Amina al-Sirafi
Retired pirate captain, mother, and narrator. She is physically imposing, strategically gifted, devout but imperfect, and torn between domestic safety and maritime adventure.
Marjana
Amina’s young daughter. Her father is Raksh, making her possible supernatural inheritance one of Amina’s deepest fears.
Dunya / Jamal
Asif’s scholarly child. Dunya joins Falco to escape an arranged marriage, helps defeat him, adopts the name Jamal, and becomes the scribe of Amina’s story.
Dalila
Christian poisoner, alchemist, and former crewmate. Her volatile experiments and practical loyalty repeatedly save the expedition.
Tinbu
Amina’s first mate and custodian of the Marawati. Formerly enslaved, he is an expert sailor and one of Amina’s most trusted friends.
Majed
Navigator, cartographer, husband, and father. He has tried to build a respectable life in Mogadishu but rejoins Amina when the crew needs him.
Raksh
A supernatural being who feeds on human desire. He is Amina’s estranged husband, Marjana’s father, and the architect of destructive contracts with several crew members.
Falco Palamenestra
Frankish mercenary and occultist. He seeks the Moon of Saba to gain power over the magical world and disguises domination as idealism.
Salima
Dunya’s wealthy grandmother. She hires and threatens Amina, having falsely described Dunya as a helpless kidnapping victim.
Asif
Dead member of Amina’s crew and Dunya’s father. His bargain with Raksh led to his horrifying death and the crew’s original separation.
Khayzur
A peri who helps Amina negotiate with the magical council and becomes her liaison in the search for dangerous artifacts.
Magnun
Powerful pirate captain on Socotra. He alone immediately agrees to help Amina attack Falco.