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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: Capitana
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.cassandrajameswrites.com/
CITY: Orlando
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Princeton University, B.A. (English, creative writing), 2023.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and theatrical actor. Princeton University, editor-in-chief of The Nassau Literary Review.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2024, review of Capitana.
Publishers Weekly, November 18, 2024, review of Capitana, p. 54.
ONLINE
Cassandra James homepage, https://www.cassandrajameswrites.com/ (August 1, 2025).
Nerd Daily, https://thenerddaily.com/ (February 2, 2025) Elise Dumpleton, “Q& A: Cassandra James, Author of ‘Capitana.’”
Princeton Alumni Weekly, https://paw.princeton.edu/ (June 29, 2023), Jennifer Altmann, “Graduating Senior Signs Publishing Deal for Fantasy Novel.”
Meet Cassandra
Cassandra James grew up in a mixed immigrant family with a penchant for storytelling, so becoming a writer was almost inevitable. She recently graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English focusing on Creative Writing. After solo-traveling the world for several months, she finally landed in Orlando, Florida, where she spends her time cooking Colombian food, obsessing over Broadway musicals, and occasionally swashbuckling. Her debut Young Adult fantasy novel, CAPITANA, is now available, with a sequel to follow in 2026. She is represented by Andrea Morrison at Writers House.
Graduating Senior Signs Publishing Deal for Fantasy Novel
OTC_Cassandra James.jpg
Cassandra James ’23 pitched her young adult novel on Twitter — and earned a two-book deal.
Jennifer Altmann
By Jennifer Altmann
Published June 29, 2023
3 min read
Cassandra James ’23 wrote her first novel when she was 12. After James complained to her mother that she couldn’t find any books she wanted to read — she had already devoured dozens of novels — her mother suggested she write one herself.
James wrote several more novels over the next decade, and last year, she was alerted by a friend to “LatinxPitch,” a daylong event on Twitter in which aspiring writers could pitch Latinx stories to publishing executives online. With an hour to spare before the event ended, James posted a 36-word pitch titled “Pirates of the Caribbean + Latinx Magic” for the young adult (YA) fantasy novel she had penned during her junior year.
Several agents expressed interest, and a month later, James had signed with one of them. Her novel, which has the working title Ximena Reale and the Legend of Gasparilla, is part of a two-book deal she inked with HarperCollins. It will be published in 2025.
“There were only a couple of Hispanic authors in YA fantasy, and they inspired me to believe it was possible to tell a story centered on Hispanic women. Giving kids a character they can relate to is a really magical and powerful thing. It makes them feel seen and heard.”
— Cassandra James ’23
“Reading was my refuge growing up. It filled my imagination,” said James, whose grandmother immigrated to the United States from Colombia. “There were only a couple of Hispanic authors in YA fantasy, and they inspired me to believe it was possible to tell a story centered on Hispanic women. Giving kids a character they can relate to is a really magical and powerful thing. It makes them feel seen and heard.”
James researched the novel during the summer after her sophomore year with funding from Princeton’s Martin A. Dale ’53 Summer Award. Due to the pandemic, James couldn’t leave Florida (she is from Kissimmee), so she studied maritime history and the golden age of piracy. Pirate stories “are so much a part of Florida lore,” said James.
Those pirate legends became the heart of her novel, which conjures a fantasy world where Ximena, a pirate hunter, has to find a pirate named Gasparilla. The character is based on the legend of José Gaspar, who was said to have kidnapped a Spanish princess and held her for ransom around Florida in the 1700s. “There’s a highway in Florida named after him,” noted James. “I grew up hearing these stories and developed a fascination with pirate history.”
James, who was an English major, completed a second novel for a certificate in the Program in Creative Writing that also focuses on Hispanic women, this time during the frontier period. With funding from Princeton’s Alex Adam ’07 Award, she visited five states in the American Southwest last summer and immersed herself in the history and culture of the region. She learned to ride a horse, interviewed competitors in a local rodeo, and studied rodeo events such as roping cattle. “What creates a fictional world are the details,” James said. “That’s why I love research. I get to touch and see and smell what’s going to go into that world.” James hopes to pitch that novel to her agent as well.
