First off, I have never really read a book that was focused on Iran and Persian culture. I loved reading about all the different foods and social cues that I hadn’t heard of. A lot of it wasn’t super well explained, but I looked a lot of the foods up for an idea of what it would be like. (Although this is not important to the story) I did really like the family aspect, especially towards the end. The parts of Darius’s depression that made him feel like he was unwanted and replaceable was relatable to me. I was disappointed in some of Sohrab’s actions, but still liked him as a character overall. The Hobbit and Star Trek aspects were fun additions of pop culture. I don’t know much about Star Trek, but I did appreciate all the LOTR mentions.