Witch Daughter

by Tanaz Bhathena

In her adult debut, award-winning author Tanaz Bhathena expertly weaves a tale of love and loss in ancient Persia with her take on the timeless tragedy of Tahmineh, a temptress, a witch, a victim, or, perhaps, a woman trying her hardest to protect her loved ones.

“A beautifully rendered mixture of magic and the Middle Eas."—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A bold love story and a proper journey into a fascinating and exotic world.”—Lauren Kate, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"An aching, timeless, and lush tale that you will have to force yourself to look away from to blink back tears.”—Samantha Sotto Yambao, author of Water Moon
"Rich in detail and mythic in cadence."—Megan Bannen, USA Today bestselling author

Rumors of witchcraft follow Princess Tahmineh like a storm cloud, making it impossible for her to secure herself a marriage or any kind of future. With her father, the king’s, health in question, it becomes shockingly clear how desperate her situation will soon become in his absence. If she doesn’t act now, she will quickly find herself destitute and desperate.
 
Tahmineh seeks out a prophecy, from which she learns she will fall in love with a warrior of great renown named Rostam and bear him a son. However, she is warned this match is a dangerous one for her. Heedless of the warnings, Tahmineh boldly orchestrates a meeting with Rostam and the two develop a close friendship and ultimately fall in love and marry. At the peak of her joy, Tahmineh gives birth to Sohrab, Rostam’s son.
 
All too soon, Tahmineh learns the tragic second part of the prophecy. Father and son will meet as enemies in battle and one will die at the hand of the other. What follows is a mother’s desperate attempt to undo the threads of fate and try to protect her son at all costs.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings, Historical Fiction, Adult, Fiction, Historical

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

Tanaz Bhathena is an award-winning Zoroastrian author of contemporary and fantasy fiction. Her young adult books include Hunted by the Sky, which won the White Pine Award and the Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize, and The Beauty of the Moment, which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Young Adult Fiction. Her acclaimed debut, A Girl Like That, was named a Best Book of the Year by numerous outlets including The Globe and Mail, Seventeen, and The Times of India. Her debut adult fantasy, Witch Daughter, will be published in fall 2026 by Grand Central.


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Reviews

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate because it's based on a real legend from ancient Persia, so maybe this book would have spoken to me more if I had grown up hearing the story. I picked up this book because I haven't seen enough Persian-inspired fantasy. But I found it kind of a slog to get through. I should have known I'm a little burnt out on female rage mythology retellings no matter the culture.

This is a sad book for one thing because the myth is terribly sad, a woman rumored to be a witch whose son and his father are fated to kill each other in battle. The book does its best to focus on Tahmineh, the mother, a woman who was overlooked in the story, and I did find her a sympathetic character, if cold and hard to understand at times. She is a woman who would do anything for her son, but her actions only drive the two closer to the prophecy she is desperate to avoid. I think if this book had focused on Tahmineh as a mother and a woman more I would have found it more compelling, but it spends a lot of time on battles, magic systems and palace intrigue instead.

So I think this author's writing style made this difficult to get through, apart from no hope or happiness for the characters at every turn. There was a lot of infodumping done in a kind of Wikipedia style manner that really didn't work for me. And honestly I didn't want to feel pity for Tahmineh, I thought there could have been more female rage. She was ostracized and cast aside so long, how can she not be more angry?

So sadly this one wasn't for me but it was interesting getting a look into a culture I do not know much about.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a long shared Persian tale - Tahmineh is a princess desperate to secure a marriage for her own safety. In seeking out a prophecy, she learns about her future husband, a great warrior from a neighboring country. She also learns they will have a son. However she is told to be cautious, that this will only end in heartbreak. But she pursues the man and is married. She realizes, too late, that the prophecy of heartbreak is real. As the story unfolds, we see a mother doing everything in her power to save her son.

This was a whirlwind of a story. Once I started reading I had a hard time stopping. I love that the author took an old story about a father and son and instead focused on the woman that put the pieces in motion. I enjoyed the morally ambiguous nature of Tahmineh. The growth we saw with her character was excellent. And the ending was better than I could have expected.
This is an excellent read if you’re looking to expand your reading to include other cultures and backgrounds.