At Princeton, James served as editor-in-chief of The Nassau Literary Review, an experience that helped her sell her YA novel. “It gave me a lot of insight into the publishing process, which was invaluable when I was the writer pitching my work,” she said.
James also developed a love for theater during college, appearing in several plays at the Lewis Center, though she had never performed in a theater production before coming to Princeton. For her independent work toward certificates in the programs in theater and music theater, she directed and performed in a cabaret exploring the highs and lows of growing into adulthood through songs from Broadway musicals.
For James, there is a strong link between theater and writing. “They are inseparable in my mind,” she said. “Theater is so much about world building and putting yourself in others’ shoes, and that’s what writing is: an act of empathy.”
Published in the July 2023 Issue
4th February 2025
7 min read
‘I learnt to sail and fight!’: Chatting with Capitana’s Cassandra James
Packed with pirates, magical beasts, fierce battles on the high seas, and more than a splash of romance, Capitana is a fantasy debut like no other. We spoke to author Cassandra James about her swash-buckling YA epic – and asked whether her rapier skills are as sharp as her writing.
In a nutshell, what can readers expect from your book?
Capitana is set in an academy for pirate hunters where my main character Ximena Reale has to capture the legendary pirate Captain Gasparilla in order to redeem her own family’s treasonous past. It has swash-buckling action, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and to-the-death friendship. Basically, if you loved Pirates of the Caribbean and The Legend of Zorro growing up, you will love Capitana!
The novel is incredibly cinematic. Was that always the intention? Is that just how your mind works as a writer?
I think it’s just how I write. I’ve gotten that quite a bit, that it reads like a movie. I think that’s partially because I grew up as a voracious reader, but was also really consuming movies and plays, so my brain was geared towards storytelling that kept people’s attention. How do we keep the plot super-tight, characters super-focused, so we keep readers engaged, involved and turning pages?
Have you always been interested in pirates? Where did the inspiration for Capitana come from?
I have been a pirate history nerd forever. But I won a grant in my sophomore year of college where I had to find something locally to write a novel about. Florida is steeped in pirate history due to our position between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, so I was like ‘there’s gotta be something there…’ I planned a three-week research trip and went all around the state. I went to historical sites, museum archives. I learnt to sail and to fight with a rapier!
I was taking notes all through my research trip, and I’d written a question down: ‘What if there was an academy for pirate hunters?’ That snagged my attention. I ran with it and Capitana was born. A lot of that historical inspiration is infused into the book. The Republic of Pirates in Capitana is based off a real Republic of Pirates operating out of the Caribbean.
How important was it for you to weave in elements of Latin American culture and the Spanish language? And – as a writer – how did you go about fusing real world authenticity with fantasy?
In so much of Latin American writing – particularly fiction – magic and the real world are inextricable to one another. Magical realism comes from a Latin American writing tradition – Gabriel García Márquez, who is also Colombian, being a big name in that world of course! The way I was raised, and the way my brain operates, is that magic and the world are not separate from one another – which really benefits me when I’m writing fantasy because I love pulling from history, but I also love branching off from that history and imagining what might have happened instead. Magic complicates things – which is always fun!
As a second generation Colombian American, retaining and preserving the Spanish language and that history – especially in a state like Florida, which has all kinds of historical complications – was so important to me. There’s that element in the book – of an all-powerful empire controlling these islands, which is something that Latin American people know very well, that relationship with colonialism. I wanted to include the magical realism, the history, the relationship between indigenous people and colonialism and how that unfolded, and to preserve the culture and share it with people. And to share how incredibly full and rich it is – especially in the scenes of family. Family is so important in Latin American culture and that tension between family and individualism is also very important in the book.
Do you come from a family of storytellers?
Yes. Everybody in my family is a storyteller! I learnt how to tell stories through my family. Part of that is the immigrant experience: when you leave your home country, how do you share it with your children? You tell stories.
And the wonderful part is that as a kid you don’t know how much is true, how much is fiction, and where the lines are between the two. And that just makes it all the more entertaining! That was how we passed down our family history, and how we continue to do so. I catch myself doing it all the time – I tell very long, involved, detailed stories! It’s a necessary part of my culture.
You learnt how to sail for this book. How was that?
So fun! And incredibly humbling.
