Format: ebook
Release Date: February 28th, 2023
Age: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Goodreads
Rating: 5/5 Stars
With all the great things I’d heard about this book, I may have been a touch hesitant going in – there’s always a slight fear I’m not going to get along with a book as much as others have. But, finally, I got around to reading this (and big thanks to Harper Voyager for providing this book via NetGalley), and I absolutely freaking loved it.
After an adventurous life at sea, pirate Amina al-Sirafi has taken a well-deserved retirement to spend more time with her family and raise her daughter. But Amina is approached by the mother of one of her former crew, and offered a large sum to retrieve her old friend’s daughter. It’s not only the money offered or the idea of helping an old friend that draws her back to sea, but the prospect of adventure, though Amina soon finds she is in over her head, with the situation more complicated than the old woman said.
I loved Amina, and I’m so glad we seem to be getting two more books about her adventures. It’s clear she cares deeply for her family and her crew, and appreciates when her friends come out of their own retirement to help her. She is haunted by what happened to her former crewmate, and driven by the need to ensure her daughter’s safety. It’s also incredibly refreshing to see more novels with older characters as the lead; Amina and her friends aren’t as sprightly as they used to be, but they throw themselves in and work together to get out the other side.
It’s also an absolute pleasure to see a pirate adventure that moves away from the Caribbean and the pirates we’re commonly used to seeing, as well as the use of different types of mythology and sea creatures. The magic weaved in is handled really well, too, and makes for a really exciting read. I think this is going to hit right at the top of my ‘favourite books read this year’ list.
So, this book has great characters, an epic adventure, lots of magic and plenty of magic going wrong, a well written plot and a world you can get swept into very easily – what more could you even ask for?
Reading Challenge
The Disney Reading Challenge
Prompt: Moana – How far I’ll go – a book with an adventure/journey
Progress: 14/40 Completed
Unwrapping Words 