A Failed Queen Without a Kingdom

~This Woven Kingdom~
Book 1
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

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.


I'm obviously no stranger to Mafi's works, having made my way through her entire 11-part Shatter Me series. But upon finishing the last installment of that series last fall, I noticed a 2-chapter preview of her upcoming fantasy work, This Woven Kingdom, and decided to try it. Having also read through her fantasy books, Furthermore & Whichwood, I knew she'd dabbled in the genre before, but I was interested to see what track she'd take with fantasy, romance, and YA. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked, and was then forced to eagerly await the book's release. A secret queen of a magical people, forced to hide her identity in squalor and servitude, tormented by whispers from the devil, and unknowingly headed toward a forbidden romance—what more could I ask for?

Believe Me, I Do

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous six books in the Shatter Me series, or don't mind knowing MAJOR spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Believe Me~
Shatter Me
Book 6.5
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Juliette and Warner fought hard to take down the Reestablishment once and for all. Life in the aftermath isn’t easy, as they and their friends at the Sanctuary work with their limited resources to stabilize the world.

Warner has his sights set on more than just politics. Since he proposed to Juliette two weeks ago, he’s been eager to finally marry her, the person he loves more than anything and has endured so much to be with. But with so much chaos around them, it’s been nearly impossible for them to have a wedding. And even Juliette has been distracted by everything they need to do.

At long last, Warner and Juliette’s future together is within reach, but the world continues to try to pull them apart. Will they finally be able to be happily, officially, together?


We've finally, FINALLY come to this. The definitely-gonna-be-the-last-one FINAL book in the Shatter Me series (after 2 fake-outs already). And it's a novella (though, is 200+ pages still considered a novella?) in Warner's POV. Will we finally get the answers we crave? Will we get a satisfying ending? Or will we just get all the kissing we could ever hope for?

In The Darkness, I Imagine Light

SPOILER ALERT
This review is of the final book in the Shatter Me series, and is mainly for those who have read or are familiar with the five previous books (and 4 novellas), or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Imagine Me~
Shatter Me
Book 6
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Juliette Ferrars.

Ella Sommers.

Which is the truth and which is the lie?

Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control.

The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on.


We all thought this was going to be a trilogy, then it turned into two. I already went through an ending once, am I ready to hang up the series for good? Yes and no...

I Think My Feelings Are Warranted

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books in the Shatter Me series, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Reveal Me~
Shatter Me
Book 5.5
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

This fourth companion novella to Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series is narrated by fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto!

The explosive revelations in Defy Me have left readers reeling and desperate for answers. This fourth and final novella in the series will bring readers back to the world of the Shatter Me before the final novel installment hits shelves in winter 2020.

Another fun(?) romp with Kenji. While the events of these novellas could easily encompass a chapter or two in the main stories, I've loved getting to know Kenji more intimately. Picking up exactly where we left off, Kenji is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. We knew he did that to some extent, but it's different when we're directly in his head. I legitimately felt bad for him during his anxiety attacks.

His super weird romance with Nazeera was also super sweet. Even if they're going through kind of a rough patch in this story. You don't really think about how someone's upbringing could shape them until it's thrown in your face, and then it's all you can think about. I really do love how the author shows kids being kids, drama and all, even in the middle of a war. It's one of the reasons I vastly prefer Shatter Me to The Hunger Games.

I'll definitely be reading this again in my lead-up to the final(?) book of the series coming next year. I just hope we finally stop with the heart-wrenching, mind-bending cliffhangers!

Holding on to Each Other in a Very Large Expanse of Sea

~A Very Large Expanse of Sea~
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.


This book is set in 2002, but was published in 2018. I'm making assumptions here, but something tells me it wasn't just the author's schedule that kept this story from releasing sooner, and that can tell you a lot about the state of this country. Plus, it's Banned Books Week, which should also tell you a lot about the state of our country...

Whichwood Was a Distinctly Magical Village

~Whichwood~
Furthermore
Book 2
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way). Before she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days washing the bodies of the dead and preparing their souls for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore the way her hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair, and her own ever-increasing loneliness and fear.

