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onthesamepage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
But we'll come back to the Muslim representation. Let's talk about the fantasy parts first.
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.
I haven't read the Daevabad trilogy yet, and I don't think you necessarily need to to enjoy this book, but it might be useful to know that there are some crossover characters, and that the books are all set in the same world. I read this book as part of a readalong, and based on the discussions, I gather that a few parts of this may have more of an impact if you've read the trilogy.
The book is written as Amina narrating her story to a scribe named Jamal. It didn't happen a lot, but there were a couple of instances where Amina would interrupt her storytelling to make a snarky remark directed at Jamal, and I really liked those inserts. Without them it was easy to forget that this is her telling her story, and not just me reading a fantasy book written in first person.
"I am not distracted," I insisted. "I am murderously focused."
The story has a lot of journeying (she is a pirate, after all), "getting the gang back together", and then setting off on the actual quest. It's a pretty fun adventure, with interesting characters, and I really enjoyed reading it. I will say that the last quarter of the book relies a bit too much on a "deus ex machina" aspect in my opinion, and I kind of wish the author had allowed Amina to find another way to deal with the villain of the story.
Having this book open with "In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate", as a Muslim, just felt very powerful. It really set the tone for me right off the bat, and the constant mentions of everyday Muslim things gave me this feeling of being seen. There were mentions of the prophets and some of the stories surrounding them (although I actually disagree with the version used here, but that's a small quibble).
And if one of these events made me feel as though I had no right to ever call upon God again, the other filled me with a driving need I could not deny. So I keep my daily prayers, even if I feel unworthy the entire time.
The story was full of these small mentions that never allowed me to forget that Amina is Muslim. She said, "God is greatest", before diving headlong into danger. She acknowledges that she has nobody to turn to but God when she finds herself with her back against the wall. She talks about how she used to drink, how she kissed men who were not her husband, and how she doesn't do those things anymore because she's trying to be a better Muslim. Good representation isn't about characters that are the perfect portrayal of what a Muslim should be, it's about this: being Muslim is part of Amina's character, and there's no possible way to ignore that.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Torture and Cannibalism
Minor: Rape
karatics's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Islamophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Classism, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Deadnaming, Rape, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Infidelity
kappafrog's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
The book got too violent for my tastes at times. Some of the plot armour the main characters had got pretty convoluted. Still, I look forward to seeing more in this series.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Gore, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Classism, Violence, Alcohol, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Grief, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Islamophobia, Vomit, and War
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
atuin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Rape
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Body horror, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Confinement, Animal death, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Transphobia, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Deadnaming
emburs's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Rape
cheye13's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Animal cruelty, Death, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Grief, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Classism, Dysphoria, Slavery, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Alcohol
incident of mass murder and ritual human sacrifice off page but remains described in brief detail; instance of being stranded at sea; violent threats made against a child on numerous occasionanxiousnachos's review against another edition
5.0
Yes I will be using this insult in future, I cannot stop laughing at Amina saying this in the middle of battle.
This is just the absolute peak of adventure fantasy, so much rollicking fun with such a wonderful crew onboard a (reformed) pirate ship. Chakraborty’s particular skill lies as usual in her deep historical worldbuilding and character work, making this such an incredible setting to drown yourself in with a brilliant crew to keep you afloat. Their relationships and sassy retorts were a joy.
Please tell me we have a sequel.
Content warnings: graphic depictions of blood and gore, violence, torture, confinement, drowning, threats of rape
Graphic: Gore, Confinement, Blood, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Rape
boglord's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, War, Kidnapping, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Ableism, Addiction, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Racism, Slavery, and Trafficking
honeyvee's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment