Scan barcode
yuripiano's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.25
This book scratched such an itch I didn't know I had, which was just to read a book that felt like the kinds of things I would have grown up reading. It's a story with adventure, mystical creatures, and a crazy journey featuring strong characters, high stakes, and even higher sails. This sort of maritime mischief is what I was sort of hoping for from Tress of the Emerald Sea - that said, although they both just happen to involve pirates, strong female characters, and devilish binding contracts, they're definitely two different takes on a pirate story for me personally. Thankfully, I would say that the structure, pacing, and general vibe of this one resonated a lot better with me.
I think part of why I liked it so much is that while a lot of it is familiar and feel-good, there's a lot that's fresh, interesting, and otherwise inspired. I'm a sucker for the-gang-gets-back-together-again-to-pull-one-last-job, and it's great seeing the characters as real people with actual families and lives and that they're old.
Well. Like. Older than the typical anime protagonist where life ends after high school or whatever - it's a narrative that I've grown more and more disgruntled with, and the fact that Amina is a mother on top of all of this?
It goes against the grain on a lot of expectations, which is also why I really found it fascinating with how much culture is put into it. The interwoven folk tales, the language, the food, the customs, the clothing, and if you were lucky enough to listen to the honestly fantastic audio book, the language is so refreshing and interesting, especially with how Amina fits into it (or doesn't, as is one of the driving themes throughout the book). There's a mix of reverence for tradition, faith, and family juxtaposed with individuality, progressiveness, and staying true to oneself. I really loved Amina's character, and Raksh was also a fun foil that had a surprising amount of depth.
Sadly, I can't say the same for all of the characters - while I said Amina wasn't like the typical anime protagonist, the same couldn't be said for the other characters in my opinion.Falco felt cartoonishly evil, and the trio of Tinbu, Majed, and especially Dalila felt rather trope-y to me. Maybe I just have an irrational dislike for Dalila because of how much she just felt like she was there solely to be crazy-old-mad-scientist-lady that didn't really see any growth through the story to me. But, the way that the others at the end of the story just.. are like "yeah, sign me up for another 4 adventures of all of this and ehhhhh it's fine I'll talk to my wife about it, I'm sure she'll be fine with me leaving again" and stuff. That said, part of those complaints can be sorta written off by the fact that this is told in the form of Amina's retelling - they're imperfect, and they're from her point of view, so... it doesn't really make sense for her to characterize Falco as anything other than a 100% crazy irredeemable Disney villain and to maybe not devote as much characterization to her friends compared to Raksh given her relationship with him? This still doesn't explain away Dalila, but I'll stop ragging on her.
Overall, I really liked the book - it was fun and while it had points of familiarity, it featured a world and culture that I don't often get to see represented with so much detail and care put in, and that really set it apart for me.
Edit now that I've sat with it for a while: I think I discounted how much some of the things in this book rather annoyed me by virtue of it being something I just finished. It felt very YA in a lot of places, and it's hard to rate the book as though it's not. The overly cartoonish villain, lack of real consequences, and each character filling a certain niche without really feeling fleshed out (outside of like, Raksh, who was also extremely YA in character) was a bit much. I'd still say overall I liked this book, especially in comparison to some other books I've reviewed here, but I think maybe not quite as much as I had on my initial review of it. The beginning was strong, and the world had potential, but it didn't quite come together for me.
I think part of why I liked it so much is that while a lot of it is familiar and feel-good, there's a lot that's fresh, interesting, and otherwise inspired. I'm a sucker for the-gang-gets-back-together-again-to-pull-one-last-job, and it's great seeing the characters as real people with actual families and lives and that they're old.
Well. Like. Older than the typical anime protagonist where life ends after high school or whatever - it's a narrative that I've grown more and more disgruntled with, and the fact that Amina is a mother on top of all of this?
It goes against the grain on a lot of expectations, which is also why I really found it fascinating with how much culture is put into it. The interwoven folk tales, the language, the food, the customs, the clothing, and if you were lucky enough to listen to the honestly fantastic audio book, the language is so refreshing and interesting, especially with how Amina fits into it (or doesn't, as is one of the driving themes throughout the book). There's a mix of reverence for tradition, faith, and family juxtaposed with individuality, progressiveness, and staying true to oneself. I really loved Amina's character, and Raksh was also a fun foil that had a surprising amount of depth.
