Skies Press | Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, The: A new...

Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, The: A new fantasy series set a thousand years before The City of Brass

Shannon Chakraborty

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“A thrilling, transportative adventure that is everything promised—Chakraborty's storytelling is fantasy at its best.” — R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War

“An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina’s adventures are the reason to read fantasy.” — Ava Reid, internationally bestselling author of Juniper & Thorn

Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

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Posts about this title from Skies Press

Skies Press\ \ Emma\ \ • Aug 25 2024

Recs from your favorite booktokers' favorite booktokers

Me? Posting content two months after i film it? Never 😅 Missing all the wonderful people I met in New York during Shelves & The City and everyone i didn’t get to hang with too ♥️ Sorry it took me so long to get you their recs! 📚

11 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Betty's Bookish Thoughts\ \ Betty\ \ • May 10

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Welcome to Betty Bookish Thoughts!

Consider this a mini introduction to my bookish taste and loves!

If I can’t choose just one genre to love, why not all?! 🥰 There are too many books and authors I admire whose characters and words speak to me and make their worlds feel real. Let me know which books resonate with you, and I’d love to hear your own bookish responses as well (in particular, I want to know which books made you ugly cry 🤭)!

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DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Apr 3

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DocoftheDarkArts\ \ Bob Stuntz\ \ • Mar 27

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Weekly Reading Update: 3/14/26 - 3/20/26

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Fat Forward Books\ \ Samantha Puc\ \ • Jul 26 2025

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Fat Forward Books: Disability Pride Recommendations

Happy Disability Pride Month! 🙌 Today marks 35 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. This year especially, disabled people and our allies are fighting for our rights with everything we have—and as fervid readers and advocates for more and better intersectional disabled representation in media, we know how much of an impact reading disabled stories can make. 📖

In collaboration with author and fellow fat, disabled babe @laurelhollbooks, #FatForwardBooks presents 36 books with intersectional fat and disabled representation! 📚✨

How many of these titles have you read? How many are new to you? Let us know in the comments! For more, tap the 🔗 in the usual place and join FFB on @bindery_books for fat+ refs all year long.

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Bri's Book Nook\ \ Bri Le Fae\ \ • Jul 18 2025

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I have been enjoying my time working at my local renaissance fair this summer. It is a beautiful blend of fantasy and reality and allowing mw to embrace my creativity while also getting paid!\ \ Another reason why working at the faire, is that it gives me more time and excitement when it comes to bringing audiobooks back in my life. One book that I read this week and has encapsulated me, was The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A Chakraborty. \ \ Media about pirates have been comfort ever since the days of Pirates of the Caribbean and Treasure Planet. A band of misfits who do not belong in society, find there way and their place on adventures with a found family. And that is one of the themes that caused many a voice notes during my drive while listening to this book. \ \ One thing I do want to note is that by listening to the narrative rather than reading it, it felt more like a recorded notation of a true story due to the characters manner of speaking and their performance. It felt like a documentary and I loved it. \ \ Okay, now to explore the themes and how they helped weave the narrative.\ \ Family\ \ From the beginning, it is clearly understood that Amina loves her family. While the definition of that changes throughout the years as well as whom she places on "importance" shifts, whether it be found family or blood ties, it all comes to a halt when her daughter is born. \ \ Stepping into motherhood is the shift within Amina that halts her exploring ways. We as the reader also come to know that there was something else that aided, but for the most part, it was her daughter. \ \ I think motherhood or parenthood in general becomes that shift within any person's life, forcing the impending parent to make a decision on where they want their life to lead, and it "tames" Amina into leaning more into her new role as well as leaning on the family that raised her. It also can be seen as a step back into "her role as a woman" but we will put a pin in that for later.\ \ We also see how that "taming" ultimately leads to her over sheltering her daughter. \ \ So, the only thing that could possibly usher Amina back into her pirate role would be the potential to help her family. Also, it brings her found family back into the frame because this conflict brings back guilt when it comes to her old life and one that she called friend. \ \ So, the adventure of aiding her family puts herself back into the path of her chosen family, and Amina has to come to terms with the fact that even through the passage of time, her family was always and still will be there to support her. \ \ Religion\ \ Within tying family and redemption within this adventure, we also speak on religion and in the ways that it shapes the actions and motives of the characters. It also touches on the diversity and how one society's religion can persecute and demonize another. \ \ The older one gets they often wrestle with their immortal soul and will often beg for forgiveness and vow to live a life that aligns with eternal happiness and not damnation. We see how countless depictions of this but, of course, this is highlighted within Amina's life post retirement and into her journey. We see a "reformed" Nakhuda or Captain who longs to atone for the mistakes and choices she made that haunt her, as well as wanting to not be demonized or let the demons back into her life to mess it up. Of course, the nature of this journey does call into conflict with Amina as well her mortal soul. \ \ It also blends into redemption and the need to beg for forgiveness when you know you do not deserve it. For Amina, this manifests on the looming presence of the real reason she quit as well as is what brings her back into the fold. Needing to seek redemption is often a tenant when it comes to most religion, but she also feels that the weight of it all must be paid somehow. \ \ Girl Power and Identity\ \ We are told on countless occasions how powerful and commanding that Amina is, and yet all of that is constantly erased and washed away due to the fact that she is also a woman. Whether folklore as well as historical context within the area, her womanhood was often seen as her shortcoming, and something that got her pushed aside for. This forced her to build up strength both the physical embodiment as well as mentally for her to become this bigger than life pirate who made the marks of a legend. Stepping back into that role of "femininity" and becoming a mother, Amina has to reconquer some of those hurdles in order to move forward. For example, how the crew of her ship have little faith in her because she is a woman, and it takes proving herself in order to restore her title as well as challenge her.\ \ On the other scope, Dunya faces trials as well. Thorough the "kidnapping", the journey, and the self expression that is faced in order for Dunya to come to terms with what femininity personally means, and what forcing tradition and an older way of thinking does to a person within their journey of expression.\ \ Final thoughts\ \ Adventurous and cunning. Heartfelt and moving, this book has something for everyone. From the historical and folklore weavings of the narrative that spurn delight within any historian buff, to the beautiful prose and heart that will hold your heart, I loved this book. I loved it so much that finding out that there is an impending second book made me scream with delight. The world that was crafted with such care, it caused the characters to come alive, all complimented by listening to it as an audiobook. I am upset that it took me this long to read it, but I also believe that books are meant to find you when you need it most. And ren faire season, is definitely a great time!