But soon, a pair of familiar strangers appears, and Laylee’s world is turned upside down as she rediscovers color, magic, and the healing power of friendship.


This book is REALLY dark. Like, darker than even I (at 30) was comfortable with at times.

Furthermore is Very Hungry for Magic

~Furthermore~
Furthermore
Book 1
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow has only three things in the world that matter: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; triplet brothers, who never knew her; and Father, who always loved her.

The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him, so some said he’d gone to measure the sea. Others said the sky. The moon. Maybe he’d learned to fly and had forgotten how to come back down. But it’s been almost six years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other. No matter the cost.

It’s a kind of fairytale, a story where magic is a must, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.


I remember reading stories like The Phantom Tollbooth or The Neverending Story, imagining this wise British narrator (along the lines of the Winnie the Pooh movies) telling a fantastical tale in their knowing way. A twinkle in their eye, and a wide-set grin, and a character all their own, breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to us. Now imagine that type of storytelling but with progressive ideals.

How Can We Stand Against Tyranny If We Ourselves Are Filled With Hate?

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Shatter Me, Destroy Me, Unravel Me, Fracture Me, Ignite Me, Restore Me, and Shadow Me, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Defy Me~
Shatter Me
Book 5
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Will Juliette’s broken heart make her vulnerable to the strengthening darkness within her?

Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything.

Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge.


This book felt horribly short. I realize I just re-read the entire rest of the series (plus the new novella), but this still felt like an entire book of build-up with nothing actually happening.

Flickering In and Out of Invisibility

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Shatter Me, Destroy Me, Unravel Me, Fracture Me, Ignite Me, and especially Restore Me or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Shadow Me~
Shatter Me
Book 4.5
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Juliette is still reeling from Warner's betrayal, and Kenji is trying to balance his friendship with her with his responsibilities as a leader of the resistance against the Reestablishment. Things get even more interesting when an unexpected person from Omega Point’s past surfaces.

The ending of Restore Me left readers gasping, and this novella full of Kenji’s signature sass and big heart is the perfect story to tide fans over until Defy Me.

That was NOT okay.

Destroyed and Restored All At Once

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Shatter Me, Destroy Me, Unravel Me, Fracture Me, and Ignite Me or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Restore Me~
Shatter Me
Book 4
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

I thought this was a trilogy. Even Tahereh thought it was a trilogy based on her author's note at the end of Ignite Me. But I guess there were just too many unanswered questions about how Juliette and Co. would continue their revolution. And I must say, I am glad she chose to continue.

Ignite, My Love. Ignite.

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Shatter Me, Destroy Me, Unravel Me, and Fracture Me or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Ignite Me~
Shatter Me
Book 3
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.


I could not put this book down. No, seriously, on my first read-through I managed to read the entire book on a work day. It was amazing.

The Bones Inside of Me Fracture

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Shatter Me, Destroy Me, and Unravel Me, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Fracture Me~
Shatter Me
Book 2.5
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam's focus couldn't be further from the upcoming battle. He's reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friend's life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James's safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It's time for war.

On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor—but taking down Warner, Adam's newly discovered half brother, won't be that easy. The Reestablishment can't tolerate a rebellion, and they'll do anything to crush the resistance . . . including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.


While I absolutely love the Shatter Me series as a whole, this is probably my least favorite part of it. Not that it's not good, but...well...

One Accidental Opportunity Unraveled Everything

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous book, Shatter Me, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for it. Unravel Me, however, will remain spoiler-free.
SPOILER ALERT

~Unravel Me~
Shatter Me
Book 2
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

It should have taken Juliette a single touch to kill Warner. But his mysterious immunity to her deadly power has left her shaken, wondering why her ultimate defense mechanism failed against the person she most needs protection from.

She and Adam were able to escape Warner’s clutches and join up with a group of rebels, many of whom have powers of their own. Juliette will finally be able to actively fight against The Reestablishment and try to fix her broken world. And perhaps these new allies can help her shed light on the secret behind Adam’s—and Warner’s—immunity to her killer skin.


