The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
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 | |
| Author | Shannon Chakraborty |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi |
Release number | 1 |
| Set in | 12th century; Indian Ocean; Socotra |
| Publisher | Harper Voyager |
Publication date | 7 Mar 2023 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 496 |
| ISBN | 9780062963505 |
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is a 2023 historical fantasy novel by Shannon Chakraborty. It is the first novel in a planned trilogy.
The novel was a finalist for the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novel.[1]
In a frame story, pirate captain Amina al-Sirafi narrates her tale to the scribe Jamal.
After retiring, Amina lives a quiet life with her daughter Marjana. A woman named Salima tells Amina that her granddaughter Dunya is missing. Dunya’s father was Asif, one of Amina’s crew members who died under unclear circumstances. Dunya has disappeared after meeting with a Frankish mercenary and occultist named Falco Palamenestra. Amina recruits a team of her former crewmates to retrieve Dunya. These include Dalila, an expert poisoner; Tinbu, her first mate; and Majed, her navigator. They sail aboard the Marawati.
Amina learns that Dunya is leading Falco to the Moon of Saba, a pearl rumored to have magical powers. The pearl is said to have been given to Queen Bilqis by the moon manzil Al-Dabaran. The Marawati tracks Falco to Socotra. There, Amina is confronted by a demon named Raksh. Raksh is Amina’s husband, Marjana’s father, and the creature responsible for Asif’s death. He is still bound to Amina by their marriage contract and unbeknownst to Raksh, the existence of their daughter.
The Marawati rescues Dunya. She tells Amina that the Moon of Saba is not a pearl at all, but a wash basin that holds the spirit of Al-Dabaran. Dunya admits that she was not kidnapped; she went with Falco willingly because she has been questioning her gender identity and is fleeing an arranged marriage. Falco and his captive marid capture the Marawati. In exchange for Dunya’s cooperation, Falco agrees to let the Marawati’s crew live. He stabs Amina and throws her overboard.
Amina and Raksh wash ashore on a magical island. Amina drinks water from the island, which grants her magical powers. This violates the laws of the peri who rule the island; they believe in a strict separation between human and magical realms. Amina is granted permission to leave the island in exchange for hunting down five magical artifacts, including the Moon of Saba.
Amina has a flashback to the night that Asif died. Asif had died from a plague, but as a result of a contract with Raksh, his corpse rose from the dead and became violent. Amina was forced to burn the reanimated corpse, traumatizing herself and the rest of the crew.
Back on Socotra, Amina reaches Dunya and Falco just as they retrieve the Moon of Saba. Amina and Dunya destroy the Moon of Saba, free Al-Dabaran, and kill Falco. Amina and her crew agree to continue hunting down magical relics. Amina returned to her family. Dunya embraces the name Jamal and lives as a trans man. Amina refuses to return him to Salima. She begins to recount her adventures to Jamal and Marjana.
Style
The story is narrated by Amina in first person narration as she speaks to a scribe. Throughout the book, interludes relate tales of the Moon of Saba.[2]