A review by tyriek
All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I LOVE this series. As much as I love medieval and high fantasy, most of it is dominated by european folklore and inspired by medieval Europe. BORING! The Persian-inspired setting is far richer and the writing more tactile. There is a scene at the very start of the scent of orange oil in the air which remined me of the tactile nature of 'The Blue Kaftan'. The writing is floral and beautiful, without being overdone or hard to read.
I love that Alizeh is a soft, yet strong main character. At times it bothers me a little that she is so soft, and it almost comes across as weakness or 'self insert'. I think it's just her personality, though, and I really appreciate it. She's a bit of a Mary Sue, but I can forgive that. She's quite forgiving of red flags which isn't a great message for younger readers, but her teeth come out a little more in this book and it makes a beautiful story.
It has a little spice in it, but nothing explicit, and it is well-written and worked into the story rather than feeling shoehorned in for the sake of it.
It's a beautiful book and I love this series.