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No God but Us
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26“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
Expected publication May 26, 2026
About the author
Bobuq Sayed
6 books17 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 - 15 of 15 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!)
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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.
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
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
February 4, 2026I'm very excited for this and have insanely high expectations
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
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Incredible. Moving. Tense. Heartbreaking. Inspiring.
This was an incredibly powerful story about authenticity and love and growth and how those all can be so conflicting when it comes to your heritage, family and country. I just fell immediately in love with both of our main characters and their lives and experiences as queer men who are trying to just live their life on their terms.
I had some confusion around the timelines in the first half. But it didn't detract from the story too much for me. The kind of ill-fated, unrequited love mixed with the political, societal and cultural impact of being a refugee was really well done. Just a beautifully written story.
I alternated between the audiobook and the physical copy and I really loved both! Both narrators for Delbar and Mansur were perfectly casted. Mansur is a little more moody and has a deeper voice which I think really fits with his character while Delbar is a little more whimsical.
Rounded up to 5 for Goodreads - 4.5 Stars
This was an incredibly powerful story about authenticity and love and growth and how those all can be so conflicting when it comes to your heritage, family and country. I just fell immediately in love with both of our main characters and their lives and experiences as queer men who are trying to just live their life on their terms.
I had some confusion around the timelines in the first half. But it didn't detract from the story too much for me. The kind of ill-fated, unrequited love mixed with the political, societal and cultural impact of being a refugee was really well done. Just a beautifully written story.
I alternated between the audiobook and the physical copy and I really loved both! Both narrators for Delbar and Mansur were perfectly casted. Mansur is a little more moody and has a deeper voice which I think really fits with his character while Delbar is a little more whimsical.
Rounded up to 5 for Goodreads - 4.5 Stars
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
“There was so much left here to be redeemed, to fight for, to win.”
Thank you to Harper Books for the ARC and Libro.fm for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!
This is such a fascinating story that manages to explore identity, sexuality, familial trauma, acceptance, and faith through the lens of two queer Afghan characters. The backdrop provides political and personal struggles that these characters need to navigate, creating an immersive, engaging story.
It’s told in the alternating perspectives of Delbar and Mansur. They’re both on their own journeys and they eventually cross paths. Their circumstances are different and it’s interesting to see how they view their own journeys. I appreciated how complex and messy they could be, and it makes them feel so grounded in reality. The representation is outstanding, and the writing is truly beautiful. It paints this incredibly vivid picture of Istanbul, making it feel almost like a character.
The audio is narrated by Shawn K. Jain and Nas Mehdi who both do an amazing job. They channel the emotion and humor that the story requires, making it a beautiful listen. I did have a bit of trouble with the timeline and some chaotic moments, but. Even still, this is a great story and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Harper Books for the ARC and Libro.fm for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!
This is such a fascinating story that manages to explore identity, sexuality, familial trauma, acceptance, and faith through the lens of two queer Afghan characters. The backdrop provides political and personal struggles that these characters need to navigate, creating an immersive, engaging story.
It’s told in the alternating perspectives of Delbar and Mansur. They’re both on their own journeys and they eventually cross paths. Their circumstances are different and it’s interesting to see how they view their own journeys. I appreciated how complex and messy they could be, and it makes them feel so grounded in reality. The representation is outstanding, and the writing is truly beautiful. It paints this incredibly vivid picture of Istanbul, making it feel almost like a character.
The audio is narrated by Shawn K. Jain and Nas Mehdi who both do an amazing job. They channel the emotion and humor that the story requires, making it a beautiful listen. I did have a bit of trouble with the timeline and some chaotic moments, but. Even still, this is a great story and I really enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Bobuq Sayed has written something truly extraordinary here. No God But Us is a beautifully written debut that had me completely engaged from the very first page. It is a raw and heartfelt exploration of displacement, identity, and the search for home.
What struck me most was the window into a community I previously knew very little about. Sayed offers a searingly intimate look at the lives of queer Afghan men and how their culture, faith, and the reality of exile impact their ability to love and survive. Seeing the way their lives are shaped by these overlapping pressures felt both vital and deeply personal.
This is a wholly original and well-told story that doesn't shy away from the complexities of its characters. It's a "must-read" for anyone who loves stories that expand their understanding of the world while delivering a profound emotional punch.
What struck me most was the window into a community I previously knew very little about. Sayed offers a searingly intimate look at the lives of queer Afghan men and how their culture, faith, and the reality of exile impact their ability to love and survive. Seeing the way their lives are shaped by these overlapping pressures felt both vital and deeply personal.
This is a wholly original and well-told story that doesn't shy away from the complexities of its characters. It's a "must-read" for anyone who loves stories that expand their understanding of the world while delivering a profound emotional punch.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book explored the intersections between belonging, queerness, and nationality in a beautiful yet heartbreaking way. Both our main characters have their own journey, and I loved the way that Istanbul acted as a meeting place for each characters - one that's presented as turbulent and in many ways not a safe haven, but still a place in which found family and belonging can be achieved. There's so many layers to this book, and I think it's really important in terms of adding to representation of queer stories in literature.
Review of advance copy
Excellent book!!!
Want to Read
February 18, 2026i love a debut
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bobuq is so incredibly talented and this writing is as gorgeous as it is moving. It’s also genuinely very funny, you’ll enjoy the hell out of this book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews