Reviews

Man alive am I obsessed with this book. It’s a wonderful combination of magic, myth, and history, all told in a daring and fresh fashion. Amina has settled down from her life at sea. Yes, she misses it, but she loves being a mom more. And she’s created a life for herself that will keep her daughter safe — as much as the ocean might call. The scuttlebutt about her says she’s “a giant. Dark, with her teeth filled into gold-capped fangs and a scar covering much of her right arm, scorched there by naft.” But as much fun as the old legends about her are, she’s retired. But when a rich woman offers Amina more money than she could possibly imagine for saving her granddaughter, Amina has to reclaim her spot at the helm of her ship and get her old motley crew on board.

Shannon Chakraborty takes an interesting approach to our heroine. Amina isn’t in her prime. She’s not young, she’s not beautiful. She has a bum knee, and her eyesight is starting to fail her. The rest of her crew fares similarly. They’d be considered past their prime, but they believe (as I do) that their best is yet to come. And what a cast of characters this book has; on top of the pirates, we have poisoners and snarky scribes and demonic not-quite-ex-husbands. There are sea monsters and magically inclined super sailors. And, of course, an artifact that, if in the wrong hands, could bring about the end of the world. No big deal.

The cast of characters already has strong bonds, and I know they’ll only continue to grow as this series progresses. But it really is Amina who shines. I love that she’s a middle-aged mother whose most outlandish exploits are behind her. She’s fierce and loyal and experienced. She’s not a naive, fresh-faced 19-year-old heroine thrust unassumingly into a fantasy world. She’s been around the block, and she’s survived. She’s a veteran. And she’s done and seen things she wishes she could forget. Amina’s religious conviction is wonderfully inserted into this book and feels intimate but never preachy.

This story is playful and strong and matters. It’s witty and feminist. Chakraborty made me feel like I was along for the ride — the highs and lows and crazies — the whole time. I was on that ship, too, with the wind in my hair and my eyes on the horizon. She has given us a carefully researched tale that’s epic in proportion but is still personal and heartfelt. There’s swashbuckling galore, but there’s reflection and growth, too.

And, of course, there are pirates.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

judithisreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.5

smileitsfree's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous inspiring 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? No

3.5

The beginning thrusted you into this world and the first 100 pages set up the intentention and direction that I couldn't wait to be with Amina on the high seas! Then came the 2nd act and I will admit I was pretty bored. I struggled to pick it back up because there was so much I wanted to know and just felt like we were kicking the can down the road for more chapters. Things did pick up and the magic of those first few chapters returned and I could not put this down and devoured the rest in one sitting.

I will also admit that I was pretty bummed out about how much setup went into this to ensure a trilogy. I really do loath when books do this, and as such wish the last few chapters were the beginning of the next novel.

aria_tsv's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny 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

5.0

More...