Fantasy Friday

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Bri's Book Nook\ \ Bri Le Fae\ \ • Jul 16 2025

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Poll:\ \ Cosplay Book recs\ \ Hello all!\ \ This wrap up will be short as my readings have also been short.\ \ Besides working at the faire on the weekends, I have been using that time on my journey there to listen to audiobooks. Like last week, I spoke about Ice Planet Barbarians, and this week, I want to talk about The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. I am going to save the deep dive for Friday, since this book had me in a chokehold, but I am absolutely obsessed. Yet again, I am floored by a book that I had on my TBR and am finally reading it. \ \ I have also been working through my manga books, reading Apothecary Diaries because the show has me craving for more.\ \ Writing wise, I haven't done much yet, but the thrill is slowly coming back and I am making steps towards writing again.

Wrap Up Wednesday!

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Peppered Ink\ \ Mary\ \ • May 8 2025

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So it’s been a minute, but… 👀

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The Black Bird Commons\ \ Tim\ \ • Jan 2 2025

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My Little Book Nook: My Top Ten “Non-Literary” Books of 2024!

My Little Book Nook: My Top Ten “Non-Literary” Books of 2024! #booktok #authorsoftiktok #bestbooksof2024 #literarytok #top10 #topten

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Skies Press\ \ Emma\ \ • Aug 25 2024

Recs from your favorite booktokers' favorite booktokers

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Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Jul 19 2023

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here are some book recommendations that feature pirates or pirate adventures! 🏴‍☠️⚔️\ \ #piratebooks #fantasybookseries #cozyfantasybooks #bookishreel

here are some book recommendations that feature pirates or pirate adventures! 🏴‍☠️⚔️

#piratebooks #fantasybookseries #cozyfantasybooks #bookishreel

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Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Jul 19 2023

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Replying to @Letmollyread pirate book recommendations! #piratebookrecs #fantasybookrecs #sffbookrecs

4 books

The Inky Phoenix\ \ Kathryn Budig\ \ • Jun 9 2023

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Who’s ready to talk about IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS? 💥💥💥\ \ Join us on Zoom June 18th at 2pm ET. If you’ve joined conversations before you’ll recieve the invite the morning of. If you’re new, sign up in our bio link!

Who’s ready to talk about IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS? 💥💥💥

Join us on Zoom June 18th at 2pm ET. If you’ve joined conversations before you’ll recieve the invite the morning of. If you’re new, sign up in our bio link!

8 books

Ezeekat Press\ \ Jaysen\ \ • Apr 21 2023

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I’m so in love with this book. Have you read it?? #booktok #theadventuresofaminaalsirafi #books #booklove #fantasybooks

1 book

Ezeekat Press\ \ Jaysen\ \ • Apr 19 2023

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Whatcha Reading this week, friends? #booktok #books #discworld #readingupdate

3 books

Ezeekat Press\ \ Jaysen\ \ • Apr 14 2023

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Well that escalated quickly 🫠 #booktok #books #bookworm #reading #booklove