Sadly, I can't say the same for all of the characters - while I said Amina wasn't like the typical anime protagonist, the same couldn't be said for the other characters in my opinion.
Overall, I really liked the book - it was fun and while it had points of familiarity, it featured a world and culture that I don't often get to see represented with so much detail and care put in, and that really set it apart for me.
Edit now that I've sat with it for a while: I think I discounted how much some of the things in this book rather annoyed me by virtue of it being something I just finished. It felt very YA in a lot of places, and it's hard to rate the book as though it's not. The overly cartoonish villain, lack of real consequences, and each character filling a certain niche without really feeling fleshed out (outside of like, Raksh, who was also extremely YA in character) was a bit much. I'd still say overall I liked this book, especially in comparison to some other books I've reviewed here, but I think maybe not quite as much as I had on my initial review of it. The beginning was strong, and the world had potential, but it didn't quite come together for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol and Sexual content
cleo_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars. Completely enjoyed this immersive fantasy about a retired pirate captain / smuggler who brings her crew back together for one last job. Set in the world surrounding the Indian Ocean in the 12th C, but with magic.
I love fantasy adventures with middle aged protagonists and Amina is delightful. This is a rollicking pirate fantasy that is also a meditation on motherhood and sacrifice, regrets and middle age.
There’s no romance and unlike 98% of the fiction I read, the protagonist is cis and straight. There are queer supporting characters though and found family. Be warned, there’s a fair bit of violence and descriptions of atrocities. And some body horror.
I love fantasy adventures with middle aged protagonists and Amina is delightful. This is a rollicking pirate fantasy that is also a meditation on motherhood and sacrifice, regrets and middle age.
There’s no romance and unlike 98% of the fiction I read, the protagonist is cis and straight. There are queer supporting characters though and found family. Be warned, there’s a fair bit of violence and descriptions of atrocities. And some body horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Body horror
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
This was such a fun read. I loved getting to know Amina and her crew and found the plot very engaging. I read the second half very quickly because I needed to know what would happen. It was darker than I was expecting at times but that added more depth and peril to the story. I didn't know it was the first in a series when I first picked it up and usually I don't like getting into fantasy series. However now I've finished it, I am actually excited for another one. This worked as a standalone story but also sets up more adventures perfectly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Rape and Slavery
jazzlibrariansbookcase's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A solid read. Really good and fun characters, not overly wordy but wordy enough if you like the higher fantasy levels. There is swearing - but this makes it very fun. Read it if you want a fun time - it does take a hot second to get into but when you start to love Amina the book is so much fun
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
relin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I got stuck at 30% because I thought it was going to get spookier. Glad I followed my friend's advice and tried again because it was delightful and mystical. Nothing bad happens to the cat, and I'm excited for this to be a series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Cursing, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Abandonment and Medical content
Minor: Trafficking and Slavery
Religious differencesthemis_biblos's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.75
"This man could manifest as a beam of celestial light, and he chose to use that power to spy on a naked woman?" - "Are you surprised?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
twiller's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
Y’all, this is a weird one! Not bad by any means (I rly enjoyed a lot of it, actually!) but certainly strange. The first half of the book is this “season 1 of a longform adventure anime”-esque collecting-the-squad montage and easily the best part of the book. Anima is a striking but relatable main character with oodles of flair and the supporting cast introductions are banger after banger. I’m completely obsessed with the first like, 300 pages. The later parts are… bizarre. Continuing the anime comparison, the last 100 pages or so feel like when an anime’s last arc is too long to put in one episode but the creators wanna make one BIG IMPACT finale so they just do the entire last volume of the manga in a big season-ending movie. It’s not bad! It just throws a LOT at the reader in very quick successions and very little of it is fleshed out enough to rly leave an impression. I’m intrigued by the ideas presented towards the end, but they never rly grow beyond those ideas. It makes complete sense to me that this is the first part of the trilogy, there’s plenty to expand on here, but I’ve read series-beginning books that have a more complete stand-alone plot than this. As it is, it never rly feels like this book ever “ends”. It just kinda… stops. I prolly will check out the sequels bc, as I said, I’m interested in the concepts presented here, plus I’ve heard Chakraborty’s other series (which I have not read) has a similarly rusty start but leads to an incredible payoff. We shall see!
