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.

I really thought I would enjoy this book more, but honestly found it quite boring and was hard for me to get through. I didn't find the MC or the side characters very interesting, so I didn't care much what they were doing.

I did like how it was presented as the MC was telling a story to Jamal. The commentary from the MC to Jamal was entertaining.

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!

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.