Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I thought this was fine, if somewhat unoriginal. I was disappointed that although magic was explicitly stated to exist it was practically non-existent in the plot itself. I was also perplexed by the end as neither 'side' was very appealing in terms of their actions. The romance also did not land for me, I think there was much more chemistry with the female side character.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this, Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.

it was good for the first 30% then it went downhill from there.

the fmc makes me want to bash my head against a wall. she’s so stubborn to the point of making horrible decisions, i just wanted to slap the girl. she started out as unique and different but it soon became irritating and annoying.

the romance was also …. not there? the author tried but it didn’t flow at all and it wasn’t believable. they went from nothing to love confessions, although nothing gave any hints or clues for that character having this undying love, so it just came off as weird and not developed at all. (which is strange considering how much i actually enjoyed that character).

while ximena went from someone i liked to someone i hated, Marquesa (her sister) went the opposite. i really couldn’t be bothered with her in the beginning but towards the end she did a full 180 and i was rooting for her.

pía was a bit of a difficult one. the whole book was ximena abusing her friendship and taking advantage of her kindness. pía really deserved better. ximena deserves to be punished for how horribly she treated everyone in this book.

I’m leaving a rating off this book for now, because I’m honestly not sure how to rate it. generally, this will be about a 3 star. but based off the info below, it’s worth more of a 1 star.

it’s also worth noting that the author is a zionist and a conservative and these ideologies are reflected in the characters.

The truth is written by those by those in charge. For Ximena Reale the truth has always been that her parents were hung as pirate traitors. She has lived with that truth and one ambition all her life. The ambition to gain the Cazador cloak, a symbol of recognition that will leave her family’s past behind her. She is desperate to catch the famed pirate Gasparilla. Adventure on the high seas beckons, if she can get past Dante de Leon. He is a loathsome, philanderer as far as she is concerned. A lazy good for nothing, but also her competition for the Cazador title. But as I said the truth is controlled by others, and Ximena is about to find the truth might have been written very differently indeed from other’s perspectives. The persecuted, and indeed Dante’s, in particular. The Empire is fighting for survival. Will it or Ximena survive. First in a duology, the second can’t come quick enough after the exciting ending of this book. Thank you to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This review is based on the book and not the author.

I enjoyed the story and loved the idea of a pirate hunter academy. It was written well but seemed a to have a bit of a pacing issue in the middle. Overall, a strong first book in a duology with solid characters, easy-to-read writing style and a good plot.

Capitana was an interesting read with a lot of potential. The main character, Ximena, had a distinct voice that really shined through the story, pushing it along.

I found this book very easy to read, reading it within 24 hours without getting bored. I would recommend this book to a friend. Definitely a book for those who enjoyed the likes of Daughter of the Pirate King and Isle of Blood and Stone!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books and Cassandra James for this ARC

This book did take me a while to get into. I did like how Ximena was a strong female character and knew her own mind. However I did find her frustrating at times. I don’t know if I am just too old for this book. I think teenage me would have loved it more than adult me did.

Pirate hunting fun

Original world building fans of swashbuckling adventures will enjoy. Found the twists predictable but it kept me engaged and I enjoyed my time with this book. Loved the Spanish woven seamlessly into the story and (although my language skills are pretty rusty) it was easy to understand and didn't effect my enjoyment.

This review is based on the book and not the author.

I really enjoy pirate stories and like the idea of a pirate-hunter academy!
I felt there were many problems with the pacing and dragged a lot in the middle.

I’ve been on a pirate hype recently and I was immediately intrigued by Capitana but its beautiful cover. Add in the fact that it’s an academic rivals-to-lovers story and I was immediately hooked by its early premise.

Unfortunately for me this story just didn’t hit the way I hoped it would. I liked it… but I didn’t *love* it the way I had hoped I would. There was a clear inconsistency with pacing that found me struggling to remain engaged with the plot and the characters that we follow.

I adored Ximena and her fierce stubbornness and ambition. I loved how she was unapologetically herself and was willing to do whatever it took to come out of the other side as a winner. I really wanted to believe in her chemistry with Dante but admittedly I found it to be lacking. Their interactions felt more surface level to my tastes and I just couldn’t find myself believing in the build up for their love story.

There was definitely some twists and turns to keep me hooked, however the pacing issues persisted and the ending felt rushed and under-explained. I understand that this is a duology so I hope that we will receive more clear answers in the final instalment with a much steadier pacing.

Overall not a terrible book, however I did face some struggles which affected my enjoyment and experience.

3.5 stars
This was a good book, but it just wasn't for me. I'm not a fan of books in a school or academy setting. The pace at the beginning seemed to drag on. I wanted the main storyline to begin.

I would have loved this book as a teenager but it was too YA for me. I couldn't connect to the two main characters and found the chemistry lacking.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I love a pirate story once in a while. So I was feeling quite positive about picking this one up; unfortunately it didn’t hit for me. If you’re looking for an adventure on the seas, if you love tough and stubborn characters, this might really hit for you.

The main problem here is pacing. This story drags, and it truly feels like the main character goes through very little development throughout the story. (Only to have a major change of heart near the end, which at that point feels sudden and unearned.)
I liked the ‘love interest’, but even his characterisation felt off. The switch between mean party boy and secretly hurting sensitive guy felt a bit random, again it felt like there was no true build up to it.
And the ‘villain’ reveal was somehow worse. I don’t think it should feel too sudden/unearned while also feeling like it was too obvious. That’s almost impressive.

Overall; this book is not bad! I just think it has some issues; which another few rounds of rewrites could’ve sorted out.

This started very well, I was gripped by the world building and the clear tension between Ximena and Dante.

However I think this book needed more foreshadowing because as it went on I was confused by some characters actions and sudden changes in lifelong beliefs. The ending seemed a bit rushed and I don't think this helped because yes the story skipped a couple of weeks journey back but then suddenly a few characters went against everything they have stood for their entire lives and it all just felt very sudden.

So although I really enjoyed the story, I can only give it 3 stars due to the pacing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.