Capitana is a rip-roaring, high-seas caper that kept me gripped. Ximena Reale has dreamed of becoming a Cazadora, hunting the pirates that plunder the seas of the Luzan Empire since she was a child. But as the daughter of executed pirates she is hated by her classmates and the minister who will do anything to keep her from her cloak. The only way for Ximena to gain her Cazacor cloak, is to capture the most infamous and dangerous of the Pirates, Gasparilla. Unfortunately, rival student, son of the minister, Dante de Léon stands in her way.

I really enjoyed watching the story unfold and the way Ximena’s character develops and the way that her beliefs and ideas are challenged, although I think there could have been more illustration of the oppression and the deprivation in the archipelago which prevented it from getting that 5th star. I love the relationships between Ximena and Dante and the way his character develops during the hunt for Gasparilla and of course irrepressible Pia who is simply fabulous and so important to Ximena’s development. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book and what Dante and Ximena do after that ending!!!

Cassandra James delivers an action-packed and empowering story in Capitana, a thrilling narrative about a fierce and determined heroine. Set against a vivid, action-filled backdrop, Capitana blends adventure and personal growth as its protagonist navigates challenges and uncovers deep secrets. James’s dynamic writing and the protagonist’s relatability keep the pages turning, while the world-building offers an intriguing mix of culture, politics, and heart-pounding action. Fans of strong female leads and high-stakes adventure will find this an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

Capitana by Cassandra James is a young adult fantasy novel with a strong appeal for younger YA audiences. The story follows Ximena, a determined trainee at La Academia, as she works toward becoming one of the esteemed Cazadores—pirate hunters of the Luzan Empire.

The novel introduces important themes such as colonialism, family, and friendship, offering younger readers a chance to reflect on these complex ideas. However, these themes were not fully explored, leaving the narrative feeling underdeveloped in terms of its deeper message.

The plot had great potential, with its adventurous premise but its underdeveloped execution hurt the book as a whole. While entertaining and filled with action, the story sometimes felt rushed or shallow in critical moments.

Ximena, the protagonist, is relatable as an underdog with something to prove, especially given the challenges stacked against her. However, her character arc felt lazy and underdeveloped.

The romantic subplot between Ximena and Dante adds a touch of tension and had potential but again was underdeveloped and disappointing.

In summary, Capitana offers a fun and adventurous pirate-themed fantasy aimed at younger YA audiences. While it highlights critical themes and delivers an entertaining story, the narrative doesn’t fully capitalize on its potential depth. Readers looking for light-hearted escapism with a dash of swashbuckling adventure may find this a worthwhile read.

This review is focuses on the book alone and is independent of the authors views/the controversy around this author.

I loved the concept and the focus on Spanish heritage and the golden age of piracy and I particularly liked how this came though the dialogue and world building. At first, I thought Ximena was a really interesting character with her eye patch and strict dedication to the law, especially as she descends from pirate traitors. I loved this back story and her need to prove herself amongst the other candidates at the academy. As the story progressed, I felt that Ximena was one note and didn't grow as a character she became flat. The main plot twist involving her sister wasn't supported with any characterisation previously. I didn't understand what the relationship was like between the sisters and their personality or views. Ximena's rival of Dante was interesting and I enjoyed his haughty persona that soon developed into a deeper character with emotions against the empire. He soon becomes stuck between his loyalty and morals, which added another layer of depth. His love for Ximena grew steadily throughout the book, but wasn't reciprocated until the very end. Ximena's sudden change of heart towards Dante was jarring considering her actions throughout the book. The romance element was disappointing and the pacing felt off in placing. I was struggling to continue reading in places and found certain plot points or scene slow and without a focus.

Overall, I liked the world building and the concept but would have liked Ximena to have more of a personality and evolve as a character. The pacing was my biggest issue.

I enjoyed this book. Ximena made for a flawed but interesting FMC as she struggles to come to terms with the fact that the law she's built her whole life around may not be all it seems. I enjoyed her dialogue with Dante, and the reveal at the end was well executed

I sadly no longer have any interest in this book. I've not heard the best reviews and add on the issues with the author I just have no urge to pick this one up.

Sorry!!

I love a good pirate adventure, but unfortunately this wasn't one. The plot was very slow, and it took ages for anything to start happening. The FMC was very annoying and I couldn't stand her. Rating three stars because it picked up a bit later on, but not enough to totally make up for the boring beginning.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I cannot wait to buy this book physically!

I loved and adored the characters, I was able to see such growth in each individual character. My only fault, is that i couldn't quite understand the plot twists, but I'm sure more will be mentioned in the second book, filling in the holes of how it was managed.

The politics, the rivalries, the entire of la academia was just superb. This book had all of thr tropes I love: found family, enemies to lovers, dark academia but pirate hunter style. This book blew me away, it felt like a completely new take on pirate fiction. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

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.