DNFd @20%

The way that this book is written. Is making it the story feel all over the place and hard to focus on. Maybe I will continue this at a later date, but I'm really not enjoying it at the moment.

The notorious Nakhuda Amina al-Sirafi disappeared from society in stories as spectacular as her escapades on the sea. The truth is much simpler: she retired. But after a decade of watching her daughter grow, an old debt comes calling that lures Amina back into the life she had left behind.

Chakraborty has done it AGAIN! This book was un-put-downable (and so good, I need to make up words, apparently) and flew by. Though very different from the Daevabad trilogy, Chakraborty's strengths were all on full display - world-building, deep characters, and an extremely distinctive narrative voice. Chakraborty should write a master class in voice; Amina had the most mama-bear, salty, sarcastic voice and it was clear on every single page that this was HER story. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Content Warnings: language, violence, gore, references to sexual violence, references to pedophilia, references to genocide

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.

There are so many things I loved about this one! In fantasy, middle aged women with children are rarely the mc. In fact I can't think of a single book with this representation. It was a breath of fresh air to get an mc who is experienced in life stepping back into her old life, but from an older wiser kind of outlook.

I really enjoyed this fun story that was full of adventure and humor.

I hadn’t read anything by this author before picking this book up. Although, I had heard great things about her writing. I do have her first series on my tbr, haha. The book, for the most part, was good and I can see why this author has a following.

The book is told from on point-of-view and it comes from Amina al-Sirafi. She is a retired pirate who now takes care of her child and mother. It’s such an interesting change of careers and I like that through the book we get her thoughts on both and can understand the pull of the adventure, but also wanting a good life for her child. Amina is one fierce lady and masks her concerns well! She is a fighter and will do anything to protect those she cares about.

There are quite a few other characters in this book that get a lot of page time. One being her crew. There are three major players to this and each one is brought back into the fold when a kidnapping takes place and they in a way are connected to the girl. Loyalty is a trait that they all have in common. The crew was fun to get to know, but I definitely thought Delila was hilarious with her antics when it comes to alchemy. The villain is also pretty present and he is the perfect guy to hate. There is also a special someone that has a fun relationship with Amina and I hope they continue to make a presence in the trilogy.

The plot is filled with adventures on land and sea, politics, backstabbing, and magic. I will say that it took me a bit to get into and there were some lulls in the story as well that kind of took me out of it. It was definitely much harder to put down once I got past the 50% mark and things started to move rather quickly. I also thought the plot would stretch across the trilogy but it wraps up by the end although she was give a task to complete and I am assuming that is what the other books will be about. Because of it wrapping up, the climatic ending didn’t feel so climatic for me.

My only other complaint is that the writing style was confusing because we are told in the beginning that she is being interviewed about her adventures and someone is writing them down so the dialogue is a bit different here which is fine, but it will jump to that sort of dialogue in the middle of chapters telling about the adventure but the tense and narration changes so suddenly that it can be hard to make sense of while reading. I don’t even know if that makes sense with how I explained it, haha.

Overall, this was a good read. I am curious how the sequel will be and I am sure I will check it out.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This first in a proposed series is a rollicking ride around the Indian Ocean with the middle-aged retired smuggler Amina al-Sirafi. She gave up her pirate life ten years before when she gave birth to her daughter, Marjana. She ekes out a living in an isolated ruin of a house in Oman. Then she is approached to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a former shipmate. She is offered a fabulous sum of money and Amina can't resist the lure of just one more adventure.

Filled with historical details drawn from accounts of medieval seafaring and the cultures of the people whose lands touch the Indian Ocean, this is more than a funny, exciting, fresh tale of sorcery, danger, and found family. It is also a fascinating glimpse into an area of the world that up until now rarely forms the basis of fantasy world-building. Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy was a fabulous work that opened up a deep well of mostly unfamiliar folklore and legend for contemporary fantasy readers. Readers will be richly rewarded by this new set of characters and this enchanting new world. Highly recommend.

First and foremost, I have to mention how much this book surprised me in terms of humor. It made me laugh quite a bit which I wasn't expecting. Chakraborty's other series has a more series tone with some light moments, but this one is a perfect mixture of comedy, action and fantasy. It somehow balanced being both lighthearted, fun and moving. In all honesty, I believe that is because of the main character who inhabits all of those traits. Amina is crass, stubborn, strong and wilful. I honestly loved her as a main character. I never knew what was going to come out of her mouth or what she would do next. She is a heroine that I am excited to see more of, so I am very thankful that this a series. This book is filled with history, mythology, magic, action, horror, comedy and relationships. It is an absolute blast and I a cannot wait to see what other epic quests Amina and her gang go on. If you are wanting something fresh then this is a perfect book to pick up!

4.25/ 5 stars!

Obsessed! Shannon Chakraborty has done it again. This book was so much fun and just the epic pirate adventure I was looking for. I loved how complex the characters were through their flaws and ambitions, especially and most prominently Amina. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did I could not put it down for the life of me. If you’re looking for a pirate adventure filled with adventure, myths, magic. piracy (and so much more) LOOK NO FURTHER.

A diverse presentation of characters and different personalities. Chakraborty does it again with amazing story telling and world building with a high stakes plot.

This is my most anticipated book of 2023 and Shannon Chakraborty has once again risen upto my expectations and gave me a thrilling seafaring adventure with a memorable cast of characters.This is a mini heist cum rescue mission cum coming of age Sinbadish adventure on the high seas with one of the bestest badassest funniest sarcastic 40 plus year old heroine and her equally crazy bunch of friends, crew and a himbo trickster demon! I had sooo much fun reading this book and just didn’t want it to end. Amina al sirafi would remain forever one of my favourite heroines!!! Subjectively it’s maybe around 4 stars but I keep thinking about them soo much afterwards that I had to give this book 5 stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, as the name implies is a cute book of magic filled pirate adventures with a cozy mystery vibe and Shannon Chakraborty's signature style. I like that this book is written in the voice of the era of the people the characters represent. It completely came across as the author intended (see her 'Author's Note') and added another layer to her already masterfully produced prose. For me this is Shannon Chakraborty's best most sophisticated work to date.

How the author managed to capture the feel of a cozy mystery (while not being a cozy mystery), 'story within a story' style, historical fiction fantasy (while still modern and inclusive) and the cultural religious tensions of the region all at the same time, while maintaining humor, is beyond me. The characters are vibrant and likable. The main cast being middle aged to older adults with adult language, situations and humor which was very very nice. No angst. Dalila is my favorite. I haven't laughed so hard reading a fantasy book in a long time. I cannot get enough of her subterfuge and craftiness.

Admittedly I wasn't sure this book was for me when I started. Although I love spunky, rule breaking women, Amina didn't hook me right away. Her life with her daughter seemed too quaint and tame to hold my interest. Quickly I learned that was the intention. The juxtaposed difference between Amina's retired life and the excitement of her adventures is award worthy. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a keeper. Please please please keep writing this as a series. I can even see it carrying over to the kids as adults. What a delightful, hilarious story this turned out to be. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for my advance copy. I love love loved it.

This book was provided as an advanced copy in exchange for review. It was provided before I was aware of the Harper Collins Union Strike. In support of their efforts, any further review will he withheld until a resolution is reached.

We pretty regularly get people asking for recs in the under-utilized genre of fantasy pirates. I’m very happy to report that *The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi* is not only a new one in that category, but it’s *awesome*.

This is the first book in a new series (I’m guessing the plan is for 5 books, for reasons I will not be sharing) from S.A. Chakraborty, author of *City of Brass* (now publishing using her first name). It concerns, as one might expect, the adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, a pirate captain in the Indian Ocean during the 13th century. She had achieved quite a bit of infamy before retiring to raise her daughter, 10 years before the book starts. But she has to go back to sea when a wealthy woman (mother of a dead former crewman of Amina’s) uses a combination of bribes and threats to induce Amina to go and rescue her granddaughter/her shipmate’s daughter from the Frankish Crusader who has kidnapped her. So Amina is off to get the gang back together, get her ship back, and have one more adventure.

This book has a lot going for it. Let’s start with the setting. This was during the middle of the Islamic Golden Age, and the Indian Ocean sea lanes were a cultural melting pot linking Africa, the Middle East, India, and China. I’m always a sucker for a book with an underutilized setting, and this is a good one. The characters are great; not only Amina herself, who is cynical and snarky and utterly wonderful. There’s also her first mate Tinbu, a rakish Indian former slave; her navigator Majed, a Somali family man who dreams of voyaging beyond the edge of the map; and Dalila, the Iraqi Christian poisoner, assassin, alchemist, and all around Solver of Problems in Creative and Sometimes Explosive Ways.

