I am properly obsessed with this book. I have been excited about this for months and months and months, reading every snippet of information Shannon posted online about it. Still, I also made myself nervous that it was so built up that how could it possibly meet my expectations now? Well, it did and it was perfect.

First off, the plot. Who doesn't love a good pirate adventure? Readers are immediately aware of what to expect from this plot and I really appreciated the firm, focused direction this book had while still not being predictable. That is a tricky balance. Even at the halfway point of the book, we know the *goal* of the story but a friend asked if I had any predictions for the second half of the book: nope, none. I had no clue how we would be getting from point A to point B by the end. And that made it FUN. And then once the magical, mystical components start getting thrown in we are just here to enjoy the journey.

Then, the FREAKING CHARACTERS. I adored them, I want to be a pirate on their crew, and I want to live in Shannon's head and learn what kind of witchcraft she has that made these characters SO MUCH. The main cast was all so distinct and fleshed out that in every scene, regardless of if there was a written description or not, I could PICTURE their faces, reactions, and thoughts. They all felt real in a way that is not common in any other books I have read. Even one of the characters, who did something that negatively affected the crew and Amina, all I could think is "oh my god that is SO perfectly THEM, of course they did that."

Finally, the representation. As I said, I have followed this book's journey. I loved hearing about Shannon's hopes and dreams to maintain a factual representation of the time period and, especially, from the non-white European perspective and felt that was seamlessly done that was able to build up the context of the story while never overpowering it. Similarly, acknowledging that a pirate sailing in the Indian Ocean is going to encounter so many different groups and religions and the inherent diversity that would be a ship's crew. It is the details like these that really communicate what love and passion were put into creating this story/book.

This will be a top read for me this year and I cannot recommend it enough.

This was a great new start for Chakraborty’s next venture. I had a really great time with the main character and look forward to what happens next in this story. There was a complex cast within this well-written world. I love how this author can always teach me something while being simultaneously entertaining.

4.5/5 ☆

I'm uncomfortable with the concept of Muslim fantasy and I've never been interested in a story about pirates
before. This book changed the latter. I'm now craving stories like this, filled danger, treasure hunts, former(and still kind of)morally grey characters who don't fit the box and beautiful landscapes.

The amount of details in this plot, the rich history that rippled across every word and the setting, the diverse cast and the story itself was just so clever and well-crafted.

From Dalila to Majed, every character was developed perfectly but my favourite was Amina. A pirate, more specifically a pirate who is also a Muslim mother in her forties? Yes, please. I don't think I've read a fantasy book centred around a middle-aged character and it was so enlivening.

I really admired that Amina's struggle was not brushed off. Despite swearing off a life she considered sinful, she still struggled when she saw glimpses of her former life. And I also have to mention that the way she came to learn the balance between motherhood with her dreams was incredible.

What warmed my heart the most was the Muslim rep. Constant praises of God? And that too by a character who is not perfect. Amina was, undoubtedly, a flawed but a realistic character. Her idea of religion is in many ways different from mine but intriguing and in no way was it offensive–in fact, it just portrayed a different side of Muslims that we rarely see. She was a character who acted in a way that was against her religion but still(and adamantly, sometimes) held onto parts of it and repented for it.

I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind fantasy book with(as the title suggests) marvellous adventures, treacherous husbands, magic, poison, banter that made me laugh, and ofc, great Muslim rep.

I loved this story! It refreshing to see an older cast of characters, dealing with aging and motherhood and love, etc. all while kicking butt. This is a tale to sip in doses to make last for as long as you can.

What a ride. The Adventures Of Amina al-Sirafi reads like an epic from history, like The Odyssey. It truly does take the reader on such an expansive journey; a journey that will stick with me for a long while, I'm sure.

The Adventures Of Amina al-Sirafi follows Amina, a legendary pirate captain trying to enjoy retirement with her daughter. One day, a rich woman comes to Amina with a job offer, which Amina initially refuses but comes to accept when a million dollars are on the table. Figuring it will be a quick trip, the captain gathers her old crew together and sets out on her journey. She quickly realizes, though, that things are not as they seem, and the mission will be harder than it seems.

I thought this was an exciting book with fascinating characters. In fact, I think the characters are the best part of the book. They really come to life. I found myself falling in love with these characters so quickly. Dalila was probably my favorite side character. She's so funny and smart and so emotionally complex. I hope we get more about her past in the future books. Oh, and how could I forget Raksh? Everyone in the book paints him to be a villain, but I loved him. He was definitely a highlight in this book, even if he was extremely selfish and cowardly. Considering his nature, though, it makes sense.

Amina is also amazing. I can hardly believe that this is the first book in a trilogy, and we get to see her do more amazing things in the future. I can just tell that she's going to become like one of those great characters in fiction. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

The setting is also one of the best parts of this book. Chakraborty creates such a vivid, lush world. It was like I was there. At points, the descriptions did become a little much and did slow down the pace, but I think the descriptions did more good than bad.

