Persian Fiction

This masterful translation brings legendary heroes, tragic destinies, sweeping romances, colossal monsters, and fearless warriors vividly to life, unfolding a mythic saga that spans thousands of years. Originally composed as an 11th-century epic poem, Shahnameh endures as one of the world’s greatest masterpieces of mythology and storytelling. Performed by award-winning voice actor Marc Thompson and enriched with evocative sound design by Hamid Rahmanian, creator of the Shahnameh Project, this theatrical audiobook is truly cinema for the ear.

Dick Davis—“our pre-eminent translator from the Persian” (The Washington Post)—has revised and expanded his acclaimed translation of Ferdowsi’s masterpiece, adding more than 100 pages of newly translated text. Davis’s elegant combination of prose and verse allows the poetry of the Shahnameh to sing its own tales directly, interspersed sparingly with clearly marked explanations to ease along modern audiences.

The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander's life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas is sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but finds freedom with Alexander the Great after the Macedon army conquers his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper.

From the Persian palace to the ruins of Jerusalem, one man’s courage changed everything. Nehemiah lived comfortably as cupbearer to the most powerful king on earth. But when devastating news arrived about his homeland, he faced an impossible choice: remain safe in luxury or risk everything to rebuild a broken city. In this gripping biblical historical fiction, experience the drama of Jerusalem wall rebuilding as Nehemiah transforms from palace servant to visionary leader. This Christian historical novel brings the timeless Bible story to vivid life, showing how ordinary people can ...

An Odyssey Award Finalist A New York Times bestseller! A Morris Award Finalist Impossible Creatures meets Neil Gaiman in this “striking and heartfelt” (Kirkus Reviews) novel about an Iranian American girl who discovers that her father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures—and...

Kamran Esfahani, a dentist living out a dreary existence in Stockholm, agrees to spy for the Mossad after he’s recruited by Arik Glitzman, the chief of a clandestine unit tasked with running targeted assassinations and sabotage inside Iran. At Glitzman’s direction, Kam returns to his native Tehran and opens a dental practice there, using it as a cover for the Israeli intelligence agency. Kam proves to be a skillful asset, quietly earning money helping Glitzman smuggle weapons, run surveillance, and conduct kidnappings.

Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The Untold War of the Queen Who Defied the Persian Empire. Before Cleopatra, before Alexander—there was Tomyris, the warrior queen who dared to defy the mightiest empire on Earth. She killed the man who thought he was a god. When Cyrus the Great—conqueror of Babylon, King of Kings, and builder of the Persian Empire—marched on her people, Tomyris had two choices: submit or fight. She chose war. What followed was one of the bloodiest, most shocking battles in history—a queen’s vengeance written in rivers of blood. This novel rips away the dusty pages of ...

A historical fiction novel set in ancient Iran during the reign of Cyrus the Great and his successor Darius. The Persian Throne unfolds against a backdrop of vast Asian plains, starting with the anticipation of a battle between Cyrus the Great's Iranian forces and the mounted warriors of the Turanians. The book opens with detailed descriptions of the battlefield and the military formations, setting a tense atmosphere. Cyrus, leading his diverse army comprising Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, and other contingents, is prepared to outmaneuver the more numerous enemy with strategic placement ...

From Tehran to Los Angeles, The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. is a sweeping saga that tells the story of the Soleymans, an Iranian Jewish family tormented for decades by Raphael's Son, a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to the family's fortune. Forty years later in contemporary Los Angeles, Raphael's Son has nearly achieved his goal - until he suddenly disappears, presumed by many to have been murdered. The possible suspects are legion.

Told through intimate diary entries, this historical fiction series unfurls the extraordinary sagas of the Bible's best-known characters through the eyes of ordinary girls. In Persia's Brightest Star, the first book of The Promised Land Diaries, Susiana is introduced into Persia's glamorous royal palace, where she is chosen to attend to the stunning Esther. Tension builds in the lustrous halls and courtyards and fiendish plots unfold as the court waits for Xerxes to choose his next queen.

Three decades after Khomeinist thugs raided the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Westerners are puzzled by Iran. As a nation, Iranians still like the United States. As a revolutionary regime, however, Iran is the principal bastion of anti-Americanism. From Ayatollah Khomeini's "historic mission" to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's messianic campaign in the name of the "Hidden Imam," The Persian Night depicts a trajectory that will most likely lead to war.

In 1892, Gertrude Bell visited Persia (now Iran) shortly after the appointment of her uncle, Sir Frank Lascelles, as British minister in Tehran. Three years later came Persian Pictures, Gertrude Bell’s first written work, which presents a series of vivid sketches of Persian culture and society at the time. Bell explores various cities and landscapes, and encounters local characters along the way, providing a unique perspective on Persian life and customs.

Shortlisted for The Women’s Prize Named a Most Anticipated Book by Electric Literature, Publishers Weekly, The BBC, Daily Mail (London), and more A darkly funny, life-affirming “joy of a debut novel” (David Mitchell) that follows five women from three generations of a once illustrious...

By the Ayatollah’s orders, an Iranian scientist kidnaps a trio of outer space engineers and is forced to reconcile himself to their optimism and snark as his actions decide the fate of his homeland.

In 1978, daredevil film director Kathryn Whitney comes to Iran to shoot a package of TV commercials at the ruins of Persepolis. She leaves Hollywood behind and arrives in a country exploding with revolution. While visiting the Bank of Tehran, Kathryn is drawn to a display case housing The Persian Glories - a private jewelry collection of priceless canary diamonds with a powerful legacy owned by Sir Anthony Evans. Kathryn has no idea how these legendary jewels will endanger her life.

The best-selling author of Alice’s Tulips and other popular novels, Sandra Dallas exhibits a well-honed talent for evoking the past. In The Persian Pickle Club, Dallas transports listeners to 1930s Kansas, where a club of quilters welcomes a new member—and then must turn to each other for support when a startling secret comes to light.

Seeking to depose his brother Artaxerxes and take his place upon the Persian throne, Cyrus the Younger leads the 10,000 mercenaries on a dangerous campaign deep into the heart of Persia. There, Cyrus is killed and his generals overthrown, leaving a young Xenophon to lead the army on its treacherous journey home. Snowy mountains, wide rivers, violent blizzards, and hostile tribes obstruct their way, testing Xenophon's leadership and his soldiers' perseverance to the extreme.

One night with the king changed her life. One courageous act could save her people. When orphaned Esther is chosen from among all the beautiful women of Persia to become queen, she must hide her Jewish identity from everyone—including her husband, King Xerxes. As she navigates palace intrigues and unexpected romance, a deadly plot threatens her people's existence. Suddenly, Esther must decide: Will she risk everything—including the love she never expected to find—to save her people? This captivating retelling of the biblical story weaves romance, courage, and destiny into a tale of a ...

In the follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Kremlin Conspiracy, Rosenberg’s international thriller tracks a terrifying nuclear alliance among three world powers - Russia, Iran, and North Korea - and the deadly mission former US Secret Service Agent Marcus Ryker must risk to halt their deadly strategy. Shot out of the air in enemy territory in the middle of the greatest international crisis since the end of the Cold War, former US Secret Service agent Marcus Ryker finds himself facing an impossible task.

Aeschylus’ historical tragedy Persians, with its dire warnings against the hubris of imperialist overreach, is as relevant today as it was when first presented to an Athenian audience in 472 BC. This new edition of the classic drama features a literal translation by Mark Will (translator of Fernando Pessoa’s Message) which reconstructs in contemporary English verse the epic cadences of the original Greek.