Shannon Chakraborty knocks it out of the park with this wildly entertaining, well-written, and exciting trilogy starter following an uneasily retired pirate captain who gets drawn back into the life she left behind for one last job. Amina al-Sirafi is a middle-aged woman who has not been back to sea since the birth of her beloved daughter many years ago, but whose infamy as one of the most storied pirates in the land draws the attention of a rich woman (the mother of one of Sirafi's former crewmates, in fact) who is desperately searching for her missing granddaughter. The reward for finding the girl will be riches enough to set up Amina-al-Sirafi and her own daughter for the rest of their lives and then some, but she quickly finds out that this mission is neither as clear-cut or as simple as it might have seemed. Our pirate protagonist will have to scrape the very bottom of her well of tricks and skills, reform her old crew, and join forces with the most unlikely of allies if she hopes to survive this incredible journey that will take her places beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

An enchanting and delightful story told masterfully by an author whose character-work and ability to create vivid and wonderous worlds is clearly at the top of their game. The way the story is told evokes the feeling of reading a classic adventure tale without any of the hang-ups one might expect from employing that kind of structure. This is a funny and thrilling tale that readers of Chakraborty's previous books will devour and then thank their lucky stars knowing that there are more adventures to come for Amina al-Sirafi. An immediate recommendation for fans of the author, and as a standalone book and series starter an easy recommendation for genre fans.

Is this book a nautical pirate adventure? An Ocean 11-esque thriller? An emotional journey of motherhood and middle age? A magical reinvention of history that blends geopolitical conflicts, Islam, and mythology? Answer: all of the above! I had a fantastic time getting to know Amina Al-Sirafi and her misfit band of friends. I think my favorite part may have actually been the recruitment montage, when she sails around unearthing her old crew for one last legendary adventure. This sequence possessed all of the "getting the band back together" energy I could have wanted from an ensemble-based heist narratives, I almost wish the story had stuck to the phenomenal energy it built up between Amina and her core group. With the introduction of Rakesh and the meatier plot elements the relationships in the book took a backseat to the propulsion of the narrative, which while contributing to a great story, felt a bit like a loss. Even so, this swashbuckling saga was equal parts heart-warming, heart-rending, and rip-roaring fun.

FOR THE PUBLISHERS: WHY NOT MAKE THIS A 5-BOOK SERIES THOUGH???? OR MORE? OR MORE!

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Amina al-Sirafi is a hot mom whose biggest concern is completing home repairs before the rainy season, she is definitely not-a-pirate and definitely does-not-miss-the-wind-in-her-hair, furthermore, she has no idea where those rumors about a trail of ex husbands and teeth sharpened to points and mysterious robberies-cum-poisonings came from. When she is mercilessly dragged/bribed/blackmailed into un-retiring from her illustrious career on the high sees to save a kidnapped teen, she must reassemble her wayward but lovable crew (to the tune of Thin Lizzy's The Boys are Back in Town) and steal back the young heiress despite having little to no clues about where she and her kidnapper - a European crusader (ugh, gross) would-be wizard who is searching for magic powers to rival the gods - might be taking her. Adventure is afoot!

Ok get serious. I loved how much the research the author did about this time period and geographical setting came through in her story-telling. The boats, the trade routes, the cities and their governance, belief systems, wonderful; there are references to famed Islamic explorers, the Banu Sasan, the Crusades, greek fire, and probably a lot of things I didn't catch. The author includes a bibliography and further reading recommendations as well, which I love.
This story has everything: a middle-aged mom MC, pirates from every corner of the Arabian Sea, great escapes, swindles, evil magic, good? magic, magical creatures, semi-divine beings, a treasure hunt, sword fights, maps, A CAT - need I go on?! But really, the book did not feel overwhelmed by this, it felt each new piece fit naturally into the story.
I love the character of Amina - she is a mom, yes, and that is most certainly her highest priority - but it is not her only identity. She has loves and hopes and passions beyond what she can provide for her daughter, and although she can sometimes feel ashamed when they compete with her daughter for her attention and effort, she does not deny that they are a part of her. She is finding a way to be both things. I LOVE THAT FOR HER. I LOVE THAT FOR US, GIVE US MOMS WHO ARE ALSO PIRATES!!!! I also love that the story is told in her irreverent voice, her side commentary and sarcasm made me cackle multiple times while reading. The other characters are also great - we get depth in such short passages, few lines of dialogue are given to her compatriots but they still feel like they jump off the page.

