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palmkd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-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
5.0
This is definitely a new favorite for me. Amina retired from her life on the seas 10 years ago to live a quiet and peaceful life with her daughter. Obviously things did not go as planned or we wouldn't be setting off on this adventure!
Join Amina as her scribe tells her riveting story full of pirates, religion, multiple ex-husbands, demons (and/or other supernatural beings of creative names), adventure, spells, magical creatures, potion masters and previously untold legends.
The audio is masterfully done, really awesome job by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal.
The first in a new trilogy, this is not one to miss!
Join Amina as her scribe tells her riveting story full of pirates, religion, multiple ex-husbands, demons (and/or other supernatural beings of creative names), adventure, spells, magical creatures, potion masters and previously untold legends.
The audio is masterfully done, really awesome job by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal.
The first in a new trilogy, this is not one to miss!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Torture
courtneyer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
mahra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-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
4.5
"To be a woman is to have your story misremembered. Discarded. Twisted."
Amina Al-Sirafi, the Legend that you are.
Oh, I loved this so much. Incredible read.
Amina Al-Sirafi is a fierce pirate captain who retired and spent the past few years raising her daughter. A mysterious benefactor offers her a mission and a prize that no pirate worth their salt would refuse. She is then forced to reunite with her former crew and embarks on a long journey across the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
This book is essentially a heist story, set on the sea, in a fantasy world.
We finally have a middle-aged female main character. She is a muslim woman, and the author does not make her turn against her religion or remove her hijab. Who would have thought this was possible? *eyeroll* And for that, S. A. Chakraborty, I thank you. How refreshing!
The prose? Immaculate. The worldbuilding? Immersive. The characters? Captivating.The twist at the end with the narrator was very heartwarming.
Why not a five stars then? Well, the story took a crazy turn(the bird people etc. lol) . I was VERY worried. And while the author ultimately stuck the landing, it was really perplexing. It actually took me out of the story.
Still, it is one of my favorite reads of 2023. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Amina Al-Sirafi, the Legend that you are.
Oh, I loved this so much. Incredible read.
Amina Al-Sirafi is a fierce pirate captain who retired and spent the past few years raising her daughter. A mysterious benefactor offers her a mission and a prize that no pirate worth their salt would refuse. She is then forced to reunite with her former crew and embarks on a long journey across the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
This book is essentially a heist story, set on the sea, in a fantasy world.
We finally have a middle-aged female main character. She is a muslim woman, and the author does not make her turn against her religion or remove her hijab. Who would have thought this was possible? *eyeroll* And for that, S. A. Chakraborty, I thank you. How refreshing!
The prose? Immaculate. The worldbuilding? Immersive. The characters? Captivating.
Why not a five stars then? Well, the story took a crazy turn
Still, it is one of my favorite reads of 2023. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Xenophobia, War, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
As a huge fan of her Daevabad series, I was very excited to pick up a copy of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, the first in a planned new trilogy by Shannon Chakraborty, and it did not disappoint! This installment follows Amina, a middle aged 'retired' pirate captain who is drawn back into the action of the seas as she is hired for a mission she cannot refuse. The plot is a solid well-paced pirate adventure, the cast of supporting characters is fantastic, and the protagonist is one to cheer for who I came to love very quickly. I appreciate Chakraborty's thoughtful inclusion of diverse characters in all her work. Can't wait to read the next in the series!
Compared to Daevabad, so far I would say this series feels a bit lighter in tone -- there is some more comic relief between the serious and heavy aspects, with themes of friendship and found family amongst the protagonist and her crew and the complexities of pursuing one's dreams while also prioritizing being a parent. This book is also more rooted in historical research, with the very vast majority of the action taking place in twelfth century cities surrounding the Indian Ocean. Chakraborty's inclusion of a section on recommended further reading is great.
Content warnings: violence, murder, death, blood, gore, body horror (not extensive or particularly severe), torture, war, colonialism, mention of past massacres and mass killings, sexism, misogyny, sexual assault (mentioned in context of a threat; not described in detail), cannibalism (off page, not described in any graphic or detailed way)
Compared to Daevabad, so far I would say this series feels a bit lighter in tone -- there is some more comic relief between the serious and heavy aspects, with themes of friendship and found family amongst the protagonist and her crew and the complexities of pursuing one's dreams while also prioritizing being a parent. This book is also more rooted in historical research, with the very vast majority of the action taking place in twelfth century cities surrounding the Indian Ocean. Chakraborty's inclusion of a section on recommended further reading is great.
Content warnings: violence, murder, death, blood, gore, body horror (not extensive or particularly severe), torture, war, colonialism, mention of past massacres and mass killings, sexism, misogyny, sexual assault (mentioned in context of a threat; not described in detail), cannibalism (off page, not described in any graphic or detailed way)
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Murder, Misogyny, Blood, Death, and Sexism
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Body horror, Gore, Cannibalism, and Sexual assault
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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
The Details:
Narrated by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal
Unabridged
Buddy read with Ellie (Bibbidi bobbidi books).
Blended reading (physical + audio).
I really enjoyed my time journeying through the adventures (quite epic in proportions) of Amina.
