The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: A new fantasy series set a thousand years before The City of Brass

"A thrilling, transportative adventure that is everything promised-Chakraborty's storytelling is fantasy at its best." -- R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War

"An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina's adventures are the reason to read fantasy." -- Ava Reid, internationally bestselling author of Juniper & Thorn

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.

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496 pages

Average rating: 8.29

137 RATINGS

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8 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

blewballoon
Nov 21, 2024
8/10 stars
I enjoyed this adventure a lot! I loved having an older and more experienced fantasy protagonist, I loved the diverse cast of characters, and I had fun being immersed in cultures and locations that aren't as familiar to me as typical fantasy settings. I think this book delivered solidly on its premise and my expectations were definitely met. I am not sure why, but despite all that, I had a slow time reading this. I found myself having to force a little to pick it up, and it wasn't until I felt like I was nearing the end that I began to read with more momentum. I am not sure why this was, since the book is fairly action packed throughout. It may be that I got lost a little in the unfamiliar terms and creatures? I'm not sure. This is more of a personal issue that I have with some romance books as well, but I found

Amina's horniness and ogling of the males around her to be off-putting. I was mildly disgusted that she had sex with her "demon" husband again towards the end of the book after everything we know he has done.
Lalalalowman
Jul 25, 2024
10/10 stars
I loved this book so much! The characters were lively and nuanced. The story was gripping and satisfying! The setting was interesting and evocative. And the whole thing was incredibly fun! Can't wait for the next one!
yahoo mail
Apr 15, 2024
9/10 stars
Loved this swashbuckling adventure featuring a strong woman leader! Lots of rich history and storytelling!
kosterberg
Apr 01, 2024
10/10 stars
Loved the characters, storyline, everything was perfect
Anonymous
Mar 13, 2024
8/10 stars
I wanted to love this book. A middle-aged pirate, who is also a mother, doing the best she can, getting lured back into the sea for one last adventure was the story I needed. I enjoyed it but not as much as I hoped. Still, I would recommend it. It has all the good pirate tropes, including sea monsters and double-crosses. It has heart and found family. I didn't connect to Amina as much as I would have liked and remained emotionally detached, but that could be a reader issue more than one attributed to the story. If there are more stories of the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi I would like to read them.

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