The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

Picked this up for the Three of Clubs Club but I'm really not feeling it right now. So soft dnf for now. 

⋆˙⟡♡ pre-reading

i need to break up all the murder, violence and drama i've been reading about lately. i've heard such good things about this - hopefully it doesn't disappoint! i'm testing myself to see if i can enjoy fantasy books after throne of glass

I was immediately pulled into The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi with the prologue. I had a 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.

Disclaimer: Fantasy isn’t usually my go-to genre, so I came into this one a bit outside my comfort zone. I think fans of the genre will likely connect with it more than I did.

I had a hard time fully engaging with the story and getting immersed in the characters and plot. The religious motifs didn’t really resonate with me, and the climax felt a bit rushed—the major conflict was wrapped up so quickly after a long build-up. That said, I can appreciate the ambitious worldbuilding and the themes the author was trying to explore. It just ultimately wasn’t a match for me.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I almost dropped it early because of the religious bits but I kept going and while they didn’t get less pervasive, they certainly got less intrusive? It is a solid historical fantasy that starts slow but ends pretty strong.

Read this while recovering from surgery so I was more distracted than normal but I loved it nonetheless. I adored the characters and the narration style with the asides! There's something about a mom who is just trying to do right by her daughter that hits me in the feels and the way we're reminded that she has her own life and story reminded me so much of my own mom. Really appreciated the chemistry the characters had and I look so forward to the rest of this series.

Pure fun and a great audiobook. Reading this was like when I got my hands on harry potter as a kid. A good adventure book made for adults. 

Very recommendable! Light fantasy vibes while feeling very unique. Interesting world building without feeling heavy or hard to ramp up on. Loved all the characters - they feel deep and well-rounded. Much is hinted at during the story without being immediately explained, which gives a feeling of mystery without getting heavy with exposition or requiring too much reading between the lines.

Parts of the book felt like a perfect D&D campaign, where a hook leads you off in one direction, but then stuff happens and you end up doing something completely different.

It wasn't particularly thought-provoking, but easy, fun and different. Refreshing <3

The first half of the book was kind of boring and sets up a wholly different story than the part that comes after. I enjoyed the second half more, which had more fantasy elements and was less filled with tropes. It also has the best character in the boost (the demon husband) who I was sad didn't get as many scenes as I would have liked.

Absolutely incredible. My only wish is that the stuff with Raksh ended differently

I love love loved this one!

Can I say I loved this book because it was just a lot of fun? I hope so! I usually reserve my 5 stars for books that put me through all the emotions: laughter, crying, and being moved deeply by something in the story. I wouldn't say that this book did that entirely, but it was just such a fun romp of an adventure which I enjoyed very much and walked away highly entertained.
I also think that there are a few unique things in this book that I haven't really come across in the fantasy genre, but highly appreciated and felt like a breath of fresh air. Amina herself is a middle-aged woman, mother, and past the years of her youthful exploits. As someone who just turned 40, it was awesome to see an older woman represented as the main protagonist and highly relatable in a lot of ways. I loved the exploration of her internal conflict between her responsibilities as a mother and wanting to pursue a life that she loves outside of that role or how to balance the two. While the circumstances are fantastical, I think that is a very relatable conflict for many.
I also appreciated the inclusion of the Muslim faith in the story. A lot of fantasy deals with made-up religion to make a point or just as part of the make-up of the world, but there isn't a lot that I've read that includes an existing faith and how someone who is trying to follow that faith would integrate that into their decisions or thought process. While I don't share this faith, it is so rare to see it included in this way, that I felt it was a welcome difference.
Overall, I just enjoyed the ride of it all. It reminded me of the fun and adventure I felt when I first went to see POTC in the theatre, the mix of quest, mystery, magic, and mayhem you encounter and never sure what is coming next, but you're highly entertained. While I loved Amina as a character, many of the side characters were also a joy. I can't wait to see where Amina's adventures take her next!

Absolutely amazing, there needs to be more mature/older main leads in fantasy. Amina's life experiences as a seasoned female pirate and mother make for a witty, complex, and action packed adventure. 

This is one of the best books that I've ever bought on an impulse based on cover art. I had heard nothing about the book before picking it up and wow! What a treat. I love all the characters that we see, the locations are amazing, and the whole pirate thing is so different from what I usually read that it was a ton of fun.

I would say the last third of the book as we got into some slightly more magical stuff was not perfect for me, but it also never verged into annoying or too crazy.

I really enjoyed this and will recommend it while also eagerly awaiting the next book!

