14.3k reviews for:

Martire!

Kaveh Akbar, Kaveh Akbar

4.36 AVERAGE

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes

The writing style is engaging, the layers and subtext of Cyrus’ story offer a lot of room for reflection and varying interpretation, the ambiguous ending definitely calls for a future reread, very good. 
challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

Martyr! Is incredibly flawed, but such an interesting book. It’s stylistically poetic, the POVs grab your attention, but it’s a little too meandering and disjointed. As some other reviews have said not all the POVs serve the cohesive whole and there is quite a stark difference where the story shines and when it’s a borderline DNF. Some of the POVs that featured conversations with historical figures just didn’t seem to fit the storyline. While some at beginning and the pieces toward the end around Orkideh were particularly beautiful.

Maybe you could argue that Cyrus himself was confused, meandering, lost, and it was reflected in the book. His mind bounced to all these different conversations and moments in his life and it intentionally gives a disjointed feeling. Possibly open for interpretation.

I don’t know if I’d say I liked this all that much. I definitely didn’t hate it. Feels like it might be one that I think about over time and sits with me differently than when I read it.
dark emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character

oh martyrdom 
emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

"What was there to complain about? A murdered wife? A sore back? The wrong grade copper? Living happened till it didn’t. There was no choice in it. To say no to a new day would be unthinkable. So each morning you said yes, then stepped into the consequence."

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings