Martyr!

Starred review from October 16, 2023
Poet Akbar (Calling a Wolf a Wolf) explores the allure of martyrdom in this electrifying story of a Midwestern poet struggling with addiction and grief. Cyrus Shams, an orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, is fixated on finding meaning in the deaths of his parents—his mother in a plane that was accidentally shot down by the U.S. Navy over the Persian Gulf, his father from a stroke. His obsession strains his relationships, particularly with his closest friend and roommate Zee Novak, as does his heavy drinking and drug use. Immersed in the study of martyrs throughout history, Cyrus finds focus for his project when he meets Orkideh, an older painter foregoing treatment for her terminal breast cancer, and he realizes he has an opportunity to interview a living martyr. More details would spoil the plot, which thickens when connections are revealed between Cyrus and Orkideh as well as secrets about Cyrus’s family history that inform his conflicted feelings about pursuing a queer romance with Zee. Akbar deploys a range of styles with equal flair, from funny wordplay (“Maybe it was that Cyrus had done the right drugs in the wrong order, or the wrong drugs in the right order”) to incisive lyricism (“An alphabet, like a life, is a finite set of shapes”). This wondrous novel will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page. Agent: Jacqueline Ko, Wylie Agency. (Jan.)Correction: An earlier version of this review misidentified where the main character is from.

Starred review from February 1, 2025

Poet Cyrus Shams has a fascination with meaningful death. His mother died on a plane shot down over the Persian Gulf by the U.S. military (an accident for which they never apologized), and his father's was just as sudden and senseless. Now, pushing 30 with a "useless" English degree, Cyrus conceives of a book on martyrs that he hopes will give his life purpose. Leaving his Indiana college town to see, as part of research for the book, a Brooklyn artist's final installation--comprised of daily conversations about death as she dies of cancer--proves fateful, forging a connection that Cyrus could not have foreseen. Far from grim, Iranian American poet Akbar's (Pilgrim Bell) first novel suspends moments of offbeat humor in fluid lyricality as the narrative focus alternates among Cyrus, his lovelorn roommate Zee, and his mother's and father's pasts in Iran and the United States, uncovering meaning in their shared existence. Iranian American actor Arian Moayed flawlessly matches his narration to the text. Whether voicing Cyrus's shifting moods--worsened by his recent sobriety and a comically awful AA meeting--or an imaginary Lisa Simpson, he meets each challenge with skillful use of cadence and tone, for an unbroken listening experience. VERDICT This debut novel takes on existential uncertainty with wit and compassion. The pitch-perfect narration makes it highly recommended in audio.--Lauren Kage

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2025

Iranian American actor Arian Moayed presents a multifaceted performance of poet Akbar's lyrical debut novel. The book follows young Iranian American poet Cyrus Shams, who seeks meaning by immersing himself in the study of martyrs. Moayed seamlessly embodies the ebb and flow of Cyrus's moods--questioning, sorrowful, earnest, and gently humorous--as he grapples with mental illness, addiction, identity, and the legacy of the past.

Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.