2.5/5 stars

I struggled on the rating for this one. On one hand, the writing was fine, maybe a bit simplistic but that's OK. And the world-building was just OK as well. But on the other hand, I wasn't able to connect with really any of the characters, and the MFC was essentially not likable to me. While yes, she was a strong, driven heroine, she combined that with too much insensitivity and just plain meanness at some points throughout the story.

I think the problem for me stemmed from the disconnect from the characters. I am a character-driven reader, and if I cannot understand/sympathize with characters (especially the mains), it's unfortunately a no-go for me. Other readers who don't have my inclinations will probably enjoy this pirate adventure.

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books / Quill Tree Books for providing the free early arc of Capitana for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

*Thank you to HarperCollins/Quill Tree and NetGalley for the eARC of this book; the review is my own.*

First: Apparently there's some controversy about the author, and many reviewers chose to focus on their disagreements with her beliefs instead of the book itself (though some were more passive-aggressive implications and "go look it up for yourself" instead of direct hostility). Personally, I don't care. I've read (and enjoyed!) many books written by authors whose views and opinions I don't share. If I like or dislike a book, I review it accordingly--I'm here to write about books not the authors that write them.

With that said, on to my review . . . of the book (to be clear).

To get right to the point, I liked Capitana. If I'd had more time to sit and read in the last couple of weeks, I would have finished it more quickly. As it was, I had to sneak bits of reading in between the rest of life. But I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book, and I'm quite happy to know there will be a sequel next year (at least I hope there still will be). If this had been the end, I would have given it 3 stars because I'm not particularly happy with how things have been left. I'm still somewhat irritated with certain aspects of the ending, but that's probably because I'm more of a romantic than a realist when it comes to fiction.

Speaking of romance, there isn't much. There's a hint of it, which I hope will develop more in the sequel. But when I step back and think about it with something more than my love of a good romance, I have to admit that anything more would have been out of place. Ximena (17) has spent the last five years with complete disdain for Dante (18), and their association had been fraught with nothing but antagonism. To be completely honest, I disliked him and couldn't see any way that things might change. You could say that Dante fell into that cliched trap of "I tease you because I like you," which is stupid, unacceptable, and simply a way to justify bullying. But, believe it or not, I did end up liking Dante before the end. Quite a bit, I might add. Although I do not condone his earlier treatment of Ximena, I think I can see where it came from: the disdain he had for himself (and some other stuff that I don't want to spoil here). Actually, I think Ximena hated herself a bit, as well, and spent so much of herself clinging to the law in an effort to distance herself from her pirate parents and qualify herself for love and acceptance from the admiral, who had become a sort of father figure for her. She had lost everything else and grasped onto the only thing she felt was left. You know how in Pride and Prejudice, you're waiting for Mr. Darcy to get over himself? I'd say Ximena has more Mr. Darcy in her than Dante does, or maybe the two of them split his personality between them.

Near the end of the book, Ximena's views shift from black and white to colors (figuratively--this isn't Pleasantville, which I think fits the book itself nicely. I started out thinking I was reading about a girl competing to join the cazadores and rid the world of pirates. And yes, that's what it was. But I quickly saw it was more than that, even if Ximena took quite a bit longer to figure it out. The characters are complex, and the story is at times a bit reminiscent of the feeling you get while watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Except there's no Jack Sparrow to lighten things up quite as much. Still, I wouldn't call this book heavy.

All this to say that I think readers should give this book a chance. Here's what you'll be getting: pirates, pirate hunters, adventure, corruption, manipulation, forgiveness, friendship, family, redemption, and a little tiny hint of romance. If that sounds like something you might like, pick up Capitana. And then you can wait with me to find out if that sequel ever gets published. I'm crossing my fingers, and I don't think an extra set or two would hurt.

Note: I can't think of anything bad.

3.5 stars, rounded down

Thank you to Cassandra James, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-copy of this book!

Age rating: 12+

Perfect for fans of: Daughter of the Pirate King and To Kill A Kingdom.

In this debut novel, smart and strong-willed Ximena is determined to usurp the infamous reputation her pirate parents left behind by becoming a Cazador—a pirate hunter. But to do that, she will have to overcome a multitude of challenges, including graduating in the top percent of her class at La Academia, passing the Royal Examination, and convincing the high minister to grant her a coveted Cazador Cloak, all while facing disgust and resentment from the majority of the populace for all the crimes her parents committed. When a chance presents itself for her to prove her worth, she jumps at the chance—but will quickly find that there are certain choices that can’t be made so easily as she first expected. Will she be able to press forwards and receive the Cazador Cloak, and if so, will it be everything she’s been promised?
This book, even with a few plot holes and character inconsistencies, was quick and engaging, and great if you need something to pull you out of a reading slump. I enjoyed the action, and the fact that, although it was marketed as being a romantasy, the main storyline outshone the romantic subplot and the clever but carefully mediated banter. I wish it had had more magic and hadn’t been quite so abrupt, but overall still a good read.
Happy reading!

If you want to escape into a fun pirate fantasy and don’t mind a predictable plot, escape for a while until this read!

Main character Ximena Reale is determined to complete her training at la academia and join the Cazadores, or pirate hunters. Her path is made much harder by the fact that her parents were notorious pirates themselves. But when legendary pirate Gasparilla returns, she sees her opportunity to prove her worth.

It was really fun to journey with Ximena through her courses and into the open seas. I found the characters likable and the adventure really fun. Although I wouldn’t call it a romantasy, I prefer the slow-burn, gently sizzling nature of the romance. However, something about the story development left me wanting. It was hard to believe Ximena’s transformation toward the end of the story, and I didn’t get a sense of chemistry in her romantic relationship. However, the story was good overall and the writing was lovely. I really enjoyed the Spanish influence and the details in the sailing. I look forward to reading the sequel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Writing style
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Characters
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Premise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pacing
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Impact

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s something so special about this book. With CAPITANA, Cassandra James weaves the perfect story — a coming of age tale of adventure, resilience, and the lines that blur between hate and love. I was riveted from the first page through the last. Gorgeous, gripping, and absolutely divine.

"De la preparación surge la perfección. From preparation comes perfection. It was the compass that guided her life."

Ximena is absolutely the Jack Sparrow femme we needed. She is such an amazing character: brave and vulnerable and strong. I love watching her mind work through things, and I love her ability to read and study and make her own decisions. How can you choose between what you've always believed vs what your eyes see? Ximena's growth throughout the story is worth the journey. What an adventure!

"La ley es eterna. The law is eternal. She would have treasured that phrase like a prayer. So why did it feel like a threat now?"

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this ARC. This review is NOT a reflection of the author’s political opinions, and is solely a review of the book.

2 and a half stars.

Capitana follows Ximena Reale, a daughter of pirates, who is working hard to try to restore her name under the Empire, and becomes a Cazador, a pirate hunter. Ximena is cold and unforgiving, believing above everything comes the law.
After 4 years of dealing with cruel students and constant scorn from higherups, Ximena finds herself on the quest that can change her future and finally present her with the coveted Cazador position: hunting the legendary pirate Gasparilla. Alongside the admiral and a couple of classmates, Ximena takes to the sea to bring justice upon the pirate. Once on the open seas, she finds there is more to life than the law.

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I initially picked up this book knowing full well I do not agree with James’ personal political views (putting it as nicely as I can), but also enjoy pirates and fantasy, hoping this book would be a surprise little gem. Unfortunately, this book fell flat and was very predictable.
To start, Ximena is not a likeable character. She is cruel, unkind, and unforgiving. Growing up believing the Empire and the law are most important, this should be setting up for her character arc to blossom, but all it falls short as she continues being cold and cruel to everyone around her, while repeating “Of the law. By the law. For the law.” At 92% Ximena FINALLY decides to start being a better person, and even then, she is only changing because she realizes the empire will never give her what she truly wants. So instead of being a better person for herself and those around her, she resorts to treason and follows a different organization that is also no better than the empire.

Dante and Pia were the only two decent characters, but their backstory was only revealed to continue the story – i.e., lazy writing.
The world building and character development are little too non-existent, and the book relies heavily on the reader to fill in gaps. You know little of what the empire does besides empire bad and hoard money for war and not citizens, and little structure in the writing to make you understand the power dynamics (Queen is just a figurehead, but important; ministry rules over land will very little respect of the law). The pirates also talked about freedom, but also have an oppressive ruler??

I am all for a slow burn romance; however, I would not even call this a slow burn. The love interest makes no sense, and was thrown in for the sake of having another plot point to drive the sequel. There was no chemistry and was more forced proximity, without any romance.

I was confused on some timelines. Dante bullies Ximena in every class, but supposedly Ximena is a prodigy and been promoted to higher classes quicker than everyone else, and Dante skips class regularly. Marquesa is a student, but on her off days has time to raid and pillage. Gasparilla is captured, tried the next day, and to be executed the day after, but mentions the gauntness of their face after weeks being held captive. Or it is noon, and Ximena goes to their room for hours, and then joins the rest of the cazadors for lunch.

The ending confirmed I will not be reading the sequel. If there was more care to the consistency of writing and world building, I would consider it, but I cannot imagine any of the issues I have with the novel being addressed and expanded.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. So, this is the story of that villain whom you cheer to see killed. Except that she does not get killed and thinks that her last-minute regrets make up for the horrific things she has done. It doesn't. Disappointing. Not sure I would recommend.

I loved this book! It has everything you’d expect in a pirate novel and I loved the concept of a pirate hunting academy. The hunters are just as ruthless as the pirates. Ximena starts as a very closed off character, but you find out why as the story goes on. The supporting characters are the perfect balance to her harshness and do well in bringing her out of her shell and teaching her to trust.
The plot twist was crazy! I shoukd have seen it coming-all the pieces were there. Can’t wait for Book 2!

Ximena is a teenager at an academy that hunts pirates. She comes from a legacy of piracy herself so she feels like every breath is under the microscope. She is deeply conflicted and not very likeable. It’s easy to not like Capitana because the lead is very rigid. But I think that’s the point. Dante is the polar opposite and has his faults too but I think the reader (especially if you’re well out of your teenage years) need to keep in mind they’re young. They hold firm to their beliefs because they think they know everything but they do learn. It takes Ximena the whole book to open her eyes but I think that makes her a more realistic character. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Capitana by Cassandra James was an interesting read. The premise sets this book up to be an amazing adventure story about pirates. That said, I have mixed feelings.

When I finished the book and reflected on the story...the characters are definitely something I struggled with as Ximena isn't really someone I liked. I get she has been manipulated but as a human with thoughts and critical thinking skills, I would have expected her to be able to distinguish between right and wrong but not even her family ties could make that happen. Her relationship with the Admiral was not my favorite and considering his role in her parent's death. Although I suppose Ximena's role was just as consequential so perhaps that's how she looked at it. Regardless, her ability to just compartmentalize her feelings that way and cut herself off from everything was disconcerting.

And Dante, the love interest, was the rebellious rich boy who was in love with Ximena but for unexplainable reasons. Nothing that really stood out here.

Ultimately, Ximena's only goal is to obtain a Cazador cloak and to do that she is willing to sacrifice anything and everything. I don't know if that was supposed to make me respect her but in the end, it just made me feel sorry for her. Yes, she eventually realized her mistake but she certainly lost a lot before she did and I don't know if that redeems her in my mind.

All that to say, I'm not sure how I feel about this book...read the reviews and decide how you want to proceed. I know a lot of people have some strong feelings about it based on the author's past writing and opinions but taking that out of the mix, the story is still just an ok story in my mind.

A shockingly good YA pirate adventure! This was fast-paced and entertaining with a twist that left me gasping and bewildered, even though the ending was predictable. I also didn't expect to enjoy the romance subplot so much, and I look forward to seeing how the duology ends. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I was very excited for this book based on the overview. Pirates, rivals to lovers, political intrigue, and the potential for a revolution? Sign me up! Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to my expectations. It definitely had the exciting adventure and the political intrigue I had hoped for. It wasn’t groundbreaking in the plot, but I really did enjoy it. I like the idea of a pirate rebellion and am definitely interested in seeing how that takes off in the second book.

Where I felt underwhelmed was in Ximena herself. Ximena’s growth as a character/person is flat, and she continually flip flops back to her blind faith in the Law. Then suddenly at 90% it was like a switch was flipped out of nowhere. I do understand the idea that she’s been groomed from a young age, and that can account for it to some extent, but mostly she just continued making terrible choices for the sake of burying her head in the sand.

Similarly, the romantic tension was almost non-existent for a book marketed as a romantasy. Ximena and Dante had no chemistry, and it never seemed to develop. It felt like it came out of left field when Dante made it obvious he liked her early on, given he was rather awful to her most of the time. And while his actions more or less showed his intentions from that point on, Ximena never really reciprocated. I’m not saying a book needs romance to be good, but if you’re going to include it, at least make sure you do it with the proper buildup.

Overall, this story had great potential and I think the concept is interesting; the execution just fell a little short. That said, I will be finishing the duology when book 2 is released.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

