Amina Al-Sirafi is not just a pirate. She’s a female pirate. She’s a female Muslim pirate. Hell yeah, I can get on board with this book, whose premise promises to deliver adventure with an under-represented perspective. And in that regard, I was satisfied. In the introductory pages, we’re told what to expect–the story of an older woman who continues to defy convention. “Ah yes, a certain degree of rebelliousness is expected from youth. It is why we have stories of treasure-seeking princesses and warrior women that end with the occasional happiness. But they are expected to end–with the boy, the prince, the sailor, the adventurer. The man that will take her maidenhood, grant her children, make her a wife. The man who defines her. He may continue his epic. . . but women’s stories are expected to dissolve into a fog of domesticity.”
When the story begins, Amina is comfortably retired and living an anonymous life with her daughter Marjana. Her peace is disrupted when a wealthy woman named Salima tracks her down and tries to hire her to find her kidnapped granddaughter, Dunya. Amina initially refuses, even in the face of an obscene amount of money as reward, but relents when she learns that Dunya is the daughter of a former crew member–one whose death has obviously left Amina with a huge sense of guilt.
The novel provides plenty of adventure and twists along the way, and overall it was an engaging read, but it fell flat for me in several places. First, Amina’s husband is referenced several times in the early chapters and is built up as something to be dreaded. Sure enough, when we finally meet him, Amina’s husband Raksh is an actual demon, but he’s Loki-esque: While he no doubt is dangerous, he comes off as more mischievous and irksome than someone to be feared. Perhaps that was the author’s intention (Falco, the alleged kidnapper, is the real threat), but I still felt let down, and at times Raksh just felt like an annoyance. Second, in the last third of the novel, Amina and Raksh end up on a magical island that should probably have just been named the Island of Deus ex Machina. There are lots of close calls and sudden rescues in this novel, as one would expect from an adventure story, but this is where the plot lost me and I had to push myself to keep reading. The island doesn’t just serve as a way to rescue Amina and Raksh, though; it also serves as a way to set up the sequels.
Readers will appreciate Shannon Chakraborty’s inclusivity for including a character who is questioning their gender identity. It’s not explored very much, but I assume that aspect will develop more in the follow-up adventures. I also like that there is a gay character whose sexual identity is not a major focus of the story: He’s gay, he exists, everyone knows, nobody is bothered.
Overall, I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The main character is strong and likable and flawed and I’d like to keep following her. The plot, though, let me down.