I loved this so much I didn't want it to end. I typically avoid books in a series but I can't wait for more Amina adventures. Better than any Disney pirate movie.

Best book I've read in the last 5 years.

This book had:
-beliable conversations. A group of friends whom didnt keep in touch for some years but return to make sheananigans and they feel like real people.
-a proper demon husband. Often in books you have this uber powerful creature tha has been living for centuries but somehow still knows how to use cellphones and pine for the object of his love/obsession/etc. Here the demon is funny and does not understand your petty ramblimgs about basic needs like food and water because its busy making deals with the souls of your friends.
-A muslim woman that it is middle aged and tall and isnt a bigot as protagonist. She believes in double tap for god measure in killing but also in not being a hero now to fight another fight.
-realistic family. there's a daugther waiting with her gradma to the adventures of the protag
-sea voyage
-common ground w/me abot was is and isn't a compliment by a man (it is feminist? the evidence point to yes)
-a concil of snob magical birds

It is a refreshing read ofter seat gripping.

First of all, I loved the narration! Voice actors did their job perfectly. Not sure that I'd have enjoyed the story as much if it were an eye read. Sidebars were a great touch.

As for the story itself, I enjoyed following Amina's adventures, especially in the second half of the book, but it wasn't a wow-experience. Maybe I had too high expectations going into the book, maybe it's just because the whole naval-piraty theme doesn't resonate with me as much. There is nothing I feel the need to criticise, but at the same time 4 stars feels like the most I can give the book at this point. Maybe when the other two instalments come out and I binge read all three my opinion will change. I did like the setting up for the other books and look forward to finding out how the things turn out for the crew of Marawati.

Raksh. He's so amazingly bad and selfish (and mostly blind to the fact). I love how Shannon portrayed him in a way, that I can't completely hate and despise him. There's something about him that makes me want to see him reformed and reunited with his family, no matter how naive and simplistic it may sound. And oh I want to “see” his face when he finds out about his daughter.

Amina herself did not impress me at first. She was supposed to be some super legend pirate captain, but the way she told the story (not even the events she described) were in such a dissonance with all the hype around her. It was difficult for me to create an image of her in my head because of it. But after she got to the magic island, it all somehow clicked into place. She became the hero I expected her to be from the very beginning.

Incredibly engaging book. I especially appreciated the linear storytelling that helped me keep straight all of the characters and places. I was originally nervous when it mentioned maps and names as a separate pdf, but none of it was needed. The storytelling is just incredible. 

I can't wait for the next book. 

Amina al-Sirafi is a retired pirate, living quietly at home with her mother and daughter when she is pulled back into her old life. While embarking on a new quest, pieces of her past keep cropping up and intertwining with her adventure. There are battles! There is romance! There is magic! Set in the 12th century in the Indian Ocean, this was a fun backdrop for a fantasy novel. It is extremely well-written and very fun to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to planned future novels!

This was another great reminder of why I love getting recommendations from friends. Not sure I would have ever found this on my own, and I'm already considering this as a gift for K.

I loved this book. I loved Amina, the protagonist, an irreverent pirate and a complex character. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy. The audiobook was excellent.

Fun read, though it was very slow in the beginning.

i listened to the audiobook which had an appropriately jovial, friendly tone.

overall, a lighthearted seafaring adventure with characters that are fun and exactly who they appear to be. except for i guess, dunya. was pleasantly surprised at the inclusion of a trans character, and the ending reveal of who the narrator is was fun. but, the trans experience is never really explored *too* much, and i didn't expect them to be for a side character in this kind of novel.

won't be something i return to, but was nice to put on in the background while attending to other things.

now i need a sexy demon husband for myself.

This was such a fun ride! I wanted to rate it 3.75 but I am bumping it to 4 for Raksh who stole the show for me.

My only complaint is that I wish we got a bit more lore cause that was the one thing I did like about Daevabad but I still enjoyed it immensely and can't wait for book 2.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty is a great historical fantasy adventure.    Amina Al-Sirafi is a middle-aged piratey sea captain who is persuaded out of retirement and away from her daughter. What she thinks will be a fact finding and rescue mission to recover the daughter of a former crewman turns into a full scale supernatural adventure.    This book had a lovely, satisfying ending. Open ended with room for more stories, but not in a cliffhanger way.    I got my book from Book of the Month Club and read it in hardcover, as well as listening to the audiobook for some of it. 

AMINA IS MY NEW HERO. THE FINAL CHAPTER OH MY GOD I HAVE TO ADMIT I WASNT EXPECTING IT AT ALL