This Woven Kingdom Summary with spoilers

Read a This Woven Kingdom summary with spoilers, book #1 in Tahereh Mafi’s Woven Kingdom series. If you are wondering what happened in This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi, then you are in the right place! Get ready for book two by reading up on exactly what happened in the first one.

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Author
Tahereh Mafi

Ratings
4.3 stars on Amazon
3.9 stars on Goodreads
Add This Woven Kingdom at Goodreads.

This Woven Kingdom Series
#1 This Woven Kingdom summary (this page)
#2 These Infinite Threads (synopsis)
#3 All This Twisted Glory (synopsis)
#4 Every Spiral of Fate (synopsis)
#5 Untitled (Goodreads)

***** Everything below is a SPOILER *****

What happened in This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi?

Your This Woven Kingdom summary:

Alizeh, a Jinn whose parents sacrificed themselves in a deadly fire to allow her to survive, is currently working as a servant at Baz House and living in its attic after fleeing into the city of Setar after a string of lost jobs and cruel treatment due to her intelligence and Jinn abilities.

The Jinn are an ancient people with superior abilities in speed and strength. Humans, called “Clay,” had been at war with Jinn until two generations ago when the Fire Accords were established, giving Jinn the ability to live and work among Clay as long as they never show their abilities.

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In her attic room, Alizeh encounters a vision of the Devil, a being who has followed her throughout her life. He shows her the image of a young man and gives her a riddle:

“There once was a man
who bore a snake on each shoulder.
If the snakes were well fed
their master ceased growing older.

What they ate no one knew,
even as the children were found
with brains shucked from their skulls,
bodies splayed on the ground.”

The legend of the Devil, named Iblees, is shared. The Jinn were the original, sole race until Iblees fell into darkness. As the Clay race arose, the once all-powerful Jinn faded into shame over the Devil’s actions and ultimately went into hiding.

Alizeh delivers a dress she was commissioned to sew for Miss Huda and receives half-pay for it.

On the streets, she is attacked by a young boy holding a knife to her throat whom she quickly disarms and, upon empathizing with his struggles, offers him bread from the kitchens of Baz House if he ever visits.

As she leaves the encounter, she sees the person in the Devil’s earlier vision and quickly flees.

Prince Kamran has recently arrived in the city of Setar (the capital of Ardunia) after a year of overseeing armies. In the city, he witnesses Alizeh’s skillful outmaneuvering of the thief and becomes suspicious that she might be a spy for the rival kingdom of Tulan.

He interrogates the boy and threatens to turn him into the magistrates. Seemingly fearing for his life, the boy pleads with Kamran and ultimately drives his knife into his own neck to avoid what awaits him with the magistrates. Kamran yells into the crowded streets to help save him. He then finds Alizeh’s dropped bloody handkerchief as he leaves the site of the attack.

Kamran meets with his mother and grandfather, King Zaal. The king disapproves of his actions in helping the thief and is upset that poorer citizens loudly praise Kamran’s kindness. They discuss the potential upcoming war with Tulan as tensions continue to rise between the two nations over water resources and past disputes (including the ruthless killing of Kamran’s father when he was 11 years old).

To combat the king’s criticism, Kamran shares his theory about discovering a spy and agrees to further fulfill his duties by hosting a ball with the intention of finding a wife.

Alizeh waits for the boy each night, but he does not show. Instead, Miss Huda’s housekeeper completes the full payment for the dress and commissions five more dresses. However, Alizeh’s hands are badly injured as a result of being overworked and harshly treated by the head housekeeper, Mrs. Amina, and she fears she will be unable to complete the commission.

Urgently needing to heal her hands, she visits an apothecary in her servant’s snoda so as not to reveal her unique, color-changing eyes. The apothecarist, Deen, gives her packaged salves for her hands and the knife wound at her neck. They discuss the prince, and Alizeh realizes that Prince Kamran was the person in the Devil’s vision.

Kamran visits the boy, named Omid, who has been saved with rare magic by the Diviners. Omid defends Alizeh and reveals that she works at Baz House. Kamran is given a parcel by the Diviners.

Alizeh is grabbed by a mysterious man in the street. Kamran, walking nearby, scares the man into disappearing completely. Alizeh trips and scatters her packages in her panic. Kamran helps her and picks up the packages. She illegally uses her Jinn powers of invisibility to evade the prince.

Kamran returns her packages at Baz House. Alizeh quickly dismisses him.

The prince’s minister, Hazan, reveals that the tests conducted on the handkerchief detected ice in the blood. The Diviners prophesied that a demon-like creature with ice in her veins would cause the king’s demise.

Kamran meets with King Zaal. The king reveals that Alizeh is the first Jinn queen in over a thousand years, and she must be killed to prevent an uprising of Jinn citizens.

Omid visits Alizeh at Baz House. He explains his new protections as a result of being a symbol of the prince’s mercy. As an apology for hurting her, he invites Alizeh to the ball as his guest.

Alizeh meets with Miss Huda, the illegitimate child of a nobleman, to design her a dress for the ball. On her return to Baz House, Alizeh is attacked by six figures. She kills five and sends the final assailant back to his master with the message to leave her alone.

When she returns to Baz House, Hazan greets her as his queen. He shares that they knew each other as children, and has made arrangements to be executed at the upcoming ball that will assist her in fulfilling her destiny. Hazan reveals that the firefly, a symbol in Jinn culture which has appeared to her throughout the day, belongs to him. Alizeh is then gifted a nosta, a small orb which reveals the truth.

