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elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gore, and Body horror
Moderate: Alcohol and Torture
Minor: Misogyny and Religious bigotry
mjwhitlock18's review against another edition
adventurous
5.0
A foul-mouthed, middle-aged legendary pirate captain comes out of her retirement for one last perilous sea voyage to save a deceased friend’s daughter and potentially cement her family’s future, and ends up on quest to defeat a power-hungry murderous villain. I loved every second of this (I will read anything S. A. Chakraborty writes). Amina is a fantastic narrator with a sarcastic sense of humor, the mouth of a sailor (fitting), and complexity that makes her so interesting. She’s far from perfect (she accidentally married a demon), but she’s a badass mother who’d been told there was only one sort of respectful life for a woman, and she resoundly said fuck that. Amina’s friends and crew mates are also wonderfully grumbly and loyal, and along with the top tier prose and world building, this book exceeded my expectations. If you love a band of misfits, a useless ship cat, sweeping adventure with a hint of the fantastical, and a whole lot of found family - this is for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Torture, and Body horror
Minor: Sexism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Transphobia
starlit01's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual violence
brontesauruses's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss+ for allowing me early(ish) access in exchange for an honest review!
It took a while to build up momentum, but it was so so good when it got going. Amina and her diverse group of friends/co-conspirators are so likeable and complex*. Also!! Everyone is middle aged! They're greying! Their joints hurt! But they still get to do cool shit.
The ending is satisfying on it's own (and might have made me tear up a little), but there is definitely room for more stories, and I hope we get them!
There....there are going to be more of them, right? 🥺
*Well, most of them are complex. The, uh, one who isn't is still very likeable, though lol.
It took a while to build up momentum, but it was so so good when it got going. Amina and her diverse group of friends/co-conspirators are so likeable and complex*. Also!! Everyone is middle aged! They're greying! Their joints hurt! But they still get to do cool shit.
The ending is satisfying on it's own (and might have made me tear up a little), but there is definitely room for more stories, and I hope we get them!
There....there are going to be more of them, right? 🥺
*Well, most of them are complex. The, uh, one who isn't is still very likeable, though lol.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Alcohol, Blood, and Slavery
Minor: Animal death, Sexual violence, and Islamophobia
heartbrekker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.25
"For this scribe has read a great many of these accounts and taken away another lesson: that to be a woman is to have your story misremembered. Discarded. Twisted. In courtyard tales, women are the adulterous wives whose treachery begins a husband's descent into murderous madness or the long-suffering mothers who give birth to proper heroes. Biographers polish away the jagged edges of capable, ruthless queens so they may be remembered as saints, and geographers warn believing men away from such and such a place with scandalous tales of lewd local females who cavort in the sea and ravish the foreign interlopers. Women are the forgotten spouses and unnamed daughters. Wet nurses and handmaidens; thieves and harlots. Witches. A titillating anecdote to tell your friends back home or a warning."
All I can visualize from this line above is Shannon pounding it out on the keys with her entire heart and soul.
Shannon Chakraborty has truly done it again with creating an enriching world, centuries in the past, that delves into the folklore and cultures in the regions of SWANA. The Daevabad trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart, but it was beyond refreshing to see Shannon take on a different time period with a new cast of characters. She's pushing the boundaries of fantasy by spearheading this new trilogy with a middle aged mother, something that brings pure joy to my heart. I can see myself in ten to twenty years rereading this book, if I choose to have children or even not, merely because I'll be the same age as Amina al-Sirafi. We like to say that women are more than just motherhood, but a lot of time that sentiment doesn't hold out in fantasy books. Well, Shannon proves that 110% wrong.
"You may be a pirate now, nakhudha, but it is neither crime nor gold that makes your heart beat. You are an explorer."
Amina al-Sirafi is a prickly, protective, thrice married mother who is currently retired from her old life on the seas as a famous explorer/ pirate, but she's forced to return to her old ways when a forceful client, a grandmother, threatens Amina into searching for the client's kidnapped granddaughter. And to be perfectly honest, all hell breaks lose from then on. From prison breaks to magical islands, Amina is pulled through the ringer trying to finish this job and return to her daughter. While this book is very much adventurous and epic in scope, the heart of it lies with the relationship between a mother and daughter. Their connection underscores so much of this book that in many ways nobody could fault Amina for any of her antics because they all come back to getting back home. This(!) was my favorite aspect to the book. Although, the humor and wit were an extremely close second! It wouldn't be a Shannon Chakraborty book without some chaotic sass/ jokes.
"What a wondrous experience to go anywhere you wish with only the wind."
I remember hearing somewhere, possibly on Shannon's social media pages, that this book would have a distant connection to the Daevabad trilogy, but I never thought it would be in this manner. Amina is as human as they come, besides her accidental demonic husband, who so happens to be the father of her daughter. She's not used to magic or even the idea of magical creatures/ beings. So when she washes up on an island of pure magic and sees daevas for the first time, I quite frankly howled with laughter as said daevas dashed back into the sea to possibly return back home to Daevabad. It was just such a wonderful cameo even if the individuals weren't anyone we knew. Albeit, there is a character from The City of Brass within this book, and I'm very intrigued to see if they continue to be a driving force of this trilogy. In many ways, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi did a lot of set up for the next two books in the trilogy, which is one of my only real gripes because it muddled the pacing and focus, kinda whiplashing us back and forth. I believe, once the second book releases, I'm simply going to perish because Amina has such a deeper connection to the magical side of this world than ever before. Plus, Shannon has a particular talent for writing iconic second books in trilogies because The Kingdom of Copper is pure perfection/ still my favorite book by her. I'm actually hoping the crew can make some journeys further out into the Indian Ocean like eastern Asia, for example, because my whole heart wants Majed to check off his bucket list dream of visiting it. I have a feeling we'll definitely explore more, so my fingers are crossed in excitement.
"You do realize that if you want to be a proper storyteller, your words need to flow like warm honey, not choke like the stones of a dry academic."
Anyway, I loved the crew with my whole heart. I'm so happy that Shannon continues to write such diverse casts of characters with the best dynamics and chemistry. But the standout diversity of this book, for me, was honestly religion. Religion is a very complicated reality for books with historical settings. Most authors would merely brush the entire conversation under the rug, thinking it too complicated, but Shannon puts the pedal to the medal by having a multi-faith crew. She doesn't shy away. While I cannot speak on the Muslim representation, Dalila is a Christian, my culture, and I found her conversation with Amina after stumbling upon an island town to be one of the more profound scenes within the novel. It may even be my favorite scene because of the honesty and friendship that bubbles between them by the end. Dalila needed peace in that moment, and she wanted to be heard by Amina, and she was. It's one of the reasons why Amina is such a phenomenal captain. She listens when it counts!! It just made me happy to see these crew members respect one another's faith, especially when religion is such a testy point of conversation in our reality right now. If only our world could talk maturely about religion and RESPECT all religions like the example set in this book. I'm not asking for perfection; no one is, but it would be great.
"People do not take to the seas if the land offers better, and the kind of men lured to a life of smuggling and raiding are not gentle."
Overall, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is definitely worth a read through, and I'm super excited to see people see the mini cameos and slight connections to her debut series. These adventures are only gonna get more chaotic and rough as the series progresses, but I think Amina has a good foundational support system with her found family on the sea as well as her blood family back on land.
"...are not all mothers capable of being monsters when it comes to their children?"
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
All I can visualize from this line above is Shannon pounding it out on the keys with her entire heart and soul.
Shannon Chakraborty has truly done it again with creating an enriching world, centuries in the past, that delves into the folklore and cultures in the regions of SWANA. The Daevabad trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart, but it was beyond refreshing to see Shannon take on a different time period with a new cast of characters. She's pushing the boundaries of fantasy by spearheading this new trilogy with a middle aged mother, something that brings pure joy to my heart. I can see myself in ten to twenty years rereading this book, if I choose to have children or even not, merely because I'll be the same age as Amina al-Sirafi. We like to say that women are more than just motherhood, but a lot of time that sentiment doesn't hold out in fantasy books. Well, Shannon proves that 110% wrong.
"You may be a pirate now, nakhudha, but it is neither crime nor gold that makes your heart beat. You are an explorer."
Amina al-Sirafi is a prickly, protective, thrice married mother who is currently retired from her old life on the seas as a famous explorer/ pirate, but she's forced to return to her old ways when a forceful client, a grandmother, threatens Amina into searching for the client's kidnapped granddaughter. And to be perfectly honest, all hell breaks lose from then on. From prison breaks to magical islands, Amina is pulled through the ringer trying to finish this job and return to her daughter. While this book is very much adventurous and epic in scope, the heart of it lies with the relationship between a mother and daughter. Their connection underscores so much of this book that in many ways nobody could fault Amina for any of her antics because they all come back to getting back home. This(!) was my favorite aspect to the book. Although, the humor and wit were an extremely close second! It wouldn't be a Shannon Chakraborty book without some chaotic sass/ jokes.
"What a wondrous experience to go anywhere you wish with only the wind."
I remember hearing somewhere, possibly on Shannon's social media pages, that this book would have a distant connection to the Daevabad trilogy, but I never thought it would be in this manner. Amina is as human as they come, besides her accidental demonic husband, who so happens to be the father of her daughter. She's not used to magic or even the idea of magical creatures/ beings. So when she washes up on an island of pure magic and sees daevas for the first time, I quite frankly howled with laughter as said daevas dashed back into the sea to possibly return back home to Daevabad. It was just such a wonderful cameo even if the individuals weren't anyone we knew. Albeit, there is a character from The City of Brass within this book, and I'm very intrigued to see if they continue to be a driving force of this trilogy. In many ways, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi did a lot of set up for the next two books in the trilogy, which is one of my only real gripes because it muddled the pacing and focus, kinda whiplashing us back and forth. I believe, once the second book releases, I'm simply going to perish because Amina has such a deeper connection to the magical side of this world than ever before. Plus, Shannon has a particular talent for writing iconic second books in trilogies because The Kingdom of Copper is pure perfection/ still my favorite book by her. I'm actually hoping the crew can make some journeys further out into the Indian Ocean like eastern Asia, for example, because my whole heart wants Majed to check off his bucket list dream of visiting it. I have a feeling we'll definitely explore more, so my fingers are crossed in excitement.
"You do realize that if you want to be a proper storyteller, your words need to flow like warm honey, not choke like the stones of a dry academic."
Anyway, I loved the crew with my whole heart. I'm so happy that Shannon continues to write such diverse casts of characters with the best dynamics and chemistry. But the standout diversity of this book, for me, was honestly religion. Religion is a very complicated reality for books with historical settings. Most authors would merely brush the entire conversation under the rug, thinking it too complicated, but Shannon puts the pedal to the medal by having a multi-faith crew. She doesn't shy away. While I cannot speak on the Muslim representation, Dalila is a Christian, my culture, and I found her conversation with Amina after stumbling upon an island town to be one of the more profound scenes within the novel. It may even be my favorite scene because of the honesty and friendship that bubbles between them by the end. Dalila needed peace in that moment, and she wanted to be heard by Amina, and she was. It's one of the reasons why Amina is such a phenomenal captain. She listens when it counts!! It just made me happy to see these crew members respect one another's faith, especially when religion is such a testy point of conversation in our reality right now. If only our world could talk maturely about religion and RESPECT all religions like the example set in this book. I'm not asking for perfection; no one is, but it would be great.
"People do not take to the seas if the land offers better, and the kind of men lured to a life of smuggling and raiding are not gentle."
