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fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I wanted to love it, I really did. I think I gave every book in the Daevabad trilogy a minimum of 4 stars. This one just didn't work for me.
I think part of that was the marketing? I remember seeing so much about it being a pirate book, a seafaring adventure. I felt like we really didn't get that until about... well past halfway. The beginning of the book is incredibly slow. I still don't understand the point of the opening scene to the story, and the first half is basically picking up their crew around different areas and gathering information. There are moments of adventure or these events that happen - but they didn't pull me in or have me stressed for the characters.
I think that was the big thing for me. I didn't feel like the characters were well developed and I think that was due to the format of the storytelling. Since it's Amina telling her story to a scribe, I feel like we never actually get to truly know her character. And the random interjections where she replies to the scribe - who remains off page through the main story - completely pulled me out of the story with a jarring effect.
Everything is tell, not show. Which is evident by the very many long descriptions. So. Many. Descriptions. Don't get me wrong, I love details. But I found myself skimming because I truly didn't care about all of the tiny details in this random library that had nothing to do with the story. Anyways, I did like the side characters, but even they felt underdeveloped.
I will say that there were some unique elements and Chakraborty does have good writing. The ending was also done really well - it was great to have a character from the Daevabad world show up, and the reveal at the end was well done! I'm glad I didn't DNF it, but I'm still not sure if I'd continue with the series.
I think part of that was the marketing? I remember seeing so much about it being a pirate book, a seafaring adventure. I felt like we really didn't get that until about... well past halfway. The beginning of the book is incredibly slow. I still don't understand the point of the opening scene to the story, and the first half is basically picking up their crew around different areas and gathering information. There are moments of adventure or these events that happen - but they didn't pull me in or have me stressed for the characters.
I think that was the big thing for me. I didn't feel like the characters were well developed and I think that was due to the format of the storytelling. Since it's Amina telling her story to a scribe, I feel like we never actually get to truly know her character. And the random interjections where she replies to the scribe - who remains off page through the main story - completely pulled me out of the story with a jarring effect.
Everything is tell, not show. Which is evident by the very many long descriptions. So. Many. Descriptions. Don't get me wrong, I love details. But I found myself skimming because I truly didn't care about all of the tiny details in this random library that had nothing to do with the story. Anyways, I did like the side characters, but even they felt underdeveloped.
I will say that there were some unique elements and Chakraborty does have good writing. The ending was also done really well - it was great to have a character from the Daevabad world show up, and the reveal at the end was well done! I'm glad I didn't DNF it, but I'm still not sure if I'd continue with the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Abandonment, and War
itisnatal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Sexual violence and Slavery
korpney's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Racism and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual content
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
honeyvee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment
victoriousbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Torture, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Colonisation and War
franzis_buecher's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book! After a bit of a slow start, it really picked up and I loved following Amina on her adventures with lots of twists and turns.
There are heists, seafaring adventures, magical artefacts and creatures, battle scenes, and more, and depending on the situation, the mood shifts between funny, thrilling, emotional and even spooky (there were a few scenes on Socotra that had such a creepy atmosphere omg)
Also love how diverse the cast of supporting characters are when it comes to ethnicity, religion, sexuality and gender identity. (That one twist with one particular character made me circle back to the beginning and see everything in a completely new light, I thought it was very well done)
I also loveRaksh even though he's objectively a bad person/entity, but every scene he was in was so enjoyable and often very funny due to his personality and behaviour. I hope we'll see more of him in the sequels!
Not to mention the easter eggs from the Daevabad world! There aren't too many, but one specific character appears and there are some familiar magical creatures as well.
The only thing that I struggled with a bit were the more religious aspects, which for me since I'm not religious and not Muslim didn't hit as hard as they probably would for others. But I always love learning about other religions and worldviews, so it was very interesting as well.
I also learned a lot about the 11th century Indian Ocean and about places I'd never heard about before like Socotra! The small interludes with excerpts from ancient travel reports or tales really embellished the book further and helped a lot with the worldbuilding.
I'm excited to see where this story goes, to get to know some of the side characters such as Tinbu, Dalila, Majed and Jamal even better, and maybe to see some more of Marjana's heritage in future installments!