At the palace, Kamran is kidnapped by two men. He fights them off before the king reveals that he sent them. Kamran is brought into the palace dungeons and charged with treason. The king explains that the attempt to kill Alizeh failed, and he suspects Kamran of aiding in her evasion.

Kamran agrees to complete a task in order to prove his loyalty.

The prince is sent to Baz House as a spy under the ruse of conversing with his aunt, who resides in the estate. He witnesses Alizeh slip and get violently berated by Mrs. Amina. Alizeh is privately dismissed from her position.

Kamran enters Alizeh’s room and is threatened with scissors at his throat. He tells her that he was ordered to search for the king, but is trying to protect her and promises not to harm her. The nost a verifies his explanation, and Alizeh releases him. They argue over who will leave the room until a man nears the attic.

The two hide in a corner, crowded together and disguised with invisibility. The man extinguishes the light and leaves. Alizeh’s fear of the dark causes her to panic, and Kamran bickers with her in an attempt to comfort her. He asks her name, and she introduces herself as the Queen of Arya. Kamran kisses her in response.

When they separate from the heated kiss, he informs her that will be choosing a bride at the ball and hopes to wait for her instead. She refuses him and exits the room.

Alizeh wanders the city before stopping into the apothecary. Deen removes her bandages to discover that her injuries are fully healed. The two forge a quiet friendship. Deen divulges that he was instructed to deliver a package to Alizeh from “a friend.” The package contains a dress for the ball and a note that reads:

“Wear this tonight, and you will be
seen only by those who wish you well.”

Kamran prepares for the ball. He is informed that Cyrus, the young king of Tulan, will be in attendance. King Zaal and Hazan both warn him to be cautious.

Omid rushes to Kamran with the news that all twenty-five of the Diviners have been slaughtered.

Alizeh reports to Miss Huda that the commissioned gowns have not been finished. In

response, Miss Huda encourages Alizeh to finish them immediately in her presence. Alizeh removes her snoda at Miss Huda’s request, and upon seeing her unique eyes, realizes that she was instructed to give Alizeh a package. The package contains magical boots with another note:

“When the path is unclear, these shoes will lead the way.”

As Alizeh changes into the gifted dress and shoes, a young man appears in the room. He claims that they share a mutual friend and was instructed to ensure the night goes to plan. Not trusting Miss Huda to keep their secret, he magically silences her before teleporting her, himself, and Alizeh to the ball.

How did This Woven Kingdom end?

The ball has finally arrived. Kamran reluctantly greets guests, aware that the king will be choosing his bride from among them.

Alizeh promises not to run on the condition that the young man leaves Miss Huda unharmed. To fulfill his service to his master, he abandons Alizeh while he completes his tasks. They intend to leave together at midnight.

Iblees communicates another riddle to Alizeh:

“Beware the gold, the crown, the eye
One is a king who is loath to die

Ford the darkness, scale the wall
Two have a friend who is foe to all

The serpent, the saber, the fiery light
Three will storm and rage and fight

Always the jester will interfere
For there cannot be three sovereigns here”

The prince notices Alizeh rush off in a panic, so he follows her. He tells her that he wants to choose her to marry, but she still hesitates. Hazan interrupts with a warning to “His Highness” that it is necessary to leave the ball immediately. Kamran interprets his warning as a sign of madness while Alizeh grows confused over the mixed messages she’s been receiving about the plan.

Omid obstructs the conversation by running to greet Alizeh. While the small group continues their disjointed conversation, a scream is heard across the room. They rush into the commotion.

Miss Huda and the young man are engaged in a loud argument. A crowd gathers around them, and he takes the opportunity to make a spectacle over his true reason for attending the ball. His true identity is finally revealed as Cyrus, the King of Tulan.

Cyrus magically lights a ring of flames around him and launches into a speech against King Zaal. It is revealed that King Zaal accepted a deal with the devil to remain young. The king was gifted a pair of snakes on his shoulders that extend his own life at the cost of the lives of children.

Alizeh realizes the meaning behind the devil’s earlier riddle, while Kamran understands Omid’s fear of the magistrates that stems from being witness to fellow children being taken off the streets to feed the snakes.

The snakes are shown to the crowd before Cyrus drives his sword through King Zaal’s chest. In his rage, Kamran charges Cyrus. They engage in a sword duel. Kamran is quickly disarmed, and Alizeh intervenes by charging through the fire.

Alizeh disarms and slaps Cyrus in his frozen shock over discovering she is a Jinn, a detail that he claims their mutual friend never shared. Alizeh announces their friend as Hazan to which Cyrus immediately refutes. Hazan is seized by guards for his treason in assisting her.

Cyrus reveals that their mutual acquaintance is Iblees, and that the devil wishes for Alizeh to rule.

Panicked and shocked by these revelations, Alizeh attempts to flee. She is stopped by her magical boots, which lift her into the air and deliver her onto the back of a dragon.

Cyrus appears next to her on the dragon’s back. He explains that he owes the devil a favor, which he will complete when Alizeh obtains her kingdom. Therefore, they are headed to Tulan where Alizeh will marry him.

There you go! That’s a recap of what happened in This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi. We hope you enjoyed this This Woven Kingdom summary with spoilers.