#king kamran

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

“magic. romance. and betrayal. 

 and we're just getting started.

 These Infinite Threads, the sequel to This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi, is out on 2/7!”

https://twitter.com/EpicReads/status/1617613270164115502?s=20&t=VehELcBdHCR22cak5F3JTw

https://twitter.com/ThisIsGSage23/status/1617838211904200706?s=20&t=VehELcBdHCR22cak5F3JTw

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnw9UaXjYJa/

body > iframe { min-width: auto !important }

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Epic Reads (@epicreads)

[super-oddity]

The people may discuss all manner of gossip pertaining to their sovereign, but the soundness of his mind should never be a topic of discussion.

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

[threestarsinline]

Bruno and Kamran: They put on caps to go unnoticed in Ms Marvel’s last episode

Me: Ah, yes, the classical Marvel disguise

[rewritale]

arian moayed, homosexual, cis male + he/him → isn't that sahrazad kamran jafar barmaki? i hear that they're jafar from aladdin. i hear they’re 44. they seem to be artful & sophisticated, but also domineering & insidious. their aesthetics include a serpent made of gold and ruby, & a honey tongue with a heart of gall, a bedroom filled with books, paintings and stories.

BASIC

FULL NAME: Sahrazad Kamran Jafar Barmaki NICKNAME(S): Kamran, Kam, Jafar AGE: 44 BIRTHDAY: November 13th SPECIES: Human / Sorcerer TALE: Jafar (Aladdin) ETHNICITY: Persian OCCUPATION: Sultan of Agrabah GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cismale & he/him ORIENTATION: Homosexual

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Arian Moayed HEIGHT: 5’9’’ WEIGHT: 166 lbs HAIR COLOR: Black EYE COLOR: Black DOMINANT HAND: Right SCARS: A faded burn mark on his left arm from an alchemy accident; a thin scar from a cut on his left palm (cut it to let out blood for a ritual) TATTOOS: N/A PIERCINGS: N/A

RELATIONSHIPS

FATHER: Jafar Yahya Barmaki (deceased) MOTHER: Zubayda Munir (deceased) SIBLINGS: Dunyazad Naser Jafar Barmaki (brother) SPOUSE: Hamed Harun al-Agrabah (consort) CHILDREN: TBD FAMILY: TBD

PERSONALITY

MBTI: ENTJ ENNEAGRAM: Type 3w2 MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil ELEMENT: Fire SIN: Envy, Pride VIRTUE: Diligence QUALITIES: Ambitious, Artful, Sophisticated FLAWS: Domineering, Insidious, Manipulative FEAR(S): Losing his power, being irrelevant, being the second best INSPIRATION: Jafar (Aladdin), Scheherazade (One Thousand and One Nights), Jaʽfar ibn Yahya Barmaki, The Purple Man (Marvel Comics), Evelyn Deavor (Incredible 2)

BIOGRAPHY

Once upon a time, Sahrazad Kamran Jafar Barmaki was but a young boy fascinated with stories and legends. As the son of the grand vizier and being born to the influential Barmakids family, Kamran could spend days hiding in the vast library of the palace and Barmakids estate. He greedily devoured stories from all over the world, from obscure folklore and fairytales to literature and poems from distant lands. In his endless pursuit of knowledge, he taught himself how to craft spells and mesmerize minds. Having power over magic and people excited him, so much so that it became his obsession. A seed of ambition was planted.

When he reached adulthood, the kingdom of Agrabah suffered a grave loss of their sultana. Ever since her death, the sultan Hamed al-Agrabah has been inconsolable, taking up a terrible habit of claiming virgins for one night and casting them out of the palace. Seeing opportunity, Kamran offered himself to the sultan despite his father’s dismay. With the help of his brother Naser, he managed to hypnotize the sultan with his endless stories. One night became two, and then weeks and months. The sultan’s debauchery came to an end (sort of) and Kamran became the favorite consort of the ruler. Later after his father’s passing, he became the grand vizier as well. But that was never enough for Kamran.

Being up close to Sultan Hamed as a lover and advisor, Kamran learned how much of a buffoon the king was. Idle, unambitious and wasting the power he held. Every time his advice for conquering the neighboring nations or introducing new policies was ignored, the more frustrated and resentful the grand vizier became. Kamran was sure he could transform Agrabah into a paradise on earth had he been the one in control. So as always, the sorcerer concocted a plot to overthrow Sultan Hamed and rule over Agrabah himself. For his plan to succeed, Kamran needed an unmatched power. From his expertise in legends and folklore, he searched for a wish-granting artifact of the old, a lamp that binds a powerful spirit.

And as we all know, Kamran was victorious. He used a petty street rat Aladdin to retrieve the lamp from the Cave of Wonders, managed to steal the lamp back from the thief and made two wishes to become the sultan and a powerful sorcerer. As a mage-king, Sultan Kamran Jafar Barmaki now rules Agrabah. Though he is a dictator, he wields his absolute power to make the kingdom a better place. Even if that requires brainwashing everyone at the court and silencing dissidents either by executing them or converting them over to his side.

POWER

Though the wish has given Kamran immense power, even before that he was a seasoned sorcerer. He studied and practiced magic most of his life. His magic focuses on mesmerism and illusions, often through verbal triggers, specifically storytelling.

He can hypnotize his subjects and dominate their minds, though he starts this process slowly. The influence is subtle in the beginning, and then he starts to plant thoughts and ideas into their heads. In the end, he turns them into devoted followers of his. When they realize it, it is too late to get away from his grip.

For more powerful, immediate hold over the subjects require eye contacts. This can often be used to put the subjects to sleep, make them carry out simple commands or modify their memories of the last few minutes.

Kamran is usually charismatic and charming, but his magic seeps through sometimes and works as a certain magnetism about him.

He can use his illusions (and other tools) to disguise himself.

The illusions he crafts are so vivid and lifelike, the subjects can sometimes interact with them physically. After all, he earned the former sultan’s favor with his stories. He has to be able to tell a story or describe the illusions to craft more elaborate ones.

He dabbles on alchemy, both the magical and scientific aspects of it.

He knew the existence of other realms and attempted to cross over a few times, never successfully. After the wish, he traveled to another realm and established an identity in the United States, posing as a businessman.

Aside from being a sorcerer, Kamran is a politician, a scholar, a diplomat, a patron of science and arts, his insight, wisdom and knowledge are his greatest strengths.

HEADCANON

He is an avid reader, borderline bibliomaniac. His bedroom tends to be filled with scrolls and tomes. His favorite pastime is lounging about in his library and reading.

Has familiars, twin parrots named Iago and Othello (from the play by William Shakespeare because of course he has gotten his hands on those plays).

He is surprisingly frugal and does not waste the kingdom’s wealth on frivolous things. He is a dictator, yes, but he is a control freak and perfectionist to the subjects’ dismay.

As a son of the former grand vizier, he received the best education available. He is an experienced courtier, familiar with formal events and etiquette. He knows how to dance, but it is not his favorite.

His favorite snacks are honeyed almonds.

He is not a morning person. Especially grumpy in the morning, and it is difficult to wake him up.

[murasaki-cha]

OH MY GOD LITERALLY YES! This is exactly why Kamran is pissing me off right now, because for almost 3 books now he has been constantly shown how important his role is and how he keeps making emotional and irrational decisions without caring for the consequences on other people despite literally being a future king that is expected to lead an entire nation AND YET HE KEEPS ACTING COMPLETELY SELF CENTERED AND ENTITLED LIKE I CANNOT STAND HIM ANYMORE!!! Alizeh literally almost died and he was more mad she stopped him from taking revenge! THAT IS SO FUCKED UP IN ALL THE LEVELS!!

