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tashasbooks 's review for:
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a wonderful historical fantasy that features pirates, adventures, legends, and magic! The characters were some of the most developed and individual perspectives I've read from.
We follow Amina al-Sirafi, a middle aged woman who retired from piracy 10 years ago to raise her daughter. She used to be the famed nakhudha of her ship, the Marawati as she followed in her grandfather's steps. Amina is doing her best to stay away from the pull of her old life, when she is offered a job she cannot refuse. She must reunite with her old crew and ship to pursue a Frank with horrible power.
It actually took me awhile to get into this book, maybe around the 30% where I truly felt invested. I do believe a big part of that was just getting used to the new world and culture. Additionally, this is taking place after many of Amina's famous adventures, and her relationships with her friend and crew are already existing. You're sort of dropped into the middle without any context, but that's pretty typical with adult fantasy. The world is meant to reflect 12-13th century Indian Sea and the surrounding cities, which I found extremely interesting! It was very fun to read a realistic and historical world with magic and mythology added in.
Another aspect that I absolutely loved is the characters. Despite not knowing their history, you truly feel like Amina has deep relationships with her three friends and crew. It comes off as genuine and I enjoyed their interactions. Amina herself is a truly interesting character. She is torn between wanting to care for her daughter and giving her a life away from her criminal past, but also loving the freedom and feeling she gets captaining her crew on the seas. She was a joy to read from, and the framing of the story was unique, where each chapter starts with the narrator who Amina is telling her story to.
The magic is based off mythology and folktales, including mythic creatures such as djinns and artifacts of great power. I wasn't expecting it to be so magic heavy going into it, but this is a true fantasy where it takes a historical part of history and adds those fantastical elements.
The plot takes twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I can't help but love Amina's ex husband, even if he is someone you can't trust and backstabs. When reading this, I thought it was a standalone, but it definitely leaves it open for more adventures and I would be lucky to read anything further from Amina's adventures!
We follow Amina al-Sirafi, a middle aged woman who retired from piracy 10 years ago to raise her daughter. She used to be the famed nakhudha of her ship, the Marawati as she followed in her grandfather's steps. Amina is doing her best to stay away from the pull of her old life, when she is offered a job she cannot refuse. She must reunite with her old crew and ship to pursue a Frank with horrible power.
It actually took me awhile to get into this book, maybe around the 30% where I truly felt invested. I do believe a big part of that was just getting used to the new world and culture. Additionally, this is taking place after many of Amina's famous adventures, and her relationships with her friend and crew are already existing. You're sort of dropped into the middle without any context, but that's pretty typical with adult fantasy. The world is meant to reflect 12-13th century Indian Sea and the surrounding cities, which I found extremely interesting! It was very fun to read a realistic and historical world with magic and mythology added in.
Another aspect that I absolutely loved is the characters. Despite not knowing their history, you truly feel like Amina has deep relationships with her three friends and crew. It comes off as genuine and I enjoyed their interactions. Amina herself is a truly interesting character. She is torn between wanting to care for her daughter and giving her a life away from her criminal past, but also loving the freedom and feeling she gets captaining her crew on the seas. She was a joy to read from, and the framing of the story was unique, where each chapter starts with the narrator who Amina is telling her story to.
The magic is based off mythology and folktales, including mythic creatures such as djinns and artifacts of great power. I wasn't expecting it to be so magic heavy going into it, but this is a true fantasy where it takes a historical part of history and adds those fantastical elements.
The plot takes twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I can't help but love Amina's ex husband, even if he is someone you can't trust and backstabs. When reading this, I thought it was a standalone, but it definitely leaves it open for more adventures and I would be lucky to read anything further from Amina's adventures!