What a strong character she was, and one that was beautifully mirrored by her fierce love for her daughter and family. I love that she even made mention that even though she had put aside her sailing days after having her child, it didn't stop her from being a nakhudha. I thought that was a strong and inspiring way of thinking - you can wear many hats as you go through different life stages.
This was an exciting and fun read. During the portions where I listened to the audiobook, i found the narrator to be an excellent carrier of tone and inflection and brought even more life to the story.
I was really intrigued by the origins of Amina's child and how her heritage could shape her as she ages. I hope we get more of this in a sequel.
There had been some good little twists that built up the air of being on edge and lack of trust, which I thought was handled really well and applied an uncomfortable amounr of tension to the scene. During these times, I enjoyed Amina's inner reflections on how she would have handled the situation 10 years ago (rash, hasty, full on violence) compared with now (always having her family and their safety in her mind).
I thought all the characters were exceptionally written and the banter added to the believability of their arcs. I would love to see even more magic explored in sequential plots.
Narrated by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal
Unabridged
Buddy read with Ellie (Bibbidi bobbidi books).
Blended reading (physical + audio).
I really enjoyed my time journeying through the adventures (quite epic in proportions) of Amina.
What a strong character she was, and one that was beautifully mirrored by her fierce love for her daughter and family. I love that she even made mention that even though she had put aside her sailing days after having her child, it didn't stop her from being a nakhudha. I thought that was a strong and inspiring way of thinking - you can wear many hats as you go through different life stages.
This was an exciting and fun read. During the portions where I listened to the audiobook, i found the narrator to be an excellent carrier of tone and inflection and brought even more life to the story.
I was really intrigued by the origins of Amina's child and how her heritage could shape her as she ages. I hope we get more of this in a sequel.
There had been some good little twists that built up the air of being on edge and lack of trust, which I thought was handled really well and applied an uncomfortable amounr of tension to the scene. During these times, I enjoyed Amina's inner reflections on how she would have handled the situation 10 years ago (rash, hasty, full on violence) compared with now (always having her family and their safety in her mind).
I thought all the characters were exceptionally written and the banter added to the believability of their arcs. I would love to see even more magic explored in sequential plots.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Murder, Hate crime, and Genocide
cameronreads's review against another edition
4.0
There is a lot to like about this book. If you like pirate stories, you’ll love this; if you’re looking for an adventure with a middle-aged protagonist, you’ll love this; if you want a story with a rich magic and vibrant setting, you’ll love this. Chakraborty has the most wonderful way of writing setting. It really made this book for me. You can tell the amount of careful research that went into this book, but also the care that went into bringing the research to life. It feels so vibrant and magical.
I really liked Amina as a protagonist. It felt like such a rich perspective to follow a middle-aged mother who very much feels like her adventures are over into this magical adventure. However it was very clear that she was the centre of this book, and whilst I liked the moments of the other characters we get and the established found family they formed years ago, I wanted a bit more out of the side characters.
For some reason it took me a while to get into this book. I think it’s partially due to the first person perceptive - whilst the writing in this book is truly wonderful, I do tend not o struggle with first person regardless, especially when there’s only one POV. It makes the story feel very linear to me, which is fine but struggles to hold my personal short attention span. It also definitely picked up nearer the end - the beginning feels more historical, and it slowly morphs into a fantasy nearer the end, which I personally prefer more, so that might be another reason.
Still, I really enjoyed this book, and it will become a go-to recommendation for me.
I really liked Amina as a protagonist. It felt like such a rich perspective to follow a middle-aged mother who very much feels like her adventures are over into this magical adventure. However it was very clear that she was the centre of this book, and whilst I liked the moments of the other characters we get and the established found family they formed years ago, I wanted a bit more out of the side characters.
For some reason it took me a while to get into this book. I think it’s partially due to the first person perceptive - whilst the writing in this book is truly wonderful, I do tend not o struggle with first person regardless, especially when there’s only one POV. It makes the story feel very linear to me, which is fine but struggles to hold my personal short attention span. It also definitely picked up nearer the end - the beginning feels more historical, and it slowly morphs into a fantasy nearer the end, which I personally prefer more, so that might be another reason.
Still, I really enjoyed this book, and it will become a go-to recommendation for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Alcoholism
Minor: Addiction, Deadnaming, Death of parent, and Rape
indigoriverboat's review against another edition
adventurous
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
What a joyous romp! I loved reading about Amina Al-Safir, her reunited, old crew, the choices from her past that haunt her, and her love of her daughter. This book spins a wild, mystical tale with plenty of twists and turns, adventures both magical and mundane, and flawed, lovable characters. The pace really picks up in the last half of the book. I could not put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Sexual assault, and Torture
deathmetalpainter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Awesome fantasy novel with historical backing. It's not often I get to read of Arabian pirates.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Sexism, Alcohol, Death, Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
a_davis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
pirates! female pirates! female pirates on fantastical adventures!! this was SO fun and the characters were SO fleshed out and I just loved every bit of it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
brynalexa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Amazingly perfect from the protagonist to the villain to the clever twist. So happy to see some nods to the Daevabad trilogy as well! Cannot wait for the second book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Kidnapping, Murder, Death of parent, Gore, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Body horror, Classism, Sexism, Slavery, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Grief, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Torture, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence