Phenomenal! I have been a lover of Shannon Chakraborty’s work for a long time. I adore the Daevabad trilogy. I didn’t think I could love this one more. But I do. I truly hope to read many more adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. The writing is fabulously descriptive and lyrical. The historical research that is clearly present, and woven throughout the story, not only makes it even more believable, but allows the reader a glimpse of a world often overlooked by the historical fantasy genre. And despite the story clearly taking place in the Middle Ages, the themes of aging as a woman, the need for a band of amazing adventuring friends, the pull between family and adventure, coming of age and finding your way, especially when your path may not be traditional — all of these themes are universal even now. It is ::chef’s kiss::!

This overall, was a fun and lighthearted read. I loved the fresh take with the cast and setting. Anytime a fantasy setting gets shifted east, I am always a huge fan. Having this set in the Middle East and Africa was a really nice change from what you might typically get from a pirate story. Second, and much in the same way as the setting, Chakraborty did a fantastic job steering clear of the old tropes of the fantasy-pirate genre by not even mentioning or alluding to the "women are bad luck on ships" trope. Having the crew be almost all women with very little to no kick-back from the world around them was definitely not something you typically see in this setting. and I think it was handled well. That being said, while the setting and cast was refreshing, the story itself didn't do anything that I felt was groundbreaking or earth-shattering. It's a fairly straightforward heist story, and as such, tends to feel predictable and lack-luster. Very rarely do these kinds of stories actually pull off huge shocks and revelations, and unfortunately, didn't do anything that caught be completely off guard.. It's enjoyable and fun, yes, but I found myself less and less on the edge of my seat as the story went on. I also found the interjections between some chapters to be mostly jarring and plot-stoppers. I would have preferred them to either be shorter and between every chapter, or more seamlessly interwoven into the story rather than seemingly random interruptions to the plot.

Out of the gate, we as readers are introduced to the titular heroine, Amina al-Sirafi—woman, myth, legend. I love how this book takes us on seafaring adventures with a female captain at the helm and without the griminess and vulgarity that often pervade such books. Additionally, Chakraborty infuses the tale with some Islamic and Middle Eastern—in the world-building, the characters, the magic, etc.

Our “fearsome female rogue” has long ago retired from her notorious pirate-queen life and lives a humble, remote existence with her aging but tough mother and her young daughter. Amina’s old life comes calling when an elderly noblewoman offers her unimaginable riches in return for finding a missing (or kidnapped?) granddaughter. Off Amina goes—headlong into danger and adventure!

Chakraborty filled her book with rich character history. We get no info dumps, but instead, learn about Amina’s past pirate adventures and wild days of vice piecemeal. The author skillfully dips the reader into past flashback scenes while simultaneously building anticipation by allowing some mystery to remain.

MC Character Development: What an astonishingly well fleshed out and compelling female protagonist! Chakraborty really knows Amina inside-out. Perfect by no means. Complex, flawed, strong AND likable. The narrative indicates that Amina has learned from past mistakes but still struggles with the call of the sea and a lust for danger. And like most humans, she talks herself into and justifies her questionable choices. She is a woman torn between duty and desire, her better nature versus her more reckless nature.

“You are an excellent judge of risk. Your problem is that you run toward it.”

Writing: simple & accessible yet beautiful & descriptive. Chakraborty keeps a good balance. At times, Amina’s POV is in dialogue with an interviewer Jamal. The entire narrative reads in first person limited from Amina’s point of view.

Fantasy/Magic: this fantastical story is loosely framed by real places and vague bits of history. The magic presents itself in the form of mythic creatures, extra-human abilities, and magical objects.

Supporting characters: delightful. Dalila, our “paranoid poisoner.” Tinbu, the first mate. Majed, the ex-navigator. And the <i>Marawati,</i> Amina’s beloved ship. There’s also a few other great side characters that pop up along the way but I won’t spoil anything for your read. This book is mostly Amina’s story, but I anticipate that future books in the series will let us get more familiar with these fascinating people.

Content: nothing particularly traumatizing or unusual to deserve a trigger warning. Themes include motherhood, female power (organic not blunt-force), greed, friendship, evolving perspective and personal growth.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the chance to read this advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review!

t’was fun (sometimes) but was it a good book…

Looking forward to coming back to write a full review for this platform and others when hcp union’s strike has ended and harper collins has entered into a fair contract with their employees.