[lisa-lostinlit]

💬 Tell me a YA fantasy series on your TBR! 🤎📖 This Woven Kingdom by @tahereh is on my TBR for this year! This series sounds incredible and I can’t wait to dive in! 🤎📖 . . . s u m m a r y : Full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, These Infinite Threads is the breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller This Woven Kingdom With the heat of a kiss, the walls between Alizeh, the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom, and Kamran, the crown prince of the Ardunian empire, have crumbled. And so have both of their lives. Kamran’s grandfather, the king of Ardunia, lays dead, the terrible secret of his deal with the devil exposed to the world. Cyrus, the mysterious copper-haired royal, has stolen Alizeh away to Tulan, the neighboring kingdom where he rules. Cyrus has made his own deal with the devil—one that would require Alizeh to betray her feelings for Kamran if she’s to reclaim the Jinn throne. Alizeh wants nothing to do with Cyrus, or his deal with Iblees. But with no means of escaping Tulan, and with the tantalizing promise of fulfilling her destiny as the heir to the Jinn, she’s forced to wonder whether she can set aside her emotions—and finally become the queen her people need. Kamran, meanwhile, is picking up the pieces of his broken kingdom. Facing betrayal at every turn, all he knows for certain is that he must go to Tulan to avenge his grandfather. He can only hope that Alizeh will be waiting for him there—and that she’s not yet become queen of Tulan. Thank you to @epicreads for sending me copies of these books! 🤎🫶🏻 . . . #thiswovenkingdom #theseinfinitethreads #taherehmafi #epicreads #bookphoto #flatlaytoday #mybookfeatures #bookish #yabooks #cozy #cosyaesthetic https://www.instagram.com/p/CoNEZ_zuVw2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jessread-s]

✩🪡🌷 Review:

“These Infinite Threads” is an epic follow up to Tahereh Mafi’s fantasy debut!

Mafi allows the reader to explore Tulan, the empire that rivals Ardunia, through Alizeh’s point-of-view. Her magical prose and meticulous world-building immerses the reader in Alizeh’s new environment with Cyrus as her captor. Despite being there against her will, Alizeh can’t help but find beauty in the royal city of Mesti’s blended people, delicious food, and colorful architecture. We see her disdain for the king slowly melt away the more she learns about his dealings with Iblees. 

Alizeh’s growing feelings for Cyrus present a problem for her relationship with Kamran, who is still reeling over her supposed betrayal back in Ardunia. Chapters written from his perspective reveal his inner turmoil, adding depth to his character. While readers know the truth behind Alizeh and Cyrus’ first meeting, Kamran does not. As a result, he does not know whether he should rescue Alizeh or eliminate her as a threat to his kingdom, which successfully evoked strong feelings from me (code for: I screamed often). 

Alizeh and Kamran’s inner conflicts are carefully crafted by Mafi and keep the reader engaged to the novel’s explosive end! 

Two kings have a hold on Alizeh’s heart. I cannot wait to see how this plays out in the final installment of the “This Woven Kingdom” series! 

➤ 4.5 stars

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

@epicreads

[apenitentialprayer]

Mughal Attitudes Toward Fratricide Amid Shifting Political Paradigms

The head of Dara Shikoh being presented to his brother, the now uncontested Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir.

From the point of view of the official Moghul historians, Kamran was an unmitigated traitor and villain, and he was a certainly far less attractive than his gentle older brother. But it is likely that in his own mind he was behaving within his rights. The tradition among the descendants of both Jenghiz Khan and Timur had been for sons to divide their inheritance and then, within certain agreed limits such as those which probably prevented Kamran from killing Akbar, to struggle to increase their share. On this basis Kamran, who had originally been given the province of Kabul, would have felt every justification in keeping his dispossessed brother out; and Humayun would have found it unthinkable, as he evidently did, to execute Kamran for treachery. But Kamran was following an older nomadic tradition of the Mongols and Turks, whereas Humayun was being forced into the ways of strong centralized kingdoms, such as existed in India and Persia, where inheritance of the whole by one ruler was the established system. Without the accompanying principle of primogeniture this leads almost inevitably to fratricide in the struggle after each king's death: so, for example, Humayun's enemy, Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat, had systematically set about exterminating his brothers after winning the throne in 1526 and Sultan Mohammed of Turkey murdered no fewer than nineteen of his brothers on his accession in 1595, a simple fact of history which astounded Akbar when he heard it. In centralized kingdoms such ruthlessness was the norm. It was Humayun's misfortune that he grew up in one system but needed to operate another, though it is doubtful whether he would by nature have been capable of the cold-blooded murder of his brothers. Fortunately for his family's future empire in India, his son and grandson inherited the throne with no brothers capable of making a strong rival claim. But after them the fraternal struggles for the Moghul empire were to prove as ruthless as any.