Basically, I really enjoyed this book. It was such a fun adventure fantasy with the potential to be utterly fantastic in the future. I'm kind of mad that I read this as an arc because that means I have to wait at least a year for the next book.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for an advanced e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING! Bad-ass pirate and her incredible crew that had the sort of chemistry that comes along very seldom in a book - chef's freaking kiss. The adventure and the magic and the lore was also just amazing. cannot recommend this book enough

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My friend recently told me that someone else described this to her as "the perfect pirate fantasy novel." And it truly is. I loved absolutely everything about this book. Amina al-Sirafi is an incredibly relatable protagonist, especially as I enter my 30s. She's a retired pirate and smuggler--a profession that ran in her family--who's forced (err, enticed) into reassembling her old crew and going in search of a kidnapped child, a foreign sorcerer warlord, a powerful artifact, a large monetary reward, and protection for herself and her daughter. Throughout the book Amina struggles with dueling desires--on the one hand, her quiet, safe and settled life with her family, and on the other, adventures and exploration at sea. This is ideal for her estranged husband, who happens to be a demon that feeds on ambition. Amina's relationship with him brings a lot of the comic relief to this book, as do her crewmates, who are all epically loveable characters. I cannot wait for the next installments of this series!

A rollicking pirate adventure with zippy, fun writing and a new perspective on the genre. Amina is a heroine I can't wait to see again!

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

I was really excited for this upcoming novel, after starting the City of Brass trilogy that Chakraborty had previously written. The beginning did put me off, with the info dumping and hardly any action. After that, each chapter teetered on captivating my interest to plateauing out. Along with the fact it turned out to be a heist journey, which blanched my interest. I enjoyed everything else including the characters.

Rating: Loved It, 4.5 stars



The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2023, and it did not disappoint! This book follows a retired pirate/smuggler, Amina al-Sirafi as she is pulled back into her old life by the family members of one of her former crew members. She is promised riches beyond her wildest dreams in exchange for bringing back this woman's granddaughter who has been kidnapped by a foreign captain; however, it soon becomes obvious that there are many more dangers than Amina anticipated, and she has found herself deep in the middle of an incredibly dangerous and magical situation.

I think that my absolute favorite part about this book was Amina and her crew. Amina is an incredibly smart, witty, and sarcastic character, which is one of my favorite combinations to follow. I especially love that she is middle-aged, with all the complaints that go along with that, as well as a mother who is trying to balance doing what she loves while being with and providing for the daughter that she loves. Definitely not a character that we see often in adult, epic fantasy, but definitely one that I'd like to see more.

"I wanted to have adventures, to be a hero, to have my tales told in courtyards and street fairs, where perhaps kids who'd gorwn up like me, with more imagination than means, might be inspired to dream. Where women who were told there was only one sort of respectful life for them could listen to the tales of another who'd broken away--and thrived when she'd done so."

Amina's character and her narrative snark is part of what made this whole journey worth it in my opinion. The story is set up as a scribe taking down, exactly what Amina shares about her adventures, in her own words. So we have what is quickly becoming one of my favorite setups where someone is telling their story, but we get some of their narration, looking back on the situation as an older and wiser human.

"I crawled onto the beach to find the rest of my crew. Literally none of them had fled into the cave as I had commanded. Terrible pirates, they were. No sense of self-preservation."

While Amina is the star of this book, she is not the only character to shine. I loved the side characters we get in her crew. All their interactions really come together to make it feel like they really have known each other and travelled together for ages. I appreciate the sense of found family, and even came to really love the villain of the crew.

This is very reminiscent of Daevabad where it feels like historical fiction in our own world, with some liberal elements of magic and the supernatural woven in. Chakraborty has a fantastic way of doing this, and it all feels like a very rich reading experience. I also appreciate the slight nod she gave to Daevabad about 3/4 of the way through. It made me so happy!

I think that my only real complaint was the pacing in the first half of this book. I understand why it was slower to start as we started off, but I just felt like the pacing was rather uneven. It took me about a month to read the first 30%. Then once I got into the groove of things, I finished it in a few days. I think that part of that was that I was feeling like everything was really dark and heavy for Amina for a while. While it didn't necessarily let up for her, I feel like there was enough comic relief and magical happenings that happened later in the book that it felt less oppressive and more like a fun-time.

Overall, this was a really great time. It is exactly what I was hoping for in a high-seas adventure tale, and I am so excited to see where we go in what was set up for future books. I am curious and hopeful that this will end up being longer than a trilogy, possibly a quartet or quintet, but time will tell. I will certainly be joining Amina for her future adventures, and this has cemented Shannon Chakraborty as one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for an advance copy of The Adventures of Aminal al-Sirafi in exchange for an honest review.

This is an ADVENTURE of a book, and at every turn of a page there is action and a demand for attention! The reader becomes enthralled in the adventures of Amina, and her sea pirate’s heart.

I LOVED how the author made our leading lady older, and not only older, but someone with a child. As someone in my thirties with a child of my own, it was easy to identify with Amina on so many levels. This is something that is very rare in ANY book that I have ever read in my life.

THE CHARACTER BUILDING IS AMAZING. I grew to care for each character that is mentioned in the book, and a yearning to learn and know more about each one of the people in Amina’s life.

The only thing I wished it had more of was romance. In saying that, I also appreciate that it focused on Amina not needing a partner, and being able to go on adventures on her own. I appreciate that completely. Yet, my romance loving self definitely wished for it at times!

The author has a way with words and weaving tales that will grip your heart and your mind for the entirety of the book. Not only that, but I will be thinking of Amina Al Safari for years to come. As she has a permanent home in my bookish heart.

Also, there is a precious cat on the ship. Need I say more?

I received this book as an e-arc from Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I was hooked the second I learned this book was about an older woman getting sucked back into life as a pirate, and fortunately, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi did not disappoint. It's an energetic swashbuckling journey and Amina is a hero I'd happy follow across the seas. She's not the fighter she once was and has a weak knee, but she still is the first to barrel into the action. She's wry and debaucherous, and Chakraborty does a great job exploring the friction between Amina's desire for a quiet, safe life with her daughter and the knowledge that she never feels more alive than when she's at sea. The world and magic in it aren't nearly as detailed as in The Daevabad Trilogy but Chakraborty's prose and the fast-moving action still make The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi a great read.

Pirates and Bad Ass Female Main characters? Is asking for more even something you should consider?

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

The demon bang, was not something I was necessarily expecting, but Sexually free, and doing her own thing pirate lady fighting the big bad man worked for me. I am hit and miss with Heist books but this one was a 9/10 for me

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is an action-packed pirate fantasy with an endearing cast of unlikely characters. Shannon Chakraborty's writing is strong and engaging as she weaves fantasy and history together to create a rich and unique world. I was immediately intrigued by the unique narrative style of this story. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is written as if it is a story that is being told to the reader. This unique style leads to some incredible foreshadowing and hilarious asides.

The characters are easily my favorite part of this book. Amina al-Sirafi is a badass pirate mom who is fed up with all of the magical bullshit in her world. Having left her pirate life behind she is both terrified and thrilled when she is roped into "one last adventure." I adore every single member of her crew. Though this is the first time we have met these characters, you can feel the history and connections that bond them together. Their banter was both heartwarming and hilarious. My favorite character was, to no one's surprise, the beautifully useless himbo chaos demon Rashk.

This first installment delivers a complete and fulfilling story while also setting up the plot perfectly for future books in the series. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is easily the best book that I have read this year.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was one of those books where my enjoyment and my appreciation of the quality of the book diverged. I could tell that this was a thoroughly researched historical fantasy, and the writing was lovely and descriptive. But I just couldn't ever get into the story. I found myself reading not to find out what would happen but so I could be done with it and move on.

The blend of myth and history is definitely the strongest element of the book. The world of the medieval Middle East is vibrant and lifelike, and the magical elements fit in seamlessly. The setting made an excellent backdrop for the story, and the characters felt like a natural extension of that world as well. They were all bold and fascinating, each with their own distinct wants, needs, and quirks.

Because the book was so well done, I'm a little sad I couldn't get into the story more. It may have been the pacing - it takes quite a while for things to really get going - or just that I read this book at the wrong time. Regardless, I was ultimately a little bit bored and reading the almost-500 pages felt like a bit of a chore.

I know plenty of others have been engaged by the story, and so if historical fantasy is your thing, I would definitely give this one a shot. It just didn't entirely land for me, and so I don't see myself going back for the eventual sequels.

3.5/5

Wow. Another stunning masterpiece from Shannon Chakraborty. She has such a way of weaving fantastical stories that suck you in from the beginning pages and transport you to wonderful worlds and immersive stories.

I absolutely adored the characters, plot, and premise. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a fantastic start to a new series, I can't wait to read the remaining books.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S A Chakraborty is exactly what I want from a fantasy novel. Amina al-Sirafi is retired from piracy. She lives at home with her family and daughter. However, when the mother of one of her previous shipmates makes her an offer she can't refuse, she sets out for one last adventure. Amina is forced to take a trip through her past friends and enemies to recover the young woman who has been taken.
This book has it all. I loved the adventure, the magical elements, and the beautiful relationships between all of the characters. I can't wait for the continuation of the series.

A rollicking adventure through the Indian Ocean, Chakraborty has done it again! With an exquisite attention to historical detail, readers will be transported into a world where pirates meet demons, battle ancient sea monsters, and learn how to age not so gracefully out of retirement

I was immediately pulled into The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi with the prologue. I had serious case of déjà vu with how Moby Dick was introduced by Ishmael, its narrator. Then began the epic tale of badass pirate lady of legend in her own words. Gosh, everything that filled my imagination as a child is in this tale. Grand sea adventures, pirates, magic, ships, swords, cats, gods. A story of motherhood, and trying to make a life, a safe one, for your child. I’ve read a lot of pirate stories in my day, but there is just something so open and fun about this one. Sure, there is a lot going on and quests to complete – but Amina’s voice keeps you absolutely entranced with the story. I don’t particularly care much for first person, only because it takes a master to do it just right, and SAC took this to another level. There hasn’t been a protagonist such as Amina, but I am here for it and her.

I can’t wait to read more.