I love pirates…like a lot, so it’s not a huge surprise that I really enjoyed this book. What I loved about this book is that the MCs aren’t pirates (at least not yet) they are pirate hunters. The FMC, Ximena, has one goal in life--to become a Cazador (a pirate-hunting soldier of the empire). However, the fact that her parents were Cazadors turned pirate traitors means that the only way for her to become a Cazador is to do something truly great--such as capturing the mythical pirate known as Gasparilla. The only thing standing in her way of this mission is the infuriatingly handsome, complete thorn in her side, Dante.
I really liked this book. The plot was engaging, the characters interesting, the romance tension-filled. Out of everything there is to like, my favorite part of this book was Ximena’s character arc. Ximena starts out the book completely loyal to the Empire, the perfect soldier, she never questions, never wonders, she is totally devoted to becoming a Cazador and serving her beloved Empire. Throughout the book, she travels and sees the Empire and her precious Cazadors from another angle, and without getting into any spoilers, let’s just say she begins to see the world without her empire-tinted glasses. I loved the way we get to see Ximena change; she becomes a totally different person by the end of the book, and I loved watching her grow. I was also a big fan of the side characters, particularly Dante and Pia, though I would have liked to see more of them.
One of the problems with a first book in a series is that there is so much worldbuilding and storyline to get out that sometimes side characters go undeveloped or romances become an afterthought, and Capitana struggled with this. I loved Ximena and Dante, but their relationship was like two pages, so I’m really hoping to see more of the two of them in the next one. They have so much potential I just know it is going to be fantastic. My other problem with this book was the pacing. The first half was rather slow, and the last three or four chapters were far too fast. Everything seemed to happen at once and it was a lot to take in.
Other than those little things, I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I was a underwhelmed by this book. I found Ximena extremely pedantic at the beginning of the story and wish we had gotten to know Marquesa better given her importance to the story. For a book marketed as romantasy, it was pretty light on the romance with an enemies to lovers romance only briefly explored. The world building was adequate in my opinion, but there is definitely more explanation necessary regarding the magic and various players involved that will hopefully be addressed in book 2. If you enjoy YA pirate adventure stories with a hint of enemies to lovers romance then you may like Capitana, but don’t expect any surprises from this one

Thank you NetGalley and Quill Tree books for this ARC!

Not only was this book boring it was way too plot heavy with no character development. Also super disappointed in the "sizzling chemistry" as it went nowhere. The twist at the end is almost interesting it just came way too late to save the book.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Cassandra James, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ximena has spent a lot of her life at La Academia training to become a Cazador, a sea hunter who tracks down pirates. Her future is uncertain though, thanks to the repuration of her parents. They were pirates, traitors, and though they were killed when Ximena and her sister were little. Their last name was also ruined.

Ximena's abilities won't earn her the Cazador cloak. So, when Gasparilla returns and captures the Empire’s queen, Ximena offers to bring her back and capture the pirate in exchange for the cloak. The catch? There is only one cloak and Ximena’s competition is Dante, an annoying but handsome classmate.

With their futures on the line, Ximena and Dante set out on a dangerous quest across the sea. Will Ximena sail far enough to escape the legacy of her family, or will hber budding relationship with Dante ruin her success?

A pirate themed YA read.

I was mostly intrigued with “Capitana” by Cassandra James, because of the elements of pirates, pirate hunters, seafaring adventures and the academy for the Cazadores. I hoped that all these parts would be strong elements for a great plot and story. We get schoolmate rivalry, a main character who is an outcast, a pirate rebellion, sea battles and betrayal in this first book.

Ximena’s parents were famous Cazadores all her life, until they turned pirate and committed treason against the empire. The night of their capture, a young Cazador grants both Ximena and her older sister pardons to attend the famous school for becoming archivists or Cazadores, allowing them a second chance at making a better life for themselves and redeeming their family name. All Ximena has ever wanted was to become a Cazador herself but finds that she is less than welcome at the academy. She must prove to everyone that she is worthy of this chance. Years later, the famous, long dead pirate, Gasparilla has returned to the empire, threatening to destroy its foundation. Ximena sees capturing Gasparilla as her final chance to prove herself and to earn her Cazador cloak and title. What she doesn’t realize is that this opportunity will unveil many secrets, betrayals and shake her very belief system.

Overall, the plot was good and well-paced. The world building was also interesting and developed well, but there were some aspects that could have been developed more. The main issue for me was the likability of any of the characters. I did not feel invested in them throughout the whole book until the very end, and even then, I wasn’t too invested. I thought the two main characters were not likable in the least. There was a side character that I didn’t mind, and thought was a good addition and kind of wish she was on page more. I would have liked to have seen more character development, the supposed romance between one of the characters to another was lacking greatly in any lead up and more time on the backstory of Ximena, her sister and their parents would have I think, made me feel more connected to Ximena all together and understand her better. The ending was solid though and did leave me kind of wanting to know what comes next.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I am aware of the controversy surrounding this author but I had agreed to read it prior to that and of course there are pirates….
I can’t say I loved this book, although fantasy, the circumstances seemed quite implausible at times. I am a character driven reader and the fmc, Ximena, is almost always infuriating in her beliefs and actions. The male lead Dante is funny, charming and somehow feels a connection to Ximena. Definitely YA and a quick read from this first time author and as I mentioned there are pirates…..
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins publisher.

DNF'd a few chapters in. Pirate stories can be hit or miss for me, and this was feeling like a miss.