I received a digital advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Capitana by Cassandra James. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In Capitana by Cassandra James, Ximena Reale has been training at la Academia for los cazadores, who are seafaring peacekeepers who specialize in capturing outlaws. But Ximena, despite her skills and qualifications, faces a lot of suspicion by her teachers and fellow classmates, as her parents were infamous traitors and pirates. However, Ximena gets a chance to prove herself worthy when the famed pirate of old, Gasparilla, seems to have somehow returned from the dead and begins pillaging the empire. Ximena and a fellow student Dante are sent on one of the cazador ships to capture him. But the farther they get on this journey, the more it becomes clear that not all is as it seems.

You know, something occurred to me while reading this: if you have an entire naval academy dedicated to educating pirate hunters, there might be more wrong in your society than you’re admitting. (Plus, the society calls itself an empire, so clearly it’s on the path of evil.)

So this thought carried with me throughout this book made for a rather interesting, almost fraught, reading experience for me. On the one hand, I enjoy reading about ruthless and capable female protagonists, but on the other hand, I found Ximena quite hard to relate to. Maybe I’m the problem in this situation, but if I read a novel about pirates, I’m automatically going to be on the pirates’ side, not the ocean cops’ side! So it was pretty hard for me to root for a heroine who, for nearly ninety percent of the story, stubbornly clung to law and order, even as evidence of this corrupt society piled up around her. Yes, I know her attitude was born out of childhood trauma from both her parents’ betrayal of their home and of their subsequent executions, but still. It can’t be that difficult to understand that empire is bad.

Maybe I’m being a little harsh with Ximena, but oh well. She does have some positive characteristics, like her aforementioned capability. She’s a strong fighter, but also cares about her older sister Marquesa deeply. She is determined and brave, but also somewhat impulsive. A complex character for sure, just not the most likeable one.

As for her love interest Dante, I actually liked him quite a bit, at least after a while. He starts out as a typical trust fund baby with a lazy disposition and an entitled nature. I didn’t enjoy how he flirts with Ximena, in that contrived “bad boy” sort of way. However, after a while, he let up on that a little in favor of becoming the only character in Ximena’s social circle who was speaking reasonably about their society. I appreciate a privileged character who wants to use the power they were born into to undermine an unjust system. But that’s veering dangerously close to spoilers, so I’ll move on.

As for the piracy aspects of the story, I thought (predictably, probably) that these elements were very fun. Seeing a pirate society, inspired by the real historical place called the Republic of Pirates, was an excellent touch. Additionally, making the mythical pirate Gasparilla into a real character was clever. I would have liked to explore even more of the piratical side of life in this world, as well as delve more into the magical elements. Those in particular felt very surface level and less explained than I wanted. Of course, this is the first of a duology, so perhaps there is more to come in the sequel.

And while I thought the final act was full of action and excitement, with a pretty shocking twist, I didn’t entirely love how it played out. The explanation of a certain character’s journey was simply given as exposition, a speech by another character. It really made it less exciting to read. I’d much rather have more flashbacks from that character’s perspective, or even retell a few scenes that happen during this book from their eyes. But alas, I only had a different person dryly narrate the sequence of events. It really (nautical pun absolutely intended) took the wind out of my sails.

In the end, Capitana is a slight conundrum for me. The concept is solid, the character interactions are decent, and the action is pretty well written. But something about it fell a little flat, especially in terms of explaining the main plot twist. And Ximena, while a complicated and compelling character, was also kind of aggravating. I’m glad her character changed and grew, but it almost felt like too little, too late. But hey, there is a sequel planned someday, and I just might pick it up.

Capitana will be published on February 4th, 2025!