Amina is at the very start telling her tale to a scribe and with that come challenges to decisions she made that probably weren’t the best. This led to each crew member being well fleshed out and easily imagined with personalities that are quite distinct from one another. I thoroughly enjoyed Amina seeking out each of her crew members out from their hidey holes (haha!) because it provided the opportunity for their backstory.

Slow to start while the troops are being rallied, This is one you just have to trust that you’re in for a good time. The life of a Pirate has enough challenges but things get all the more interesting when those stories filled with magical beings become your reality. In this world there are stories of Djinn and Gods/Goddesses and before venturing out on this last journey, that’s all they were to Amina…Just stories.

This job also comes with a promised hefty pay-off, one that can truly secure their retirement. That being said, they also share one thing in common and that’s that they miss the high seas/high stakes adventures that comes with Amina at the helm. We follow Amina as she recruits her crew members back and it’s been 10 years, they’re all feeling a little worse for wear. The queer representation felt organic and I personally would love a Tinbu novella *fingers crossed* Dalila, Majed, Tinbu, the Scribe and another character (I won’t mention their name as it is spoilery) make a phenomenal supporting cast. When the mother of a former crew member finds her and pleads her case for aid in finding her kidnapped grandchild, Amina sets out to get the old gang back together again on her ship. Admittedly the first 40% is a bit slow + that’s because our girl is in retirement! After several husbands, backstabbing rogues and an actual demon…she’s spending time with her child and mother on some remote island far away from all of the enemies she’s accumulated over the years as a Pirate in the Indian Ocean. When I first heard we were getting a story with a middle aged single mother who was a renowned fearless Pirate…I smiled, nodded and paired it with a fist pump! We get a healthy balance of plot + character growth in this seafaring adventure full of excitement and world building. ☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆ GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | LIBROFM

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