A review by leahegood
These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi
3.0
While [b:This Woven Kingdom|56554281|This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634235371l/56554281._SY75_.jpg|88303369] felt a bit like a Cinderella story, [b:These Infinite Threads|61085925|These Infinite Threads (This Woven Kingdom, #2)|Tahereh Mafi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1656264319l/61085925._SY75_.jpg|96279582] reminded me more of Beauty and the Beast. Except with two beasts.
Alizeh has been spirited off to Tulan by it's enigmatic Prince Cyrus. Meanwhile Prince Kamran is left to cope with the ruin left in the wake of Cyrus's visit to Ardunia. His grandfather is dead, the magic marking him as royalty has somehow changed and disfigured him in the process, and his supposed-to-be-impervious heart is in pieces after the perceived betrayal of both Alizeh and his longtime friend, Hazan. But Kamran isn't the only one trying to put shattered pieces together. Trapped by Cyrus and his dark debt to Iblees, Alizeh soon realizes there are many layers to the story of Cyrus's life. Cyrus is reticent to share the details with her, but Alizeh feels she must know more before she makes a decision ... to consent to his complex marriage proposal or choose another path.
Overall, I found book two lived up to or even surpassed the interest-holding ability of book one. However, the cycle of Alizeh's petty anger, quickly won compassion, and easily lost sympathy grew annoying at times. Maybe take a breath and find some balance, Alizeh? This quickly-changing emotional tide might be realistic, but in story format, it grew repetitive quickly.
Language: I was surprised by a handful of f-bombs dropped in high intensity moments of the book. Very little swearing outside of these moments.
Romance: Book two also took the romance up a notch from book one. Nothing happens (less than book one), but the narrative is full of what I can only describe as PG-13 lust. Alizeh spends A LOT of time considering how physically attractive Cyrus is and she finds herself in various states of exposure in his presence more often than seemed necessary.
Violence: At the beginning of the story, Kamran deals with injuries sustained during his fight with Cyrus. Later, Alizeh witnesses Cyrus being tortured by Iblees. Nothing is described in detail.
Religion: Minimal. The closest thing to religion is the presence of Iblees, referred to as the devil, as an antagonistic being.
Alizeh has been spirited off to Tulan by it's enigmatic Prince Cyrus. Meanwhile Prince Kamran is left to cope with the ruin left in the wake of Cyrus's visit to Ardunia. His grandfather is dead, the magic marking him as royalty has somehow changed and disfigured him in the process, and his supposed-to-be-impervious heart is in pieces after the perceived betrayal of both Alizeh and his longtime friend, Hazan. But Kamran isn't the only one trying to put shattered pieces together. Trapped by Cyrus and his dark debt to Iblees, Alizeh soon realizes there are many layers to the story of Cyrus's life. Cyrus is reticent to share the details with her, but Alizeh feels she must know more before she makes a decision ... to consent to his complex marriage proposal or choose another path.
Overall, I found book two lived up to or even surpassed the interest-holding ability of book one. However, the cycle of Alizeh's petty anger, quickly won compassion, and easily lost sympathy grew annoying at times. Maybe take a breath and find some balance, Alizeh? This quickly-changing emotional tide might be realistic, but in story format, it grew repetitive quickly.
Language: I was surprised by a handful of f-bombs dropped in high intensity moments of the book. Very little swearing outside of these moments.
Romance: Book two also took the romance up a notch from book one. Nothing happens (less than book one), but the narrative is full of what I can only describe as PG-13 lust. Alizeh spends A LOT of time considering how physically attractive Cyrus is and she finds herself in various states of exposure in his presence more often than seemed necessary.
Violence: At the beginning of the story, Kamran deals with injuries sustained during his fight with Cyrus. Later, Alizeh witnesses Cyrus being tortured by Iblees. Nothing is described in detail.
Religion: Minimal. The closest thing to religion is the presence of Iblees, referred to as the devil, as an antagonistic being.