I was amazed to discover that nearly everything in 300 hundred was a lie, that Spartan military supremacy was a myth, that theirs was a horrendously cruel slave state, that Persians were actually more Democratic and egalitarian and free in many key ways, and so on. I feel this need to hear a coherent counter-narrative. Any recommendations?
There is very little in the way of Persian sources, and nothing that a coherent narrative can be constructed out of. Due to a limited number of sources and administrative records, the degree to which it is possible to understand the Achaemenid Empire is very limited.
They were absolutely not democratic, though - in principle, that is, ideologically speaking, the Great King was not just a powerful monarch, but an absolute theocrat governing with perfect justice. I have written a bit on this here.
I've also written a bit on Persian governance and taxation here.
Also, in case any other answers interest you, my wiki profile page is here.
For the matter of the invasion of Greece I defer to /u/Iphikrates as linked by /u/seekunrustlement .
I caught the AskHistorians Podcast ep 116 a few months ago that might have what your looking for. Not specifically a Persian view but a more balanced one.
https://soundcloud.com/user679855208/askhistorians-podcast-116
From user /u/iphikrates