A review by nerdatlas5
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous funny hopeful 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? No

4.75

I loved this book. It took longer for me to read, not cuz it wasn't good, but because I loved all of the cast of the Mawarati so much I had to pause for the day if the book was at a particularly tense moment. I really appreciated that the book choose older people to fill out the cast. The themes of bringing the gang back together, of trying to reconcile past mistakes with their faith and their current selves were really well executed.

My one twinge is that I didn't always like the ping ponging between telling the past and returning to the current story, but once we get to know who our narrator Jamal is in relation to the rest of the crew it made so much sense in hindsight. Its just I find it really difficult to pull off the bouncing between 2 different pltolines, whether it's between past and present like this one, or between 2 different povs. This almost pulled it off. It is certainly a good use of that style of writing, but it was part of what slowed me down when reading it.

But that's neither here nor there. I 100% recommend this book for anyone who wants an adult fantasy with a rich world and a fun cast of characters.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings