"...are not all mothers capable of being monsters when it comes to their children?"

Shannon Chakraborty has done it again with creating an enriching world centuries in the past that delves into the folklore and culture of the seas in the regions around Africa, WANA, and southern Asia. The Daevabad trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart, but it was beyond refreshing to see Shannon take on a different time period with a new cast of characters. She's pushing the boundaries of fantasy by spearheading this new trilogy with a middle aged mother, something that brings pure joy to my heart. I can see myself in ten to twenty years rereading this book, if I choose to have children or even not, merely because I'll be the same age as Amina al-Sirafi. We like to say that women are more than just motherhood, but a lot of time that sentiment doesn't hold out in fantasy books. Well, Shannon proves that 110% wrong.

Amina al-Sirafi is a prickly, protective, thrice married mother who is currently retired from her old life on the seas as a famous explorer/ pirate, but she's forced to return to her old ways when a forceful client, a grandmother, threatens Amina into searching for the client's kidnapped granddaughter. And ot be perfectly honest, all hell breaks lose from then on. From prison breaks to magical islands, Amina is pulled through the ringer trying to finish this job and return to her daughter. While this book is very much adventurous and epic in scope, the heart of it lies with the relationship between a mother and daughter. Their connection underscores so much of this book that in many ways nobody could fault Amina for any of her antics because they all come back to getting back home. This was my favorite aspect to this book. Although, the humor and wit were a extremely close second! It wouldn't be a Shannon Chakraborty book without some chaotic sass/ jokes.

I remember hearing somewhere, possibly on Shannon's social media pages, that this book would have a distant connection to the Daevabad trilogy, but I never thought it would be in this manner. Amina is as human as they come besides her accidental demonic husband, who so happens to be the father of her daughter. She's not used to magic or even the idea of magical creatures/ beings. So when she washes up on an island of pure magic and sees daevas for the first time, I quite frankly howled with laughter as said daevas dashed back into the sea to possibly return back home to Daevabad. It was just such a wonderful cameo even if the individuals weren't anyone we knew. Albeit, there is a character from The City of Brass within this book, and I'm very intrigued to see if they continue to be a driving force of this trilogy. In many ways The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi did a lot of set up for the next two books in the trilogy, which is one of my only real gripes because it muddled the pacing and focus of the story, kinda like whiplash. I believe once the second book releases I'm simply going to perish because Amina has such a deeper connection to the magical side of this world than ever before. Plus, Shannon has a particular talent for writing iconic second books in trilogies because The Kingdom of Copper is pure perfection/ still my favorite book by her.

Anyway, I loved the crew with my whole heart. I'm so happy that Shannon continues to write such diverse casts of characters with the best dynamics and chemistry. Religion is a very complicated reality to books with historical settings, especially in a time period like this, but Shannon puts the pedal to the medal by having a multi-faith crew. While I cannot speak on the Muslim representation, Dalila is a Christian, and I found her conversation with Amina after stumbling upon a terrible sight to be one of the more profound scenes within the novel. It just made me happy to see these crew members respect one another's faith, especially in a time now-a-days when religion is such a testy point of conversation. Furthermore, I'm hoping that the crew can make some journeys further out into the Indian Ocean like Asia because my whole heart wants Majed to check off his bucket list dream of visiting it. I have a feeling we'll definitely explore more , so my fingers are crossed in excitement.

Overall, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is definitely worth a read through, and I'm super excited to see people see the mini cameos and slight connections to her debut series. These adventures are only gonna get more chaotic and rough as the series progresses, but I think Amina has a good foundational support system with her found family on the sea as well as her blood family back on land.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm still reading this - got approved for the ARC just before the book was actually released! - and I am absolutely in love with it. I can't wait for my physical copy to arrive so I can pore over the map, but from the first paragraph, I was drawn in and already found myself amused by and wanting to know more about the titular Amina. I also really enjoyed how it seemed like an actual transcription of an oral story, and the moments where you got reminded that this is Amina telling her story to Jamal, a scribe. I can't wait to see where the rest of this story goes!!

The best pirate story I have ever read! I was blown away by this read. It was intriguing, entertaining, and adventurous!! It was full of history and magic. It was very unique. The characters each brought something special. I can’t wait for the next in the series!! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review.

"If the criminal past didn’t alert you, I have not always been a very good Muslim. Drinking and missing prayer were among my lesser sins, and if I tried to straighten myself up every year when Ramadan rolled around—a new life of piety easy to imagine while dazed with thirst and caught up in the communal joy of taraweeh—I typically lapsed into my usual behavior by the time the month of Shawwal had ended."

I think this particular quote (not to mention references to God and the Quran) made me fall in love with Amina al-Sirafi. No lie.

Personally, I really liked how I understood all of the references to Islam and how it was a fact of life in this world, instead of being seen and treated as an Other. (Similar to Ms. Marvel in that sense.)

This novel was such a breath of fresh air amongst the typical "teenage chosen one with dead parents" fantasy novels that I always read. Amina is a middle-aged mother with a young child, not the adventurous youthful pirate that she used to be. She has chronic knee pain, a lifetime of regrets, an estranged husband with secrets of his own, and a particular set of skills that make her very unique.

The novel is set during Amina's retirement, years after her notorious run as the female nakhuda in the Indian Ocean. In the beginning, I was afraid that her new adventures might be toned down, only because the MC kept mentioning that she wasn't at the prime of her life anymore.

But clearly she was wrong, and Shannon Chakraborty had a lot more in store for her.

This novel is the typical hero's journey, with trials and tribulations, and setting forth into the mysterious and dangerous unknown with a return to the known world at the end. There's magic and mystical items and an evil wizard. Oh, and a giant sea creature. And a magic island that's (literally) otherworldly. Our MC goes through physical and psychological changes. Yet, the setting and the environment is much different than the typical fantasy adventure novel.

The author conducted a lot of research to make the places and characters sound realistic and based in fact, which is pretty cool tbh. Imo, it's so much more exhaustive than creating a fantasy world from scratch.

And it all works out quite well. As a reader, you can feel yourself being immersed in the environment. I feel like I've traveled back in time to a place I've never been to before, with places like Aden, Socotra, and the Indian Ocean in general acting as secondary characters themselves.

I loved this novel to the point where it took me forever to finish it. I didn't want the story to end so I stretched it out until publish day.

I can't wait to read about Amina's next adventures!

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.

Shannon Chakraborty has done it again! As a huge Daevabad trilogy fan, I was super excited to hear that Shannon Chakraborty had another epic fantasy with Muslim characters up her sleeve. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a swash-buckling adventure with charming characters, comedic + witty moments, and of course enchanting magic. I loved following Amina and her crew and I highly recommend this fantasy novel for anyone who was a fan of the ensemble cast and sweeping fantasy adventure in the Daevabad trilogy.

If you have not read anyting by SAC - you really are doing yourself an injustice! The City of Brass is one of my all time favorite series!

This book brings all the things I love about her trilogy but included a fresh plot. Everything was perfect and I need a physical copy of this book immediately!

This book is a wonderfully action-packed swashbuckling tale with lady pirates, high-sea adventure, magic, monsters, humor, and well-written characters. It's got a pulp flavor to it without being cheesy. I loved it!

4,5⭐ rounded up

I thought this was a usual adventure kind of fantasy where the MC was in their prime age, peak career, and I was surprised that Amina had already retired at the beginning of the book.

Yes, Amina was the greatest female nakhuda, but that’s in the past. Now she had a daughter and only wanted a quiet life. She did her best to hide her past because with a great name, came great enemies too.
But on one humid and sunny day, a wealthy woman wanted to hire her. Longing for her ship, the sea, and tempted by the payment, she agreed to the job.

First thing that I love about this book is that most of the characters are Muslims. I’ve read some fantasy books written by Muslim authors but their books usually didn’t bring up any religious aspect. Not this book, though. And being a Muslim myself I noticed that the narration is RICH with Islamic terms (of course most of them translated into English).

The cast of characters are RIVETING. They are old, even for an adult fantasy standard. A nice reminder that your life isn’t going to end by the age of 40, especially for women. I love their dynamics which consist of 50% hilarious banter, 25% arguing (affectionate), and 25% teasing their old body. Literally one of the best found families I’ve ever read. The humor in their dialogues are TOP TIER.

The plot is SO bizarre, far from my initial thought about regular sea adventure, maybe conquering some lands, etc. The story started off with some mysteries that slowly unpacked along the way, since Amina had a whole lotta adventures before her retirement. It involves magical beings, supernatural powers, a psychotic sorcerer, and a mythical object.

And the best thing is the perfect fucking loop. See, In this book, Amina was relaying her story to a scholar scribe, exactly in her voice, to keep record of her adventures. I didn’t even think about this narrative concept until I got to the closing chapter. I think my jaw dropped for at least a full minute. Utterly genius.

I don’t give this full 5 stars because the writing, beside the dialogues, wasn’t exactly my favorite. I noticed an excessive amount of -ly adverbs to emphasize things, and a lot of vocabs were unfamiliar to me (non-native). But overall, it was great. Can’t wait for Amina’s next adventure!!

Loved the book and loved the unique female lead. Overall five stars for the book and can’t wait to read more

Shannon Chakraborty has done it again in this new series! Absolutely devoured this novel! The characters, adventures, histories, and myths were incredibly immersive and engaging.

Check me out on Instagram as @books_boards_and_brews

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
Written by Shannon Chakraborty
Read by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal
Book 55/200
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Format: E-Book
Pages: 496
Published: 2023
Rating: 9.5/10

"For this scribe has read a great many of these accounts and taken away another lesson: that to be a woman is to have your story misremembered. Discarded. Twisted."

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is a fun swashbuckling adventure that definitely fits into my love of pirate fantasy and heists. Amina is a former pirate, called back to the sea when she's presented an offer too tantalizing to turn down. TAoAS is exciting, humorous, and engrossing in no small part to Chakraborty's great characters. Amina in particular is impossible not to love, especially with her narrating her story. The asides and comments throughout are pretty funny and really add to the tale. It is clear that Chakraborty had a lot of fun writing this character.

This book concern's itself mostly with a women's part in history. Chakraborty discusses this in the intro, saying that the stories of women are often changed by those (mostly men) who write history, and often come to an end to fit whatever narrative. By putting this in an older Amina's voice, Chakraborty wonderfully subverts this and makes a very empowering book.

I am very excited to read more of this series and I definitely need to read the The Daevabad Trilogy.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Shannon Chakraborty for the ARC.

A fully immersive, historical fantasy book about priates and the sea? Yes! A middle aged female protagonist who is as badass as they come? YES.

The author really knows how to tell an incredible story. Amina isn't the perfect character, she has her flaws. But I love my badass characters being imperfect. It makes them more relatable and real.

The magic, the creatures. The fantasy mixed with a historical back drop. Gah!
I'm so excited to read this series and can't wait for more!

Amina Al-Sirafi used to be a smuggler. She is forced out of retirement to return a former shipmate’s daughter to Aden; the grandmother offers a reward almost too good to be true. One by one, Amina gathers her old crew back together for one last score. During the journey she is torn between her love of sailing and raising her daughter in rural Yemen.

And there is magic!

Takes place in medieval Yemen, making full use of the cosmopolitan Islamic world setting, Chakraborty paints an intriguing, beguiling life of sailors on the Indian Ocean. Diverse cast, including queer and gender-nonconforming characters without any effort or fanfare or drama. I also loved how the hero is an older woman.

The story has a satisfying ending even as it sets up possible sequels. I definitely want to visit this world again.

What fun this was! My quibbles here are that I wish we'd had a little more character development and the pacing dragged a bit at times, but otherwise, I loved the authorial voice, the world building, and the romping plot. This is the first in a series that I see myself continuing on when it's all out and I can binge it in one big, delightful gulp. Definitely lives up the pre-pub hype

This was so much fun and amazing! It's very Sinbad, but with Chakraborty's flair. I love Amina as a character and her entire crew. I can see that we are going to go places in this series. Can't wait to read the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of the book in exchange for my personal opinions.

I’m not gonna lie, I was very scared I wasn’t going to like this book when I started it!! The book is written so that our main character, Amina, is telling the story to someone else, who is then writing everything down. The weird thing is that at times, Jamal, the person writing down Amina’s story, will ask Amina a question or interrupt the story but we never see what’s been asked or said, only Amina’s responses to the question or interruption.

I didn’t particularly enjoy this method of story telling and it made it hard for me to really immerse myself in the book. I kept putting it down and not really feeling the urge to pick it back up. I think what also played into me not wanting to pick the book back up is that the beginning of this book is SLOW. So incredibly slow. For the first 40% I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it enough to want to continue the series but THANKFULLY!!! Things really do kick off and get interesting right after the 40% mark.

Around this point is when everything I originally expected the book to be like started to take place. It became a fast paced, intense, high stakes pirate adventure with everything you could possibly want! INSANE sea creatures, a lovable and compelling crew that you root for, a lost treasure waiting to be found, magic, battles, and more!

I really enjoyed the battle sequences and they were actually very intense, my jaw dropped at one in particular! I also loved the crew SO much and they were truly the highlight for me. Majed, my beloved, I can’t wait to see more of him and his friendship with Amina in the rest of the series. I also was not expecting to love Raksh but honestly he was lowkey hilarious and gives off big himbo vibes and I can’t WAIT to see what chaos he brings to the next books.

And then of course, we have our main character, Amina. I really love Amina and she is my morally grey icon. She is strong and calculated when it comes to her plans and her ambitions, but soft and caring when it comes to her friends and family. She’s fiercely loyal and not afraid to do what she needs to do to protect the ones she loves and we have to stan!! She’s also SO funny.

If I could condense the first 40% of this book into like 15% this would’ve been 5 stars without a doubt but it just took too long for me to get into. I am EXTREMELY excited for the next book though because the set up and where things are going sounds perfect!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this eARC!!

This book is full of everything I can honestly love: pirates, magic, demon husbands, lovable characters, excitement, a capable and strong pirate lady, humor, and everything in-between. An old-fashioned fantasy story but with a vibrant and enriching world. It grips you with its lush and colorful writing from start to finish. Every scenario is carefully described, weaving such a detailed and intricate world that leaves you hungering for what's to come next. There is no dull moment neither in the narrative nor in the dialogues.

What to say about the cast. Colorful characters that you can't help but love. Every moment and interaction between Amina, Dalila, Tinbun, and Majed lives rent-free in my mind. Their dynamics were all so entertaining and endearing to read. They all complimented each other. And while Amina is our main character, everyone had little moments in which we could see what they were capable of. Don't get me started on Raksh. Easily the one I adore the most, tusks and all. I could happily read a short story of him and Amina and love it forever. Their relationship is so tumultous but delicious. The tension between them palpable each chapter, despite the many reasons we as the reader know why Raksh is a terrible creature. But even so, I found myself cheering for a rekindled romance.

This book was just amazing to read. As someone who deeply respects Muslim culture and religion, every page was full of this vibrant culture. It was such a treat to read. My one complain is that the way its written it assumes you already know about Muslims and Islam so many references to such were lost on me. Some parts I felt I didn't enjoy thoroughly because of this. Regardless, this was a wonderful story and one I feel empowers those who can resonate with the culture. If you want a swash-buckling adventure with pirates, magic, demons, and ancient folklore, look no further and pick up The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

Thanks to Netgally for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sweeping epic filled with magic, joy, and wonder, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is the perfect book to get you through the winter doldrums. Amina is a retired pirate, living quietly in seclusion with her mother and daughter, keeping her storied past a secret until the day the mother of a shipmate arrives with a job offer - and a threat. Amina can either accept a dangerous hunt for a missing girl and the murderous mercenaries she travels with, or her whereabouts will be told to her many enemies. Amina gets the essentials of her crew back together and journeys out onto the high seas in a stunning adventure. Loosely linked to Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy, Adventures is filled with colorful details of the Islamic Golden Age, with mythology and magic everywhere. The writing is fast-paced and the characters well-imagined. It's also nice to have an adult female protagonist who is firm in her identity and crafty as well as strong. The crew are delightful and the mystery surrounding Amina's daughter is compelling. I look forward to reading the seemingly inevitable sequels.

PHEW. How on EARTH am I going to summarize everything that made Amina al-Sirafi a brilliant, breathtaking read?

I am stunned by this book. It is, as the name suggests, truly an epic adventure unlike anything I’ve read before. The backdrop of a historically accurate Medieval Indian Ocean with fantasy aspects grounded in myth and legend was truly breathtaking and so incredibly… full. This is the kind of fiction book you walk away from feeling like you’ve been graced with a wealth of new information and history, and a hunger to learn more.

Let’s talk about Amina. She is a mother, she is a fighter, she is a pirate, she is unapologetically hilarious, she cares so deeply for everyone around her. She is brave and wildly intelligent and creative. I loved Amina, and this story made me realize how much of a tragedy it is that we don’t see many mother’s kicking butt in fantasy novels.

I also want to linger with hilarious because this tale made me laugh out loud SO many times, and sometimes for pages straight. I loved the banter between this found family, I loved Dalila’s antics, I loved Amina’s sibling relationship with Majed, and her unwavering trust in Tinbu. I loved the flippant aloof attitude from our resident Demon, Raksh. I loved how all of these characters had a distinct place on this crew and an important role in one another’s lives outside of their swashbuckling adventures.

And I loved this plot. Quite literally everything took my by surprise, and in the best way, because it all made such utter sense in the end. I am so happy that while this particular adventure feels *complete*, we have the promise of more to come.

I can’t say enough good things about this tale. Thank you endlessly to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this before publishing. I will be watching like a hawk for any possible chance to get my hands on the sequel early!

After a chaotic February, I too would like to hide away in retirement like our protagonist in Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. But that is where our similarities end. Unlike Amina al-Sirafi, I am terrified of the open ocean, yet I decided to follow the storied captain safely from the comfort of my home as she took to the sea for one last adventure.

Amina al-Sirafi is an infamous pirate who savvily schemes across the Indian Ocean. People speak of her in fear and in awe, and the tales about her life are as tall as the mast on her beloved ship, the Marawati. But for ten years, the seas have not seen the legendary woman cresting its waves. al-Sirafi retired and is hiding away in a pile of crumbling ruins, hoping to evade her past and its enemies as she raises her daughter. However, a lifetime career of piracy can’t be put to the sea bed so easily. al-Sirafi is tracked down by a former crewmate’s family member who needs help locating their kidnapped loved one. She reluctantly accepts the call to go on one more adventure, but a lot has changed in a decade and the treacherous seas are becoming even more unpredictable when a new foreign power gets added to the mix.

While I enjoyed The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi overall, the first half of the book was the most compelling. Chakraborty does a phenomenal job setting up the story. She mixes the present day with intermittent chapters that flashback to al-Sirafi’s piracy days while sprinkling in a mystery around a horrifying event that pushed the captain into retirement. As we dance around al-Sirafi’s past, her present is built around this new journey and the crew she depended on for so long. There was a defining moment when the story changed for me, and it was when al-Sirafi’s adventure takes her away from the supporting characters. Without their banter, shared history, and interactions in sticky situations the story’s tone changed. al-Sirafi and her crew were the life force of the story and it could not be replicated as we spent the second half interacting with new faces.

The book starts off as if al-Sirafi is telling her tale to a scribe. al-Sirafi interrupts her story to curse and tell the scribe to keep the story true to her unique voice, and the scribe pops in with short chapters of their own to provide background or supplementary information for the tale. While the short chapters continue throughout the rest of the book, the side conversations with the scribe stop at one point. I can see in hindsight why Chakraborty made this narrative choice, but I found it distracting and uncompelling in the moment and I wish it had been integrated more seamlessly from the start. It’s another reason why the first and second half of the book feel different. At first, the energy of the book feels like we’ve all gathered around to listen to al-Sirafi recount her adventures, but when the interruptions with the scribe cease it makes the reader become an active participant. It’s nothing that prevented me from enjoying the story, but it’s a noticeable shift.

This may be a fantasy adventure story, but Chakraborty explores some of the challenges of motherhood, and the balancing act of mothers who have both dreams for their children and conflicting aspirations for themselves. al-Sirafi contains multitudes, struggling to balance the parts of her that is a mother with the parts that are an explorer, two worlds that are at odds when she wants to keep her daughter in a safe, stable environment. It’s the reason she’s so hesitant to take on the new job, but she also feels alive when she’s on the sea. While al-Sirafi’s doubts, fears, and feelings about her role as a mother surface throughout the story, I didn’t find the theme fully realized. Once al-Sirafi is on her adventure it’s all pirate life all the time, and she didn’t spend much time evolving. Her daughter is like the elephant seal in the room that lets al-Sirafi miss home without putting any effort into reflecting on how she wants to resolve both roles as a pirate and mother.

Despite how the story shifted in the second half, I did enjoy most of my time aboard the Marawati. The bombastic energy of the first half gives you the momentum you need to coast through the calm waters of the second half of the story. Our captain was a fierce yet tired badass who had a lot of IDGAF energy that I know many of you will appreciate. There is fun to be had in The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, and if you’re curious, set sail and see where it takes you.

Rating: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - 6.5/10