I will say there were things I would change - I don't know that the "contemporaneous historical documents" that were included at the beginning of each chapter in the first half of the book were really necessary. Especially in combination with the narration of the book as an interview or recorded tale; that is, I think just one of those things could've been done, using both took me out of the story often and I think, made the story slower. Noticeably, this drops off in the second half of the book and the story speeds up considerably without that extra weight. Along that line, I thought the pacing was a bit off. The entire first half of the book felt slow and cumbersome and I think they don't even really get started on their journey (debatable) until near 40% into the book. At that point I was thinking, ok this is cute, it's cool, they had some fun hijinks, but it's slow and I don't feel the excitement of reading a fantasy novel. BUT - very important - I ate my words. The story picks up and takes off VERY quickly after 50% - and by the end of the book I was really swept away by the adventure of it all, I wanted to share this story with others.

I really hope you will read it and love it. I really hope (if the author wants) the publisher will give us a book for each talisman (honestly, I would read twenty books of Amina's adventures)(and twenty more of her daughters or grandfather's)(they would look so good on our shelves, don't you think??). I'm so excited to see where the crew goes next (oh I hope they make it to China SO MUCH) and so excited to see Jamal's future with them. I can't wait to get Raksh back in future stories (he's awful but he's so fun too, you know?) and I hope hope hope Amina's daughter will join them. (I don't know why I just feel like she'd love it)(fingers crossed for a stowaway story).

Amina al-Sirafi, former Nakhudha of the Marawati, has left her days of plundering, pillaging, and pirating far behind her. Actually, she hasn't stepped foot near the ocean since the birth of her daughter, 10 years ago. She had zero intention of ever seeing her ship or former crewmates again until she was tracked down by the wealthy mother of one of her former crewmen. The job she is offered is one no one can easily refuse. Find her late friend's kidnapped daughter and receive a sum that will assure her family will have riches for ages to come. Amina agrees but, like all great adventures, things are not as easy as they seem. As the stakes get higher, lies are uncovered, and plans are forced to change, Amina must become the legend of all the stories told about her in the past if she has any hope of returning home.

This book has everything. Magic, pirate adventures, politics, gay and trans representation, a cat who fails at being a cat, demons, found family, funny banter, mystical artifacts, gruesome violence, and one 40-year-old badass retired pirate and mother. I had high hopes for this book and it really managed to exceed them. Chakraborty masterfully delves deep into various lore and mythologies to tell a riveting and high-stakes seafaring adventure. The prose is fluid, the story compelling, and there was not a single dull moment throughout this entire book.

SA Chakraborty has done it again! While this story is completely different from her Daevabad series, it’s just as triumphant in its execution.

Amina Al-Sirafi is a retired sailor (pirate really) of notorious reputation, when a heist/rescue comes her way, drawing her back out onto the high seas. She assembles her crew once again and encounters other figures from her past along the way (demon husband is my personal favorite)

Amina’s voice is wry and funny, full of mischief and sarcasm. I also enjoyed that she was a mother (a middle-aged mother at that) which we don’t get enough of in fantasy!

This book was incredibly entertaining, of course well-write!, and a perfect adventure story.

I am simultaneously very happy with the decision to request an e-arc of this and also mad at myself because I LOVED this book and now I have to wait until MARCH to get my hands on a copy!

This was SUCH a fun read... there was not one single scene or chapter or moment that felt superfluous or like it was dragging on... and I could see everything happening SO VIVIDLY. Chakraborty really wrote the hell out of this book.

I loved the characters, specifically the Marawati crew and their dynamic together -- top notch!

I could see everything in this book -- the environment, the characters, the action-- SO vividly... and not because it was overly descriptive or anything. It was just... efficiently descriptive? I loved it.