
Dive into a 12th-century Indian Ocean adventure where middle-aged pirate Amina al-Sirafi defies fantasy conventions. This Hugo Award finalist captivated Waleed Zuaiter enough to option it for TV - proving that mothers who battle supernatural forces make the most compelling captains.
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The adventures of Amina al-Sirafi begin with a knock on the door that shatters fifteen years of peaceful retirement. Once feared as the "Serpent of the Seas," this legendary 12th-century pirate captain now lives quietly in a mountain village, tending her garden and raising her daughter Marjana. The tales of her exploits-serving human hearts to her sea-beast husband, outsailing imperial navies, and plundering merchant vessels across the Indian Ocean-have faded to whispers in portside taverns. Until now. When wealthy noblewoman Salima bint Yusuf arrives offering one million dinars to rescue her kidnapped granddaughter from a notorious Frankish mercenary, Amina faces an impossible choice. The fortune would secure Marjana's future forever, but returning to sea means risking everything she's built. Despite her mother's warnings and her daughter's tearful premonitions, Amina cannot ignore the debt of honor she owes to the girl's father-a former crewman who once saved her life. With reluctance and determination, she straps on her weapons, dusts off her captain's log, and prepares for one last voyage that will test not just her legendary sailing skills but her capacity to protect those she loves.
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