Review by courtneyandbooks - The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

courtneyandbooks 's review for:

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

5.0

adventurous funny mysterious 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

From nearly-moral pirates to nearly-immortal enemies, this story takes us across the seas to a world in which magic not only exists but runs rampant. Amina Al-Sirafi, the nakhuda of the Marawati, is put in an impossible situation to rescue a young child from a foreign Frank man. With her family threatened and the support of a band of devoted friends, Amina comes out of retirement for one last adventure. The Frank is prepared to colonize the whole world, but he may not be prepared for the passionate opponent of Amina al-Sirafi.

Stop everything you are doing and read this. I will be the first to say that pirates are not my favorite in movies or books. However, I was absolutely enthralled by this book, including Amina's deep love for her family, her friends, and a grand adventure. This is not your typical pirate story. Even though the crew of the Marawati may be morally grey at times, they lean toward doing the right thing. The mixture of historical fiction and magic is perfectly intertwined and pushes the story to new heights. I am beyond grateful to Chakraborty for pushing me into a seafaring adventure that will remain one of my favorite novels of all time.

Content Warnings