WHAT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, GIVE ME A JADED OLDER PIRATE ANYDAY!
I totally adored the new look of pirates, and hearing about their shenanigans and history.
The magic system was fantastic.
Like the tide, this book ebbed and flowed but kept my attention at all times. 5/5

This is the first instalment in the Amina al-Sirafi series.

Amina al-Sirafi was once a name uttered in awe or fear. She captained a fearsome crew of pirates and was embroiled somehow in every single legend still worth talking about. And then she disappeared. Since then she was been content with life on land, raising her daughter, and spending time with the family she once neglected. That is, until the past comes knocking on her door and her daughter's life will become forfeit if she closes it.

This, initially, felt like reading a middle book in the series, in the best possible way. There were many references to past adventures and it really enhanced the bond with the characters, to hear so much of their former exploits yet get introduced to them in an aged and altered state. Each one returned to the story in some way, either through a character from that time re-entering the storyline, or from some debts still left to be paid, or an enemy they must face off with again.

I also loved how comical each of the characters were. This was a book full of such tense and tragic scenes and the humour from the characters really aided in both alleviating tension and in not allowing the reader to become bogged down in emotion.

I also really appreciated reading about a primarily older cast of characters with this genre often features those experiencing independence for the first time, with their head full of notions and ideals about a utopian world. This older cast often looked down on these romantic notions from those younger than them with distaste, and yet reluctantly recalled their own exploits due to similar notions of how the world should work or how love could conquer all, when similarly aged. It allowed them to enter into the same adventures with more realism, maturity, and knowledge and also to reawaken the way they once saw the world within themselves, which was beautiful to behold.

This was magical and whimsical yet adventurous and awe-inspiring. I adored the high seas setting and the abundance of fantastical creatures the pirate crew met with, and the myths and legends they spoke about, uncovered, or set about bringing to life. In short, it combined all my favourite elements of the fantasy genre and I'm eager to see what book two will bring us.

I was excited to see how Shannon would fare in her first foray outside the Daevabad world, but sadly this one wasn't as good. Maybe I had a lot of expectations especially after loving the City of Brass trilogy so much, so maybe that's on me. But yeah, this one was not for me.

"For when Amina chose to leave her home and return to a life at sea, she became more than a pirate. More than a witch. She became legend."

Amina al-Sirafi is a legend, I was so invested in this story that I almost feel her story will be carried from generation to generation of adventure seekers. Mentions of her name will inspire quests across the open seas and stories will be told of her perseverance. I am always open to stories about pirates and was immediately curious when I discovered Amina al-Sirafi is a retired pirate but offered a job to rescue a missing girl. Trying to balance motherhood, keeping her daughter safe and venturing once again into the unknown, Amina al-Sirafi's tale is a captivating and adventurous one.

“After all, we build our homes upon the ruins of lost cities and sail our ships over the drowned palaces of forgotten kings.”

Letters and articles are included and these add a level of authenticity to the story. The pacing fits perfectly like a ship at sea - sometimes slow and steady and other times fast and tumultuous. There were times when I couldn't read fast enough. I feel that this story needs more appreciation as it is so well written and Chakraborty touches on important topics that make a reader think. It's not just about a woman who is a pirate on a rescue mission, there are deeper layers that hint at society in the modern day.

For this scribe has read a great many of these accounts and taken away another lesson: that to be a woman is to have your story misremembered. Discarded. Twisted.”

The ending had me gripped and I could easily picture it with all the vivid descriptions. The author's note and further reading provide more insight into Chakraborty's thoughts. I recommend this book to fantasy readers who enjoy a fierce FMC, well-developed characters, books set at sea, and adventure that will have you smelling the salty ocean. I loved this book from the first page to the last!


- Fantasy
- Pirates
- Adventure
- Muslim rep
- demons
- magical creatures


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an electronic copy of this book.

This book has been out for almost a year, but I finally got to reading the arc I received through Netgalley. As always I'm very grateful for the opportunity! And as always, my opinions are my own.

Shannon Chakraborty is mostly known for her Daevabad trilogy which has been on my to read list for a long time. I got the first book for Christmas even a couple of years ago, and still haven't read it... But I'm glad to report its spot on my tbr is fully deserved and I'm going to have to read those books sooner rather than later. I loved loved loved the writing style of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. The main character is a badass woman (and I mean, an actual badass woman, not just because we're told she is). I enjoyed the sarcasm, the wit and the heartfelt moments of friendship that really were the heart of this book for me.

As much as I love standard, western European medieval fantasy, it has been refreshing to read about other parts of the world and another religion. I also thought the 'recommended reading' at the end of the book really shows how much research has gone into this book and I may have written down one or two sources to check out myself.

I hope this book will not remain a stand alone novel and Amina's story will continue in many chapters to come!

This adventure novel is ok, I don’t regret reading it, but I also wouldn’t read more in the series. The protagonist reminds me of Jack Sparrow sometimes. The only problem is, that her character as a ruthless pirate is just told to the reader. We never see her acting like it. The side characters wheren‘t really interesting. A missed opportunity for found family. The feministic thoughts didn’t really fit the time. It would have been better to not place the novel into a specific time in history but rather let it be fantasy on the whole.

A fantastic start to what promises to be another amazing series from Chakraborty. I will always have a weak spot for books set at sea and this is no exception. This is an absolute riot to read with loveable characters, amazing banter, and a fabulous adventure. I listened to the audiobook and would highly recommend it - the narrator does a great job of bringing Amina to life. One of the best books of 2023!

4.5⭐️
I loved this book from Shannon, she always builds such magical worlds. With so much detail and rich history you can get lost for days and not even realise! I truly hope we get to see the rest of Amina's adventures!

I really tried and tried but I couldn't get into this book. I didn't want to review until I'd finished it but Months later and I've still not picked it back up

This was SO much fun, words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this. First of all, when I found out SA Chakraborty was writing another book set in the world of Daevabad, I was over the moon. It’s one of my favourite universes, incredibly beautiful and intricate with amazing characters. I am Geri happy to say that the adventures of Amina Al Sirafi didn’t disappoint whatsoever. I loved Amina and cannot wait to go on more journeys with her!

With all the great things I’d heard about this book, I may have been a touch hesitant going in – there’s always a slight fear I’m not going to get along with a book as much as others have. But, finally, I got around to reading this (and big thanks to Harper Voyager for providing this book via NetGalley), and I absolutely freaking loved it.

After an adventurous life at sea, pirate Amina al-Sirafi has taken a well-deserved retirement to spend more time with her family and raise her daughter. But Amina is approached by the mother of one of her former crew, and offered a large sum to retrieve her old friend’s daughter. It’s not only the money offered or the idea of helping an old friend that draws her back to sea, but the prospect of adventure, though Amina soon finds she is in over her head, with the situation more complicated than the old woman said.

I loved Amina, and I’m so glad we seem to be getting two more books about her adventures. It’s clear she cares deeply for her family and her crew, and appreciates when her friends come out of their own retirement to help her. She is haunted by what happened to her former crewmate, and driven by the need to ensure her daughter’s safety. It’s also incredibly refreshing to see more novels with older characters as the lead; Amina and her friends aren’t as sprightly as they used to be, but they throw themselves in and work together to get out the other side.

It’s also an absolute pleasure to see a pirate adventure that moves away from the Caribbean and the pirates we’re commonly used to seeing, as well as the use of different types of mythology and sea creatures. The magic weaved in is handled really well, too, and makes for a really exciting read. I think this is going to hit right at the top of my ‘favourite books read this year’ list.

So, this book has great characters, an epic adventure, lots of magic and plenty of magic going wrong, a well written plot and a world you can get swept into very easily – what more could you even ask for?

Very conveniently I can write the same review for both. The review goes:

If you’re writing a book set in a historical place, please do not leave me very aware that I’m reading the work of an American of the modern age. The tone, the concerns, the word choices… I read this work to be transported to another place, another world, not ours. I’m down for anachronistic fantasy but the moment you’re setting it in this world, the bar is higher. I’ll make an exception for Lindsey Davis and Falco, as she’s hilarious and very consistent in the liberties she takes.

Not for these two. Shame that.

Incidentally, the prologue was very preachy and full of exposition at the same time. If I didn't have so many friends excited for me to read it, I'd have put it down there and then.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐥-𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐢 ✨

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁?
A retired pirate, Amina Al-Sirafi has become something of legend. Rogues and brigands still whisper her name in fear across the seven seas. When she's approached with a job that no pirate could refuse, Amina jumps at the chance to have one last adventure on the sea with her old crew to secure her family's future.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁?
I really enjoyed this for the most part! A high seas adventure set in a medieval Middle East, the descriptions were beautiful and I loved the culture and little stories scattered throughout. Sometimes it did feel a bit slow though and I had to push through it but overall a good read I'd recommend.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, and I was very excited to get my hands on the Waterstones exclusive edition in store. I was also lucky enough to receive an ebook copy of this novel from the publisher Harper Voyager.

I was very excited to buy a physical copy of this novel because it is absolutely beautiful. The cover is stunning, and it has a lovely coloured map in the front and a colour illustration in the end pages. I'm very happy to have such a nice hardback book on my shelves!

I really enjoyed The Daevabad Trilogy by this author in 2020ish and really enjoyed it. I was excited to try something new from Shannon. I was a little worried that it would be a slow read. I found I had this problem with her previous trilogy, it dragged a litle bit at times. No chance of that happening in this novel! The plot here is really tight, it flies along at a really brisk pace and I couldn't put it down!

I read this book over a weekend, and it was a perfect weekend read. I definitely got more enjoyment from it reading it quite quickly, I was able to keep the plot in my head clearer. In this book we follow Amina, a retired pirate captain who has to come out of her retirement to rescue a girl she belives has been kidnapped.

I adore Amina as a character. I love having a female main character that is a wee bit older, who has lived a life before we meet her. Amina also has a daughter, who is a lovely character. I really ejoyed the extra dimension to Amina this brought. Amina is quite a reckless person, but it was really interesting to see how her decision making was influenced by her daughter, and the thoughts of leaving her daughter or not seeing her again held such a strong influence.

As with Shannon's previous work, the whole cast of characters in the novel are excellent. The family that Amina has made in her crew, and the relationships between them were so brilliantly written. Despite meeting them when their relationships are already set, the reader is immediately made aware of how they get on and the different way Amina interacts with each of them.

Overall I really loved this book! I can't wait to spend more time aboard Amina's ship in the next books, they can't come soon enough!!

Not for me, unfortunately. The writing style seems to be aimed at the YA reader rather than the adult reader. The novel seems like it's trying too hard to be amusing but just falls flat. I might give this book a third try since I really do like the idea of positive middle aged, Muslim female representation.

I have owned the first two books in the Daevabad series for awhile now but I still haven't read them yet. The reviews are great and Candyce loved them so I have high hopes. This new book in the start of a series set in the same world as the Daevabad series and it takes place before the events of that series. It's not necessary to read the Daevabad series before reading this one but I do imagine there are some easter eggs if you do. So I do want to try and read the previous series before the second book about Amina releases.

One of the things that drew me to this book was the fact that it was about a female pirate. And on top of that she is a mother! We don't get those kind of main characters often unfortunately. I really loved how Amina was portrayed. She is Muslim, and while I'm not Muslim myself it did feel like there was good representation.

The story has a historical setting, something I really enjoy. And to make it even better, it's set somewhere else than the usual settings we see in English novels. The story takes place in the Middle East and I really enjoyed the mention of some familiar places. I was just teaching the kids in my schoolclass about the Ottoman Empire and it was great seeing it mentioned here. Historical fiction with a fantasy twist is one of my favorite genre and this one did not disappoint. I really liked the magic system and I can't wait to learn more about it.