Overall, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is definitely worth a read through, and I'm super excited to see people see the mini cameos and slight connections to her debut series. These adventures are only gonna get more chaotic and rough as the series progresses, but I think Amina has a good foundational support system with her found family on the sea as well as her blood family back on land.
"...are not all mothers capable of being monsters when it comes to their children?"
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Misogyny
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Amina Al-Sirafi is a retired pirate trying to live out her retirement in peace with her daughter and family. When the mother of one of Amina's long dead crewmates comes to hire her to retrieve her kidnapped granddaughter, Amina brings her crew together for one last adventure. As you may have guessed, this adventure does not go as planned.
I loved this book SO much! Amina's devotion to her daughter, her sense of humor, and her crew being more than her crew but being her family were what I enjoyed most. The end of the book had me crying, but and not for the reasons you might think. I can't wait to read about more of Amina's adventures!
I listened to the audiobook version and I thought it was done in a clever way, where at points the narrator, Amina, would turn away from the recorder and speak to the scribe detailing her adventures.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for making this available in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book SO much! Amina's devotion to her daughter, her sense of humor, and her crew being more than her crew but being her family were what I enjoyed most. The end of the book had me crying, but and not for the reasons you might think. I can't wait to read about more of Amina's adventures!
I listened to the audiobook version and I thought it was done in a clever way, where at points the narrator, Amina, would turn away from the recorder and speak to the scribe detailing her adventures.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for making this available in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Blood, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, Violence, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
Minor: Dysphoria, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Drug use, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
meshell's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'll admit, I went in to this audiobook having expectations - Shannon Chakraborty wrote one of my favourite series a few years ago (the Daevabad Trilogy), and I've always found it easy to recommend to others. Well, this book also hooked me from the beginning - I loved the middle aged large woman protagonist, former/current pirate having to get the gang back together to do one more heist (aka, search and rescue mission to find the child of a former shipmate.)
I think Chakraborty does a lot in her books - but I also think she does them all extremely well. It's funny, playful, semi-educational, and told from a perspective that doesn't always get centred. I thought the struggle of being a working parent and feeling both the freedom from and longing for wasn't belaboured, but nicely expressed. I enjoyed the queer rep, the themes of defying gender norms, the magic and the mayhem. The whole story is just very fun and engaging, and I look forward to any future adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.
Specifically to the narration - I loved the performance of the interview asides, I really felt like I was in the moment with them. I did play this at 2x, but that's my normal audiobook speed. Thanks to the publisher HarperAudio and Netgally for the opportunity to review this title and enjoy it a bit early.
I think Chakraborty does a lot in her books - but I also think she does them all extremely well. It's funny, playful, semi-educational, and told from a perspective that doesn't always get centred. I thought the struggle of being a working parent and feeling both the freedom from and longing for wasn't belaboured, but nicely expressed. I enjoyed the queer rep, the themes of defying gender norms, the magic and the mayhem. The whole story is just very fun and engaging, and I look forward to any future adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.
Specifically to the narration - I loved the performance of the interview asides, I really felt like I was in the moment with them. I did play this at 2x, but that's my normal audiobook speed. Thanks to the publisher HarperAudio and Netgally for the opportunity to review this title and enjoy it a bit early.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Body horror, Alcohol, and Cursing
Minor: Fatphobia and Transphobia
bethanycrowepowell's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
A rollicking woman-led Sinbad type adventure on glittering, lethal seas.
Amina al-Sarafi left her beloved ship for many good reasons. She’s pulled out of retirement not because those reasons are gone, but because one of her biggest regrets has come knocking. The chance at fabulous wealth (which was missing from her sudden flight to the hinterlands) doesn’t hurt. Amina’s swagger and cynicism captured my heart, while her regrets and maturity made this feel more weighty as a fabulous adventure.
