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chanlo1994's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Confinement, Slavery, Transphobia, Islamophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
keelirae113's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Islamophobia, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
Minor: Drug use, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Cultural appropriation
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
mariposa517's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Genocide, Pedophilia, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Biphobia, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria
mesulkin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Transphobia, Vomit, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and War
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Sexual content, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
laurareads87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Compared to Daevabad, so far I would say this series feels a bit lighter in tone -- there is some more comic relief between the serious and heavy aspects, with themes of friendship and found family amongst the protagonist and her crew and the complexities of pursuing one's dreams while also prioritizing being a parent. This book is also more rooted in historical research, with the very vast majority of the action taking place in twelfth century cities surrounding the Indian Ocean. Chakraborty's inclusion of a section on recommended further reading is great.
Content warnings: violence, murder, death, blood, gore, body horror (not extensive or particularly severe), torture, war, colonialism, mention of past massacres and mass killings, sexism, misogyny, sexual assault (mentioned in context of a threat; not described in detail), cannibalism (off page, not described in any graphic or detailed way)
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Body horror, Gore, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
kurumipanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Cannibalism, Alcohol, War, and Classism
onthesamepage's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
But we'll come back to the Muslim representation. Let's talk about the fantasy parts first.
For this scribe has read a great many of these accounts and taken away another lesson: that to be a woman is to have your story misremembered. Discarded. Twisted.
I haven't read the Daevabad trilogy yet, and I don't think you necessarily need to to enjoy this book, but it might be useful to know that there are some crossover characters, and that the books are all set in the same world. I read this book as part of a readalong, and based on the discussions, I gather that a few parts of this may have more of an impact if you've read the trilogy.
The book is written as Amina narrating her story to a scribe named Jamal. It didn't happen a lot, but there were a couple of instances where Amina would interrupt her storytelling to make a snarky remark directed at Jamal, and I really liked those inserts. Without them it was easy to forget that this is her telling her story, and not just me reading a fantasy book written in first person.
"I am not distracted," I insisted. "I am murderously focused."
The story has a lot of journeying (she is a pirate, after all), "getting the gang back together", and then setting off on the actual quest. It's a pretty fun adventure, with interesting characters, and I really enjoyed reading it. I will say that the last quarter of the book relies a bit too much on a "deus ex machina" aspect in my opinion, and I kind of wish the author had allowed Amina to find another way to deal with the villain of the story.
Having this book open with "In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate", as a Muslim, just felt very powerful. It really set the tone for me right off the bat, and the constant mentions of everyday Muslim things gave me this feeling of being seen. There were mentions of the prophets and some of the stories surrounding them (although I actually disagree with the version used here, but that's a small quibble).
And if one of these events made me feel as though I had no right to ever call upon God again, the other filled me with a driving need I could not deny. So I keep my daily prayers, even if I feel unworthy the entire time.
The story was full of these small mentions that never allowed me to forget that Amina is Muslim. She said, "God is greatest", before diving headlong into danger. She acknowledges that she has nobody to turn to but God when she finds herself with her back against the wall. She talks about how she used to drink, how she kissed men who were not her husband, and how she doesn't do those things anymore because she's trying to be a better Muslim. Good representation isn't about characters that are the perfect portrayal of what a Muslim should be, it's about this: being Muslim is part of Amina's character, and there's no possible way to ignore that.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Torture and Cannibalism
Minor: Rape