ROSTAM WRECKS THE REALM

Newly transplanted to a desolate interstellar outpost in the year 2387 Earth Common Era, a 12-year-old inadvertently sets off a cataclysmic planetary disaster.

On bustling Enceladus, where his family relocated from Earth when he was 5, Rostam Zamini eventually settled into a life he loved with his Mamá (who’s South American), Maman joon (who’s Persian), and a group of friends who also planned to join the Interstellar Alliance. So, when his moms inform him that they’re moving to the remote mining planet Pars-1, he’s crushed. The Zaminis travel by Wish, a process involving IA pilots using enslaved djinn fitted with iron collars to power interplanetary voyages. Rostam starts off his new life filled with bravado, triggering a series of missteps that are exacerbated by the arrival of the mythological Persian Serpent King, Zahhak, who offers him a bargain: popularity in exchange for help retrieving a golden mace. As everything around him begins to crumble—Pars-1’s sun implodes—Rostam must figure out how to set everything right with the help of new friend Zal, a trans girl with albinism. With its masterful blend of space opera and Persian mythology, Abtahi’s middle-grade debut entertains and edifies. Rostam faces issues ranging from social angst to inequality, discrimination his family faced on Earth, and forced labor by the djinn. Fast-paced, funny, and wholly entertaining, this is a must-read for fans of Rick Riordan.

Prepare to blast off: This soaring delight with enthralling mythological mayhem is luminous.