"Book Reviews" Archive

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

A book review by Mina

I was honestly surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I had issues with the Shatter Me series because I felt like the romance plot was too heavy and that the fantasy world-building lacked because of that. This Woven Kingdom had a better balance between romance and world-building, and the book took time to introduce its characters before getting involved with other characters. I like the subtlety of the fantasy aspect, but Mafi does a great job of explaining how the world works. This is an improvement from her previous books. The pacing was also quite nice. It didn’t feel too rushed, but it explained the premise of the book. There was a slight twist towards the end. I could sense it coming, but I wasn’t sure how it would be executed, and I found that Mafi did it quite well. I do, however, wish there were more character relationship developments in terms of friendship. Some of it felt rushed compared to the more romantic plots of the book. I do find that some of the characters are similarly set up to the way Shatter Me was written, not necessarily by character replication but the way the characters react and act with others. I feel like Mafi is using a recipe but changing the characteristics and making the plot fantasy rather than dystopian. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that, but this might appeal better to fans of Shatter Me who fell in love with the characters and would like to see them again “in different fonts.” I also really enjoyed the duel perspectives from two of the main characters. It helped flush out the plot more and gave the characters more development and individuality. There are also some killer quotes in here!
I’m definitely still intrigued, and I will be picking up the next books in the series. I would recommend this book to readers who like character-driven plots as opposed to world-building plots. I do think that it’s less character-driven than her previous books, but her characters are what is still prioritized. The pace is slow but it starts to speed up, and I find the plot to be interesting. If you enjoyed Shatter Me, I guarantee that you would enjoy her new series. I would also recommend this book to older teens as a YA book!

Put This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi on hold here.

Books similar to This Woven Kingdom:

● Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
● Once Upon a Broken Heart series by Stephanie Garber
● One Dark Window by Rachel Giling

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

A book review by Mina Nguyen

A man who has the capabilities to burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army
containing unimaginable beings. With a stolen sword and a newly wedded queen, he is set on
destruction and power. Corayne an-Amarat can feel it; there is a strange darkness. An immortal
and an assassin knock on Corayne’s door, urging her to save the world as the last of an ancient
lineage. Corayne finds herself on a journey completing unusual tasks to prevent all-out war as
she also navigates a world she’s never been accustomed to.
This book has a lot of world-building. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but the
world-building is complex and there are a lot of factors at play for a young adult fantasy. I was
pretty confused until the first 100 pages because a lot of it is left to mystery, which sets it up to
be further explained in future chapters. I would even say that within the first book, the
world-building hasn’t been fully set, which I think was slightly aggravating since it is 500+ pages
of setting up the plot and developing the villains and heroes. The descriptions could be more
vivid for how intricate the world-building is. As a fan of the Red Queen series, I was interested in
what Realm Breaker had to offer. While I don’t think that Realm Breaker is better than Red
Queen, there are technically two other books to read. I did really enjoy the characters, especially
Sorn, the assassin. The entire book is told through six characters, but not everyone whose
perspective gets read is the hero, which was interesting to read. I liked the connection between
all the characters and their povs. Seeing a character in a different character’s pov helps build and
develop their personality. I also really liked how realistic Corayne’s skills are. Initially, she’s
really sheltered, so she lacks a lot of survival skills needed. I liked that Aveyard made it
incredibly known that Corayne’s skills were not fully developed, and she was still a beginner. She
didn’t pick up anything fast, but she took the time to learn. It’s so much more realistic than
becoming a master at the sword within two weeks, and I enjoyed watching the process unfold.
Additionally, the politics are what really comes to light in this book. In Red Queen, it was the
love triangle and the premise was developed around those three main characters; however,
Realm Breaker has very little romance and sets up the political drama with a few hints of
romance. While I don’t think that this book is for everyone, I would definitely recommend it for
readers who enjoyed all the books within The Red Queen Series or those who want more politics
than romance with heavy world-building!
Books similar to Realm Breaker:
● Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
● A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
● A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab
● City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
● The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Put “Realm Breaker” on hold today