I’m happy to say that Bashardoust delivers a richly developed fantasy world beginning with the story that Soraya’s mother tells her over and over as a child. It starts “There was and there was not,” and in so doing, Bashardoust creates not only a parallel reality that will go on to become very meaningful as the novel continues, but also gives the allusion that the story Soraya’s mother will relate is both just a story and also something that is very much not just a story, but a reality, one that could have deadly consequences if its message is not heeded. Read more →