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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: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and War
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
anni_swanilda'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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Death of parent
madamenovelist'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cursing and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content
rheagoveas'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
darthchrista'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
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
gcamelopardalis'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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Transphobia
bel017's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I adore Amina's pragmatic voice. I relate so much to that mentality of getting on with the job in front of you, even though you'd really rather have a lie down. Her competence, humor and practically, and the way she accepts magical forces as just another idiotic thing she has to deal with was a delight.
I loved Amina's pull between motherhood and her own desires, though I would have liked to have seen that more resolved. And the plot points put in to make this the first book of a series felt forced; this is a complete tale, why does everything have to be a series now?
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Slavery, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Alcohol
madelonpaige's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Body horror
hannahbailey'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
4.0
"For while the pious claim money doesn't buy happiness, I can attest from personal experience that poverty buys nothing."
"I pressed my knife where his legs met. 'The first offense costs a tooth. The second, something far dearer.'" what a legend
"People may call my kind sea rats, but let me tell you, rats know when to fucking run"
"This man could manifest as a beam of celestial light, and he chose to use that power to spy on a naked woman?"
"You plague of a woman, if you could just listen to reason!" I too would like to be referred to as a plague of a woman 😌
I really enjoyed this epic tale of a female pirate coming back from retirement for one last adventure -- the reward so high she couldn't turn it down. The blend of religion and magic was really well done, the sense of mystery and unanswered questions throughout was also really compelling. I liked that many of the magical creatures were humanoid in nature, meaning the MC could converse with them with her trademark wit and swearing!
Whilst the front cover (both US and UK) suggests a world of magic, high seas and adventure, be prepared for graphic scenes of violence, injury and death. There's also blackmailing, demons and a queen of poisons too so definitely not for the faint-hearted. I always love characters exploring motherhood, sisterhood and the found family trope. The novel has all this and more with a diverse cast of characters and exploration of gender identity (although MC is cis-hetero-female). Lots of action and battle scenes as well as more tender moments of powerful friendship. Fans of Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows would enjoy this. I love learning through fiction, and with this novel I learned more about Islam, Arab culture and the pre-colonial world of the Indian ocean. Read the Author's note for further reading on these subjects!
As a 500-page book, I really struggled at the beginning to stay interested as it felt a lot of pages had passed before the adventure really got going. However, it's worth pushing through as the plot quickly ramps up.
TW: violence, blood/gore/injury, death, threat of sexual violence, torture, body horror, kidnapping, alcoholism, misogyny, slavery
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
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, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Minor: Deadnaming