The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

I can't stop smiling, it's such a great book! Highly recommend if you enjoy an older female mc, Indian/Arabian/Muslim cultures, pirates, swashbuckling adventure with a lovely dash of humor!

I did not expect Jamal to be Dunya!!! What a plot twist LOL I'm so glad Amina got home safely and her crew still all in one piece, except for the few who have lost their lives ;-; I loved how the crew respected each other's culture/religions!! I don't often see that concept in books, but I think this one did so well. Raksh reminds me of Loki, I couldn't stop laughing when he got rafted at the end. I'm so glad this book didn't have any explicit intimate scenes or crazy amounts of romance. I feel like it often happens with fantasy books recently, but without it, it's done so well.

3.75

I loved this book!!!!! 5 stars. Something I will definitely re-read and wish I could read again for the first time! This would be a great book to turn into a movie!!! The audiobook narration was FANTASTIC!

Wow! The book hangover from this one will last awhile. I was so entranced with Amina and her crew. The world that Chakraborty set up is compelling and really made me look at history in a different way. The adventure is amazing. The characters are so well drawn. I just wanted to hug this book when I was done and not put it down.

I listened to the audiobook version. The story over all I give 4⭐️. The narration was okay, not really worth choosing audiobook over paper book. Loved Amina's story as a female pirate and all the found family vibes with her crew. Also really enjoyed learning more about a place and time in history I wasn't familiar with. Definitely inspired to read the authors earlier trilogy now but won't try them on audiobook.

“I had an irrational urge to hug the Marawati's worn wooden railing, to press my brow to the damp hull as I reunited with my beloved ship for the first time in ten years. It felt like this moment should be more momentous, more solemn. Then again, having to sneak on board was probably more fitting given our history.”
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What a wonderfully written story! Amina's journey is not only exciting and action packed, but also emotional and heart breaking and true to her character. She never gives up fighting for what she needs to, and learns a few lessons along the way. The historical tidbits bring the story to life and truly immerse the reader.

SAC's storytelling ability is phenomenal!! I absolutely loved the Daevabad Trilogy, and this was equally as great in a very different way. This book took me on an adventure across the Indian ocean, to places I've never dreamed of going, and I loved EVERY.SECOND.OF.IT!! I laughed through most of it because the characters' banter was

4.5

4.5! Fun and quick adventure. Loved Amina's character and all the magical elements that were presented through out the story.

“Terrible pirates, they were. No sense of self-preservation.”

This is one of the most fun fantasy books I have ever read.

This wasn't what I expected at all, and I do feel like the pitch is slightly misleading. But I'm glad I picked it up, because it was so much better than I expected.

This is a historical fantasy book set in the 12th century middle east. It features a middle aged protagonist who has already retired from her younger pirating days. Unfortunately for her (fortunately for us readers), she is forced out of retirement and has to get the crew back together. That's the whole first half of the book, before the adventure really begins. Getting a crew together, especially a reluctant crew, is one of my favorite tropes, so I was having a blast with this book from beginning to end.

The crew is an absolute delight. I love stubborn Majed, who has left pirating behind him and only wants to live an honorable life now. And the poisoner Dalila and her schemes are enough to keep anyone on their toes.

This book also has tropes I don't usually like, but it presented them in a way that made me fall in love with it. I don't usually like paranormal romance stories, but the marriage to a demon in this book is one of the best plot lines.

The fantasy elements are only in the story subtly at first, but towards the end we have a full on fantasy adventure, complete with magical creatures, magic, and mayhem. Honestly, my interest waned slightly the more magical the story became. But I was invested enough in the characters to want to know what happened next.

This is the first book I've read by Shannon Chakraborty, and I want to read everything she writes now. I rarely give out the favorite author designation, especially if I haven't read multiple books by the author, but this book makes me want to break my own rule.

I listened to the audiobook while reading the physical book, and I highly recommend the audiobook. The physical book is gorgeous, with decorated pages. But the audio narrators really elevate this story. lameece Issaq reads with such emotion and takes on the character so thoroughly that I never once doubted that she really was Amina. That's a hard act to follow, but Amin El Gamal, who narrates the scribe, does so with ease. My only complaint is sometimes the characters would talk to someone off page, and the audio was too quiet for those parts compared to the rest when I was listening with earbuds.

See full review on my youtube channel