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A review by hwesta
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this book.
Amina al-Sirafi is a lot of fun as a character. She's a mother and a Muslim and a pirate and none of those feel papered on, since they all are tangled up in her backstory and motivations. She wants to protect her beloved daughter Marjana, but she also wants to live a life of adventure and piracy, and the tension between those drives a lot of her actions (also the fallout from bad decisions in her past). I liked how strong her narrative voice was.
The rest of her crew are similarly delightful. Prickly Dalila who won't admit she considers Amina a friend, and cares deeply about other Christians. Tinbu who cares for the Amina's boat as much as Amina does but isn't great with people. Fellow parent Majed who doesn't want to get involved but can't leave his friends to get lost. Each has an arc and gets a chance to save the day in their own way.
The book stands on its own, but I'm looking forward to the sequels!
Amina al-Sirafi is a lot of fun as a character. She's a mother and a Muslim and a pirate and none of those feel papered on, since they all are tangled up in her backstory and motivations. She wants to protect her beloved daughter Marjana, but she also wants to live a life of adventure and piracy, and the tension between those drives a lot of her actions (also the fallout from bad decisions in her past). I liked how strong her narrative voice was.
The rest of her crew are similarly delightful. Prickly Dalila who won't admit she considers Amina a friend, and cares deeply about other Christians. Tinbu who cares for the Amina's boat as much as Amina does but isn't great with people. Fellow parent Majed who doesn't want to get involved but can't leave his friends to get lost. Each has an arc and gets a chance to save the day in their own way.
The book stands on its own, but I'm looking forward to the sequels!