I grew up on power boats as a kid, but sailing was an entirely different animal. It is such physical work. I finished a day or two of lessons and I was sore all over… I had such respect for the captains I learned from because they knew those waters so well, and what was going to happen with the slightest fluctuation in the wind or the sun. That instinctual relationship with the sea was something I tried to infuse into Capitana.
And tell me about the rapier training!
Rapier training was the same! The weapon becomes an extension of your body. I had never done anything like it. The weight of it! I wasn’t expecting it to sit in my hands that way, and there are certain movements that you can’t do when you’re holding a rapier. Even little things like the sounds… Rapiers have such a way of cutting through the air. I loved that sound. There’s all kinds of different cuts and ways you can manipulate another person’s blade too.
It was so fun to be able to pick my teachers brains: ‘So… if you were trying to take over a ship and you’re coming up from the ocean on a rope ladder, how are you going to attack?’ They had lots of great ideas!
It sounds like you found real pirates…
I did my best!
A quick word on your opening line. ‘It was a fine day for an execution’ is a belter…
Opening lines are my favourite thing to write. I love ones that immediately surprise you – that contain details but also questions; lines that make you think ‘I have to know more…’
And finally: Ximena and Dante… Authors sometimes talk about characters popping into their head fully formed – was that the case with you? How was it bringing the pair to life and into each other’s orbit?
There was an original draft of Capitana that I ended up throwing out. But what’s weird is that in that first draft, Ximena and Dante were still in it and were still very much themselves. I went back and looked at it recently and thought: ‘oh my gosh, they have been here, fully formed, from the beginning’. It’s almost like they just existed and I didn’t make them up.
I wanted to create characters that weren’t likeable, but that were loveable. They’re inherently flawed, and very confused about who they are and their place in the world. They’re both ambitious and stubborn and difficult to work with. One of the things I love about them, and which I love about a lot of my favourite romances in fiction, is that they grow through each other: they learn to see themselves, their flaws and their strengths through each other – and challenge one another so that by the end of the book they are different people. I wanted them to push one another, and given the environment they are in, that collision is inevitable!
Capitana is out now with Hot Key Books – pick up your copy and hit the high seas today!
Debut Author Cassandra James on her swashbuckling romantasy Capitana
By LoveReading4Kids | 13th February 2025
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Described by our expert reviewer, Joanna Owen as a "swashbuckling, richly-imagined piratical adventure shot-through with personal conflict and themes of imperialism", Capitana is sure to delight fans of romantasy. But Cassandra James’ debut is "so much more than that classification suggests. Yes, there are fantastical elements, and simmering frissons of romance, 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."
We are thrilled to welcome Cassandra James as our Debut Author of the Month and lucky for us, she agreed to answer a few questions on her exhilarating novel and its journey to publication.
Q. Ximena is such a fascinating character. Her personality — and personal conflicts — feel remarkably real from the opening scene. Did she “appear” to you pretty much as we experience her in the book, or did she evolve through drafts of the novel?
A. Ximena has truly been there from the beginning. While writing the first draft, I challenged myself to create a character who wasn’t necessarily likeable, but was ultimately lovable in spite of her many flaws. Ximena leapt into my head in all of her stubborn, ambitious glory, and she drove the story from beginning to end.
Q. Related to thinking about how Ximena came to be — and considering that the pirate character of Gasparilla has historic roots — did you do a lot of research into real-life female pirates from history, of which there are many notable examples? What was your research process?
A. I’m so glad you asked! Before writing Capitana, I actually went on a three week research trip across the state of Florida to immerse myself in the Golden Age of Piracy, visiting museums, archives, and historical sites. I even learned to sail and fight with a rapier, too! Female pirates in particular have always been fascinating to me. In pop culture, most pirate-related media is dominated by men. But in reality, women were some of the most feared pirates on the high seas, and for good reason! Piracy was one of the few outlets for women at that time to build a life entirely on their own terms, free of society’s expectations, and many acquired fame, power, and fortune equal to or greater than their male counterparts. I was inspired by the very real stories of those women (Anne Bonny and Grace O’Malley from Ireland, Mary Read from England, Cheng I Sao from China, the list goes on!) to create my own fictional pirates.
