Thank you Running Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC of “Persian Myths” by Ryan Bani Tahmaseb. This was an interesting and engaging collection of stories, following the Persian gods, and their line of divinely blessed rulers through time. I did find some of the modern phrasing of some parts a bit distracting, but perhaps that will appeal to young readers and help them better understand what is happening in each story. This is mostly the story of kings but there were a few interesting princesses that might catch the attention of a young female reader. I personally enjoyed catching some of the similarities between these myths and other myths that English speakers would recognize like Rapunzel or the labors of Hercules. I feel like this was a nice introduction to Persian mythology for young readers and if my library decides to purchase it I’ll recommend it to my young patrons who are interested in mythology.

A really impressive book – not just that it taught me something I hadn't known, ie the basics of Persian myth. No, this is notable for the way it grasps stories and delivers them. It doesn't stick to the basic "...and then this god did this, and this god said that, and then that happened yawn yawn…" format. You can see from the first story here, a basic creation myth where the good and the bad of the world – the light and the shadow, the verdant and the mountainous – both get created against someone's will, that this wants to engage, break up the more academic, dry-sounding page, and make it more notable.

And, well, notable it may be for people wanting the real deal – this has been very much re-dressed, if I read the introduction correctly. For one, I don't think the originals claimed the creator of the darker side of things was the Big Bad, as this does. "You did a number on him" is not really what one god should say to another. I do fear that some of this is not entirely, perfectly the real thing, but it's certainly worth reading for the pleasure it brings. And I say that even when the book tries to take the pleasure away – the first few chapters are a running story, broken up quite needlessly into separate tales, perhaps to make this seem like it has more stories and content in it than it actually does.

Towards the end, too, one saga is split into fragments, but those at least are longer, more rounded episodes. To review the myths for a second, they really are a touch repetitive, with every sterling male coming along to be the greatest hero ever – by which they mean until the next sterling male comes along, and so on and so on. But the book wears that flaw lightly, and we get to engage with all the heroes, we see the gods do things (but not too much), and generally we have an entertaining read, well presented here. Yes, things get a bit bloody and combat-filled towards the end, but this is generally an all-ages narrative, and it shows that learning about the Persian lore ought to be a lot higher up your list of priorities than you probably ever thought… Four and a half stars.