- Bamber Gascoigne (The Great Moghuls, pages 53-54). Bolded emphases added, and paragraph structure reformatted to avoid a wall of text.

[betterbooksandthings]

These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi

These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi is a feat of technical brilliance. The sequel to This Woven Kingdom is a continuation of the Persian-inspired YA high fantasy book that stole my heart. The book's magic system and lore are so well thought out. I love the attention to physical detail and lyrical prose. It also helps that somehow Mafi constructs characters that get right to the center of my very being every time. Be forewarned I will be spoiling things from here on out. The book picks up right where the last one left off in the aftereffects of a particularly deadly fight in the middle of a ball. Prince Kamran's grandfather is lying dead and he is gravely injured. I continue to find his struggle with anxiety so carefully handled. His whole book happens over the course of a brisk two days as his life is slowly dismantled. Kamran has to come to terms with a lot and decide who he can and can't trust before he decides what he has to do. His emotional rollercoaster is not aided by the fact that he is getting used to living with disfigurement from the fire at the ball. He is moving so fast but it still feels like he is playing catch-up the whole time. That is to say, I loved his POV. Then we have the other half of the story from Alizeh's perspective as she is unwillingly whisked away to a foreign kingdom by King Cyrus. Mafi knows how to write a tragic sad boy who is trying his best and let me tell you Cyrus might be a new pinnacle. He is so tragic even Alizeh, who admittedly does not want to marry a man who is in a contract with the devil, feels bad for him. Her endless compassion is one of the best things about her as a character. I love that she frequently gets mad and changes her mind and cries. I think having emotionally vulnerable and unsure characters in fantasy at large is incredibly important. She is just so so good and then you pair her up with two of the saddest royals in literature and you get magic. I just love her as a character so much and I need the next book. I have no idea how it's all going to resolve now that Cyrus has become a more reasonable option (if we can get rid of the whole devil thing). Honestly, knowing Mafi I will be happy with anything that gets thrown my way, but here are my probably incorrect theories. Cyrus will marry Alizeh and together they will kill the devil with the help of Prince Kamran's magic (it's broken). Kamran will fall for someone in the odd traveling group that rescued him from the tower. I am still down for Kamran and Alizeh being endgame though. Oh, I wonder if someone is going to die. So many possibilities. All that being said, I would highly recommend you get your hands on book 2 because this book is literary gold and I need everyone to appreciate it's brilliance. Come, buy it, and be absolutely dazzled. 

[thebookpatrol]

there is no case to build imo cyrus obliterated kamran baddd… like mr gold veins is not recovering from that

LMAO listen I like Kamran and everything but Cyrus pushing Alizeh off the cliff was more iconic than anything he ever did. Cyrus literally showed up, served cunt, murdered the king, and left with the girl and I have no choice but to stan

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

me after #TheseInfiniteThreads ^ #ThisWovenKingdom #KamranHazan #HazanKamran #AlizehKamran #AlizehCyrus #MissHuda

https://twitter.com/ThisIsGSage23/status/1624726497201094657?s=20&t=xCObG9jiC4_1fCGGNTBh5w

[shetheyshenanigans]

I think the best way to ensure that your character dynamics don't fall flat and your non-MC characters don't become one-dimensional is to make up at least one piece of lore for every major side-character.

For example, my current WIP has four kingdoms. The main story takes place in Aspares, which has a group of knights known as the Tagma Basiliadon who are the royal family's personal guards. One of the Tagma is my main MC but every Tagma has lore, even if they won't be featured as much as Kir, our MC.

One thing that is often complained about in fiction, is that the MC is disconnected from the side characters, as they are the most specialist character. That's why you have to flesh out even the side characters, otherwise your story is one-dimensional. If you have side characters, they have to have meat AND bones.

(If anyone is interested in the Tagma knights lore, it's under the cut lol)

Note- the book centres around a competition for some of the princesses hand in marriage. As the Tagma are so close to their charges, a lot of them entered to either protect their own charge or were asked by their charge to protect their sisters. Some of them just entered to be competitive lol.

