Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

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

24 reviews

toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Overall an enjoyable book! There were some parts that felt a little incongruous and the ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been, but the characters were really interesting as was the worldbuilding!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Slavery

futureofmydays's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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: Alcoholism, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Vomit

tamara_joy's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

rorikae's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi' by Shannon Chakraborty is a fun and fast paced historical fantasy novel. 
Amina al-Sirafi has put her pirate days behind her. Now she lives with her daughter and mother far away from the rumors about her younger days. But Amina's calm life is thrown into turmoil when a woman comes looking for her help and knows exactly who she is. Her granddaughter has been kidnapped and she offers Amina a pretty sum to go rescue her. Amina has no interest until she learns who the granddaughter is and how she's tied to Amina's past. She'll have to get the band back together if she has any hope of completing her quest. 
Chakraborty has created such a fun historical fantasy novel full of great characters, peril, and a dash of the fantastic. I love pirate stories and this one does not disappoint. This novel is also a breath of fresh air among the troves of novels centered on character in their 20s. Amina and her crew are nearing middle age with a number of adventures behind them. Chakraborty does an excellent job of slowing rolling out information about Amina and her crew's past. 
The audiobook of this is fantastic and actually leans into the frame story of Amina telling this tale herself. I'm so excited that this is the start of a series because I can't wait to go sailing with Amina and her crew again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

Amazingly perfect from the protagonist to the villain to the clever twist. So happy to see some nods to the Daevabad trilogy as well! Cannot wait for the second book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Torture

sofiadanielle's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This book was just honestly delightful to read. I had been a bit weary when the book opened with the narrator directly talking to the reader, because I usually hate that type of writing style, but oh wow am I glad I decided to continue on. 

I have never thought myself to have a taste for pirate stories, never mind ones with humor at the forefront, but this book was utter perfection in that sense. Amina and her crew all seemed so alive and distinct as characters. The creatures and spirits, the fantastical otherworldly elements, all so colorfully written. 

And can I say, what a breath of fresh air to have a whimsy, fantasy story featuring characters of color and folk lore not Euro-centered. I love my fantasy stories, really, but seldom find ones that are as popular as this one, that really puts these types of characters as the main characters/storyline. 

Love, love, loved this read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

sarasreading's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

4.5 stars but may bump it up. Easily one of the best reads of the year so far for me! Full of memorable characters, humor, heart, swashbuckling adventure, mysteries, magic, honestly what's not to love? I'm guessing there will be more, and I cannot wait! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Colonisation

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

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Transphobia

Minor: Deadnaming

drlove2018's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Slavery, Transphobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol