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

adventurous 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
 Look, I know it's only March, but this book is an early front runner for my "best books of 2023" list. Just an absolute delight. You should read it if you like any of the following: 
  • Stuff inspired by/related to 1001 Nights (aka The Arabian Nights) 
  • Pirates, especially lady pirates 
  • Adult characters who actually act like adults 
  • No really, the main character is in her FORTIES, and a MOM 
  • Adventure books 
  • Getting the gang back together 
  • Well-researched historic settings with thoughtfully integrated fantastical elements 
  • DID I MENTION PIRATES?

I did see this on at least one "most anticipated YA of 2023" list, which I find really amusing because while you could argue that the Daevabad Trilogy was a little YA-ish (although marketed as adult fiction), this is a book about an ADULT coming out of RETIREMENT. I do think that teen readers can enjoy it too, but Amina has the concerns of a woman in her forties with a kid at home. 
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