Audiobook review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
July TBR optional theme: What a Wonderful World – I’m behind in the schedule!
Set in the 12th century in the thriving port cities of the Indian Ocean, Amina lives in a world where women are expected to marry and maintain a home, not become legendary pirates. Yet Amina gave up her life at sea to raise her daughter, now 10 years old. However when Amina’s family is threatened, she seeks out her former crew, and they head off on a dangerous job.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is the tale of a retired “foul-mouthed, middle-aged woman with a bad knee” who has to make one last trip to save the kidnapped daughter of a former crewman. I love the vivid details of the people and locales of the time. The author brings the past to life when shared through Amina’s eyes. I love the descriptions of the port cities, the different cultures, the various religions, and the mythologies. While the majority of the tale feels like historical fiction, there are hints of the supernatural early on in the book, and eventually, the magic of the time becomes the central focus of the journey.
Amina’s journey is one of survival and determination, but it’s also about coming to terms with her own desires and the sins of her past. She learns much about herself on this fateful journey, and she also learns to forgive herself. She admits how much she loves the thrill of exploration and how she wasn’t ready to give it all up. She knows these admissions will come at a price, but she’s finally in a place where she can process it because she’s broadened her circle to include her close friends.
Speaking of her friends, I love her crewmates who forgive Amina for her ten-year absence. And when the truth comes out over her guilt from a decade ago, I love the surprise Amina finds in their own confessions. Over the course of book, they learn to trust one another with all their truths, making them a formidable team.
Narration: The book is shared via two first person POV narrators, with the primary storyteller Amina al-Sirafi (Lameece Issaq). Additional storytelling is shared by Jamal (Amin El Gamal), a scribe who provides backstories and additional details to enhance Amina’s tale. Both are sharing a story and will at times talk directly to the listener.
Issaq performs Amina will little accent and a LOT of emotion. She is a fun storyteller and enhances the overall enjoyment of the book. Issaq alters her voice effectively for gender and age, making each character fairly unique and identifiable. She’s very animated. El Gamal primary only speaks as Jamal and therefore does not alter his performance much. He also speaks with little noticeable accent. At times, Amina will talk directly to Jamal and will employ a “special effect” to make her sound distant or muffled, but it made it harder to hear/understand for me.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is the start of a new series as Amina is tasked with locating four more magical items. There is a wonderful reveal at the end of the book that has me excited for what will come next. (According to Goodreads, the next book will come out later in 2025).
My Ratings
Story: B+
Narration: B+
Jen
About the Book:
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.
Author: Shannon Chakraborty
Narrators: Lameece Issaq, Amin El Gamal
Series: Amina al-Sirafi #1
Genre: Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: February 28, 2023
Publisher: HarperAudio
Length: 16 hours 59 minutes
Source: purchased
Audio Speed: 1.3x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)
