Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

75 reviews

popsicleplease's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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ko_rax's review

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adventurous funny informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi takes readers on a journey to accompany the retired pirate and mother Amina al-Sirafi, who is brought back into life led aboard on the Arabian Sea, contracted to hunt down a client's granddaughter gone missing. Fantastical elements like the appearance of wondrous monsters, higher beings, as well as lots of swashbuckling will await readers as Amina al-Sirafi uncovers mystery by mystery, realising soon the scope of her mission to be beyond her expectations.

Where should I start? I loved it!
I like the setting, as well as the lovely cast, and appreciate how Chakraborty does a wonderful job at illustrating the influence of age in a setting that usually calls for a young, independent hero(ine). Amina is witty, and her hilarious remarks made me laugh out loud not only once! I also adore the dynamic between Amina and

Dalila, Tinbu and Majed

. Dare I say I was pleasantly surprised to find

queer

representation, written in a way that

the queer person's only character trait is NOT their queerness

?
The author Chakraborty is also quite nerdy and provides a list of reading recommendations to further delve into the origins of this novel's setting. Highly appreciated!

That being said, the first half of the novel is slower than the second half, and that may be an issue to those used to fast-paced adventure literature. For me, I found the story reasonably paced, and I loved every bit. I ended up reading more and more with every session, and did not put the novel away towards the end, reading over 200 pages in one go.

On another note, be careful if you struggle with

gore, profanity, violence and death

. These themes/triggers have a major appearance in this novel.

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imds's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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ebethanders's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Content Warnings

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was a delight to read. I enjoy reading mythology and legends from cultures other than my own, and this story provided all of that and more. the characters felt so well defined and detailed. the writers voice in this story was so distinct and powerful. it really felt like being in Amina’s head in her travels.

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persephonefoxx's review

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

To be a woman is to have your story misremembered. Discarded. Twisted.

There is something about the characters in this book that is almost addictive. With every new character introduced, I found myself more enraptured. Their personalities, their banter, their unique traits and intricacies.

Truly a masterclass in character building.

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tacochelle's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A little long, and the villain is very obvious, almost cartoonishly villainous. But none of that stopped me from enjoying the story. It's an exciting pirate adventure set in an alternate universe from ours, where the history is slightly different, and magic does exist. I got attached to the main crew fast, and by the latter half of the book, I could not put it down, I just had to finish it in that sitting and know what happens to them.

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