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Arash the Archer: A Story from Ancient Persia
Arash lives in the city of Ray in ancient Persia. At the age of twelve he is a capable archer. His dream is to shoot an arrow far enough to mark the border between the rival empires of Persia and Tooran. He believes that Simorgh the Queen of Birds has given him a message in the form of a riddle that will help him achieve his dream. But he is unaware that Ahriman the Devil and his Deevs are plotting against him.
This book is inspired by the ancient story of Arash the Swift Arrow who with a single shot sent an arrow all the way to the Oxus River and marked the border between Persia and her rival empire of Tooran.
The story introduces several other characters of Persian mythology including King Hooshang, Simorgh, Zahak, Ahriman and his Deevs, as well as the Zoroastrian philosophy of the constant battle between Good and Evil, to an audience of 8 to 12 year olds.
Children with or without Persian heritage, might be more attracted to the mystery and intrigue in which the heroes are children their own age.
3rd edition includes additions to the plot.
This book is inspired by the ancient story of Arash the Swift Arrow who with a single shot sent an arrow all the way to the Oxus River and marked the border between Persia and her rival empire of Tooran.
The story introduces several other characters of Persian mythology including King Hooshang, Simorgh, Zahak, Ahriman and his Deevs, as well as the Zoroastrian philosophy of the constant battle between Good and Evil, to an audience of 8 to 12 year olds.
Children with or without Persian heritage, might be more attracted to the mystery and intrigue in which the heroes are children their own age.
3rd edition includes additions to the plot.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
134 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 1, 2021
I found Arash the Archer when looking for books to go along with our study of Ancient Persia. The curriculum I was using didn't really have any stories based in Persia or from Persian mythology or tales. While this wound up not lining up in terms of the time period we were studying I was still happy that we had a book that was actually involving Persian stories.
This is a retelling of the story of Arash the Archer, who is a hero from Persian Mythology, more geared towards kids. The general story is the same, Arash is trying to shoot an arrow in order to set the border between Persia and a neighboring country whom they were at war with. Quite a bit seems changed by the story since Arash is a boy in this book instead of a grown warrior. The book also seems to contain a more elaborate plot involved than the story it is based off of. There are also some other aspects of Persian Mythology thrown in as well like the Seemorgh/Simurgh and the Deev/Dev.
So how was the book? Well, my kids loved the book. They thought it was really good and were pretty engaged by the story. My problem was that at times it felt a bit too much geared towards kids. Some of the humor and stuff is definitely more grade school level humor, like teasing friends about a girl they like or are friends with. It didn't really feel like it fit with the book to be honest. I'll admit I'm probably overthinking it when I doubted that Persians from approximately the 8th-9th century AD were making girlfriend jokes, but it just didn't work for me.
Other than this I did enjoy the story. It's not a complex story and the plot and characters are fairly simple, but I still enjoyed it. As I said, my kids really enjoyed this book and I can see why. I think this is just a book that was geared for kids and one that adults may enjoy, but maybe not quite as much as kids. So I definitely recommend it, but it is also possible your kids may like it more than you do.
This is a retelling of the story of Arash the Archer, who is a hero from Persian Mythology, more geared towards kids. The general story is the same, Arash is trying to shoot an arrow in order to set the border between Persia and a neighboring country whom they were at war with. Quite a bit seems changed by the story since Arash is a boy in this book instead of a grown warrior. The book also seems to contain a more elaborate plot involved than the story it is based off of. There are also some other aspects of Persian Mythology thrown in as well like the Seemorgh/Simurgh and the Deev/Dev.
So how was the book? Well, my kids loved the book. They thought it was really good and were pretty engaged by the story. My problem was that at times it felt a bit too much geared towards kids. Some of the humor and stuff is definitely more grade school level humor, like teasing friends about a girl they like or are friends with. It didn't really feel like it fit with the book to be honest. I'll admit I'm probably overthinking it when I doubted that Persians from approximately the 8th-9th century AD were making girlfriend jokes, but it just didn't work for me.
Other than this I did enjoy the story. It's not a complex story and the plot and characters are fairly simple, but I still enjoyed it. As I said, my kids really enjoyed this book and I can see why. I think this is just a book that was geared for kids and one that adults may enjoy, but maybe not quite as much as kids. So I definitely recommend it, but it is also possible your kids may like it more than you do.
January 2, 2023
Such a fascinating Persian folklore story about Arash the Archer! The story is easy to follow with a clear plot and characters a young child would look up too. I enjoyed this book very much! So much so I did research about Arash to learn more about this heroic archer figure of Iranian mythology.
Shahriar Bourbour did an excellent job writing this historical fiction book. I have begun reading the second book in the series “Arash The Archer & The Lost Prince” and am enjoying it immensely!
Shahriar Bourbour did an excellent job writing this historical fiction book. I have begun reading the second book in the series “Arash The Archer & The Lost Prince” and am enjoying it immensely!
May 19, 2021
This is my first time reading a book based on Persian mythology, and I must say it’s very intriguing.
In Arash the Archer, the kingdoms Persia and Tooran had been at war for years over their border. But after losing many battles, the Persians agreed to a truce.
However, the Persians were to get further humiliated because the Toorans promised they would return the captured Persian lands if a Persian archer could shoot an arrow from the new border back to the old one. Nobody could accomplish the feat—until Arash’s true determination began to shine out…
I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 5+ and as a reader for 8+; I think this book will be easy to read for younger children.
I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a great introduction to Persian mythology.
Happy reading!
-Ayan
In Arash the Archer, the kingdoms Persia and Tooran had been at war for years over their border. But after losing many battles, the Persians agreed to a truce.
However, the Persians were to get further humiliated because the Toorans promised they would return the captured Persian lands if a Persian archer could shoot an arrow from the new border back to the old one. Nobody could accomplish the feat—until Arash’s true determination began to shine out…
I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 5+ and as a reader for 8+; I think this book will be easy to read for younger children.
I give this book 5/5 stars as it’s a great introduction to Persian mythology.
Happy reading!
-Ayan
August 29, 2026
A Fun Adventure for Kids with a Good Spirit
My favorite parts were the doctor who continually made sure Arash was “healthy as a horse” and the action scene in the climax. Both highlight the beauty of Persian community that is so ratel depicted in literature.
My favorite parts were the doctor who continually made sure Arash was “healthy as a horse” and the action scene in the climax. Both highlight the beauty of Persian community that is so ratel depicted in literature.
January 5, 2024
This is a wonderful retelling of a story from Persian mythology.
We meet Arash and his friends and family as he trains to be an archer. We also learn about the legend of Seemorgh, a falcon who is a servant of good. To protect the kingdom, Arash must shoot an arrow to the border. When he learns his father’s secret, he’s confident he can succeed, but first, good must triumph over evil.
This book is a great choice for anyone looking for an adventure, Persian mythology story, and heartwarming tale.
We meet Arash and his friends and family as he trains to be an archer. We also learn about the legend of Seemorgh, a falcon who is a servant of good. To protect the kingdom, Arash must shoot an arrow to the border. When he learns his father’s secret, he’s confident he can succeed, but first, good must triumph over evil.
This book is a great choice for anyone looking for an adventure, Persian mythology story, and heartwarming tale.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews