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No God but Us
“I can’t remember the last time I was so moved by a book. I am lucky to count this story among my literary kin."" —Aria Aber, author of Good Girl
“A new kind of novel, with vast geographies of nation and heart.” —Sarah Schulman, author of The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity
In this seductive, provocative debut, two gay Afghan men—cast out of their respective countries of birth by circumstances beyond their control—collide in Istanbul, a city that will test their willingness to sacrifice everything for the ones they love.
When Delbar—a hapless twenty-something with dreams of becoming a drag queen—is spectacularly outed, he flees the insular immigrant-dense suburbs of Washington, DC to seek refuge with his sympathetic aunt in Istanbul. There, he discovers a vibrant community of dissidents, sex workers, activists, poets, and heretics. Among them are Leif and his boyfriend, Mansur, with whom Delbar quickly develops a blazing fascination.
But Mansur also nurses a wounded heart, having left his own family, and his first love, behind in Iran. This time, Mansur’s learned not to dream bigger than his own survival. He’ll keep a low profile, work hard to send money back, and remain faithful to Leif—at least until his refugee status is granted.
When riot police descend on attendees of the annual Istanbul Pride march, Mansur and Delbar are thrust into dangerous proximity. With the country surging into authoritarianism, each person must ask what constitutes a life well-lived, and how high is the price of freedom?
Told through the alternating viewpoints of Delbar and Mansur, Bobuq Sayed’s debut is a story of borders and boundaries transgressed, and a deeply engrossing exploration of what it means to make a home at the margins of society. At once an immigrant family saga, a thwarted love story, and a searing portrait of politics made intimately personal, No God but Us is an ambitious introduction to a bold new voice.
“A new kind of novel, with vast geographies of nation and heart.” —Sarah Schulman, author of The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity
In this seductive, provocative debut, two gay Afghan men—cast out of their respective countries of birth by circumstances beyond their control—collide in Istanbul, a city that will test their willingness to sacrifice everything for the ones they love.
When Delbar—a hapless twenty-something with dreams of becoming a drag queen—is spectacularly outed, he flees the insular immigrant-dense suburbs of Washington, DC to seek refuge with his sympathetic aunt in Istanbul. There, he discovers a vibrant community of dissidents, sex workers, activists, poets, and heretics. Among them are Leif and his boyfriend, Mansur, with whom Delbar quickly develops a blazing fascination.
But Mansur also nurses a wounded heart, having left his own family, and his first love, behind in Iran. This time, Mansur’s learned not to dream bigger than his own survival. He’ll keep a low profile, work hard to send money back, and remain faithful to Leif—at least until his refugee status is granted.
When riot police descend on attendees of the annual Istanbul Pride march, Mansur and Delbar are thrust into dangerous proximity. With the country surging into authoritarianism, each person must ask what constitutes a life well-lived, and how high is the price of freedom?
Told through the alternating viewpoints of Delbar and Mansur, Bobuq Sayed’s debut is a story of borders and boundaries transgressed, and a deeply engrossing exploration of what it means to make a home at the margins of society. At once an immigrant family saga, a thwarted love story, and a searing portrait of politics made intimately personal, No God but Us is an ambitious introduction to a bold new voice.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2026
About the author
Bobuq Sayed
6 books29 followersBobuq Sayed is an Afghan cultural worker. They are the author of A Brief History of Australian Terror, a chapbook forthcoming from Common Room Editions in 2024, and the co-editor of Nothing to Hide: Voices From Trans and Gender Diverse Australia(Allen and Unwin).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
February 20, 2026
I’ve never read anything like No God but Us, and there will never be anything quite like it, either. It’s a remarkable book—glittery, shimmering, astonishing.
Two Afghan protagonists, both forced to find new lives for themselves after being outed in excruciating ways, end up in each other’s orbit. Delbar, who dreams of becoming a drag queen and Mansur, who wants to be loved as hard as he has so often loved others. In Istanbul, the two meet when they find refuge in a queer community—activists, artists, poets, all weaving in and out of a company called PeaceMeals, which is run by Mansur’s partner, Leif.
Their connection is immediate, even if the ability to act upon it is not. Absolutely blistering to behold.
In every queer novel that I pick up, what I am hoping to find is the real grittiness of life. That is what the reader lucky enough to read this will find. A story wrapped around love, refuge, immigration and, above all, queerness. It is as lovely as the cover that binds it.
(Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for a review!)
Two Afghan protagonists, both forced to find new lives for themselves after being outed in excruciating ways, end up in each other’s orbit. Delbar, who dreams of becoming a drag queen and Mansur, who wants to be loved as hard as he has so often loved others. In Istanbul, the two meet when they find refuge in a queer community—activists, artists, poets, all weaving in and out of a company called PeaceMeals, which is run by Mansur’s partner, Leif.
Their connection is immediate, even if the ability to act upon it is not. Absolutely blistering to behold.
In every queer novel that I pick up, what I am hoping to find is the real grittiness of life. That is what the reader lucky enough to read this will find. A story wrapped around love, refuge, immigration and, above all, queerness. It is as lovely as the cover that binds it.
(Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for a review!)
Read
June 7, 2026Felt weird Delbar didn’t have a real closing chapter.
June 13, 2026
there is a swathe of queer lit nowadays thats all sparkle and no substance. this book, im happy to say, is not like that. bobuq sayed proves that u can be poetic while still grounded and even have a plot, u guys. i found mansur's story a bit more compelling than delbar's. but i also liked how the book was, like, here are two people who are technically from the same culture, but one grew up in the states and has the passport while the other went through the 'authentic' afghan refugee experience. and how vastly different their thinking, woes and circumstances were. and how stable life is such an illusory thing that most people can afford until they day they can't, and there is nothing they can do about that. good book.
June 18, 2026
much 2 think about
May 25, 2026
Generally good, definitely a lot better than recent “queer lit”
In depth review to come
In depth review to come
June 3, 2026
I don't think I have the words to do this book justice. A beautiful, sexy, poignant novel.
Read
August 1, 2025In a powerful debut, Bobuq Sayed reveals how forces of rejection from state and family meet the alchemy of attraction, desire and belonging. NO GOD BUT US not only expands American literature, but also Muslim, gay male, and migration writing, A new kind of novel, with vast geographies of nation and heart.
June 23, 2026
thanking past kim for picking this up on a whim to drag me by its metaphorical nails out of my reading ravine
she's poignant, sexy, and unapologetically unfiltered.
────୨ৎ────
“A hundred empires have come and tried to fix Afghanistan. A hundred false gods. The Mughals and the British and the Soviets and the Taliban and the Americans. No one will fix our country but us.”
“You think you know your own child, but you are always in pursuit of them, forever one step behind, shuffling an old shoe on a new foot, acting on knowledge recently expired.”
she's poignant, sexy, and unapologetically unfiltered.
────୨ৎ────
“A hundred empires have come and tried to fix Afghanistan. A hundred false gods. The Mughals and the British and the Soviets and the Taliban and the Americans. No one will fix our country but us.”
“You think you know your own child, but you are always in pursuit of them, forever one step behind, shuffling an old shoe on a new foot, acting on knowledge recently expired.”
March 1, 2026
I had to sit with this one for a while - Oh my God, this was one mind blowing piece of material that I read. It resonated partly because my neighbourly familiarity with the culture, but also discovering new things about things.
How do I even go about describing this debut of a novel. In a story where faith, identity, sexuality, politics, and survival or all come together crashing head on with each other. Set in Turkey, against a backdrop of political tensions and struggle to be self, freely, with our protagonists displaced and their backgrounds of being Afghan, there has not been a better time than now for this piece of literature.
This is the story of Mansur and Delbar. Divided by their own journeys, but with the common thread of their cultures, the story deals with how they crossed each other’s parts and how each of them deals with their own struggle. Flicking between the POV of both characters, it was interesting to see how both viewed their own circumstances as well as each other’s and how it compared to their own. The back-and-forth timeline could get a bit confusing, with the writer keeps meshing all the worlds together.
Different things come together, from politics to identity, to self realisation, as the story progresses. Different characters and their journeys to are not placed without any reason. Familial relationships and acceptance, identities, sexuality, faith, and survival all come together sometimes in different proportions and sometimes altogether.
The story is obviously not without sass and humour, to elevate arts. Sayed’s prose is beautiful and masterful, without being forcefully flowery. Their command over characters who are wholly fleshed out, and not likeable sometimes, as well as the politics is the result of their acute observations. And it shows.
As much as one get the white and black person pov, set-in-western-world-queer-stories, it is sooo good and refreshing to see brown rep queer story like this one. And it is not just tokenism to be so, but is just is. And while doing so it is rooted in reality with complex issues and messy people fighting the fight within as much as outside, but does not discount the queer icons that are far different from the western gaze ( i saw that Madhuri reference mentioned). It is much more lived in and it shows.
Do not miss this one
How do I even go about describing this debut of a novel. In a story where faith, identity, sexuality, politics, and survival or all come together crashing head on with each other. Set in Turkey, against a backdrop of political tensions and struggle to be self, freely, with our protagonists displaced and their backgrounds of being Afghan, there has not been a better time than now for this piece of literature.
This is the story of Mansur and Delbar. Divided by their own journeys, but with the common thread of their cultures, the story deals with how they crossed each other’s parts and how each of them deals with their own struggle. Flicking between the POV of both characters, it was interesting to see how both viewed their own circumstances as well as each other’s and how it compared to their own. The back-and-forth timeline could get a bit confusing, with the writer keeps meshing all the worlds together.
Different things come together, from politics to identity, to self realisation, as the story progresses. Different characters and their journeys to are not placed without any reason. Familial relationships and acceptance, identities, sexuality, faith, and survival all come together sometimes in different proportions and sometimes altogether.
The story is obviously not without sass and humour, to elevate arts. Sayed’s prose is beautiful and masterful, without being forcefully flowery. Their command over characters who are wholly fleshed out, and not likeable sometimes, as well as the politics is the result of their acute observations. And it shows.
As much as one get the white and black person pov, set-in-western-world-queer-stories, it is sooo good and refreshing to see brown rep queer story like this one. And it is not just tokenism to be so, but is just is. And while doing so it is rooted in reality with complex issues and messy people fighting the fight within as much as outside, but does not discount the queer icons that are far different from the western gaze ( i saw that Madhuri reference mentioned). It is much more lived in and it shows.
Do not miss this one
June 19, 2026
Such an amazing book, I wish I could experience it again for the first time. Beautiful, flawed, complex cast of characters who stay with you after the story ends. Thought provoking reflection of culture and identity. Captures the unique struggle faced by LGBTQ+ refugees without betraying their autonomy and resilience or reducing them to those in need of saving. The writing is poetic, so many gorgeous quotes. Absolutely loved it
June 11, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/4
February 4, 2026
This novel provides a new and important perspective, that of queerness intersected by forced migration. The way it shows how the uncertainty of migration status impacts the lives of many people and how being who you are could put you in this position is addressed in a powerful way.
I think having to Afghan protagonists and what it implies being queer for this culture, brings a perspective not often seen in queer literature and media.
The timelines were a bit confusing for moments (even though each chapter is dated) and I feel that for moments there were too many chaotic scenes happening and too many secondary characters. But overall it is a great debut novel.
I think having to Afghan protagonists and what it implies being queer for this culture, brings a perspective not often seen in queer literature and media.
The timelines were a bit confusing for moments (even though each chapter is dated) and I feel that for moments there were too many chaotic scenes happening and too many secondary characters. But overall it is a great debut novel.
Want to Read
November 8, 2025just pre-ordered - I heard the author read an excerpt of this at an event in gowanus. The prose was stunning, the character voices were strong, AND it made me laugh! v excited for this debut
Want to Read
February 4, 2026I'm very excited for this and have insanely high expectations
June 18, 2026
I listened to this beautifully written and so convincingly narrated book on Audible.
It’s one of a kind story about refugees, Afghans, queer, uprooted, people living between the cracks of society, rebels, conservatives, sexual explorers, sexually exploited, wounded, healing, struggling, hopeful, different, global… so very global people living lives that resonate with the lives of any other human being, yet lack something so many take for granted. Privilege.
At its core it’s a story about what it means to lack the fundamental privileges granted to the many lucky ones through the lottery of citizenship and ancestry.
It’s about how it’s possible to still live a fulfilling and meaningful life, but also what it ultimately means to never be anything else than a second rate citizen.
Never be the one, who’s automatically entitled or has an assumed right. Is assumed to be right. Always at danger.
It’s also an amazingly powerful portrayal of flourishing queer identities in a place that surprisingly seems to be more tolerant or permissive than what I would have expected.
Türkiye (as it’s spelled today) grants our two protagonists much more freedom for self expression than either got in their previous lives in America and Iran. It offers a whirlpool of cultural and human influences mixing in and out of each other.
In some ways, I felt teleported back to Orham Pamuk’s Istanbul, magical and lyrical. Mix of old and new. West and East.
But it’s definitely not Pamuk. While he’s deftly metaphysical, Sayed is unapologetically grounded in the corporeal physicality of things real.
The book is dense with reality. Beautiful reality. Hurtful reality. Ugly reality. Sweaty reality. Dicks in every hole reality. Unsentimental reality. Reality than doesn’t waits for you or anyone else.
At times I almost screamed with joy when listening to the powerful and original prose. But I also felt despair or detachment. It’s not a uniformly generous book, even though the language keeps giving. It portrays a sliver of reality I’ve never met before. It’s transformative but at times also quite depressing.
I wasn’t enamored with the ending… but ultimately it’s pretty fitting to the core principles the narrative is following.
Can’t recommend it enough if you’re a reader who reads in order to truly expand your horizons.
If you desire a satisfying ending, or hope to be enthralled by an ever-growing poetic plot a-la Pamuk, then it’s probably not for you.
Don’t expect that you’ll be transported somewhere wonderful. The train will leave you at the platform, without anything resembling catharsis.
It’s one of a kind story about refugees, Afghans, queer, uprooted, people living between the cracks of society, rebels, conservatives, sexual explorers, sexually exploited, wounded, healing, struggling, hopeful, different, global… so very global people living lives that resonate with the lives of any other human being, yet lack something so many take for granted. Privilege.
At its core it’s a story about what it means to lack the fundamental privileges granted to the many lucky ones through the lottery of citizenship and ancestry.
It’s about how it’s possible to still live a fulfilling and meaningful life, but also what it ultimately means to never be anything else than a second rate citizen.
Never be the one, who’s automatically entitled or has an assumed right. Is assumed to be right. Always at danger.
It’s also an amazingly powerful portrayal of flourishing queer identities in a place that surprisingly seems to be more tolerant or permissive than what I would have expected.
Türkiye (as it’s spelled today) grants our two protagonists much more freedom for self expression than either got in their previous lives in America and Iran. It offers a whirlpool of cultural and human influences mixing in and out of each other.
In some ways, I felt teleported back to Orham Pamuk’s Istanbul, magical and lyrical. Mix of old and new. West and East.
But it’s definitely not Pamuk. While he’s deftly metaphysical, Sayed is unapologetically grounded in the corporeal physicality of things real.
The book is dense with reality. Beautiful reality. Hurtful reality. Ugly reality. Sweaty reality. Dicks in every hole reality. Unsentimental reality. Reality than doesn’t waits for you or anyone else.
At times I almost screamed with joy when listening to the powerful and original prose. But I also felt despair or detachment. It’s not a uniformly generous book, even though the language keeps giving. It portrays a sliver of reality I’ve never met before. It’s transformative but at times also quite depressing.
I wasn’t enamored with the ending… but ultimately it’s pretty fitting to the core principles the narrative is following.
Can’t recommend it enough if you’re a reader who reads in order to truly expand your horizons.
If you desire a satisfying ending, or hope to be enthralled by an ever-growing poetic plot a-la Pamuk, then it’s probably not for you.
Don’t expect that you’ll be transported somewhere wonderful. The train will leave you at the platform, without anything resembling catharsis.
June 18, 2026
this reads like a mash-up between khaled hosseini and joyland (2022). there’s nuance, obviously, as joyland is palestinian and this book is much more queer than hosseini’s works, but the feelings evoked in these works all feel connected.
on the one hand, this book was fantastic. in terms of writing style and tone and characters and prose, it’s a knock-out. incredible world-building that makes you feel like you’re in it and you’re feeling it and you are right there with the characters.
on the other hand, i feel like it didn’t quite stick the landing plotwise. i see where the author was trying to go, but i felt like it could have been much longer and much more…intimate? for all the mess that happens (and it’s a lot!!!!!), somehow it felt like everything concluded much too cleanly. there was no big emotional climax, it felt like it was building and building and then we stepped right over it. i get a more vague conclusion, i get the no-happy-endings tragedy thing, but i guess i just wanted this to lean more into itself by the end. so much of this book is loud and in your face, and then when i wanted it to be SCREAMING AT ME it just kind of fizzled out into nothing.
i like the subtleties of the closing chapter, how we do get some closure in a roundabout way, but man i wish things had been explored differently in that last quarter of the story. and i wish delbar had a little more closure than he got too. although again, maybe that’s the point.
on the one hand, this book was fantastic. in terms of writing style and tone and characters and prose, it’s a knock-out. incredible world-building that makes you feel like you’re in it and you’re feeling it and you are right there with the characters.
on the other hand, i feel like it didn’t quite stick the landing plotwise. i see where the author was trying to go, but i felt like it could have been much longer and much more…intimate? for all the mess that happens (and it’s a lot!!!!!), somehow it felt like everything concluded much too cleanly. there was no big emotional climax, it felt like it was building and building and then we stepped right over it. i get a more vague conclusion, i get the no-happy-endings tragedy thing, but i guess i just wanted this to lean more into itself by the end. so much of this book is loud and in your face, and then when i wanted it to be SCREAMING AT ME it just kind of fizzled out into nothing.
i like the subtleties of the closing chapter, how we do get some closure in a roundabout way, but man i wish things had been explored differently in that last quarter of the story. and i wish delbar had a little more closure than he got too. although again, maybe that’s the point.
June 22, 2026
5 🌟
Definitely found another top five book of 2026!
This story had many aspects of my favorite novels. Exploring queerness, culture and historical storytelling, and a riveting plot.
The plot surrounds two queer characters that are vastly different which made my expectations spin when I understood early on that this was not a romance..
This story talks about refugees, asylum, political tensions but under the queer lens and elevating their experiences.
I came to find the dual perspectives imperative to the story and reveals so much about western queer identity.
I was surprised by how fleshed out the side characters felt. I had no problem forgetting about them but rather constantly thought how they interacted with the main characters.
The dynamics were riveting and I would definitely love to read from this author again.
#love and a comp rec would be my Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel
Definitely found another top five book of 2026!
This story had many aspects of my favorite novels. Exploring queerness, culture and historical storytelling, and a riveting plot.
The plot surrounds two queer characters that are vastly different which made my expectations spin when I understood early on that this was not a romance..
This story talks about refugees, asylum, political tensions but under the queer lens and elevating their experiences.
I came to find the dual perspectives imperative to the story and reveals so much about western queer identity.
I was surprised by how fleshed out the side characters felt. I had no problem forgetting about them but rather constantly thought how they interacted with the main characters.
The dynamics were riveting and I would definitely love to read from this author again.
#love and a comp rec would be my Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel
June 20, 2026
No Gods but Us tells the stories of two gay Afghan men, Delbar and Mansur, who have been outed and shunned from their respective homes, albeit in different ways. They are both forced to relocate to Istanbul, hoping to find relative safety and community. Amid a cast of diverse characters, all with their own individual stories and struggles, Delbar and Mansur navigate uncertainty, queerphobia, and complicated love.
While grappling with their separate predicaments, they meet at PeaceMeals, a weekly dinner organized for queer refugees. Despite developing an instant attraction to one another, their distinct circumstances and future plans complicate the possibility of connection.
This book reminded me of another incredible five-star read, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Both dual POV books deal with heavy themes, heart-wrenching drama, and characters that you cannot help but become emotionally invested in. If you enjoyed that or anything that Gyasi has written, you will like this! No Gods but Us would also be great for folks wanting an emotional read with dysfunctional families, overcoming generational trauma, pertinent social issues, and the search for a true sense of belonging. I highly recommend this book and can see it become a popular read in the genre. I am shocked that this is Sayed's debut and look forward to whatever they write next.
While grappling with their separate predicaments, they meet at PeaceMeals, a weekly dinner organized for queer refugees. Despite developing an instant attraction to one another, their distinct circumstances and future plans complicate the possibility of connection.
This book reminded me of another incredible five-star read, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Both dual POV books deal with heavy themes, heart-wrenching drama, and characters that you cannot help but become emotionally invested in. If you enjoyed that or anything that Gyasi has written, you will like this! No Gods but Us would also be great for folks wanting an emotional read with dysfunctional families, overcoming generational trauma, pertinent social issues, and the search for a true sense of belonging. I highly recommend this book and can see it become a popular read in the genre. I am shocked that this is Sayed's debut and look forward to whatever they write next.
June 3, 2026
“Who was there to answer to?” This is the question posed by one of two narrators in Bobuq Sayed’s novel No God But Us (Ultimo, 2026). It is a question also suggested by the novel’s humanist title and Sayed’s dedication “to the transgressors of borders”. In their first full-length fiction, Sayed dreams of a world where the borders are, if not erased, at least made more permeable, and we are no longer answerable to the enforcers of those arbitrary lines.
Read the full review on Lantana.
Read the full review on Lantana.
June 25, 2026
very solid debut and a novel that made me feel seen for many reasons. however, I do find some of it underdeveloped, specifically delbar as an entire character (his gender identity being glaringly glossed over). I also feel like plot events happen at a dizzying pace without enough time spent on the characters internal thoughts/reactions to it. but the prose is generally very lovely, and mansur is really a wonderfully realized character. can’t wait to read more from this author.
June 1, 2026
This book was high on my TBR and after being able snag a digital copy on Libby right after its release I quickly read it in two sittings. This will be a book I think about for a long time and likely in my top books of the year.
June 21, 2026
A nuanced book brimming with the queer voices of refugees and asylum-seekers, as well as those shunned. With beautiful prose and intense exploration of power dynamics within families and relationships and friends, I was drawn by this book — however, I was not satisfied by the end. Where was Delbar’s closing chapter? It felt a little rushed, I think.
June 24, 2026
3.8 rounded up.
It was eye-opening to receive and understand the perspective of queer refugees and the disparities faced throughout their journeys. Overall, it was a solid book. There are some beautiful sections while in other parts of the book I'm lost and I struggled to follow the story.
Flowers to Bobuq Sayed for building the story.
It was eye-opening to receive and understand the perspective of queer refugees and the disparities faced throughout their journeys. Overall, it was a solid book. There are some beautiful sections while in other parts of the book I'm lost and I struggled to follow the story.
Flowers to Bobuq Sayed for building the story.
June 30, 2026
“You don't ask permission to belong to your home. [...] Delbarem, a hundred empires have come and tried to fix Afghanistan. A hundred false gods. The Mughals and the British and the Soviets and the Taliban and the Americans. No one will fix our country but us.”
June 22, 2026
Oh this is a good one. See you at BOOKCLUB
May 25, 2026
Hm. I’m not sure about that ending. Whose book club is discussing this and can I join?
I was invested in the characters, but god they were making terrible choices, and I’m not sure I even liked most of them. They made it increasingly difficult to root for them.
I think I need to sit on this one.
I was invested in the characters, but god they were making terrible choices, and I’m not sure I even liked most of them. They made it increasingly difficult to root for them.
I think I need to sit on this one.
June 5, 2026
Sorprendente debut de Bobuq Sayed. Historia que ha brotado en mí el interés por conocer más sobre los derechos LGTBIQ, y la lucha LGTBIQ en los países árabes y en Turquía.
La historia está contada desde dos perspectivas: la de Delbar, que sueña con convertirse en drag queen, quien trata de huir del barrio donde vive, superpoblado, en Nueva York y busca refugio en casa de su tía. Y, por otra parte, Mansur, quien tiene una relación con Leif, y con quien Delbar conecta y siente fascinación. Ambos arrastran dolor. Mansur, abandonó a su familia y a su pareja en Irán.
Me ha fascinado la historia, la forma de hablar de lo difícil que es para las personas LGTBIQ sobrevivir en medio del caos. Mansur, originario de Afganistán, describe en sus capítulos, su lucha por sobrevivir en un momento en que los derechos LGTBIQ son negados, en un momento en que su país está inmerso en constantes guerras. En sus capítulos reflexiona sobre qué ha llevado a Afganistán a la destrucción. Es fascinante, cómo explica qué no se debe sólo a la intervención americana, también al radicalismo religioso de los talibanes, también la corrupción imperante que ha dominado la política afgana. Pero, sobre todo, duele esa reflexión sobre lo difícil que es ser homosexual allí. Él sólo quiere poder ser quién en verdad quiere ser y no tener que sobrevivir, escondiéndose en un bajo perfil, para no llamar la atención y poder escapar.
Un aspecto interesante que esta novela es como los dos protagonistas se encuentran justo en un momento en Turquía, justo cuando el caos y justo cuando se produce la insurrección kurda en Turquía. En medio de ese caos, en medio de la violencia, ambos sueñan con escapar de ahí. Una de los aspectos que más resalta la novela es el trato de la policía y de todos aquellos que conocen la verdadera identidad sexual de los protagonistas. Y el miedo de ellos a que les incluyan delitos, que impida que puedan escapar del caos de Turquía.
Me pareció terriblemente doloroso que el gran sueño de Munsar fuera poder ir libremente cogido de la mano de su pareja, algo que conoce sucede en Alemania, sin que ese hecho pudiera ponerle en peligro. Eso me hizo reflexionar sobre cómo algo que para nosotros es algo normal, para ellos, el colectivo LGTBIQ, no lo es.
Una novela que, además, pone el foco en el papel de las ONGS, que ayudan a los inmigrantes, y en el papel de gobierno y policía, y sociedad, que los mira como si ese colectivo LGTBIQ fueran personas de segunda categoría. Una novela necesaria, entretenida y emocionante.
La historia está contada desde dos perspectivas: la de Delbar, que sueña con convertirse en drag queen, quien trata de huir del barrio donde vive, superpoblado, en Nueva York y busca refugio en casa de su tía. Y, por otra parte, Mansur, quien tiene una relación con Leif, y con quien Delbar conecta y siente fascinación. Ambos arrastran dolor. Mansur, abandonó a su familia y a su pareja en Irán.
Me ha fascinado la historia, la forma de hablar de lo difícil que es para las personas LGTBIQ sobrevivir en medio del caos. Mansur, originario de Afganistán, describe en sus capítulos, su lucha por sobrevivir en un momento en que los derechos LGTBIQ son negados, en un momento en que su país está inmerso en constantes guerras. En sus capítulos reflexiona sobre qué ha llevado a Afganistán a la destrucción. Es fascinante, cómo explica qué no se debe sólo a la intervención americana, también al radicalismo religioso de los talibanes, también la corrupción imperante que ha dominado la política afgana. Pero, sobre todo, duele esa reflexión sobre lo difícil que es ser homosexual allí. Él sólo quiere poder ser quién en verdad quiere ser y no tener que sobrevivir, escondiéndose en un bajo perfil, para no llamar la atención y poder escapar.
Un aspecto interesante que esta novela es como los dos protagonistas se encuentran justo en un momento en Turquía, justo cuando el caos y justo cuando se produce la insurrección kurda en Turquía. En medio de ese caos, en medio de la violencia, ambos sueñan con escapar de ahí. Una de los aspectos que más resalta la novela es el trato de la policía y de todos aquellos que conocen la verdadera identidad sexual de los protagonistas. Y el miedo de ellos a que les incluyan delitos, que impida que puedan escapar del caos de Turquía.
Me pareció terriblemente doloroso que el gran sueño de Munsar fuera poder ir libremente cogido de la mano de su pareja, algo que conoce sucede en Alemania, sin que ese hecho pudiera ponerle en peligro. Eso me hizo reflexionar sobre cómo algo que para nosotros es algo normal, para ellos, el colectivo LGTBIQ, no lo es.
Una novela que, además, pone el foco en el papel de las ONGS, que ayudan a los inmigrantes, y en el papel de gobierno y policía, y sociedad, que los mira como si ese colectivo LGTBIQ fueran personas de segunda categoría. Una novela necesaria, entretenida y emocionante.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thank you to Harper for the gifted ARC of No God but Us by Bobuq Sayed.
I don’t even know how to explain this without sounding dramatic, but this book felt alive. Messy, intense, emotional, and honestly kind of overwhelming in the best way. It’s one of those stories where everything collides at once, identity, love, survival, politics, and somehow it all still feels deeply personal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
Delbar and Mansur are both carrying so much, and watching their lives intersect in Istanbul felt electric. There’s this constant tension between wanting love and needing to survive, and it never really lets up. Their connection is complicated, not clean or easy, which made it feel way more real.
What really stood out to me is how layered this is. It’s not just a queer love story. It’s about displacement, culture, faith, belonging, and what it actually costs to live as yourself when the world is pushing back. And the setting?? Istanbul felt vibrant and chaotic and a little dangerous, like anything could happen at any moment.
The writing itself is beautiful without trying too hard. There are moments that hit so hard emotionally, and then others that feel almost disorienting, like you’re trying to keep up with everything happening all at once.
What I Loved
• The raw, unfiltered portrayal of queer life intersecting with migration and identity
• Delbar and Mansur, both complex and sometimes messy in a very human way
• The setting of Istanbul, vivid, political, and alive
• The emotional intensity, it really doesn’t hold back
• The representation, especially queer Afghan voices that we don’t see enough
What Didn’t Work for Me
• The timeline shifts could get a little confusing at times
• Some scenes felt chaotic with a lot of characters and movement
• It can feel emotionally heavy and overwhelming in places
• Not always an easy read, you have to stay really present with it
Overall, this is such a bold and impactful debut. It’s not neat or simple, but that’s kind of what makes it work. If you want something emotional, political, and deeply human, this one absolutely delivers.
