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bethanycrowepowell's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A rollicking woman-led Sinbad type adventure on glittering, lethal seas.
Amina al-Sarafi left her beloved ship for many good reasons. She’s pulled out of retirement not because those reasons are gone, but because one of her biggest regrets has come knocking. The chance at fabulous wealth (which was missing from her sudden flight to the hinterlands) doesn’t hurt. Amina’s swagger and cynicism captured my heart, while her regrets and maturity made this feel more weighty as a fabulous adventure.
Chakraborty’s skill at turning the screws of stakes and evoking marvelous but dangerous worlds clinch this as a new favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Torture, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Dysphoria
Everything "phobia" in these content warnings are not presented in a positive light. The graphic violence/gore are mainly in the last third of the book when dealing with a horrifying villain, but I was glad to be skimming text instead of listening by audio to that part!jashanac's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read a NetGalley e-arc of this and I am simultaneously very happy with that decision and also mad at myself because I LOVED this book and now I have to wait until MARCH to get my hands on a copy!
This was SUCH a fun read... there was not one single scene or chapter or moment that felt superfluous or like it was dragging on... and I could see everything happening SO VIVIDLY. Chakraborty really wrote the hell out of this book.
I loved the characters, specifically the Marawati crew and their dynamic together -- top notch!
I could see everything in this book -- the environment, the characters, the action-- SO vividly... and not because it was overly descriptive or anything. It was just... efficiently descriptive? I loved it.
This was SUCH a fun read... there was not one single scene or chapter or moment that felt superfluous or like it was dragging on... and I could see everything happening SO VIVIDLY. Chakraborty really wrote the hell out of this book.
I loved the characters, specifically the Marawati crew and their dynamic together -- top notch!
I could see everything in this book -- the environment, the characters, the action-- SO vividly... and not because it was overly descriptive or anything. It was just... efficiently descriptive? I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Torture, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Transphobia, Islamophobia, and Dysphoria
The "Minor" CWs are quite minor, specifically the transphobia and dysphoria. It's just one character mentioning in one brief conversation that they experience gender dysphoria and that a family member has shut them down any time they try to talk about it.