The story is almost 500 pages long and isn't super fast paced but you do want to continue reading and learning more. It is told as a recount of past events and I like that narration a lot. Like I said, the book isn't really fast paced but I didn't mind it. It did take me awhile to get through it, but that was probably more because of me than because of the book. I definitely wanted to continue reading and the first chapter already drew me in.

Overall I would say this was a really fun book with some great messages. I adored that Amina wanted to show her daughter she could be anything even when you're a girl or a mother. Your path shouldn't be limited because of that. The characters were great, the storyline interesting and the world building was really cool. I'm looking forward to the sequel and I hope to read Shannon's previous series as well!

I love pirate books since I started to read. I read the old classics, I saw the movies, but I never noticed that my heart ached for something more. And, finally, it found it. The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is a tale made of the same material of legends and myths. Is an epic adventure, full of magic and danger, fights and quests, sobrenatural creatures and mythical artifacts. But it has something no other pirate book has… Amina Al-Sirafi.

I had so much fun with this book. I loved every single minute of it, I couldn’t put it down. It was such a refreshing and captivating take on pirates stories. Action packed and fast paced, geographically and historically accurate but complementing perfectly with the fantastical plot, this book gave me the same vibes of oldie favorites. But, this time, we have magic, diversity and girl power and it was awesome, and what the little me wanted for so long.

And, let’s be honest, Amina is such a star. I listen this in audiobook, and for me it was the best way to read this book. Because Shannon is such a good storyteller and Amina is such a charismatic and inspiring character. She is so real, so mundane, so imperfect, and I can’t stop admiring her. For her freedom, for her carefree, for her love, for her strength. She is the woman I want to be someday. I loved follow her adventure and can’t wait to sail with her again.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi could have been an old fashioned tale but, instead, is the modern and feminist twist of pirate stories that I didn’t knew that I need it. It will be a classic on its own.

Thank you to Netgalley UK for providing me an arc in exchange of an honest review

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was a fantastic, fast-paced and fun fantasy with pirates and magic.

We join Amina, a retired pirate who is trying to have a calm home life but she gets asked to go back to her old life to help someone out for quite a bit of money but nothing is as it seems...

I really liked the characters. We meet her old crew who I really liked the banter between them.

Loved this :-) would definitely recommend.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a story about an infamous former pirate who had given up on chasing treasure in favour of raising her daughter instead. After an unfortunate run-in with a supernatural being, she gains the attention of a wealthy grandmother who wants to bring her out of retirement for one last, life-changing job; to find and return her granddaughter, Dunya.

Amina sets off in search of her former trusted crew, which happens to include:
✨ Dalila, a formidable woman with extensive knowledge of poisons
✨ Tinbu, a loveable first mate who Amina entrusted her ship to
✨ Majed, an extremely knowledgeable navigator who refuses to believe that he has ever been a pirate, of course

Things aren’t all plain sailing though, and a simple retrieval job finds the crew in a fight against a white man that can’t help but dabble with magic in an attempt to take as much from the world as he can. Add in some supernatural elements (including djinn and demons), and a beastie even more formidable than that of the kraken in Dead Man’s Chest, and The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is packed with action from start to finish.

The story will appeal to so many, with Amina’s motherly love being strongly apparent throughout; a crew that makes for an excellent found family; LGBTQ+ representation; hilarious banter (especially between Amina and her estranged husband); a cute little animal companion; and, above all else, it’s just an incredibly fun read.

I can’t wait for the next books, and if you’re looking for a pirate story that is both fun and emotive then this is a perfect choice!

This new novel by Chakraborty did not dissapoint. I really loved her other series so I had high hopes. You get thrown into this magical world and go on an adventure together with the characters. Very well written, highly reccomend.