Capitana
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Prepare to set sail with this riveting romantasy—the first in a duology—that’s filled with complex characters, sizzling chemistry, and evocative action. A must-read for fans of Daughter of the Pirate King and Fable!
Ximena Reale has spent most of her life training at La Academia to join the Cazadores, seafaring hunters who track down pirates. But her future is uncertain, thanks to her parents’ questionable reputation. They were traitorous pirates, and though they were executed when Ximena and her sister were young, they permanently damaged the Reale name in the eyes of the Luzan Empire.
Ability alone won’t make Ximena a Cazadoro—or earn her the coveted Cazadoro cloak. So, when the legendary pirate Gasparilla returns and captures the Empire’s queen, Ximena offers to bring back the queen and the notorious pirate in exchange for a cloak. But there’s a catch: Only one cloak is available, and Ximena’s competition is Dante, an infuriating yet handsome classmate with mysterious motives.
With their futures on the line, Ximena and Dante set out on a dangerous quest across the high seas. But no matter how far Ximena sails, her family’s legacy haunts her, and her exposure to a world outside of la academia leads her to question the very laws she’s always fought to uphold. Is it possible she’s been on the wrong side all along?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Teenage Ximena Reale, who has one eye, strives to overcome her family's reputation—her parents, who were once allied to the Luzan Empire, were executed for their crimes against their country as Robin Hood–like pirates, the Reales. Now attending La Academia de los Cazadores, the training center for Luzan's Naval recruits, Ximena seeks to reach the coveted rank of Cazador. The return of Gasparilla, a notorious pirate, could be Ximena's only opportunity to rise above her infamous parents' legacy; if she defeats Gasparilla, she could prove her bravery and loyalty to the empire. But her resolve begins to crumble as those around her start exposing Luzan's dark secrets, particularly Dante de León, her rival and the son of the empire's high minister, who opens her eyes to the misery of her people. Lengthy narration and the protagonists' lackluster developing romance sometimes sap tension and forward momentum from the enticing plot. Nevertheless, debut author James employs elucidating prose to craft a rich imaginary world inspired by 18th-century Latin America in this swashbuckling adventure, a duology starter. Ages 14–up.
