![]() The guild Dalila hails from-the Banu Sasan-was also real, or as “real” as the fantastical odes recited about it were. All the cons, tricks, and poisons in this book are pulled from history: there’s actually a thirteenth century charlatan’s guide (recently translated into English by the Library of Arabic Literature) which discusses both the three cups game still used to swindle gullible tourists today and the numerous knock-out drugs Dalila employs. What was one of the most interesting things your research uncovered?Įasily one of the most enjoyable topics to research was criminal activity-specifically overwrought stories and urban legends about criminal activity-in the medieval world. You recreate the world so vividly and with such authority, the reader feels transported – tell us about your research. Sindbad the Sailor meets Ocean’s 11 (in the spirit of the book, I’m cheating and deciding 11 doesn’t count as a word) Just for fun, can you describe your book in five words? But it’s also a story about a deeply flawed woman who finds faith and family in later life, about clinging to humor and hope even in the bleakest of circumstances. It touches upon plenty of serious topics: class and societal oppression, the struggle to balance parenthood and your dreams, and perhaps most obviously, the “crafting” of history and one’s legacy. ![]() I wrote it as the sort of book I’ve been craving in the past few years: a madcap adventure tale that offers excitement and escapism, but also a good dose of heart. For their foe, an ex-Crusader who’s left the holy wars raging in the north, is seeking not only magic in their lands-but Amina herself. Offered a fortune and a righteous cause, Amina seizes on the chance to have her “one last adventure.” But she no sooner starts getting her gang back together, then it becomes pretty clear the assignment is both more dangerous and more supernatural than they expected. Thank you! The story follows the escapades of a former pirate and ship’s captain, the eponymous Amina al-Sirafi, when she’s pulled out of retirement and hired to track down the kidnapped daughter of a late comrade. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and an ever-increasing number of cats.įirst of all, congratulations on the release of your brand-new, much-anticipated fantasy The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi! Can you tell our readers a little about what they can expect? You can find her online at or on Twitter and Instagram at where she likes to talk about history, politics, and Islamic art. When not buried in books about medieval seafarers and con artists, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and re-creating unnecessarily complicated historical dishes. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages and nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Crawford, and Astounding awards. Shannon Chakraborty is the author of the critically acclaimed and internationally best-selling The Daevabad Trilogy.
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