By Latifa Akdouche

Have you ever read a story that absolutely wrecked your perspective of romance? And plot? Or maybe it even tested your vocabulary, having you flip through the dictionary every other second. That was me reading Tahereh Mafi’s series This Woven Kingdom. Or more specifically, its fourth book, Every Spiral of Fate. Normal love triangles specify which male lead is the main and which is the second, but this story confused me for so long that I didn’t have the answer until the last few chapters of this book. This story centers around a hidden Jinn heir, Alizeh and her spiraling adventure towards the crown after she crosses paths with the charming prince of Ardunia, Kamran, and another man born of royalty, one to be discovered later on in this story. 

One of my favorite parts of Every Spiral of Fate was its characters. Alizeh is not the typical helpless main character waiting for someone to save her. She is compassionate and resilient, but she is also incredibly powerful, which makes her journey especially interesting to follow. Her relationships with other characters are complicated, and just when I thought I understood what someone wanted, the story would make me question everything again. Mafi does a great job making the characters feel like more than just their roles in the plot. 

Another thing that stood out to me was Mafi’s writing style. Her descriptions are incredibly detailed and sometimes so elaborate that I had to reread a sentence just to understand it. There were definitely moments when I felt like I needed a dictionary beside me, but at the same time, that is part of what makes her writing so unique. The language gives the story a dreamy and dramatic feeling that fits the fantasy world perfectly. 

The book also explores ideas about love, fate, character, and power. What I found interesting was the way the characters struggled throughout the story with what they wanted, versus what they were destined to do. The story constantly made me question whether the characters were actually controlling who they will become, or just following a path that had already been chosen for them. Overall, I would recommend Every Spiral of Fate to readers out there who enjoy fantasy, romance, overcomplicated relationships, and stories that dupe you into thinking that you know what is going to happen. Between the confusing romance, dramatic plot, powerful characters, and vocabulary that had me questioning if I was a true native English speaker, Every Spiral of Fate was a memorable read that kept me turning pages.