I was hooked from page one. There were definitely some X-Men vibes coming off the Omega Point setup, though it's hard to compare with Juliette being secluded so much. I wish we could have met or at least seen some of the other mutants.

This Girl Is Destroying Me

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous book, Shatter Me, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for it. Destroy Me, however, will remain spoiler-free.
SPOILER ALERT

~Destroy Me~
Shatter Me
Book 1.5
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.


Okay, Mafi, I'll say it. You've got balls.

I believe I said in my review of Shatter Me that Warner was a character I hated to love. He was that kind of stalker boyfriend who thought he owned you and you should be grateful for his affections, but even when you made it abundantly clear you were fine without him, thank you very much, he just shrugs off your complaints as playing hard to get, being childish, or not knowing what's best for yourself. He made a great villain, someone easy to root against.

And then this novella happened.

A Peculiar Paperback Plus a Pair of Pencil Pushers

I don't normally post updates about a book's second release, but when it includes so much extra content I felt I had to make an exception.

The paperback release of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children includes not only an interview with the author, but also extra peculiar pictures and the entire first chapter from the upcoming sequel, Hollow City (due out in January 2014).


Here's one of the exchanges interviewer Jason Rekulak and Ransom had in their conversation:

Can you tell us how you came to write this book?
Which came first: the story or the photographs?

I have no idea where most of my ideas come from, but Miss Peregrine has a very specific origin story. A few years ago, I started collecting vintage snapshots—the kind you can find in loose piles at most flea markets for fifty cents or a buck apiece. It was just a casual hobby, nothing serious, but I noticed that among the photos I found, the strangest and most intriguing ones were alwasy of children. I began to wonder who some of these strange-looking children had been—what their stories were—but the photos were old and anonymous and there was no way to know. So I thought: If I can't know their real stories, I'll make them up.

The photographs came first, but I never stopped collecting. Even as I was writing the story I was finding more photographs to work in. Ultimately, the photos and the story influenced each other. Sometimes I'd find a new photo that just demanded to be included in the story, and I'd find a way to work it in; other times I'd look for a certain type of photo to fit a story idea I had. It was a fun, strange, organic writing process, unlike anything I'd attempted before.

Borrowed from The Soul Sisters
Also, technically not from their Powell's stop,
but my camera refused to offer an in-focus picture.

But that's not all!

Audio Addendum: Shatter Me

~Shatter Me~
Book 1
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Juliette hasn't touched anyone
in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war— and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Original Review

Approximate Reading Time: 4.5 Hours

Read by Kate Simses
Length: 9.2 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
(3x Audible Speed Setting)

After listening to a few middling audiobooks, I must say Ms. Simses gave a great performance. I was especially impressed with the variety and distinction she gave each of the characters, the men in particular. Just because the main character & narrator is female, doesn't mean the male voices aren't just as important to the overall work. The little boy, James, was quite possibly my favorite. Even though it's been proven time and again that women can do impeccable little-boy voices, it still took me aback by how genuine the 10-year-old character sounded, not just in voice but in personality and phrasing!

If it was unclear while reading the book what all those little scratched out passages were supposed to mean (I know I wasn't sure), this audiobook does its best to help clarify. I'll admit I wasn't sure how the struck through lines were going to work, since the book is so visual in that aspect. Turns out they simply recorded a sound of someone crossing out the line(s) with a pen, which plays following the words that are to be struck through. Granted, without the book in front of you, it's a little unclear how much preceding the strike is supposed to go, but the technique employed is still effective enough to get the point across.

Overall another audiobook I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend it. The emotion, the voices, and the attention to detail, even with the visual aspects of the book, all combine to make it an experience you shouldn't pass up if you have the chance.

...And I Want To Shatter

~Shatter Me~
Book 1
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Juliette hasn't touched anyone
in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war— and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

When I first picked this up, all I knew was on the front cover: Tahereh Mafi had written it (one of the first bloggers I started following) and it apparently featured a female whose touch is lethal power. Not much to go off of, but I wanted to be surprised.

What surprised me the most was that 5 chapters had passed in a noisy bookstore (not my typical reading environment) and I wanted to keep reading. I was completely hooked.