For me, Chakraborty can do no wrong. Absolutely loved this first installment in the Amina al-Sirafi series. The protagonist Amina, was a fantastic lead, equal parts brash irreverence and thoughtful compassion for her loved ones. I’m a huge fan of the reluctant hero trope and Amina is slowly but surely drawn into saving the day from an evil wizard when all she intended was a quick search and rescue mission to earn enough to retire comfortably. The ensemble cast of characters here were brilliantly developed and I loved seeing Amina’s connection with her rag tag crew. The plot was fun, the characters well drawn, and the relationships were fascinating enough that I felt immediately invested in all of the characters and their continued well being. Just a great first entry in a series all around.

Holy hell. This may just be my favorite book of the year? Chakraborty just has a way of sucking me into their writing. The style, the world, the characters? All outstanding. Definitely one of my new favorites.

I’m going to be honest; I had a hard time getting into this one initially. Whether it was the prose or the setting or the characters themselves, something about this book didn’t immediately grab me. But once I connected with it, I was all the way in. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is one of the most fun pirate adventures I’ve ever embarked upon, and is hands-down the best I’ve read that is set in our own world.

Amina is a middle-aged retired pirate captain who just wants to raise her daughter in peace. But when an offer she can’t refuse for a multitude of reasons quite literally barges through her front door, she finds herself getting the band back together for one last job. Throughout the book Amina struggles mightily with her sense of responsibility, to her daughter and her crew and her faith, and how those various responsibilities are often at odds. I found this struggle fascinating and compelling, and it lent Amina a lot of additional depth.

Not that she needs any help with being an insanely compelling character. Amina herself is larger-than-life in every way. She loves her daughter fervently, and would do anything to keep her safe. This felt like a very unique motivation for a pirate captain. Amina’s Islamic faith is also central to who she is as a person. Throughout the book she wrestles with the morality of piracy, as well as her wandering eye for men, because of that faith. Anytime a character’s faith is at the core of their being, I am flooded with empathy for and camaraderie with them, whether it’s the same faith as my own or one that the world sees as opposing what I believe. I loved the faith element to Amina, and to the story as I whole. It introduced me to a mythology and place to which I have little exposure, and I loved every minute of it.

The entire cast is utterly delightful, brimming with personality and flair while all being radically different from one another. But those differences can’t temper their obvious affection for one another, and for the less-than-honest life of piracy they all tried to leave behind. I love that this is an older cast, and that they have weathered much together. I also love that they don’t all share the same faith. There are Christians and Hindus and Muslims all aboard one ship, and they all respect one another’s faiths. I found this coexistence incredibly heartening.

There is an incredibly strong sense of place to this story, as well. Chakraborty does an excellent job shaping her world within the confines of the one we know, while also blowing a metaphysical hole in it and expanding into a spiritual realm. I’ve read embarrassingly few books set around the Indian Ocean and Arab peninsula, but that’s going to change after having read The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. None of the other books I’ve read with a similar setting have captivated me so fully.

I mentioned that religion is a large presence in this book. That presence is not only felt in the characters, but in the story being told. Myth suffuses the story, and we see faith and spiritual artifacts being wielded as weapons. That element of the story delighted me to no end. I was fascinated by every piece of myth, by every holy weapon, but every creature and monster of lore. Amina’s pirate crew being set against such things made them the underdog, and who doesn’t love to root for an underdog?

I ended up loving this book so much, and I’m afraid that would not have been the case without the aid of the audiobook. Tandem reading the physical while listening to the audio is my favorite way to read, because it makes for an incredibly immersive experience. It is that immersion that won me over to Amina’s story. The audiobook for this is incredibly well done. Both narrators were great but Lameece Issaq, who reads the majority of the book from Amina’s perspective, did a truly brilliant job. I would highly recommend this story in any format, but most especially in audio.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi lives up to its glorious cover. Amina is the weathered female pirate captain I never knew I needed in my life. She is brash and wily and dogged and, above all, faithful. I love her so much. While this is a standalone, I would love to see more stories featuring Amina and her crew, whether those adventures are in their past or their future. It might have taken my a little while to warm up to this story, but it won me over heart and soul by the final pages.