*received an advanced reader copy

What did I NOT love about this book? It had everything I could possibly ask for and more. I don't know when I have read a book that had this many one liners and quotes that I loved. Additionally, the ADVENTURE! The BAD-ASSERY! It was amazing. I loved Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy, so I was super excited about this one, and it did not disappoint. I loved the characters and the found family aspect of Amina's crew. I loved the plot and the setting and everything about this book. It was just perfect. I could gush about it forever.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi solidified that, though I've no experience with her previously, I must read all of Shannon Charkraborty's backlist. Amina al-Sirafi is a triumphant character -- and mother, first and foremost -- and I cannot describe to you the feeling that turning the page on the novel and moving into the epilogue brought forth in me. But trust me when I say that this is absolutely a book you need to read. You deserve to read it, and love it, and have it take over your heart the way it's done with mine.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Amina al-Sirafi has survived a life of pirating, rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon. Now she has retired to a peaceful village with her family and her beautiful, innocent, sweet daughter.
She wants nothing to do with her old life. But then an offer comes for a chance to secure her family’s future and safety: so much money it seems unfathomable.
Amina must decide how far she is willing to chase the legend of her past self.

….getting pulled into situations not of her making and which she, as she told me many a time, "would have fucking avoided."

Rich in description, culture, and magnificent use of all five sense, the book is a masterpiece of India.
It deftly handles all religions, colonialism, and even slavery. It doesn’t dismiss or derogate any religion. Each character with different backgrounds, upbringings, race, families and beliefs are treated with dignity and fairness. Not many authors would be capable of succeeding at this. Yet Chakraborty stills points to the bad, the corrupt, the wrong.

For the greatest crime of the poor in the eyes of the wealthy has always been to strike back.
To fail to suffer in silence and instead disrupt their lives and their fantasies of a compassionate society that coincidentally set them on top. To say no.

A beautiful telling steeped in culture, history, action, and loyalty.

This is the easiest 5 stars I've handed out in awhile. And this book was worth the wait. A lady pirate, rich mythology, and a swashbuckling plot to boot? Yes please. I promise you rip-roaring adventure, extravagant worldbuilding, and a really fun take on writing the legend as it happens. I really don't want to spoil much - what I'll say is that if you read and loved The City of Brass, you'll love this book. If you didn't? You'll DEFINITELY still love this book. The book perfectly sets up the rest of the trilogy without ending on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see more of Amina al-Sirafi and her crew.

*Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I love pirate books, so I was excited to dive in. Off the bat, I found the narration a bit jarring, though it injected extra personality into the proceedings, which I appreciated. It took a while to get my footing in the story, but the book is unique and rich. I can see how others will fall in love with it, though it might not have fully enraptured me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyagers for the ARC!
I loved City of Brass, and it is no surprise that I loved this as well. Shannon Chakraborty is a fantastic author and did an amazing good. This book follows an older pirate woman, and I love this! It is so refreshing from ya books. Heist and revenge books are some of my favorites, and being written by such a fantastic author means this one is exceptional. I highly recommend this, especially for lovers of queer rep and awesome women characters.

I was first introduced to Shannon's work through The City of Brass series, for which I am due a reread. Not a spoiler, but you won't have to look far to see a bit of overlap between series.

The premise had everything I wanted in a fantasy novel. A sexually liberated Muslim pirate that captains her own ship? And accidentally marries a demon? Say less.

However, heist books often lose me, and this is above all, a heist. Don't you Six of Crows me.

Amina is hired by a woman who claims her granddaughter has been kidnapped by a Frank. Are these Germans? I'm not good with this time period. It doesn't matter.

Lo and behold, the granddaughter isn't quite a runaway. But the bad white man is bad.

There are some mystical treasures to behold. And demon sex! But even that couldn't captivate me further.

I will say beyond the positive Muslim rep, there is also equally positive gender affirming rep. Traditionalists won't love it, but I'm not here for their negativity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy is among my favorite reads of the last decade. I've recommended it to dozens of people, and I've never gotten a complaint. She's so good at building worlds and characters, and I love that all her stories are grounded in actual history and mythology, religion and folklore.

All that to say, I had extremely high hopes for this book. Even higher once I found out the main character was a 40yo woman pirate. As a 40yo woman, I'm very much here for that. I kept putting off reading it, afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations. Happily, that wasn't the case.

This book is FUN. It's a swashbuckling adventure, a heist, a fantastic odyssey. With no other knowledge of Middle Eastern history or folklore, this book still is a great fantasy made special by featuring characters with some years and knowledge on them.

