Capitana

LoveReading Says

Though billed as romantasy, Cassandra James’ Capitana debut is so much more than that classification suggests. Yes, there are fantastical elements, and simmering frissons of romance through a thrilling adventure that sees a young woman, Ximena, fight pirates in the name of the law. But Capitana is, at its core, a story of intense conflict between family bonds and loyalties to its protagonist’s zealous dedication to her empire.  

While Ximena is devoted to her ambition to become a cazador — a highly-skilled, fearless seafarer whose mission it is to rid the Luzan Empire of pirates — she also faces the personal issue of her parents having been executed as pirates. After serving the empire, they switched sides, leaving Ximena fiercely faithful to the laws of her land, and to proving she’s different from her parents, and deserving of cazador rank.  

Into this, Gasparilla, the most feared pirate from way back in the empire’s history seems to have risen to capture the Luzan capital and Ximena is set on capturing him in exchange for receiving her longed-for cazador rank. Add to that having to compete with the irritating, entitled Dante de Leon, being thrown into navigating notoriously treacherous waters, and discovering shock revelations that compel Ximena to question everything she believes in, and Capitana amounts to an exhilarating edge-of-your-seat voyage of a novel. Bring on book two in a duology that defies romantasy conventions and tackles themes of imperialism.

Joanne Owen

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