I did struggle understanding the magic system, but that could easily be due to not having a better understanding of Persian myths and folklore.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Tanaz]

Dear reader,

The story of Tahmineh comes from the Shahnameh or the Book of Kings by Ferdowsi—an eleventh-century epic poem about the kings and queens of ancient Iran. Growing up in a Zoroastrian household, I often heard stories and legends from this poem, including the tragic tale of Rostam and Sohrab. When I read the Shahnameh as an adult, however, I was more intrigued by Tahmineh—Rostam’s wife and Sohrab’s mother—the woman without whom their story would have not existed.

This novel is the result of that intrigue.

Much like the Shahnameh, which blurs the lines between history and mythology, Witch Daughter is not meant to be a true representation of any historical period. In the nature of retellings—or rather, reimaginings—it intertwines elements of Persian history and Zoroastrian mythology to offer a different perspective on a much-loved story about the great heroes and heroines of Iranian literature.

I hope you enjoy it.

~Tanaz

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mythology retellings hook me every time, especially when told from the perspective of a character not originally taking center stage. Tanaz Bhathena gave voice to Tahmineh, who saw a heartbreaking prophecy about her husband and son and vowed to do all she could to prevent it from coming true. With incredible world building and desperate stakes, it was so easy to fall into Tahmineh’s life. To feel for her. To see the reasons she made the choices she did. Witch Daughter had me flipping the pages, every part of me tense as I neared the end. Such a beautifully told story, rich with mythology and magic, prophecies and love.

[layan ليان]

this sounds so good omg

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date September 22nd, 2026.

Since I have fond memories of reading Hilari Bell's Farsala books as a kid, I was intrigued by this retelling of the story of Rostam and Sohrab. In Witch Daughter, the princess Tahmineh is aging, reviled by the court due to her demon mother, and about to lose the support of her dying father. Desperate to escape, she begs her mother for a prophecy—but chasing marriage to the hero Rostam will bring her nothing but tragedy.

Witch Daughter is conceptually similar to Patel's Kaikeyi: it takes an epic that hasn't seen many interpretations in American publishing and retells the story from the perspective of an overlooked but thematically central woman, giving a voice to a daughter and wife and mother. However, Bhathena's approach did not do justice to the fundamental tragedy. A good tragedy is clearly avoidable, yet also inevitable due to the character's fundamental flaws. Witch Daughter is a bit too heavy-handed on the avoidable element. Instead of the tragic workings of fate, it feels like watching someone repeatedly step on a series of rakes. From Tahmineh's insistence on two prophecies despite her mother's warnings to her flat refusal to communicate with anyone ever, the story felt like it was propelled by bad decisions.

I've found that many books heavily marketed as feminist fall short of that promise. Real feminism isn't when the main character is a woman. It shows in the treatment of the other women in the cast of characters. And Witch Daughter's women are a lackluster lot: there's the vindictive other women in Rostam's first wife and Tahmineh's stepmother, there's Tahmineh's barely there mother, and there's her maid, who exists solely to slavishly flatter Tahmineh's goodness. The real measure of a book's feminism is how it treats the protagonist's best girl friend and her worst girl enemy, and Witch Daughter did not pass. To be fair, the book is a briskly paced three hundred pages rather than a bloated epic, and flattening the secondary characters is a common side effect of efficient pacing. But Bhathena sticks very closely to the plot of the original myth, and most of the elements she adds make the story less coherent. In my opinion, the purpose of an adaptation is to pick a facet of the original and show it at a new and startling angle, not parade around the familiar old puppets.

The depths of Persian epics have hardly been touched by American publishing, and I'm glad that Bhathena took a shot at it, but the execution fell short. I'd recommend trying Vaishnavi Patel's Kaikeyi instead.

[Deepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Am I a woman,” she asks,“or a haunting?” In a single line Tanaz Bhathena captures how we understand an unwanted powerful woman. It’s a poetic introduction to the rumors that surround Tahmineh as a temptress, conniver, liar, and ultimately—a witch.

Why is she a witch? She is the daughter of a fish spirit reimagined here as a pairika from the underworld. There is deep‑seated distrust for water beings in many mythologies, and doubly so for those tied to the underworld. Although her father is a human king and she lives in his court, she is outcast by the people around her. Their distrust puts her at risk, and that is why she turns to Rostam.

“But I, too, have a duty to my father. I must prove myself worthy as Rostam’s son.”

I love great emotional stakes, and Sohrab embodies so much hurt, youth, and vulnerability. I love that his experiences mirror his parents’ experiences unknowingly. Sohrab rushes into war with only a faint understanding of his strength but not his weaknesses or the consequences of war. There is heartfelt desperation in his plea for Rostam to acknowledge him.

I found Rostam to be utterly compelling despite intentionally not being the focus of this story. He is so much more than his titles as a hero. I see the charm. He is tired of being weaponized and aware of his culpability. Much in his life has occurred without his consent and is shaped by manipulation. I truly believe that his backstory is why it hurts him to be in this position yet again. I thought Sohrab's display of pride and pain reaches Rostam to his core. This humanity in a person who often is treated as might alone is why Rostam is such a great character.

Comps:
The strongest comp I can think of is Vaishnavi Patel’s Goddess of the River. These two books have strong conversations about what it means to defy prescribed roles and to pay the price. Both Bhathena and Patel made deliberate changes to show how bold women are pushed toward isolation and the way that can shape generations.
-
This is an amazing and wonderful addition to Bhathena’s works. Excellent as her first adult novel. I only wish it was a bit longer. I’m so hooked on Rostam in particular. I want to learn more about his past and his father and the wider story of the Shahnameh, Iranian literature, and Zoroastrian mythology.

* I also want to thank Grand Central Publishing, Tanaz Bhathena, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of Witch Daughter in exchange for an honest review. *

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch Daughter immediately called to me, for I am both Persian and Zoroastrian by birth. That said, unlike many of my relatives, I grew up learning very little about the legends. Yes, I have heard of the tale of Rostam and Sohrab, but more in name and passing, than about the tragic ending of their story. As such, I began my read of Witch Daughter with relatively fresh eyes.

Bhathena’s expansion and exploration of the lives of the three characters, centering the novel on Tahmineh’s perspective, allowed for deep reflection on the lengths to which one will go in order to protect a loved one, much less a child. While I did not connect with Tahmineh as much as I expected to (and wanted to), I was struck by the inevitable conclusion of the tale, hoping for hope’s sake that the outcome would change. With that said, I was a bit underwhelmed by the manner in which the novel skimmed over Sohrab and Tahmineh’s fates, for I felt they deserved more attention and respect. So too was the focus of the epilogue an interesting choice, given the fact that the character had merely a blip role in the novel itself. Perhaps this was on purpose, seeing how many novels of a similar time period chose narrators with little to no importance in the action.

The rich imagery and narration, particularly in the scenes with Zari and Bushyasta, was what truly drew me in— that and the ease that Bhathena’s writing style lent to the complexities of the world she created. I found myself wholly ingrossed in the magical elements too, though a bit more interaction with the characters of the realms might have provided a better understanding of the powers each one possessed and their place in the world.

With a relatively quick pace and narrow focus, Witch Daughter felt like it was but one installment in a wider series, one which would explore the different kingdoms, or rather, the different magical beings and how they interact with the mortal world. I hope Bhathena considers penning another novel in this universe, for it is one about which I very much wish to read more.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege to read this ARC!

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adult fantasy, this book is a reimagining of a tale from the Shahnameh, an 11th C epic of the ancient rulers of Iran. It involves recreating the world of Tahmineh, a maligned woman by mixing Persian history and Zoroastrian myth to create a story of love, magic and sacrifice.

Tahmineh, Princess of Samangan, has spent her court life fending off accusations that she is a witch. But with her father dying, Tahmineh is anxious and seeks an ancient prophecy to know to whom she might be married. When it is divined she’s to marry Rostam, the greatest Iranian warrior, Tahmineh feels she will be protected from her evil stepmother, Sussan. However, another prophecy ruins this one. Can Tahmineh change her fate?

The characters in this book all come from thousands of years ago, but it’s Tahmineh’s story to tell. They remain secondary to her. All are flawed (including Tahmineh), making bad choices, acting cruelly and being insane at times. But because the book is written with a depth and sensitivity, they can still elicit a reader’s empathy. The prose is descriptive and lovely - like the description of an old man “his silver beard now the white of spun sugar, his once smooth skin a rough riverbed of lines.” Or “A sunbeam in a storm cloud of dappled grays and chestnuts” in describing Sohrab, Tahmineh’s son. Or for a sense of smell: “The air was sticky, ripe with the scent of sweet dogwood and sour musk.”

