The King

* The King is utterly fabulous in both senses of the word: a sly, witty, knowing fable, full of charm and humour. Deceptively simple in its storytelling, it reads like one of Angela Carter's fairy tales transposed into the nineteenth-century Qajar Persian court. Kader Abdolah is a masterful and completely addictive storyteller -- WILLIAM DALRYMPLE * A strong and colourful story illuminating the complex forces that have shaped contemporary Iran Metro * Glorious The Times * Set in the last half of the 19th century, The King is a biography of brutality and ambition; all of its characters strive to shape their own lives as well as the destiny of their evolving nation New York Times * Told in a simple yet gripping style based on the great epic history of early Persia, the 'Shahnameh' written by Firdawsi about a thousand years ago. It proves a very effective model for this dramatic tale of a later ruler and his heroic, if often brutal, battles. As in the 'Shahnameh', lyrical passages celebrating Persia break up the harsh history Independent * Abdolah brings a crucial moment in 19th-century Persian history to vivid life Independent * The King probes questions of power and authority through wry fable - Salman Rushdie's Shame meets Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall ... the story is rich with subtle touches ... in the grand tradition of Persian literary satire, the writing is playful, subversive, and compassionate ... resplendent Financial Times * Excellent ... accessible and deceptively light Scotsman * A modern epic Independent * A very detailed and well-researched historical account Guardian