Tales of the Captain Duke is a series of four short books, novella style, by Rebecca Diem. I read them consecutively on two evenings and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Tales of the Captain Duke
by Rebecca Diem
1. The Stowaway Debutante
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… (Goodreads)
2. From Haven to Hell
Welcome to the Haven…
The adventure continues as the Captain Duke and his band of airship pirates return to their hideout to uncover the traitor in their midst. Now that Clara has joined his crew, she must decide whether to trust her new friends before the secrets of her past are used to tear the pilots apart.
3. A Gentleman and a Scholar
Some wounds run deeper…
After tragedy strikes, Clara and the Captain Duke must find a way to adapt and move on. With their trust shaken, they need to rely on new allies to save their friends… and discover who is behind the nefarious plot threatening their crew.
4. Of Tempests and Teacups
Stop the Tradists. Save the Captain Duke.
When the Captain Duke goes missing, Clara takes the helm to face enemies old and new. Torn between desire and duty, she must use her skills as both pirate and debutante to unite her allies and save the day. Even if it means facing her greatest fears—and returning to where it all began.
My Review
I’m taking this as one, really, since I read them in sequence, and they didn’t take long.
The idea of a well-to-do young woman of a Regency era with advanced technology, where the heroine escapes from an arranged marriage by hiding on a trading airship to be discovered by pirates… it’s too good to miss.
The writing is excellent, the characters beautiful and varied (although some are fairly predictable), and the airship tech well described. It’s a highly enjoyable story and I wish there was more, although it does conclude with an element of finality.
I don’t really understand why the author brought it out as separate titles (especially with the first chapter of the next at the end of the previous) since they take less than an hour to read, and I felt a single novel might have been more enjoyable. Maybe it was just what we were being advised at that time. Don’t let that stop you adding them to your collection, but be aware of the price you’re paying for them. I could easily have read all four in one sitting.