Q. Themes of imperialism and colonialism are threaded through the story, not least when we discover what drove Ximena’s parents to become pirates. Which came first — Ximena the character, Capitana the adventure plot, or the desire to explore such themes?
A. Capitana began with a question that I wrote in a little blue notebook after coming home from my research trip: what if there was an academy for pirate hunters? Of course, that question immediately introduces a good vs. evil dynamic, with the lawful hunters on one side and lawless pirates on the other. But I was curious about what would happen if the truth was more complicated than that. What if the version of history the Empire of Luza was presenting actually wasn’t the entire story? So Capitana’s plot and characters were really born from those questions about truth, courage, justice, and freedom.
Q. Which elements of the story were most challenging to get right? For example, it’s no easy feat to mix conjuring a visceral sense of battles and emotional conflicts with fantastical elements.
A. Very true! Capitana is also built on surprises and plot twists, so the biggest challenge for me was learning how to reveal just enough information to keep readers guessing, but not enough for them to discover the whole truth too soon. It’s a delicate balancing act. But thankfully, I have a fabulous editorial team who helped me walk it, and the result is so much fun. It truly makes my day when I get a message from a reader saying, I did NOT see that coming! That means I’ve done my job right.
Q. Ximena aside, which character was most fun to write? For example, Pia the archivist provided an interesting juxtaposition to Ximena, being somewhat naïve but also deeply devoted to serving the empire. Then there’s maddening Dante! How did you find inspiration for him?
A. Dante just has a way of commandeering scenes (and hearts) wherever he goes. I knew Ximena needed a foil, a character that pushed her buttons and challenged her to become the best version of herself. Dante, charmingly irritating as he is, became that perfect foil. He’s as lazy as Ximena is hardworking, and as cowardly as she is courageous. But he’s also discerning, spontaneous, and creative in a way that she is not. It made their dynamic so much fun to develop! Oh, and you just might catch traces of some of your favourite fictional characters in Dante: I was inspired by Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series, Naveen from Disney’s Princess and the Frog, and Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games, among others!
Q. Did you always want to be a writer?
A. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was about ten years old. I was a voracious reader at the time (still am!) and quickly ran out of the kind of books I wanted to read. When I complained to my mom, she offered me a challenge: if you can’t find the book you want to read, then write it! I took her up on it, and I’ve been writing about a book a year ever since.
Q. What are the challenges of bringing a novel to publication? How did you find the process?
A. Without a doubt, rejection was the hardest part of the publishing process. No one likes waking up to a dozen emails in your inbox telling you your book won’t sell! But in my experience, the only way to get through the constant rejection as a writer is knowing your “why”— why do you want to bring this specific book into the world? At my core, I knew I wanted to reach other kids like me, who craved books that were full of swashbuckling action and swoonworthy romance. That “why” fueled me through the criticism and closed doors, until I eventually found the publishing teams who were just as excited about Capitana as I was.
Q. Any tips or advice for fellow writers trying to get their first novel published?
A. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! I know, it can feel very intimidating to jump into this industry with all of its crazy jargon. I felt the same way! But I encourage you to reach out to local authors and booksellers in your area and ask them about their experience. I learned so much in my early days of writing by pestering the people who had gone through the publishing process before me. They truly have so much wisdom to share.
Q. How did it feel to hold the finished copy of your debut novel in your hand - and how did you celebrate?
A. Oh my goodness, it was incredibly surreal! When I opened the first box of Capitana hardcovers, I just started bawling—it was literal dream come true, fourteen years in the making. I was also blessed enough to have a two part Capitana celebration. I flew with my best friend to London for the UK launch (which happened on an actual pirate ship, the biggest pinch-me moment of my life!), then came back to Florida to host the pirate-themed US release party at my local childhood bookshop, Barnes and Noble. Like, how on earth is this my life?! I fear I may never get over it.
Congratulations on your winning debut, Cassandra. Capitana is our February Debut of the Month and we have given it a well-deserved Star!
@HotKeyBooks
@authorznote
Q&A: Cassandra James, Author of ‘Capitana’
Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·February 2, 2025·3 min read
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We chat with author Cassandra James about Capitana, which is filled with complex characters, sizzling chemistry, and evocative action. A must-read for fans of Daughter of the Pirate King and Fable!
