The Adventures of Amina Al- Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Pages: 496 

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Released: 28th of February 2023 

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.

 What I Have to Say 

This book was everything I wanted it to be! It was a wonderful historical setting full of diversity and the kind of rich mix of cultures that really makes the world interesting, it was a beautiful arrangements of fantasy creatures and elements that went into this world to make it just that much more exciting. And it was a character who was different and interesting and funny! 

I don't honestly know what to say other than that. It was a thrilling book that engrossed me completely, maybe not from the first page, but from very early on. There were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. It was just perfection. 

I appreciate a slightly older character. Not being a young spry teenager myself anymore, it was really nice to read about someone a bit different in one of these books. I couldn't relate to her entirely as she's a little older than me and a parent, but I've never found that an obstacle to liking the character. 

I just want to scream about this book from the treetops! Go read it! 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this copy for review.