The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A reluctant female pirate captain is coerced into one last sea adventure and the results are magical.

Our FMC, Amina, is a woman, mother, retired pirate captain in her 40s. She spends her days with her 10-year old daughter, and her aging mother, living a quiet life. However, a teenage girl goes missing and Amina's hand is forced as she's told to find and return the girl to her grandmother.

We see Amina getting her figurative and literal old crew back together. I love the exploration of older adventurers, who despite physical limitations or old injuries are just as capable and dedicated as they were in their 20s.

This book explores deeper themes of friendship, belonging and the confines of motherhood. Amina specifically grapples with the love she has for her daughter and the passion and skill she has as a captain - how motherhood often demands that we give up essential parts of our selves, identities and dreams in order to provide the stability and love our children need.

The pacing of this book is fast, the characters are interesting and well-rounded. I often found myself smiling and giggling while listening to the audiobook. There is some magical-realism near the end of the book, which isn't usually my style, but it fit perfectly here.

Amina's husband is called a demon, and you think it's a euphemism, no. If Loki from Norse mythology had a cousin, this would be him. I really liked this character, and I liked how Amina balances her relationship with him.

This is the first book can be read as a stand-alone (no cliffhangers), but it's setting up future adventures with these amazing characters that I can't wait to read.

This book is best read on a pirate ship, surrounded by ancient clay tablets that contain mystical incantations while your best friend is beside you mixing explosive black powder and muttering curses against your demon husband.