Tagma Basiliadon Lore

Kir Stormhold – stupidly in love with Prince Alexandros but once had a fling with Theon. He is a cutie patootie, and the absolute definition of Baby Girl. If Baby Girls ever flung assassins out of a seven storey building.

Timaeus Thorntree – Princess Calanthe’s OG guard who fell in love with her and got married and is no longer her official guard, but is with her all the time anyways so he’s basically still her guard. Mock rivalry with Daimon, her new guard.

Theon Starkwood – aromantic, bisexual, flirty dude, mother-son vibes with Queen Stasia and the sweariest healer you’ll ever meet. If Queen Stasia asked him to pull off a coup, King Halcyon would already be dead. Grew up with Aegis as he is the Tagma healer’s son, and now spends a lot of time with him due to their respective charges being the King and Queen. He is the most competitive person in any building at any time ever.

Aegis Kingsword – Every single TB dedicated to the King has been a Kingsword. He has a manual written with all of King Halcyon’s quirks, and is in cahoots with Queen Stasia and the kitchens to make him eat more vegetables. Bonded with Theon over growing up Tagma-adjacent.

Castor Queenswood – He is both Prince Damian’s skilful guard, and his Partner In Crime. So many crimes.

Charlus Stormcloud – Entered the competition with the stated goal of “making every Ahabadian I meet cry”, because he is Prince Kamran’s guard, and he wants to prove he’s better. Asked Kir to teach him Ahabadian before Kamran arrived in Aspares. Besties with Ilya, because they bonded over having to stand outside Kamran and Selene’s door at the wedding night.

(Selene is an Asparian Princess and married Prince Kamran of Ahabad)

Nicholas Stormtide – He is obsessed with swimming. He is aware that he is a cliché, as many families with sea-related names are stereotyped as being avid swimmers but he Does Not Care. He had a pet dolphin as a child (the dolphin actually just lived in the bay his family ruled) and once caught a fish bare-handed to impress a girl. She was Not impressed, so he broke up with her and ate the fish himself. He once invited Prince Atlas to join him and his siblings in a jellyfish fight and that’s how everyone found out Atlas is allergic to jellyfish stings.

Dorian Wavebreak – fiercely protective of Princess Artemisia, like all TB, but extra. He has hidden several bodies in her defence. She is 5’4 and he is 6’5 and if anyone ever tries to upset her, he is looming behind her with the deadliest expression possible. He lets her make him flower crowns though.

Gregor Rosethorn – Once intimidated a man into a nervous breakdown because he made Prince Calix upset. Would do it again.

Alexios Amberwood – Alexios is a very dedicated crocheter and the Tagma have come to blood over his pieces before. Princess Ianthe encourages this by buying him the best yarn she can find and he crochets an entire wardrobe and a baby blanket when he finds out she’s pregnant. He has stabbed a man in the eye with a crochet hook before in her defence. He did have a sword with him. He just used the hook instead.

Stavros Ravenhill – Stavros worships the ground Princess Aurelia walks on, because before she married Prince Jason, he was on Jason-wrangling duty by himself. Prince Jason is the definition of “Wouldn’t it be cool if I did X?” and Stavros went and had a private little cry the first time Aurelia talked him out of doing something stupid.

(Jason is Asparian, and Aurelia is a Savarian Princess who married him)

Ilya Frostfall – Besties with Charlus because of their shared Kamlene trauma. Has a twin brother no one knew about and nearly sent the palace into lockdown because his brother came to visit, didn’t know any of the Tagma, and triggered an intruder protocol. His brother isn’t allowed to visit without prior warning anymore.

Leandros Fawnwood – He is allergic to dogs, but if he’s not on duty, he can only be found at the kennels. Made himself a mask to alleviate his symptoms and is constantly begging Theon or Delias to give him herbs so he can spend more time with the dogs. Princess Aurelia brought her pet dog with her from Savaria and it was a breed not found in Aspares, so Leandros is absolutely obsessed with it.

Markos Windrush – He is somehow in charge of the Tagma, and he’d like to give that position back. If he was allowed to drink on duty, he would be having wine nights with Princess Philomena. His one weakness is Children. Not because he just loves their little faces, he is actively Terrified of them.

Hector Crownleaf – Hector has Strong Opinions on the slave trade and democracy. He recognises the irony of being pro-democracy and yet serving a royal family but Aspares is basically a constitutional monarchy so he’ll allow it. Princess Farah definitely does not (wink wink) enable him to murder slavers but every time someone forces him to take a holiday, he disguises himself in Savaria and frees slaves, bringing any Tagma who is available with him and Farah just so happens to give him as much coin as he needs because “oh how much does bread even cost? Take a hundred gold ☺️”

Aeneas Treefall – He is Prince Nikos’ Chief Enabler. Begged him to get Cyprius assigned as his wife’s guard six years ago because he had a crush on him. Has yet to do anything about said crush. (Nikos is married to Cyrine of Cebalia)

Tycho Thorntower – His family name was given when his ancestor deliberately planted thorns all around their tower, so no one would bother them. Tycho is the exact same way, and cares about three things – Prince Ambrose, his Tagma friends and Horses.

Yannis Stoneleaf – Yannis was a cook in the royal kitchens, prevented an assassination attempt on Princess Leora and then took the Tagma Trials for fun. Passed them, has no idea how, and is just vibing as her guard.

Zephyr Stonekeep – He keeps Prince Endymion in the loop of All palace gossip. They’re both very serious, calm, individuals so no one expects Zephyr to be keeping tabs on the local rumours. But he knows Everything.

Cyprius Bellbridge – Would kill a man if Aeneas asked him to. Princess Cyrine is his hypewoman, but he still has not asked Aeneas out.

Daimon Ivyleaf – Calanthe’s new guard, has a mock rivalry with Timaeus and is occasionally their third. Is smarter than Kir or Kasra about it, because he is Deeply Unwilling to deal with the mocking.

Delias Silverwood – Ride or Die for Princess Maia, like all TB. His mother was an apothecary though, and he has been known to threaten bad suitors with herbs that cause *ahem* dysfunction.

Kasra of Sararis – Head over heels for Princess Isidore. Spent his first month in Aspares pretending he couldn’t understand Asparian. Forever making snarky comments in Ahabadian to Kir and Charlus and then acting innocent about it. Master of the Puppy Dog Eyes, but he’s the youngest Tagma and they all have a massive soft spot for him anyways.

(Kasra was originally an Ahabadian knights but his knight mentor came to Aspares with Prince Kamran when he married Princess Selene. The mentor died so Kasra joined the Tagma)

[rewritale]

LOCATION: King Stefan's Palace MUSE: Kamran Jafar Barmaki STATUS: Open

After making his rounds, Sultan Kamran Jafar Barmaki was officially spent. The new portals connecting the realms are fascinating but they are also liability. Meaning he has more so-called allies and possible enemies to gauge and maintain diplomatic relations with. A real headache. Though King Stefan has been a gracious host and the palace is comfortable enough... but Kamran dearly misses his bedchamber and, well, his consort. He has dismissed his attendants and decided to find somewhere to relax. Perhaps explore. Learn the secrets of King Stefan while at it if he can...

Kamran adjusts his red tie (he has taken quite a liking to fashion from the other realm, less fabric wasted and could be more practical with pockets) and approaches another guest. "Excuse me, dear. Hope you're enjoying the party but may I ask... would you happen to know where the library is in the palace? Or perhaps a gallery of sort. I was hoping to take a peek at the collections of His Majesty."

[murasaki-cha]

Maybe because he is genuinely a kind king and good person? Ever thought of That Kamran?

[thestars-inheaven]

I take my words back. I WILL DIE BEING TEAM CYRUS. THAT MAN IS EVERYTHING I WILL NEVER DESERVE. ABSOLUTE KING OH GOSH. KAMRAN WHNE COMPARED TO HIM IS JUST A NAIVE SELF-CENTERED MAN-CHILD AND SO MEDIOCRE.

Tahereh mafi once again succeeded in making me pick a side

Why are love triangles so hard? WHY DOES THE AUTHOR MAKE ME SUFFER LIKE THAT?? I LOVE Cyrus and I LOVE Kamran it’s impossible, I can’t pick a side