The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi: A new fantasy series set a thousand years before The City of Brass: 1 (An Amina al-Sirafi Adventure, 1)

Shannon Chakraborty delivers a thrilling high-seas adventure with a bold, unconventional heroine. Amina al-Sirafi, a retired pirate, is drawn back into danger, navigating a world of magic, treachery, and redemption. The book blends historical fiction with Islamic folklore, offering rich world-building and compelling characters. Amina’s wit and complexity make her a standout protagonist, while the story explores themes of motherhood, ambition, and second chances. Though the pacing slows at times, the gripping adventure and immersive storytelling make it a must-read. ⭐ Rating: 4.5/5

Amina Al-Sirafi was once a fiery pirate captain, living her life in peace with her family away from all the scandalous past. But when she’s tracked down by the wealthy mother of a former crewman who offered a mission that no one could refuse for the handsome reward, no matter how dangerous it is. She had to get her comrade's kidnapped daughter back. Amina has to embark on one last adventure with her crew and repay an old friend, moreover, to win the handsome reward that would secure her family's future forever. However, it's more clearly evident to Amina that there is more to this mission than the kidnapping, and she is being told, despite the dangers, it's her last chance at glory, to savour just a bit more power, and the price might be her very soul. This book is a historical fantasy, which truly captures the essence of adventure, magic, mystery, and bravery. The character development was fantastic; Amina is a mid-aged, headstrong female pirate. Which gave a different aspect to this book. The other side characters were well-developed, with so much backstory to each. These characters were a perfect package for an adventure. The world build up was amazing, especially since it was set in Oman (my so-called hometown 😍). The author has seamlessly unfolds the plot back-fourth timeline. Although from the beginning it was quite enthralling, I felt by the mid of the book it was a bit dragging and deflated and was a good wrap up. However, there were a few deceptive elements that really disappointed and took away one star.

Very good story line

A little dent at the bottom but otherwise in a good condition which would have been avoided if amazon provided it in a box delivery

Taking a historical fiction tone, the novel is set on the high seas in the Indian Ocean, in a time when trade facilitated multicultural exchanges, with a unique set of characters as sarcastic as they are capable and trustworthy and a formidable and equally admirable Nakhuda, our protagonist. She will do anything to keep a promise and protect her crew as she feels obligated to locate the daughter of a former crew member while grappling with the dilemma of leaving her family behind and seizing her last chance at glory. The prize money along with protecting her own blood might be an added motivating factor. She is not your average heroine; she has had her fair share of adventures as a “notorious pirate”, as per the inevitable rumour mill (that doesn’t mean she hasn’t sinned at all but some things have definitely been embellished), has seen too many things, both wonderful and nightmarish and is a mother who lives a secluded existence as to give the best life possible to her kid, not tainted by her past. Themes touched upon in the book include feminism, sex and gender, religious diversity and ofc, piracy. The thing I like the most about the stories Chakraborty crafts is the removal of the western gaze. Her stories are more inspired by the middle eastern elements, giving all of the old fashioned fantasy elements a fun, modern twist. Albeit a meandering start, the book delivers what it promises- an adventure rife with twists, with a found family vibe, a diabolical villain and fantasy elements which seemed to have been written while being on hallucinogens 😂.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is the first book in the Amina al-Sirafi series and is based on the voyage of a pirate to find a very important treasure. The story follows a retired pirate, Amina who has been on many quests and was betrayed many times now lives happily with her daughter. But out of nowhere, a wealthy woman tracks her down and asks her to help her find her granddaughter from an enemy. She resists but when the lady offers her huge amount of money, she agrees to find her. With full determination, she makes a plan and contacts her old crew members. All of them agree and start their adventure step by step. Their adventure was gripping and full of excitement. I felt like I was watching everything taking place in front of me. I couldn’t put the book down right from the start as it was super engaging. The magical elements added to the story were delightful. Furthermore, the world-building was fantastic, just loved it. The characters were well-developed as well and loved the diversity of characters. Amina being my favourite character didn’t disappoint me at all. Dalia on the other hand was an amazing character, her way of charming 🤌🏻. I’m super anxious to read the next book in the series ava find out what happens next.

Another great book by Shannon Chakraborty!

Bem escrito, narrativa dinâmica, história interessante. Amina é super carismática e pokas ideia, personagens de suporte também são bem definidos. A ambientação é impecável.

Eigentlich hat Aminal Al-Sirafi sich aus dem Dasein als Piratin zurückgezogen und zieht jetzt ihre Tochter groß. Doch dann bekommt sie einen Auftrag, den sie gleich aus mehreren Gründen nicht ablehnen kann. Sie trommelt (nicht ganz ohne Schwieriegkeiten) ihre ehemaligen Kameraden zusammen und sie machen sich auf in ein Abenteuer, das größer, aufregender und vielschichtiger ist, als sie es sich zunächst vorstellen können. Ich mochte, dass die Hauptcharaktere alle ein erwachsenes Leben führten, das zumindest bei Amina auch deutlich in ihre Queste hineinspielt. Das Abenteuer an sich enthält Stürme, Monster, fiese Bösewichte und nicht ganz so fiese Piraten, also alles, was zu einer Piratengeschichte gehört. Das Setting ist angeleht an das Leben der Menschen im Mittelalter um den Indischen Ozean, die fantastischen Wesen, die natürlich auch vorkommen, entstammen der islamischen Mythologie.

Gripping, mesmerizing, and beautifully written. I can't say much without spoilers, just that everything is chef kiss: the rich, well-rounded characters, the compelling story, the plot twists masterfully arranged, the world so realistic you feel like you could walk into it any time. Even if you don't know much of the myths of Arabic tradition, you won't be confused for long. I am looking forward to a sequel, I'm on the edge of my seat to know what happens to the characters next!

Amina är en väldigt bra start in i fantasy för er som precis som jag nyligen började läsa igen i vuxen ålder. Charaktärerna är trovärdiga och roliga att läsa, man vill veta mer och mer om dem ju mer man läser men den som tar showen är verkligen huvudkaraktären Amina som man följer i en fisrt person perspektiv. Om ni är intresserade av en crew av karaktärer som är mycket äldre och faktiskt visar sin ålder är boken perfekt. Att läsa om en moder och se hennes perspektiv på världen var något jag verkligen gillade och hur hbtq+ karaktärerna vävdes in utan problem var också ett stort plus. Boken utspelar sig i en intressant del av världen som man oftast inte läser om i fantasy vilket kändes väldigt fresh. För att summera så rekommenderar jag starkt denna boken till alla som vill läsa om en stark äldre kvinnlig karaktär i en bit av världen man ofta inte läser om i fantasy som får gå igen prövningar i både moderskap och sin tro.