I don’t even know how to explain this without sounding dramatic, but this book felt alive. Messy, intense, emotional, and honestly kind of overwhelming in the best way. It’s one of those stories where everything collides at once, identity, love, survival, politics, and somehow it all still feels deeply personal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
Delbar and Mansur are both carrying so much, and watching their lives intersect in Istanbul felt electric. There’s this constant tension between wanting love and needing to survive, and it never really lets up. Their connection is complicated, not clean or easy, which made it feel way more real.
What really stood out to me is how layered this is. It’s not just a queer love story. It’s about displacement, culture, faith, belonging, and what it actually costs to live as yourself when the world is pushing back. And the setting?? Istanbul felt vibrant and chaotic and a little dangerous, like anything could happen at any moment.
The writing itself is beautiful without trying too hard. There are moments that hit so hard emotionally, and then others that feel almost disorienting, like you’re trying to keep up with everything happening all at once.
What I Loved
• The raw, unfiltered portrayal of queer life intersecting with migration and identity
• Delbar and Mansur, both complex and sometimes messy in a very human way
• The setting of Istanbul, vivid, political, and alive
• The emotional intensity, it really doesn’t hold back
• The representation, especially queer Afghan voices that we don’t see enough
What Didn’t Work for Me
• The timeline shifts could get a little confusing at times
• Some scenes felt chaotic with a lot of characters and movement
• It can feel emotionally heavy and overwhelming in places
• Not always an easy read, you have to stay really present with it
Overall, this is such a bold and impactful debut. It’s not neat or simple, but that’s kind of what makes it work. If you want something emotional, political, and deeply human, this one absolutely delivers.
June 30, 2026
I think it was a great book because it left me conflicted. It’s such a complex story, with very different characters in every aspect of their lives, it just sometimes felt like I was taking someone’s side and then I thought “but why am I taking sides?” I think you can connect with all of the characters in the story at least once.
I feel like Delbar, Mansur, Leif and Anahita perfectly encapsulate the idea of minorities having to look a certain way or act a certain way to exist. The idea that all queer people are the same. And in trying to be the same, in seeing each other through their own lenses they ended up being the ones that criticize the other the most, they created a divide between each other, and I feel like that divide finally comes to fruition at the ending when they all go different ways.
They all judged each other for not being exactly like they were. They felt like their own way of going about life was the correct one (because it allowed them to survive) so when the others did something they wouldn’t it was wrong, they would judge their decision, their emotions, etc… i fell like Mansur particularly did this a lot.
I also think the author does a wonderful job at showing how their different circumstances and experiences shaped them, no one is necessarily right or wrong, they just have different opinions and make different choices based on their past experiences and circumstances.
Anahita’s story is hearth breaking.
Delbar’s story felt a little unfinished, I didn’t really love that the last thing we learn from him is a little sentence from Mansur, who actually is talking more about Quandul.
I have so much to say about every character if I am being honest, but it would take a while… anyway i really liked the book!
Some quotes:
“There’s a difference between a government and its people,”
“I had no models of true love, queer or not. And yet there had to be something better to strive for than abuses of power masquerading as the real deal.”
“Our world is full of bad people. It’s designed to punish you for acting out, and for being so open about it”.
“What grace is left that hasn’t yet been sacrificed?”
I feel like Delbar, Mansur, Leif and Anahita perfectly encapsulate the idea of minorities having to look a certain way or act a certain way to exist. The idea that all queer people are the same. And in trying to be the same, in seeing each other through their own lenses they ended up being the ones that criticize the other the most, they created a divide between each other, and I feel like that divide finally comes to fruition at the ending when they all go different ways.
They all judged each other for not being exactly like they were. They felt like their own way of going about life was the correct one (because it allowed them to survive) so when the others did something they wouldn’t it was wrong, they would judge their decision, their emotions, etc… i fell like Mansur particularly did this a lot.
I also think the author does a wonderful job at showing how their different circumstances and experiences shaped them, no one is necessarily right or wrong, they just have different opinions and make different choices based on their past experiences and circumstances.
Anahita’s story is hearth breaking.
Delbar’s story felt a little unfinished, I didn’t really love that the last thing we learn from him is a little sentence from Mansur, who actually is talking more about Quandul.
I have so much to say about every character if I am being honest, but it would take a while… anyway i really liked the book!
Some quotes:
“There’s a difference between a government and its people,”
“I had no models of true love, queer or not. And yet there had to be something better to strive for than abuses of power masquerading as the real deal.”
“Our world is full of bad people. It’s designed to punish you for acting out, and for being so open about it”.
“What grace is left that hasn’t yet been sacrificed?”
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