While the book touches on a great deal of larger issues (most notably questions of gender, unsurprisingly) this isn’t a book that will particularly challenge you. Instead, this is a book that carries you along on a capital-A Adventure. Though there will certainly be sequels, this also works well as a standalone. Sequels are set up, but this ends well by itself.

Bumping *City of Brass* up the queue after this.

Set sail on a new trilogy with a possibly reformed pirate and her loyal crew of diverse ethnicities and skill sets. Amina is done with sea adventures keeping her and her daughter safe on land until she is lured back to the sea to rescue a kidnapped girl. Getting back her ship and crew is easier than the voyage will be and now she is once again dealing with her unusual ex-spouse and a power hungry Frank who will give her more trouble than she bargained for. Shannon Chakraborty's skill at world building was apparent from her recent Daevabad stories but this one will set her prowess in stone forever. A touch of Sinbad the Sailor mixed with One Thousand and One Arabian Nights this is a female driven high-octane adventure with as much sarcastic wit as there are unusual creatures and a dose of heartfelt emotion. Can't wait for the next one! My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Amina Al-Sirafi is retired. She has left behind her seafaring, pirate ways to raise her daughter in peace wither mother and her family.
Until she is forced back into one last adventure. The wealthy mother of one her former (deceased) crewmen has tracked her down to demand her assistance in finding her "kidnapped" granddaughter. Using her wealth, power and threats to bully Amina into agreeing to search for her, the woman sets Amina on a path back into the world she thought she had left behind,
Amina retrieves her ship, being cared for by her trusted friend, and collects some of her old crew to assist her in quest.
There was a lot to enjoy about this story- female pirates, a devilsh poisoner!, reuniting a found family (and the lack of bitterness and resentment among the core crew was amazing. They had some issues - you didn't write! Sorry! Okay! Move on), Amina herself was a delightful voice, funny, clever, slightly irrevrent.
Can't wait to see what the next books bring.


Thank you to NetGalley for an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED THIS BOOK! Apparently SA Chakraborty is an author that I will read every single time! The characters were amazing, the world-building is beautiful, and I love her writing style. This book quickly became a favorite right alongside her Daevabad Trilogy!

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is about a woman who is pulled back into piracy after putting that part of her life away for 10 years. There are monsters, magic, ship-to-ship fights, sneaking around, breaking out of prison, a master poisoner, and a fantastic framing device. The book is framed through an interview between Amina and Jamal, a scholar looking to write her biography.

Shannon Chakraborty is a fantastic writer who focuses on women in the ancient Arabic world. The writing is top notch and the story is classic sea adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was an amazing 5 star read.

The plot is fast paced, adventurous and left me wanting more. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves strong female MC’s.

Shannon Chakraborty is back with another beautiful fantasy novel, THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI. I and many others fell in love with her THE DAEVABAD TRILOGY, which was lush with fantastical elements and a wondrous cast of characters. This book blasted by expectations, and gave me everything I wanted from another Chakraborty novel. Her writing is absolutely perfect and allows the story to pop off the page. This was one of my favorite reads of the year and I cannot wait to see what Chakraborty writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*slaps cover* “This bad boy can fit so many crimes”

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was a fantastic, 5 star read that is like no other pirate book I’ve ever read. The story is conveyed through the MC’s narration of events, to a scribe who is “writing” the book in your hands. While this style of writing threw me a bit at first, I quickly got used to it and grew to enjoy it (especially by the end of the book).

The plot it’s self was a fast paced, swashbuckling adventure that is guaranteed to keep you wanting more. Amina al-Sirafi is a legend among pirates for her daring plans and connection with the supernatural. But more importantly, she’s retired. So when she’s presented with more money then she could spend in a lifetime, she jumps at the opportunity to return to the seas once again. Despite her age, al-Sirafi’s capacity for danger and proficiency at captaining has not changed…she’s still a badass.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves sword fighting pirate queens, a pinch of murder (as a treat), and magic magic magic!