The Stowaway Debutante
Tales of the Captain Duke, Book #1
By Rebecca Diem
ISBN13: 9780993887406
Author’s Website: http://rebeccadiem.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Synopsis:
Airships, pirates, and hidden identities…
When Clara dreamed of running away to seek her own adventures, she never imagined that a chance encounter with the legendary Captain Duke might set her life on an entirely different course.
Armed with her wit and charm, Clara can usually talk her way out of any troubles. But first, she has to get back to solid ground…
—
Clara stole a quiet breath of relief when the loud man’s boots retreated toward the stairwell. She could hear the other two moving about the cargo hold, and hoped that her own thudding heartbeat would not betray her position.
She quickly thought through her options: Could she bribe them? Should she fight? Could she run? She made herself as small as possible and waited, every instinct on high alert. The lighter pair of footsteps was getting closer.
A shuffle. A step. He must be less than four feet from her, only the crate she huddled against blocking her from his view. When his voice called out, the blood froze in Clara’s veins.
“Hey, look over here!”
Review:
One sunny afternoon in Ottawa (spring 2015), I attended a literary event called “Prose in the Park” (http://www.proseinthepark.com/ ). It is there that I met Rebecca Diem – author. We got to talking and from that point in time; I knew I had to read her books. I could sense Rebecca’s joy and love for her craft and while I have not previously read this genre, I wanted to give steampunk fantasy a try.
I am totally delighted to say that my first voyage into this genre has been enjoyable. Thank you, Rebecca Diem, for penning such a captivating story. From the beginning I was drawn into Clara’s world through your use of words, which definitely brought the story to life. I loved Clara’s quick wit, ingenuity and her daring. And the spark between Clara and Captain Duke…I can’t wait to see where that might lead…
I quite enjoyed getting to know some of the other characters in the book as well…Cat and Mouse! What interesting children. I loved how they took Clara under their wing and trained her on the art of the ropes (and such glee Clara got from this training…). And the first mate, Nessa – her character, I am hoping, has much more depth than we have seen to date. She is intriguing and I can’t wait to see how her character develops as the series continues.
My one disappointment is that the book ended WAY too quickly. I was immersed in my reading and before you know it….the story has ended! L As luck would have it though – I had purchased the second book (From Haven to Hell) at the same time as the first…so I have it on hand and will continue the saga momentarily. Whew…. Again, congratulations on a fine first book and please continue to write as your stories are too good to keep to yourself!