Hi, Cassandra! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, Nerd Daily readers! I’m Cassandra, and I’m a Young Adult Fantasy author based in Orlando, Florida. I come from a mixed family of immigrants, which basically means I’ve been hearing and telling stories for as long as I can remember. When I’m not writing, you’ll most likely find me running around Disney World for the thousandth time, obsessing over Broadway musicals, or booking plane flights for my next international adventure.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve been a complete and total bookworm since I was a little kid. But I wrote my first book when I was ten years old. As the story goes, I was complaining about not being able to find the kinds of stories I wanted to read, and my mom dared me to write my own. I’ve been writing about a book a year ever since, and I’ve learned something new with each one.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
The first book you ever remember reading: The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
The one that made you want to become an author: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Your debut novel, Capitana, is out February 4th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Swashbuckling, but make it Latina.
What can readers expect?
Capitana is set an at an academy for pirate hunters, where my main character, aspiring hunter Ximena Reale, must capture a legendary pirate to redeem her own family’s treasonous past. It’s packed with sword fights, plot twists, “to the death” friendship, and rivals to lovers romance, If you loved Pirates of the Caribbean or The Legend of Zorro, you’ll feel right at home in the world of Capitana.
Where did the inspiration for Capitana come from?
When I was a sophomore in college, I won a grant to research and write a novel based on the Golden Age of Piracy. So I took a three week trip around the state of Florida visiting historical sites and exploring archive material—I even learned to sail and fight with a rapier! I drew from that real world inspiration to create my fictional Empire of Luza. For example, la República de los Piratas in Capitana is inspired by the republic of pirates that briefly existed in the Caribbean.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I’ve absolutely loved writing from Ximena’s perspective. During the brainstorming process, I challenged myself with creating a character who was not particularly likable, but was incredibly lovable, a character who goes through a complete transformation as the story unfolds. I think I’ve accomplished that with Ximena. She’s stubborn, ambitious, and sometimes dogmatic, but she’s also fiercely loyal, thoughtful, and courageous. Her arc is truly the beating heart of Capitana, and I can only hope readers fall in love with her the way I did.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Believe it or not, Capitana almost never happened. As I was writing the first draft, I was hit with a terrible case of writer’s block, and ended up tossing the whole thing in the trash. I was completely discouraged, and may or may not have had a mini existential crisis about my ability to write a novel. But then I went back to my original research notes, and a question I’d written down months before jumped out at me: what if there was an academy for pirate hunters? I outlined what is now Capitana in just a few hours and jumped headfirst into writing. The rest, as they say, is history.
See also
Do You Dream You Can Fly?
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s been a dream come true! Of course, there has been plenty of rejection along the way—no one gets out of this process without it. But I’ve been blessed to have an incredible publishing team behind me, as well as an amazing community of family and friends, who have been my champions from the very beginning. They believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself and cheered me on through every insecurity and doubt. So when people say it takes a village to bring a novel in the world, they are telling the truth!
What’s next for you?
The sequel to Capitana will be released in 2026! Stay tuned for an exact date and cover release.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
I’m so looking forward to Eowyn Ivey’s Black Woods, Blue Sky, a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in Alaska. Her writing is just unbelievably lush and spooky, I know it will be a perfect winter read.
January 16, 2025
Alumni Spotlight: Cassandra James
Inspiring Imagination and Adventure in Young Adults
By erin conner, writer & communications associate
"God has been in this quite literally since the very beginning," said Cassandra James, Princeton '23, as she reflected on her professional writing career.
"As a child, I was an absolute bookworm, and I would max out my library card. I aged out of kids' literature and wanted to read more stories but couldn't find the kind of stories I desired to read, so my mother dared me, 'If you can't find it, write it.'"
So, she did.
James wrote a book a year from around the time she was ten years old until now. "I learned something different from each book. Writing is what brought me to Princeton. The teaching, the staff, the professors, the level of intentionality–it is an amazing program. I never thought I'd get in, but I did–a God thing."
cassandra james
Her soon-to-be-released book, CAPITANA, started as a project her sophomore year at Princeton. She won the Martin A. Dale ’53 Summer Award, which is an application-based award accompanied by a stipend to support rising juniors pursuing projects that promote “personal growth, foster independence, creativity and leadership skills, and broaden or deepen some area of special interest” to write her novel.