But if you read it with some understanding of Middle Eastern history or the Arabian Nights tales (Amina = Sinbad), there's depth here. All the places Amina goes to are places in the actual world. The magical beings she encounters are magical beings that feature heavily in the folklore of this part of the world. The framing device -- Amina is telling her story to a scribe, the narrative is interrupted by more stories, variations of stories you've already heard -- is straight out of Arabian Nights.

Highly recommend reading this alongside Yasmine Seale's translation of Arabian Nights.

Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed this. Definitely looking forward to more installments of Amina's adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

Amina Al-Sirafi is a legendary pirate reluctantly pulled from retirement for what she thinks is one last voyage to save the young daughter of a former crew-mate when what she truly finds herself on is an adventure brimming with mythical artifacts, magical creatures, and fantastical and imaginative settings. Alongside her crew: loyal Tinbu, mistress-of-poisons Dalila, and navigator Majed with a little “help” from her estranged trickster demon husband, sets out on a high seas adventure to stop an evil sorcerer from using a wealthy teenage scholar to unleash chaos on the world.

Amina is a fascinating character- a cynical but immovable natural leader with a sharp tongue and low tolerance for nonsense. As a late 30-something reader myself, it was awesome having a main character in their 30s/40s who has seen a little something of life and has real responsibilities on her shoulders; simultaneously carrying the sense of obligation that comes with being a mother and the desire to keep the part of you that makes you, YOU, whole. Chakraborty is a master of creating characters and situations that are seemingly paradoxical - reinforcing to the reader how people and things are rarely only what you see on the surface.

Queer/trans representation and themes of friendship/found family are woven expertly through this adventurous tale. The characters are diverse, the action scenes will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you will root for the success of every single character - even the deeply flawed ones (looking at you Raksh).

My only critique is the setup of the story as being told by Amina to a scribe, which felt slightly unclear from the onset so when the scribe would randomly break into the story with a question to chastise Amina about her language it really pulled me out of an otherwise completely immersive story. There were also some plot points that I had lingering questions about that weren’t clarified, specifically relating to how Amina arrived at the Peri Island. Regardless, this was a well researched and fascinating story with an excellent character study.

The story does end somewhat open-ended with what might be the potential for a second book or book series with Amina Al-Sirafi,and if that is the case I certainly would not complain! Thank you HarperVoyager and netgalley for the opportunity to read this story as an e-arc.

Please note: I will be withholding my public review on goodreads and spotlight on my social media in solidarity with the Harper Collins Union until such time that Harper Collins Publishing resolves the strike by providing workers with a fair contract.

After recently reading The River of Silver (an excellent short story collection), I decided to dive into The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. And I’m so very glad that I did because this one is easily one of my top five favorite books of 2022. It felt like a breath of fresh air, and I would have happily started rereading it as soon as I turned the last page.

As I’ve been getting older, I’ve noticed that it’s becoming harder to find stories of female protagonists in a similar life stage to me in fantasy novels. Until I read this one though, I never realized how few of them were mothers. It feels a bit trite to say this, but Amina was the protagonist I never knew I needed. She’s fierce, bold, a bit brash, and grapples with balancing a family with her career (which just so happens to be piracy). I completed adored her and would really like to see more protagonists like her in the future.

However, this book is about so much more than Amina. There’s magic, there’s danger, there’s a few extremely poor decisions (including a very questionable, yet entertaining, choice of spouse). Reading this book was an absolute joy and I actually laughed out loud multiple times. I would highly recommend this one if you like your fantasy with some swashbuckling, a lot of adventures, a lovable cast of misfits, and some great world-building. I can’t wait to see where Chakraborty takes this series next, and I already know that I’m along for the ride.

*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

"The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi" is pure pirate treasure; adrenaline, mystery, magic, and, as fans of Chakraborty can expect, a badass lady hero. The hero in question? Amina loves hard, sails fast, and occasionally, when in a pinch, she makes deals with magical creatures she does not fully understand. The crew of characters is laugh out loud funny, a found family that won't let you ruin your life without them by your side to hack away at your enemies. Fans of City of Brass will discover Easter Eggs, but you certainly do not have to read the other series first. The beautifully detailed myth of the Daevabad world remains. New readers, I guarantee you are going to want to dive into the existing lore. No one can make you feel transported to another world or another time in history like Shannon Chakraborty.

