Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

50 reviews

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

Amazingly perfect from the protagonist to the villain to the clever twist. So happy to see some nods to the Daevabad trilogy as well! Cannot wait for the second book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Torture

niamhyjay's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Transphobia

ienbdri's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.75

It started off so strong but then it kinda morphed into your average fantasy novel. I loved the narration and following a hero that isn't 16, but the story just fell flat at some point. It was clearly preparing stuff for the next volumes but lost sight of the main adventure on the way. I literally forgot why they were traveling in the first place?

The magic birds just deciding her fate? A place between worlds without an explanation that really wasn't necessary for the story? Random magic without any system? Naaaaah.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Sexism, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, and Death of parent

sunnydale's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative 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? Yes

4.0

what a delightful read. the world was so rich, i immediately wanted to learn more about the historical context, and fortunately the author provided a bibliography! the audiobook is very well-produced, with two voice actors, sound effects in the "present-day" chapters, and adjustments made to address listeners instead of readers. 

i love that the protagonist's faith is central to her character, and we're also able to see how it's developed throughout her life. her faith is sometimes messy, sometimes self-contradicting, but she also never doubts her core beliefs, and she's a more authentic character because of it.

irrelevant to the quality of the book, i noticed that "midnight" is the author's favorite adjective for anything dark. "midnight beach," "midnight ocean," "midnight fabric," etc. it felt like a scavenger hunt trying to find the word in each chapter, lol.

i would recommend this to fans of fantasy, especially those who are looking for non-western fantasy settings. i definitely recommend the audiobook, although you might want a print or ebook copy for the helpful bibliography.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Violence and sexual content are at a PG-13 rating. There is a lot of swearing. The cat is fine.

kappafrog's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense slow-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

4.25

The historical setting was 10/10. I loved how rich the details were and how immersed I felt in the world of the 12th century Indian Ocean. Amina was also a great protagonist, very complex and easy to root for. The choice of setting and characters was exciting and refreshing.

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.

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Content Warnings

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

j_squaredd's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Transphobia, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and War

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

cheye13's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

• 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

This was a very fun, straightforward adventure tale. It was actually quite a bit more fantasy than I expected, but it was a pleasant development. The author's dedication in her research really pays off in the nearly tangible setting. The characters, having a few years and adventures under their belts, feel more well-rounded and real. Getting flashbacks to their previous adventures was fun, and it's nice to jump straight into a found-family dynamic. The series set-up is straightforward, but still intriguing. I really enjoyed these characters and I look forward to seeing more from them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Transphobia, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

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 occasion

dnpatterson2's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

4.5

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is a book that does that rare thing -  it lives up to the promise of its title.  And then some.

*slow claps for Shannon Chakraborty*

Seriously, where do I begin with how good this was? It brings together superb character development (and diverse characters!), well-paced action scenes with a real sense of danger, impressive historical detail (with a bibliography to back it up!), and interestingly incorporated fantasy. Oh, and it's a trilogy, so there's more of the same to come (hopefully).

The title character, Amina, practically leaps off the page. She's incredibly complex and defies stereotypes.  She doesn't suffer fools (and anyone who thinks she cannot be a pirate captain because of her gender) and has a fierce instinct to protect those she loves, including her beloved only child, daughter Marjana. 

I also thought that the villain was realistically and compellingly written.

I can't wait to see what Chakraborty has in store for us next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, and Transphobia