I’m mostly a sci‑fi and dystopia diehard, but Shannon Chakraborty’s swashbuckling fantasy The Adventures of Amina al‑Sirafi (published March 2023) lured me straight off my usual flight deck and onto a creaking deck at sea. It’s a brisk, big‑hearted romp with salt on its lips and stories in its sails—a perfect gateway for readers who crave character, wit, and world‑lore alongside their magic.
Amina, a retired pirate, mother, and former scourge of the Indian Ocean, is dragged back for “one last job” that spirals into a rescue, a heist, and a reckoning. The book brims with maritime folklore, djinn‑touched mysteries, and the gritty pragmatism of an older heroine who’s survived enough monsters—human and otherwise—to know the price of courage. It’s adventurous and character‑first, with dangers that feel both wondrous and properly perilous.
What absolutely charmed me is the narrative voice: warm, sly, and occasionally scathing, like a seasoned captain telling truths over spiced tea. Chakraborty balances splashy action with quieter questions about faith, guilt, and the pull between duty and desire. The result is both joyous and grounded—a tale of second chances, rusted legends, and maternal ferocity.
Prequel 1,000 years before The City of Brass — 🍵🍵🍵🍵
Billed as a new series set a thousand years before The City of Brass, this entry feels like a sly prequel that widens the map and deepens the myth. You can sense the shared cosmology—whispers of old pacts, djinn‑haunted straits, and relics that hint at much larger histories—yet Amina’s story stands proudly on its own keel. No homework required; Daevabad devotees will just catch more of the glimmers.
Craft‑wise, it’s a delight: brisk chapters, vivid ports, and dialogue that snaps like a sail in a sudden gust. The set‑pieces are inventive, the magic textured, and the cast memorably thorny. If I quibble, it’s only that a couple of mid‑voyage detours feel a touch leisurely—but honestly, I liked lingering. My rating: 🍵🍵🍵🍵 out of 5. Favourite tagline to set the mood: “A pirate of infamy. A legend among men. A mother.” Publication: March 2023.
If you, like me, usually curl up with dystopias and starships, consider this a shore‑leave worth taking. The Adventures of Amina al‑Sirafi serves high adventure with warmth, wit, and a briny kick, and it left me eager for the next voyage. Have you sailed with Amina yet—or are you saving your sea legs for book two? Pour a cup, tell me your tide‑favourite moments, and let’s chart the next read together.