I read this arc in exchange for an honest review in December 2022. I withheld my review to honor the Harper Collins Union strike. #HCPONSTRIKE

I had high expectations for this book after finishing the Daevabad trilogy earlier this year, and it did not disappoint. Also, reading a book with a main character who has the same name as you is, like, really cool.

Chakraborty’s writing has a way of plucking you out of reality and dropping you into a magical world. What’s unique about this fantasy is that it centers around a woman in her 30s who has already experienced love, marriage, and motherhood. The characters in this book felt so real; complex and flawed. It’s difficult not to get invested in them as a collective, as well as each character individually.

As a Muslim from the SWANA region, I loved witnessing the ways in which this vast region—its diverse people and cultures—inspired the world-building and magic system. It’s always lovely to be able to connect to a fantasy book culturally.

We are exposed to characters of various ethnic backgrounds, sexualities, and gender identities—who are all nuanced and vital to the story; not just plugged in to fulfill a representation quota. I think this kind of representation is especially important for Muslim diaspora/SWANA folks.

Overall, I loved following Amina and her friends’ journey and I am beyond excited for the next book!

Thank you to Shannon Chakraborty and her team for providing me with a digital arc of this book!

It’s tricky to review this book without giving away its secrets, but I shall try. What starts as a well-researched and very enjoyable historical romp develops into an adventure of mythological proportions, with nods to the author’s Daevabad Trilogy and an exploration of the myths and legends of the time.

From the beginning, our Narrator, Jamal al-Hilli, introduces Amina Al-Sirafi as a pirate, a witch, and a mother and vows to tell her story because “to be a woman is to have your story misremembered.”

Amina is a devout Muslim who easily dispatches demons with a dagger inscribed with holy verses. She is a retired pirate and a devoted mother to 10-year-old Marjana and lives in quiet solitude until a woman hires her to rescue a kidnapped granddaughter (who is also the daughter of a former shipmate of Amina’s)


So begins the quest to reassemble her scattered crew: Dalila, Mistress of Poisons; Tinbu, boatman and occasional smuggler; Majed, her navigator, and Marawati–her beloved ship. They are hired by the Frank with mystical powers to find the legendary Moon of Saba, the largest pearl in the world – but unless they recover the granddaughter and the Moon of Saba, Amina’s family is in danger.

Things are complicated rather nicely, when Amina’s most recent husband (and the father of her child) Raksh reappears and reveals that he’s bound to her. Raksh is a delight–charismatic, mysterious, and not at all human.

The book is framed as a story told by Amina herself to Jamal al-Hilli, and the moments when the story shines the most are when she shocks him with profane language or a double entendre and she comments on his reaction. The story itself is a roller coaster, with some unexpected twists and turns, rich detail, a likable cast of diverse characters, and a dive into the myths and legends of the region. I was also pleasantly surprised with the LGBTQ+ representation. The book was a treat, and I can’t wait for the story to continue.

My sincerest thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advanced copy to review!

Read this book! Shannon Chakraborty is an amazing writer and she brought to life a magical world and its people. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi has something for everyone, from fantasy and adventure to family and love. I loved the Daevabad trilogy and was so excited that Shannon Chakraborty has a new book coming and it did not disappoint. If you like pirates, magical adventure, and strong female leads this book is for you. I'd also recommend it if you don't like those things because this book is good on multiple levels.

This was a very fun adventure novel with the added bonus of having an (unfortunately) atypical protagonist: a middle-aged woman and a mother. I loved the (research-based!) depiction of port cities on the Indian Ocean and the different cultures and mythological traditions that are represented.

Amina is retired and reformed. Sure, money is tight, but she lives a pious life with her beloved daughter and the rest of her family. Much better than her storied career as a notorious pirate. But when the relative of a former crewman tracks Amina down and makes her an offer she can't refuse, Amina gathers her old crew on one last adventure.

A historical fantasy billed as Ocean 11 meets Sinbad the Sailor? This book was a joy and perhaps my favorite read of 2022. The tone conveys a sense of a huge, mysterious world filled with adventure. Amina's voice is so distinct— brash, clever, and charmingly irreverent and paired with insightful commentary about the challenges of motherhood and middle age. How she refutes and yet exceeds the tales told about her is a constant delight.

It's also such a pleasure to see how Chakraborty has grown as a writer, particularly in portraying relationships between her characters. There are so many complex ties between Amina, her family, and her crew, and Chakraborty portrays those tangles so beautifully.

Highly recommended.