Last thought: As a history nerd and SPECIFICALLY a historical fiction lover that will tear my hair out if I have to look at another fucking Austen-wannabe Victorian romance, I am soooo happy that Chakraborty’s works and Islamic/MENA/South Asian historical fiction stories as a whole are getting some traction (finally some good fucking food). That being said, I’ve seen some ppl say that they’re bummed that the Muslim fantasy novel with a mostly brown cast getting press is written by a white American lady n… yeah that kinda sucks. I don’t think it’s any fault of Chakraborty’s herself (she is Muslim herself and it’s obvious from her extensive source list and author’s note that she tried incredibly hard to do this story justice), but once again the publishing industry reveals its deeeeeeeeep biases. I genuinely recommend this book even through all of its flaws, but I also recommend checking out some lesser known works by global Muslim authors. Idk I doubt that’s a particularly hot take but yeah anyway um!!! This review is rambly but i don’t care I have to go study for an exam bye!!!
Last thought: As a history nerd and SPECIFICALLY a historical fiction lover that will tear my hair out if I have to look at another fucking Austen-wannabe Victorian romance, I am soooo happy that Chakraborty’s works and Islamic/MENA/South Asian historical fiction stories as a whole are getting some traction (finally some good fucking food). That being said, I’ve seen some ppl say that they’re bummed that the Muslim fantasy novel with a mostly brown cast getting press is written by a white American lady n… yeah that kinda sucks. I don’t think it’s any fault of Chakraborty’s herself (she is Muslim herself and it’s obvious from her extensive source list and author’s note that she tried incredibly hard to do this story justice), but once again the publishing industry reveals its deeeeeeeeep biases. I genuinely recommend this book even through all of its flaws, but I also recommend checking out some lesser known works by global Muslim authors. Idk I doubt that’s a particularly hot take but yeah anyway um!!! This review is rambly but i don’t care I have to go study for an exam bye!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Transphobia and Homophobia
catherinedsharp's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fascinating blend of the real and fantastical with lots of adventure and emotion. Slow to read but it’s a pleasure not a drag, and the writing is always entertaining.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Violence, Gore, Confinement, Islamophobia, Death, and Grief
cadimy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing
meant2breading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
Reasons why I adored this book from beginning to end:
1. A fierce pirate captain who is sailing the 12th century Indian Ocean and is respected by her crew?! And is a single mom?! Heck yes.
2. Amina Al-Sirafi is an absolute badass.
3. Despite having dark twists throughout, there was comic relief. This book had me laughing out loud at times.
4. Diverse characters, many who are seriously awesome!
5. The main characters are relatable and middle aged.
6. I sincerely LOVED the centrality of friendship in this book. With this in mind, the side characters/her crew were incredibly enjoyable to read about and I was highly invested in their journeys too!
7. I liked way the author weaved elements of the history at that time into the world she built.
8. To get the full pirate experience, I streamed Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack music as I read and it was immersive, really felt part of the adventure.
Yes, ok, the pacing in this book is slightly off and I understand why it is not for everyone, but all of the aforementioned factors more than made up for its flaws for me!
1. A fierce pirate captain who is sailing the 12th century Indian Ocean and is respected by her crew?! And is a single mom?! Heck yes.
2. Amina Al-Sirafi is an absolute badass.
3. Despite having dark twists throughout, there was comic relief. This book had me laughing out loud at times.
4. Diverse characters, many who are seriously awesome!
5. The main characters are relatable and middle aged.
6. I sincerely LOVED the centrality of friendship in this book. With this in mind, the side characters/her crew were incredibly enjoyable to read about and I was highly invested in their journeys too!
7. I liked way the author weaved elements of the history at that time into the world she built.
8. To get the full pirate experience, I streamed Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack music as I read and it was immersive, really felt part of the adventure.
Yes, ok, the pacing in this book is slightly off and I understand why it is not for everyone, but all of the aforementioned factors more than made up for its flaws for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Gore