"I've always been a pirate history nerd, so I came up with a research project across Florida that included taking sailing lessons, visiting forts, and doing a deep dive in historical archives," she shared, all of which she used to craft this young adult adventure novel. James' story contains a rich imaginary world inspired by 18th-century Latin America that is explored by a female protagonist in a swashbuckling adventure.
In the summer between junior and senior year, James pitched this fantasy book to literary agents and experienced four months of brutal rejection before entering a pitch competition on social media on a whim. She was signed the next day. "God again," she claims.
Months later, she was in Israel on a Princeton-sponsored trip and had just prayed at the Western Wall before returning to her email to discover that Harper Collins offered her a two-book preempt deal. "I don't have an answer for how all of this occurred without God."
James lovingly recalled something that one of her mentors in college, the Christian Union women's ministry fellow, had often said when things looked dauntingly difficult or impossible to accomplish: "But God…"
After graduation, James entered Christian Union's alumni mentoring program. During this eight-month program that supports graduates in their transition from college to career, her mentor shared with her a book that changed her perspective on prayer, "We make God so small sometimes when He is truly beyond our imagination."
Christine Foster, the director of CU's alumni program, shared, "Cassy has been a valued member of our mentoring program–first as a mentee and this year as a mentor. Her passion for what God is calling her to do and the way she is using her gifts in a secular space to point others to Him is an inspiration."
Regarding CAPITANA, James shared, "My favorite theme is about redemption and explores the balance between justice and mercy. It is so obviously Christian and also not. I wanted the themes to be Biblically based. I wanted anyone who understands Jesus to see Him in the pages and anyone who doesn't, to feel Him in the story and to experience the power of redemption."
Launch party events for CAPITANA are being held in the UK this month, and a subsequent book tour is still to be determined in the US. Before an official launch, the book has already garnered the attention of over ten thousand readers.
It seems quite perfect that God chose a woman who loves imagination and adventure to be a vessel–a living testament–through which the next generation can see just how adventurous a life with God is and how much He desires to bless His children with more than we could ask or imagine through our relationship with Him.
God's goodness is truly beyond our comprehension, yet we can gain a glimpse of it through His people–the ones who trust Him in this life to fulfill the purposes He placed within them to uniquely express the character and love of His Son and to inspire others to do the same.
Jesus is in the pages of this book, much like in the Book of Esther, despite the fact that His name is not explicitly mentioned. But if we read with our hearts open, we will find Him there.
James, Cassandra CAPITANA Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Teen None) $19.99 2, 4 ISBN: 9780063345614
An aspiring pirate hunter sails in pursuit of an infamous pirate; her quest takes her further than she could ever imagine.
Seventeen-year-old Ximena Reale is a promising young candidate at La Academia de los Cazadores, a feat she's achieved against the odds posed by her stained last name: Five years ago, her parents were hanged on La Academia's gallows as pirates. The apparent resurrection of Gasparilla--history's most notorious (and long-dead) pirate--brings the opportunity to prove herself once and for all. Armed with her unwavering commitment to the Law of the Luzan Empire, Ximena chases vengeance, honor, and a Cazodoro cloak of her own. She's in competition with Dante de León, an arrogant and infuriatingly handsome classmate. The journey tests not only her skill and bravery but her faith in the Law itself. James delivers her fast-paced and convincing debut narrative in an accomplished third-person voice. She layers her prose with Spanish vocabulary, immersing readers in the cadences of the Luzan Empire and trusting those unfamiliar with the language to navigate by context. The story resounds with messages of the harm done by imperialism, bringing readers along as Ximena learns to question authority, consider new perspectives, and seek alternatives to violence. Budding romance and soaring stakes keep the tension simmering through the last page and marvelously tee up the second book in this duology. The characters are cued as Latine.
A shimmering, piratical fantasy with real-world teeth.(Fantasy. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"James, Cassandra: CAPITANA." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A819570308/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=08dbba0e. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Capitana
Cassandra James. Quill Tree, $19.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-0633-4561-4
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 Leon, 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. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Feb.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Capitana." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 44, 18 Nov. 2024, pp. 54+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A817760182/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5c712f33. Accessed 7 June 2025.