Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

20 reviews

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring reflective tense slow-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

4.0

 The Details:
Narrated by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal
Unabridged


Buddy read with Ellie (Bibbidi bobbidi books).

Blended reading (physical + audio).

I really enjoyed my time journeying through the adventures (quite epic in proportions) of Amina.

What a strong character she was, and one that was beautifully mirrored by her fierce love for her daughter and family. I love that she even made mention that even though she had put aside her sailing days after having her child, it didn't stop her from being a nakhudha. I thought that was a strong and inspiring way of thinking - you can wear many hats as you go through different life stages.

This was an exciting and fun read. During the portions where I listened to the audiobook, i found the narrator to be an excellent carrier of tone and inflection and brought even more life to the story.

I was really intrigued by the origins of Amina's child and how her heritage could shape her as she ages. I hope we get more of this in a sequel.

There had been some good little twists that built up the air of being on edge and lack of trust, which I thought was handled really well and applied an uncomfortable amounr of tension to the scene. During these times, I enjoyed Amina's inner reflections on how she would have handled the situation 10 years ago (rash, hasty, full on violence) compared with now (always having her family and their safety in her mind).

I thought all the characters were exceptionally written and the banter added to the believability of their arcs. I would love to see even more magic explored in sequential plots.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Torture, and Murder

walkie_check's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Genocide, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

thewellbitch's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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? No

5.0

LOVED IT!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Slavery

kappafrog's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.25

The historical setting was 10/10. I loved how rich the details were and how immersed I felt in the world of the 12th century Indian Ocean. Amina was also a great protagonist, very complex and easy to root for. The choice of setting and characters was exciting and refreshing.

The book got too violent for my tastes at times. Some of the plot armour the main characters had got pretty convoluted. Still, I look forward to seeing more in this series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and War

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

cheye13's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a very fun, straightforward adventure tale. It was actually quite a bit more fantasy than I expected, but it was a pleasant development. The author's dedication in her research really pays off in the nearly tangible setting. The characters, having a few years and adventures under their belts, feel more well-rounded and real. Getting flashbacks to their previous adventures was fun, and it's nice to jump straight into a found-family dynamic. The series set-up is straightforward, but still intriguing. I really enjoyed these characters and I look forward to seeing more from them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Transphobia, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

incident of mass murder and ritual human sacrifice off page but remains described in brief detail; instance of being stranded at sea; violent threats made against a child on numerous occasion

boglord's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Deadnaming, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

cerilouisereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexism, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

blewballoon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this adventure a lot! I loved having an older and more experienced fantasy protagonist, I loved the diverse cast of characters, and I had fun being immersed in cultures and locations that aren't as familiar to me as typical fantasy settings. I think this book delivered solidly on its premise and my expectations were definitely met. I am not sure why, but despite all that, I had a slow time reading this. I found myself having to force a little to pick it up, and it wasn't until I felt like I was nearing the end that I began to read with more momentum. I am not sure why this was, since the book is fairly action packed throughout. It may be that I got lost a little in the unfamiliar terms and creatures? I'm not sure. This is more of a personal issue that I have with some romance books as well, but I found

Amina's horniness and ogling of the males around her to be off-putting. I was mildly disgusted that she had sex with her "demon" husband again towards the end of the book after everything we know he has done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Vomit, and War

kbairbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was so lucky to have received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley!

Somewhere in this book something was described as a nautical mystery and I found that to be very on point for this book. Although I might replace the word mystery with adventure. The world building and characters were so rich, the twists and turns so exciting, the character relationships so well thought out, I enjoyed the danger, the emotional connection, and the magical elements. This book took pirates and made them even better! What a wild ride! I really enjoyed this read, as always, because Shannon is a freaking gem, and an amazing storyteller. I’ve loved everything she has written and she is an auto but author for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

bettysbookishworld's review against another edition

adventurous medium-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? Yes

5.0

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Voyager UK for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

If you like epic historical adventures full of pirates and magic, set in a fantasy world inspired by Middle East, this book is a right choice for you! It's one of the best written, engaging books with  well-rounded characters I've read in long time.

We follow Amina, a retired  pirate that got  persuaded to go to one more adventure of her life. And it was a great journey full of dangers and unexpected turns of events! I love Amina as a main character. She's a very strong, experienced warrior with a legendary past and I loved her sarcastic nature so much. It was such breathe of fresh air to have a trully mature and complex character. 

I couldn't put the book down as so many unexpected events were happening and the high stakes kept me going. The writing style got me transported into the magical world the author created. However, the first half was slower than the rest and even though I enjoyed it, it took me a while to actually connect to the story. After that though, I loved every second spent with Amina and her crew! I rooted for everyone and they had amazing dynamic between each other. You could feel and see that they had a past full of memories together which was so wholesome. I can't wait to read other Amina's adventures when they'll come out in the future and now I'm very much curious to try the Daevabad trilogy as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Death, Slavery, Grief, and Alcohol