The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi, #1) by Shannon Chakraborty Published by HarperVoyager on March 2, 2023
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Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.
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.
It’s always refreshing to read a fantasy book about a mother, given I’m one myself, but what really intrigued me about this book is that Amina al-Sirafi is a retired pirate captain. Set in a world inspired by Middle Eastern folklore, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi delivers a magical, intriguing and mystical pirate adventure with a twist.
Below are five things featured in The Adventures of Amina-al Sirafi that I enjoyed.
1. A retired pirate main character who is also a mother
I can count on one hand the amount of fantasy books featuring mothers in their 40s, but Amina is also a retired pirate who has given up a life of adventure for the safety of her child. Times have certainly changed and she’s mellowed out from her wild ways, as she has her 12 year old daughter to look after. Not only has this given her more empathy and support for those with families, but it also gives her something to live for as she returns to the adventure. I really enjoyed Amina as a character, she was empathetic, hilarious, has a huge bravado and a reputation rightly deserved as a legendary ruthless female pirate.
2. The found family crew, including a demonic husband
I loved Amina’s loyal crew, from a poisoner, to a demonic husband, and a treasure map reader who will follow her to the ends of the world. Their interactions were really fun to read, especially when they recklessly disregard their orders from Amina when she places herself in danger.
3. The heist and treasure
When Amina is approached by a grandmother who wants to save her grand daughter from a demon, she can’t resist the treasure and the high stakes that are offered. The heist, centered around an island filled with a magical and dangerous cave, with a great evil demon with dark magic was filled with danger and adventure.
4. The Middle Eastern influences and mythology
Amina herself is a Muslim, so it was great to see her practising her religion in the book. From djinn, to magical creatures, artifacts, sea monsters and more, there are so many fantasy elements here that drew on Middle Eastern mythology. This made it really fascinating to read, as you don’t see these influences everyday.
5. The enemies to lovers husband
Raksh, the demonic husband, definitely deserves a second mention. Amina and Raksh definitely don’t share the typical husband and wife relationship, as Raksh is definitely a trickster who feeds on courage and adventure. Amina doesn’t trust him at all, and despises some parts of him, but is still definitely physically attracted to him. I was curious to see how things played out with these two and they had some of the funniest interactions in the book.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a fun, middle-Eastern inspired heist adventure with a lot of fun, magic, danger and heart-warming moments.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Thank you HarperCollins Australia for sending me a review copy!
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