Chakraborty’s skill at turning the screws of stakes and evoking marvelous but dangerous worlds clinch this as a new favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Torture, Alcohol, Death, Cursing, Violence, and Body horror
Minor: Transphobia, Xenophobia, Dysphoria, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
Everything "phobia" in these content warnings are not presented in a positive light. The graphic violence/gore are mainly in the last third of the book when dealing with a horrifying villain, but I was glad to be skimming text instead of listening by audio to that part!bookishbrenbren's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.75
FOR THE PUBLISHERS: WHY NOT MAKE THIS A 5-BOOK SERIES THOUGH???? OR MORE? OR MORE!
FOR THE READERS: LISTEN UP BOOK HOTTIES: PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER
Amina al-Sirafi is a hot mom whose biggest concern is completing home repairs before the rainy season, she is definitely not-a-pirate and definitely does-not-miss-the-wind-in-her-hair, furthermore, she has no idea where those rumors about a trail of ex husbands and teeth sharpened to points and mysterious robberies-cum-poisonings came from. When she is mercilessly dragged/bribed/blackmailed into un-retiring from her illustrious career on the high sees to save a kidnapped teen, she must reassemble her wayward but lovable crew (to the tune of Thin Lizzy's The Boys are Back in Town) and steal back the young heiress despite having little to no clues about where she and her kidnapper - a European crusader (ugh, gross) would-be wizard who is searching for magic powers to rival the gods - might be taking her. Adventure is afoot!
Ok get serious. I loved how much the research the author did about this time period and geographical setting came through in her story-telling. The boats, the trade routes, the cities and their governance, belief systems, wonderful; there are references to famed Islamic explorers, the Banu Sasan, the Crusades, greek fire, and probably a lot of things I didn't catch. The author includes a bibliography and further reading recommendations as well, which I love.
This story has everything: a middle-aged mom MC, pirates from every corner of the Arabian Sea, great escapes, swindles, evil magic, good? magic, magical creatures, semi-divine beings, a treasure hunt, sword fights, maps, A CAT - need I go on?! But really, the book did not feel overwhelmed by this, it felt each new piece fit naturally into the story.
I love the character of Amina - she is a mom, yes, and that is most certainly her highest priority - but it is not her only identity. She has loves and hopes and passions beyond what she can provide for her daughter, and although she can sometimes feel ashamed when they compete with her daughter for her attention and effort, she does not deny that they are a part of her. She is finding a way to be both things. I LOVE THAT FOR HER. I LOVE THAT FOR US, GIVE US MOMS WHO ARE ALSO PIRATES!!!! I also love that the story is told in her irreverent voice, her side commentary and sarcasm made me cackle multiple times while reading. The other characters are also great - we get depth in such short passages, few lines of dialogue are given to her compatriots but they still feel like they jump off the page.
I will say there were things I would change - I don't know that the "contemporaneous historical documents" that were included at the beginning of each chapter in the first half of the book were really necessary. Especially in combination with the narration of the book as an interview or recorded tale; that is, I think just one of those things could've been done, using both took me out of the story often and I think, made the story slower. Noticeably, this drops off in the second half of the book and the story speeds up considerably without that extra weight. Along that line, I thought the pacing was a bit off. The entire first half of the book felt slow and cumbersome and I think they don't even really get started on their journey (debatable) until near 40% into the book. At that point I was thinking, ok this is cute, it's cool, they had some fun hijinks, but it's slow and I don't feel the excitement of reading a fantasy novel. BUT - very important - I ate my words. The story picks up and takes off VERY quickly after 50% - and by the end of the book I was really swept away by the adventure of it all, I wanted to share this story with others.
I really hope you will read it and love it. I really hope (if the author wants) the publisher will give us a book for each talisman (honestly, I would read twenty books of Amina's adventures)(and twenty more of her daughters or grandfather's)(they would look so good on our shelves, don't you think??). I'm so excited to see where the crew goes next (oh I hope they make it to China SO MUCH) and so excited to see Jamal's future with them. I can't wait to get Raksh back in future stories (he's awful but he's so fun too, you know?) and I hope hope hope Amina's daughter will join them. (I don't know why I just feel like she'd love it)(fingers crossed for a stowaway story).
FOR THE READERS: LISTEN UP BOOK HOTTIES: PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER PREORDER
Amina al-Sirafi is a hot mom whose biggest concern is completing home repairs before the rainy season, she is definitely not-a-pirate and definitely does-not-miss-the-wind-in-her-hair, furthermore, she has no idea where those rumors about a trail of ex husbands and teeth sharpened to points and mysterious robberies-cum-poisonings came from. When she is mercilessly dragged/bribed/blackmailed into un-retiring from her illustrious career on the high sees to save a kidnapped teen, she must reassemble her wayward but lovable crew (to the tune of Thin Lizzy's The Boys are Back in Town) and steal back the young heiress despite having little to no clues about where she and her kidnapper - a European crusader (ugh, gross) would-be wizard who is searching for magic powers to rival the gods - might be taking her. Adventure is afoot!
Ok get serious. I loved how much the research the author did about this time period and geographical setting came through in her story-telling. The boats, the trade routes, the cities and their governance, belief systems, wonderful; there are references to famed Islamic explorers, the Banu Sasan, the Crusades, greek fire, and probably a lot of things I didn't catch. The author includes a bibliography and further reading recommendations as well, which I love.
This story has everything: a middle-aged mom MC, pirates from every corner of the Arabian Sea, great escapes, swindles, evil magic, good? magic, magical creatures, semi-divine beings, a treasure hunt, sword fights, maps, A CAT - need I go on?! But really, the book did not feel overwhelmed by this, it felt each new piece fit naturally into the story.
I love the character of Amina - she is a mom, yes, and that is most certainly her highest priority - but it is not her only identity. She has loves and hopes and passions beyond what she can provide for her daughter, and although she can sometimes feel ashamed when they compete with her daughter for her attention and effort, she does not deny that they are a part of her. She is finding a way to be both things. I LOVE THAT FOR HER. I LOVE THAT FOR US, GIVE US MOMS WHO ARE ALSO PIRATES!!!! I also love that the story is told in her irreverent voice, her side commentary and sarcasm made me cackle multiple times while reading. The other characters are also great - we get depth in such short passages, few lines of dialogue are given to her compatriots but they still feel like they jump off the page.
I will say there were things I would change - I don't know that the "contemporaneous historical documents" that were included at the beginning of each chapter in the first half of the book were really necessary. Especially in combination with the narration of the book as an interview or recorded tale; that is, I think just one of those things could've been done, using both took me out of the story often and I think, made the story slower. Noticeably, this drops off in the second half of the book and the story speeds up considerably without that extra weight. Along that line, I thought the pacing was a bit off. The entire first half of the book felt slow and cumbersome and I think they don't even really get started on their journey (debatable) until near 40% into the book. At that point I was thinking, ok this is cute, it's cool, they had some fun hijinks, but it's slow and I don't feel the excitement of reading a fantasy novel. BUT - very important - I ate my words. The story picks up and takes off VERY quickly after 50% - and by the end of the book I was really swept away by the adventure of it all, I wanted to share this story with others.
I really hope you will read it and love it. I really hope (if the author wants) the publisher will give us a book for each talisman (honestly, I would read twenty books of Amina's adventures)(and twenty more of her daughters or grandfather's)(they would look so good on our shelves, don't you think??). I'm so excited to see where the crew goes next (oh I hope they make it to China SO MUCH) and so excited to see Jamal's future with them. I can't wait to get Raksh back in future stories (he's awful but he's so fun too, you know?) and I hope hope hope Amina's daughter will join them. (I don't know why I just feel like she'd love it)(fingers crossed for a stowaway story).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Classism, Death, War, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Transphobia, Sexual content, Colonisation, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
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