Amina, a retired female pirate, gets roped into one more adventure. Along with members of her former crew, they battle mythological creatures and magic they’ve never seen before. The world building, plot, and characters all blended together to make this an enjoyable read. I loved that Amina was an older FMC trying to do what’s best for her daughter but also staying true to what makes her happy. It’s a balance that many parents can relate to. I’ll be eagerly awaiting Amina’s next adventures! Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager US, and Shannon Chakraborty for providing me with an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
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I was first introduced to Shannon Chakraborty through the City of Brass and the Daevabad trilogy quickly became one of my favorite series of all time. Her ability to transport me to a vibrant new world and to create characters that crept effortlessly into my heart was and still is amazing. When I saw the announcement for the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, I was beyond excited and it did not disappoint in the slightest! 🙌🏽
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It was so refreshing to follow an older MC who’s seen some things and come out the other end. Amina is a legendary pirate who can still throw hands, yes, but she’s also a mother and she’s also got a creaky knee 😂 She’s unabashed and cheeky beyond hell and bursting at the seams with love for the people she cares about. She’s the perfect nakhudha for her amazing crew! Dalila, Tinbu, and Majed clearly respect and love Amina and each other. It was such a delight to see them fight side by side.
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I love this world that Chakraborty takes us to! It was like getting to explore another corner of the Daevabad world. We get to deep dive into things we’ve only glimpsed before, but also explore entirely new beings and stories. The simultaneous feelings of familiarity and novelty were exquisite 🤌🏽 And just like the Daevabad trilogy, it’s rooted in history. Chakraborty does her research and it shows!
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There are a thousand more things I wish I could say, but I’ll simply say this! This is what fantasy is about! 🗣️ Amina al-Sirafi owns my heart and soul. I can’t wait to see where the sea takes her and her crew. I’m ready for the next adventure! If you love carefully crafted fantasies and characters that transcend the page, please pick this book up! 🗣️
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The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is the first installment in a brand new series by Shannon Chakraborty. It is available for purchase NOW in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook format.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I really, really enjoyed this sea yarn!  It takes place at various locales around and on the Indian Ocean.  It was so refreshing to hear about the Age of Sail outside of the European tradition.  After reading, I had fun looking up the history and geography of the places in the novel.

It was also awesome to read about a retired kick-ass middle aged female Muslim pirate named Amina who is forced to go back to sea due to a threat to her family.  I enjoyed the magical elements, the diversity, the sea creature, and her fun crew (the poisoner in particular).  I really loved hearing about Amina's past and how her choices are coming back to haunt her.  I liked that the story was written in the format of Amina's story as told to a scribe.

The minor quibble is that the bad guy was a bit bland and had boring intentions.  That said, I am looking forward to finding out what happens next.  Arrrr!

Side Note: The publishers say it is set a thousand years before the Daevabad Trilogy which I have not read.  It is now on the list.  Also the novel is the first of a trilogy but can be read as a standalone.  Arrr!

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is perhaps my first 5 star read of 2023. Its world is deep with magic, myth, and monsters, made all the more engaging for their grounding within our own world/history. And of course the adventure itself is thrilling and fresh, looking at a classic genre through a new lens without disparaging any of the tropes and cliches we know and love. And of course Amina, a breaker of skulls as well as conventions, is a hero we can all point our children to some day, or aspire to be like ourselves.

Chakraborty hit a home run with her City of Brass series, and this is no different. While this is different from her first, this pirate story has its share of amazing characters! Happy to have this in our collection!

There is so much to be said about 'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi' that I hardly know where to begin. Initial thoughts? I want more. Of this world, these characters, these stories, everything. The writing style is really pleasing, we're put in the shoes of a scribe hearing the story directly from Amina with the occasional section for explaining a myth or backstory to give us a fuller picture. It really worked for me.

I really loved Amina as a character. The complexities of being a woman, a pirate, a daughter, and a mother churn within her constantly. Can she be a mother, a good one, and still do what she loves? Can she fully enjoy the freedom of piracy, the thrill of it, to show her daughter she can be anything, do anything without limits, or is it all too much? There's always that conflict within her but it's in a way that feels natural rather than heavy handed. There's parts where we get to see the Amina from before the story starts are some of my favorites because she's so different but still so like the Amina of the present. Shannon Chakraborty did a really good job with flashbacks as a way to help make the story more full rather than a jarring snap to the past.

I've seen this described as Ocean's 11 meets The Adventures of Sinbad and I couldn't agree more! The ragtag group of friends Amina reunites with are so fierce and silly and loveable. And! The villain is truly villainous and at times genuinely terrifying. This is one of my favorites of the year, I cannot recommend this enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing adventure tale from one of my favorite authors. I love the Daevabad series so much but it could definitely be called dense. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is more of a romp with quirky one-liners and fun quotes for days. I loved the POV that this is Amina telling her story to her scribe so you really feel like you are receiving confidential info before anyone else. Amina is the badass female pirate every little girl dreaming of adventures wishes to be. I cannot wait to read more in this series!

This book is so unique!! Nothing like I’ve read before and I ATE IT UP!!!
I’m fairly new to reading Chakraborty’s books but this new take of hers was magnificent
The world building is so vivid and bold- I got enthralled and lost!
I am a sucker for a high sea adventure and I love a good heist and this book weaves my two favorite things so meticulously and effortlessly!
But what shines in this book is the characters! I love a character driven story and these characters are just so much fun to read and go on adventures with! I also LOVED that the main character is a mom and she’s super tall & a lady pirate

Just brilliant!

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. I haven't had this much fun reading a book in some time. There was a lot to learn about medieval Islamic culture, but Chakraborty develops this world in a way that is engaging and enlightening. These characters are top-notch. I love how Amina is constantly caught between her ambition and her role as a mother -- it's a thoroughly modern struggle and it's completely authentic here. I will be picking up every single book in this series (thank GOD it's a series!) and I'll also be checking out her other novels, on the strength of this one.

Buy it, borrow it -- do whatever you need to do to read this book!

An extremely fun and entertaining pirate adventure with an aging female protagonist as the main character! Magic, demons, monstrous sea creatures, and more - this book has it all! This is my first foray into Chakraborty's writing, although her other Daevabad series is on my TBR list, and I have to say her writing is fantastic! She does a great job of painting the world her characters inhabit. There's lots of good humour mixed with emotional moments too.

Ahhhh Amina, I love you. A 40-something “retired” lady pirate captain with an aching knee on a quest to save her family would have been enough for me, but go ahead and add in a crew of loyal, grumbly characters, a literal demon estranged husband and Chakraborty’s signature humor and cleverness and you have a favorite book of the year for me. I reread Daevabad last fall and loved it even more than on my first go round, so it took me a second to adjust to this world and how different it was, but I was hooked by the mischief, mayhem, betrayal and heart on the high seas. The pacing is so great, and it gave me a little bit of Pirates of the Caribbean, a little Ocean’s 11, and a whole lot of fun. Can’t wait for more adventures!

I can tell you right now, here on March 6th, that this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year, if not the favorite. Every once in a while you just know, early on in a book, "Yes, this was written exactly for me," and that's how I felt about The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi pretty much from the jump. You can read the plot summary, but here's what I loved about the book: Despite touching on some serious issues - class, gender roles, motherhood, ambition - overall this was a funny, joyful romp of an advenuture featuring a found family of distinct and lovable characters. Even the jerk estranged husband was kind of charming. This book just made me so happy and sometimes you need that, you know?

As a huge fan of the Daevabad trilogy, I was eager anticipating this book since the moment it was announced. I'm happy to day it didn't disappoint one bit! Chakraborty brought her signature impeccable world building and propulsive plot to this pirate adventure story. Amina is a fantastic character and I can't wait to continue her story with future installments to this series!

This book had me on the edge of my seat! I honestly feel like these characters became my friends, and I anxiously await to read book two. The storytelling and world building are top tier. If you only read one book this year, please make it this one!

What a beautifully written book. I loved all of the adventures in this book and could not put it down. I loved Amina as a character and cannot wait to see what else she gets up to!

With the huge hype around The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, I wasn't sure what to expect except a pirate adventure story. And while that's definitely a huge aspect of the story - a non-stop depiction of adventures and difficult situations - what I ended up loving the most was Amina. The adventure is sweeping, beginning from the very start and not letting up until the last page. If you love those stories of mishaps, reckless last ditch efforts, and danger - this is for you.

SAC sent me on another thrilling adventure with this story. Amina is everything you’d want in a pirate bandit main character: stubborn, strong, and scandalous.

Amina is retired now and spends her time on household chores. However, when a wealthy woman finds her and asks that Amina find her niece, Amina starts one last adventure.

The mythology, the characters, the depth of the story—this was all just so much fun! I loved being in Amina’s head and her struggle with wanting just a bit more glory was fascinating.

If you like a strong female protagonist, unending adventure, and/or The Brass City, this book is for you! 5/5 stars for me!