Author: Shannon Chakraborty
Published: 2023
Target Audience: Adults (Appropriate 16+)
"God as my witness, none of this ever would have happened if it were not for those two fools back in Salalah. Them and their map."
Amina al-Sirafi was once an infamous pirate captain, with stories of her escapades, numerous husbands, and rumoured dealings with djinn and demons spreading far across the Indian Ocean. Now in her forties, Amina is retired with a bad knee, scores of enemies to hide from, and a ten-year-old daughter to raise. But when she is asked to investigate the kidnapping of a teenager, Amina jumps at the chance to reunite her old crew for one last adventure, and to safeguard her family's financial future. Yet as Amina searches, she realises there's alarmingly more to this job than she was led to believe. Between unscrupulous mercenaries, power-hungry sorcerers, mythical artefacts, and monstrous sea creatures, Amina and her crew will need to muster every scrap of their strength, wits, and skill to survive.
Excerpt:
However, my eyes had barely settled on my beloved ship when said heart-easing abruptly ended. For you see, my Marawati was neither alone nor at peace. It was being actively searched by soldiers...
A pair of guards dragged Tinbu between them. I watched as he attempted to lift his head and was rewarded with a punch to his stomach.
An old, dangerous anger lit inside me. "We follow."
"Amina, 'we follow' plays no part in obtaining very large sums of money for discreetly-"
"No sum of money is worth such a loss to me."
Dalila grunted in annoyance. "I knew he was your favorite."
"I was talking about my ship. Now follow."
Review:
'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi' a rollicking tale of friendship, ambition, magic, and mayhem, and above all one woman's determination to carve out her own legend.
Published in 2023, 'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi' is the first in a new trilogy by critically acclaimed American author Shannon Chakraborty. Best known for her Daevabad Trilogy, Chakraborty's works have been translated into dozens of languages and nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, and Astounding awards. Her newest book is a fun, lively tale that will delight readers with its memorable characters, daring ventures, and riveting episodic style. The novel also features a uniquely entertaining narrative voice as Amina recounts her journey to a scholar - complete with interjections, confessions, and bickering over how best to chronicle the her experiences.
The story takes place in a fictionalised version of twelfth-century Islamicate societies of the northwestern Indian Ocean littoral. Chakraborty draws on extensive academic resources to enliven this setting with details of historical figures, ordinary people, folk tales, nautical terminology, the Crusades, and the methods of criminals. There are also short interludes of travelers letters, fairy tales, official missives, and historical records that further draw readers into the story, and expand the world that Amina inhabits.
This vibrant and multicultural setting is also reflected in the novel's diverse cast, giving rise to a myriad of distinct character dynamics and perspectives that are less commonly depicted in mainstream fantasy stories. Among the notable characters are Tinbu, the first mate and former slave hailing from the Malabar Coast; Delila, a devout Christian and poisoner with secretive criminal origins; Majed, a family man and retired navigator from Mogadishu; and at the story's helm is Amina al-Sirafi, whose depth and complexity makes for a fascinating protagonist. In her forties, Amina is a mother, Muslim, and a female ship owner in a patriarchal society. She struggles to reconcile her conflicting dreams of becoming a legendary, adventurous pirate with her past regrets and desire to protect her daughter, creating a relatable and layered story that will resonate with readers. Moreover, Amina's determination to lift her family out of poverty shows her to be a resilient and sympathetic character that readers will undoubtedly enjoy cheering for throughout the novel.
'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi', is a masterfully written, gripping tale of mystery, wit, and danger on the high seas. It skillfully explores concepts of motherhood, faith, class, oppression, and whose stories are told or overlooked. This was such a fun story, and I urge everyone to give it a read. I can't wait for the next book in the series.