next book, I do not think I am invested enough to continue with this series.
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[…] by the unique, mystical world, I wanted more from the characters and storyline. I would recommend This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi as another simple fantasy romance novel with a fascinating […]