The next Hugo-nominated book is set around the Indian Ocean in the late Middle Ages. Amina al-Sirafi, a former female pirate captain, has withdrawn from the seas to live a quiet life in hiding whilst raising her daughter. She is almost a giant, taller than most men, fierce and strong, with a huge reputation. She has managed to live hidden for several years, but then she is found by the immensely wealthy mother of a former crewman. This woman’s granddaughter, Dunya, has been kidnapped by a westerner, a Frankish mercenary named Falco, who has a reputation for butchering scores of people during the Crusades and who likes to collect esoteric items.
Amina initially declines the offer to rescue Dunya, but then she is offered more money than she could ever have imagined—a sum so large that it is impossible to refuse. She starts her journey by finding her old ship, which is still partially crewed by her former mates. It soon turns out that the “kidnapping” was more like running away from home, and Dunya isn’t just a random girl; she is someone who has studied arcane writings more than anyone. She has promised Falco that she will find a powerful artifact, the “Moon of Saba,” for him. This artifact has been lost for centuries and is reputed to grant practically unlimited power to anyone who controls it. Since Falco is certainly the type of person who should not wield such power, Amina has an even better reason to find him and Dunya.
However, it seems that Falco already possesses some supernatural capabilities, so finding and defeating him won’t be easy. But they find a surprising ally of sorts: Amina’s husband, Raksh. This is especially surprising because Amina thought she had killed him years ago. Raksh isn’t human, and Amina believes he is a devil. Raksh himself thinks that is a gross oversimplification. He is a coward, but apparently almost immortal, and can influence luck. He gets his life force from making people legendary, and he has great plans for Amina. He doesn’t hold a grudge about being almost killed by her.
And all of this is practically just the start of the book. The beginning of the book is even relatively slow compared to the latter half, where events become more and more magical and eventually practically surreal. The characters are well-described, interesting, and possess personalities that feel real. The main character is a delightfully matter-of-fact person who is able to take advantage of any opportunities. Dunya shows promise, but unfortunately she has a mostly side role in this book. I hope that she gets more “screen time” in the later parts of the series—there certainly will be other parts, most likely at least five, as Amina receives a mission she cannot decline. The setting and time period of the events are refreshing, not the typical castles and mages from run-of-the-mill fantasy novels. It was a very entertaining and engaging book, by far the best nominee so far.
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