Pirates and Privateers

Capitana
by Cassandra James
Quill Tree Books, February 2025, ISBN 978-0-06-334561-4, US $19.99 / UK £16.99
Also available in other formats

“From preparation comes perfection.” This principle guides everything that Ximena Reale does, including executing Captain Salvador Domínguez. He is a pirate guilty of murder and treason, just like her parents, and the only way to wash away the stain on her family is to be the best and to achieve the rank of cazadora. Everything on this day goes without a hitch, except that her sister fails to appear for the execution and for the pirate’s dying words, “¡Viva Gasparilla! ¡Viva la Libertad!”

For every step forward that Ximena achieves toward her goal, her sister demonstrates weakness that threatens it. Like failing to attend the hanging with all the other archivists. Each disobeyance endangers Marquessa, and makes Ximena fear that she will not be able to keep her safe as she promised the day their parents died.

Ximena does not understand why the executed pirate dared to speak such treasonous words, especially since Gasparilla died two centuries ago. He is not and cannot be alive, and yet rumors, roses, and tattoos suggest the impossible. If she can discover where his long-lost stolen treasure and the pirates’ hideout are, she will have all she needs to surmount her parents’ transgressions and attain her dream. With the help of one of the archivists, this is possible, but convincing the admiral without proof positive is highly unlikely . . . until pirates attack the city and kidnap the queen. Then the admiral re-evaluates Ximena’s treasure map, and selects her, as well as the archivist and her nemesis, to pursue the pirates. Going on this mission is her dream, but it also means that she must leave behind her sister who now languishes in prison under a sentence of death. Her only chance to save Marquessa is to return triumphant, but will Ximena do so in time?

Knowing fellow classmate Dante de Léon, he will do his best to prevent her from succeeding. He is her nemesis and gets away with every disgrace possible, but he is also untouchable. She must work for every iota she achieves, whereas he merely needs to smile because his mother is the high minister of Luza. As the most powerful member of the realm aside from the queen, she is the one person who can and will prevent Ximena from attaining her dream.

Capitana is written for ages 14 and up, but even adults will be captivated by this fantasy romance that expertly weaves piratical details, including a mock pirate trial, into a story that asks one essential question: Are you brave enough to fight for the things that are worth fighting for? Ximena Reale has foibles and strengths that enrich her as a character and make us readily identify with her. James intricately intertwines elements of realism with fantasy that ebb and flow as each successive wave crests higher and higher. At the same time, death-defying twists leave you guessing and your heart pounding as Ximena faces difficult dilemmas and truths and must decide whether the true path to follow is the same as when she begins her journey.

Meet the author

Review Copyright ©2025 Cindy Vallar




Libertad
by Cassandra James
Quill Tree, 2026, ISBN 978-0-06-334566-9, US $19.99
Available in various formats

Without possessing the hidden log in the Calzadore commander’s office of the well-guarded fortress, Ximena Reale cannot prove that she is worthy of the title of Captain Gasparilla. Yet not all the pirates believe she deserves that honor, including her sister Marquesa and her first mate. Having once been a Calzadore herself, Ximena finds self-doubts and guilt creeping into her thoughts when least expected. Nor does it help that Dante de León, also a former Calzadore who was once her nemesis, professes his feelings for her. Their love is mismatched and can never be from Ximena’s perspective.

Fraught with risk and danger, the intricate plan to bring Libertad (freedom) to all people seems to go off with only minor hitches – until Ximena opens the case holding the secret log. It’s gone! In its place is a note from La Pantera de la Noche. If Ximena wants the log, the pirates must come to la Isla de la Miseria at the next full moon. Are rumors of a northern resistance against the Calzadores true? Has one pirate rallied all the contrary tribes into a single force? If so, why does the Night Panther need Captain Gasparilla?

Failure to recover the document is not an option. Without it, she and Dante, as former Calzadores (pirate hunters who enforce the empire’s laws) and her friend Pía (an archivist of the empire) will be the scapegoats, the ones blamed for her failure. Yet the North is a world beyond their experience, where magic still exists, creatures lurk beneath the seas, and danger hides in plain sight. The charismatic Night Panther claims they have a common goal, but Marquesa and Ximena disagree on whether the three of them truly want the same thing.

Libertad picks up a year after Ximena joins the pirates in Capitana, the first book in this duology. James artfully weaves pirate lore into a tale of fantasy and magic spiced with romance. Although written for teens, even adults will enjoy a story that is rife with edge-of-your-seat highs and thought-provoking lows, where characters are three-dimensional, and the world is populated with erupting volcanoes, vicious sea monsters, and extraordinary tree houses. Unexpected reunions, jaw-dropping betrayals, and trials that forge both lasting relationships and steadfast leaders make for a compelling journey as Ximena learns to trust herself and those she loves.

Meet the author

Review Copyright ©2026 Cindy Vallar

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