Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--After ending This Woven Kingdom on a cliff-hanger, readers will be thrilled to pick up the angst-filled sequel. A single kiss has changed the course of Alizeh and Kamran's lives, as well as the fate of their kingdoms. The devil Iblees has played a long game to deliver the world to the cusp of ruin, and Alizeh a dangerous throne. Duty and love pull the couple in many directions as they are manipulated, betrayed, and tested on all fronts. Mafi's story weaves a rich tapestry of Persian worldbuilding, nuanced characters, and a slow, searing romance to carry readers through this middle installment. The luxurious writing style sacrifices plot for depth but sets up high stakes for the final book. VERDICT Beautifully written, but firmly a middle book. Recommended for general purchase.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Alizeh's world is turned upside down when murderous Tulanian King Cyrus spirits her away, intending to marry her at the behest of the devil, Iblees. Alizeh plots to win her freedom, but upon encountering her people and their hopes for the salvation Alizeh can bring as Tulan's Jinn queen, she is conflicted and frustrated. She knows these long-plotted machinations of Iblees, the fallen Jinn responsible for the ruin of all Jinnkind, are meant to manipulate her heart and sense of duty. She is further shocked by Cyrus' plan for Alizeh to solely rule Tulan and his admission that he is willing to die after they marry and therefore be liberated from Iblees' control. Able to see beneath Cyrus' cruel veneer, Alizeh sympathizes with his constant pain and torment--both by Iblees and his desire for her--stirring emotions within her even as she remembers Kamran. In Ardunia, King Zaal's murder has left Kamran literally and figuratively scarred and running out of time. The resistance to his ordination reveals betrayals, impending war, and a prophecy that leads him to Tulan and back to Alizeh, who he hopes is not among his betrayers. Mafi builds a rich world, based on Islamic concepts and the Persian epic poem the "Shahnameh," and continues to layer eloquent prose and exquisite emotional turmoil in a growing star-crossed love triangle that will leave fans hungry for more. A necessary, beautiful, and torturous entry in this epic series. (Fantasy. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