Myths whether or not retold all have a warning: beware of changing your fate. In this tale, this holds true but the emphasis is also understanding womanhood, motherhood and sacrifice. As the spirit of Tahmineh says in the Prologue in life she was called: “Temptress. Conniver. Lover. Liar. Now I don’t deny that I am those things. What woman isn’t? For that what man” isn’t. Motherhood is a test of love and sacrifice. Cunning and deception however cannot change one’s fate.

I enjoyed learning of and reading this Zoroastrian and Iranian myth - it’s always a pleasure to step outside your own culture and see that in others include. In this case, the tale has many similarities to fairy tales Western countries have grown up on which is why this is a book for readers who enjoy reading reimagined fairy tales. FYI: Be prepared with tissue on hand for this book’s poignant ending.

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for granting me access to this ARC.

[Alexandra Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

****Many thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****

3.5 Stars but I won't be rounding up for this.

Biggest reason being I NEEDED to know about Timenah's backstory! I wanted to grow up with her, see the love she had for her father with heartwarming moments. The childlike naivety trying to make friends and the slow understanding that no one wants to be friends with a daughter of a witch. The introduction to Sussan. A more in depth understanding of her relationship with Norsir, what moments led to them not being close. I wanted to slowly wade into Timenah learning she has magic, the work she had to put in to be so adept at it.

There was a lot of information missing especially since the story has two very significant time jumps. I wanted to marinate in this time period a little more. It's the first Persian inspired retelling I've read, I wanted to know more! Immerse me into this story, I wanted to smell the almond blossoms, feel the wind whipping my hair as Timenah astral dreams. How Samanagan looked, I thought the descriptions were pretty sparse.

As the book stands now we start Timenah's story when she is 30, but she acts like early twenties. Just certain moments with Binaifer, Sussan and her father where I'm like "wait isn't she in her 30's?" Her tantrum when her mother won't give her the prophecy and slowly descending into Timenah literally taking STRIDES towards making sure the prophecy comes true is almost humorous. At certain moments I was like "HOLD UP" or "GIRL SLOW DOWN"!!

In Kaikeyi I was also at a standstill just like the main character was because the decisions WERE hard to make. In this, the decisions felt surface level like nothing would really have happened if she wasn't so stupid. I could be harsh, but we also didn't backstory on Timenah so am I really?

If you want to read something similar, a compelling story about a woman being misinterpreted I would 100% recommend Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel or Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J.A. Bear.

With a little TLC and putting more attention to details I truly think this could have been a 4-5 star read!

[Chelsea Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch Daughter by Tanaz Bhathena is a compelling and atmospheric novel that blends magic, identity, and resilience into an engaging story. Bhathena crafts a vivid world where the supernatural feels grounded in real emotions, and the main character’s journey is both captivating and relatable.

The writing is immersive, with strong pacing that keeps the story moving while still allowing space for character development. The protagonist’s struggles with power, belonging, and self-acceptance add depth, making her easy to root for. There’s also a rich sense of tension throughout, as the stakes steadily build.

At times, certain plot elements feel familiar within the genre, and a few moments could have been explored more deeply. Even so, the emotional core and the vivid storytelling carry the novel forward in a satisfying way.

Overall, Witch Daughter is an engaging and thoughtful read that earns four stars for its strong atmosphere, character-driven narrative, and magical intrigue.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into Witch Daughter for the mythology and magic and stayed because Tanaz Bhathena had me emotionally invested in a woman desperately trying to outrun a prophecy. I loved reading this story from her perspective and getting to understand this woman who had to make difficult choices to protect those she loved. Her choices are complicated, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rooted in survival and love.

And Sohrab? My heart. His desperation to be acknowledged by his father broke me.

The world-building is gorgeous, the stakes are high, and the story has that rare quality where the emotions stay with you after you've closed the book. Tanaz takes an ancient tragic tale and makes it feel intimate, immediate, and deeply human.

[Erica S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books that look at legends that I am not familiar with and are from different cultures around the world are one of my favorite new subgenres. This one did a great job of bringing you into the world and explaining the culture, time and beliefs of the story. It was a quick read and had a great POV. The only reason this is not five stars is that a lot of the characters beyond the main character felt very one dimensional. The result is that this book feels more like a popcorn book than a work that will stay with you, which is what I look for in five stars. I would still recommend it and think that many could find enjoyment from it.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an early copy the views are my own.

[Morgan Vorwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending me this ARC!

The novel's mythological atmosphere and tragic ending made it one that will stick with me for a while. Tahmineh is a compelling character with many flaws that unfold throughout the book. I really appreciate how Tanaz Bhathena made a woman who was seen as a background character in the original myth the center of the myth. The writing was compelling and made me want to keep learning more, especially about Tahmineh’s reasoning for her decisions to protect her son. Overall, this was a great mythological retelling with a morally complex woman at the center, which is definitely what I want to see more of!

[Kheyra Santos]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Witch Daughter by Tanaz Bhathena in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the magical and emotional journey in Witch Daughter. This story beautifully blends fantasy, family bonds, identity, and the challenges of discovering where you truly belong. I loved the atmospheric world, the strong emotional themes, and the way the characters carried their own struggles and hopes. The story has a thoughtful balance of magic, adventure, and personal growth that kept me invested. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys fantasy with heart, powerful characters, and a touch of enchantment.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witch Daughter by Tanaz Bhathena is a compelling novel that blends magic, character, and perseverance into an engaging story. Tanaz is a woman rumored to be a witch whose son and his father are fated to kill each other in battle. She is a woman who would do anything for her son, but her actions only drive the two closer to the prophecy she is desperate to avoid.

The writing is enveloping, with strong pacing that keeps the story going while still permitting space for character development.

Overall, Witch Daughter is an engaging and thoughtful read for its character-driven and magical intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Jia Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes even knowing the ending is a tragedy, we find ourselves hoping for a different future. This book was so wonderful, the story was so similar to other myths that I found myself fascinated by the culture it came from. I grew up reading Ramayanna, a slightly similar story of a boy destined for greatness/tragedy and a mother trying to protect him from pain. The only reason I didnt give this 5 stars is simple, I wanted more. I wanted more details. This book covers 15 years of time and I wish it had been longer. It was lovely as is, but my heart wants so much more.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully well-woven story of legend and humanity, where having magical gifts doesn’t change the consequences of the choices a person can make. This book did such a good job of immersing me in the perspective of the main characters that I didn’t want to put it down, even when I found myself frustrated by every choice they made. I wondered frequently at their lack of foresight, yet then immediately would be reminded of how well this mirrored a relatable experience and human reactions. I’m looking forward to reader more from the author.

Received as an Advance Reader Copy

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a book where the heart of the story stays with you long after you put it down!

I wasnt sure what to expect when I started reading, but I was quickly immersed in the atmosphere and emotions of our FMC. Shes strong, but also at times delicate. Watching the growth throughout this story was also beautiful to see.

This book of for you if you enjoy mythologies reimagined, magic, adventure, MC growth, and a faster paced character driven story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

[Tanya Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good and I was immediately pulled in. The story flowed really nicely and I really liked the retellings of mythology. It was hard not to love Tahmineh right off the bat. Her story is emotional and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. My only regret is that it took me a while to get to it, because I was missing out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional, captivating, bold fantasy. The female main character Tahmineh makes difficult choices to survive and to protect loved ones. This complex, magical story relates to an 11th century epic poem about the tragic tale of Rostam and Sohrab.

I rated this 4.5⭐ rounded up to 5⭐ here. Fantastic. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Goodreads! I was thrilled to win an advanced reader's edition of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Amy Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch Daughter was such a captivating and tragic tale! I thoroughly enjoyed it and was fascinated by the mythology behind it.

It was effortless to immerse myself in Tahmineh’s life and empathize with her position. This story kept me on the edge of my seat, through to the end.

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley.

[Manuia Heinrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked straight away and found myself rooting for Tahmineh from the start. She’s such a fascinating character — bold, clever, and so determined. She can be scheming, but never in a way that feels despicable. She’s a survivor. This is an epic story that historical fantasy readers won’t want to miss.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly beautiful and devastating read!