There are heists, seafaring adventures, magical artefacts and creatures, battle scenes, and more, and depending on the situation, the mood shifts between funny, thrilling, emotional and even spooky (there were a few scenes on Socotra that had such a creepy atmosphere omg)
Also love how diverse the cast of supporting characters are when it comes to ethnicity, religion, sexuality and gender identity. (That one twist with one particular character made me circle back to the beginning and see everything in a completely new light, I thought it was very well done)
I also love
Not to mention the easter eggs from the Daevabad world! There aren't too many, but one specific character appears and there are some familiar magical creatures as well.
The only thing that I struggled with a bit were the more religious aspects, which for me since I'm not religious and not Muslim didn't hit as hard as they probably would for others. But I always love learning about other religions and worldviews, so it was very interesting as well.
I also learned a lot about the 11th century Indian Ocean and about places I'd never heard about before like Socotra! The small interludes with excerpts from ancient travel reports or tales really embellished the book further and helped a lot with the worldbuilding.
I'm excited to see where this story goes, to get to know some of the side characters such as Tinbu, Dalila, Majed and Jamal even better, and maybe to see some more of Marjana's heritage in future installments!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
e_liz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Transphobia, Grief, and War
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.5
I loved this!!! What a vivid and gripping display of storytelling. The characters were so strong, and the plot was exciting!
I selfishly wished that Raksh would find out about his daughter and be redeemed in the end. Even though he was a scoundrel, I still found his character strangely endearing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I picked this as my Book of the Month for March, and I also ended up receiving an additional copy in my FairyLoot subscription.
"The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi" follows ex-pirate and single mother, Amina al-Sirafi, on a wild adventure to rescue a young girl. Amina al-Sirafi gave up her ship, crew, and perilous life when she had her daughter, but she still feels the pull to return to the water and go on a grand adventure. A former crewmember's mother tracks down Amina al-Sirafi and asks for her help in finding and returning the crewmember's daughter. If Amina al-Sirafi can return the girl, the elderly woman has promised more money than Amina al-Sirafi could ever imagine. She is hesitant to put herself and by proxy her daughter in danger, but she cannot turn down this opportunity to set her family up for life. With everything on the line, Amina al-Sirafi embarks on an unforgettable adventure.
I knew that this book was about a pirate going on a great adventure, but I did not realize the pirate was a middle-aged woman and mother. I really, really loved seeing this badass woman going on this great adventure but still struggling with the guilt of motherhood. She wants to be home with her daughter, but the sea and adventure also call to her. She would do anything for her family, but her mother does not really approve of her lifestyle. The fantasy genre is so saturated with young people, at least the books I gravitate towards, so I loved seeing this strong main character who is in a different chapter of her life.
This story has some light magical and fantastical elements. I really enjoyed reading these moments because they felt laced with culture and history that I am not entirely familiar with. I really enjoyed learning more about a different country's history and lore. I also really enjoyed that the magic was not overly complicated and did not take me out of the story. I personally really enjoy fantasy novels that are still rooted in the realms of reality.
I feel ready to set sail and find treasure, and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel of this book when it comes out!
"The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi" follows ex-pirate and single mother, Amina al-Sirafi, on a wild adventure to rescue a young girl. Amina al-Sirafi gave up her ship, crew, and perilous life when she had her daughter, but she still feels the pull to return to the water and go on a grand adventure. A former crewmember's mother tracks down Amina al-Sirafi and asks for her help in finding and returning the crewmember's daughter. If Amina al-Sirafi can return the girl, the elderly woman has promised more money than Amina al-Sirafi could ever imagine. She is hesitant to put herself and by proxy her daughter in danger, but she cannot turn down this opportunity to set her family up for life. With everything on the line, Amina al-Sirafi embarks on an unforgettable adventure.
I knew that this book was about a pirate going on a great adventure, but I did not realize the pirate was a middle-aged woman and mother. I really, really loved seeing this badass woman going on this great adventure but still struggling with the guilt of motherhood. She wants to be home with her daughter, but the sea and adventure also call to her. She would do anything for her family, but her mother does not really approve of her lifestyle. The fantasy genre is so saturated with young people, at least the books I gravitate towards, so I loved seeing this strong main character who is in a different chapter of her life.
This story has some light magical and fantastical elements. I really enjoyed reading these moments because they felt laced with culture and history that I am not entirely familiar with. I really enjoyed learning more about a different country's history and lore. I also really enjoyed that the magic was not overly complicated and did not take me out of the story. I personally really enjoy fantasy novels that are still rooted in the realms of reality.
I feel ready to set sail and find treasure, and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel of this book when it comes out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content