The Stowaway Debutante

by Rebecca Diem

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!”
--
To listen to the first chapter of The Stowaway Debutante, visit https://soundcloud.com/rebeccadiem/st...

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Canada, Pirates

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Rebecca Diem is a writer, music lover and nerd. She is the author of the indie steampunk series Tales of the Captain Duke, following the adventures of a defiant young aristocrat who saves a band of airship pirates from certain peril and talks her way into joining their crew.

An avid bookworm, Rebecca was honoured to receive a ‘Nose in a Book’ award from her elementary school librarian, and has a dedicated To Be read shelf in her growing library. Somewhere between reading Virginia Woolf and Neil Gaiman, she began to write her own stories and has no plans to stop.

Rebecca now calls Toronto home and is on a never-ending quest to find the perfect café and writing spot.

Facebook: Rebecca Diem
Email: rebeccadiemauthor@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram/Life: @kthnxbex
Bookstagram: @rebeccadiem

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the good fortune of meeting Rebecca Diem by chance at Fan Expo Canada this past summer, and I'm so glad I did! I picked up a copy of her book and quickly fell in love with the characters and the story, prompting me to grab the next in the series. I'm now impatiently clamouring for the third book. Why do I love them so much? Well, the this is where I compare Tales of the Captain Duke to the Fast and Furious movie series. No wait! Hear me out! No, Captain Duke does not feature car chases, NOS, ridiculous fist fights, and lots of explosions (well, there are a few explosions), but it does feature a very amazing family. The FF movies are pretty silly, but I love them because, far more than fast cars, the story has always been about the bonds of family that go far deeper than blood. That is the kind of bond the Captain's crew share in these stories and what a young woman named Clara finds most endearing when faced with the choice of joining the crew of airship pilots.

In the first book, our titular stowaway debutante winds up saving the crew (and herself) from an unfortunate event. Despite the secrets she is determined to cling to, Captain Duke tentatively accepts her as a member of his crew. She is immediately drawn to the various pilots, whom Diem brings to life most endearingly, and to the Captain Duke himself, who also keeps his secrets--including the very name of his airship--close. Diem carefully parcels out the pieces of their mysteries through chapters that alternate between their points of view, and expertly teases the growing spark between the two enigmatic characters. Whatever Clara is running from is bound to catch up with her, as we find out in the second book in the series where the loyalty of the crew is severely tested.

I am very new to, but utterly intrigued by steampunk. This series is a great place for anyone to start as Diem charmingly reinvents piratical history with airships, and challenges gender roles and diversity. This is a lighthearted adventure that isn't afraid to get serious from time to time. A welcome change from my usual reads.

www.bibliosanctum.com

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

The Skinny:
Clara, a young debutante, is a stowaway aboard a flying ship. When the ship is commandeered by the Captain Duke and his crew, Clara saves them from what is sure to be imminent disaster. Now, aboard the Captain Dukes own ship, Clara is determined to be a member of his crew.

My Thoughts:
A few weeks ago I was at a steampunk convention in Canada. I was nonchalantly looking at the items for sale in the various stales when I saw what looked like - gasp - a book sale/signing. I swear, I can sniff those things out. So naturally, I bought this book. I had never heard of it, yet I took a chance, because, well…steampunk…pirates…adventure.

At only 81 pages, this is a tiny, little book. When I first purchased it, I was thinking it was going to be a children’s book, but I wouldn’t call it that now. I think it might be more YAish? I’m actually not quite sure, it is hard to put my finger on. There isn’t really anything outrageously adult that happens, but allusions towards the Captain Dukes…conquests.

Anywho.

I loved reading this tiny story. I am happy to report that not only was it a fun read, but it was also well written (imo of course). I liked Clara, the main character, because she was quite spunky and determined. I enjoyed the Captain Duke because I kept envisioning this super hot pirate. He comes off as kind of gruff, but he is secretly a bit of a softy. My favorite.

While the actual storyline wasn’t anything out of this world original, it did hold its own. There was just enough intrigue and cleverness to keep the story fresh. A bit of mystery is added in concerning Clara and why she decided to stowaway in the first place. This was not cleared up in the first book, so I’m looking forward to book #2 shedding some light.

Also, there is some sort of romance a-brewin. I have to say that I’m a sucker for a cute romance, and this, I believe, is heading in that direction.

Overall:
If book #2 is like this installment, then I’m certain I will enjoy it. *Goes forth to buy*

[Kitty G Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I received this free from the author in exchange for an honest review *

This little novella is the start of Clara's foray into Pirating. She starts out the story in a hold of a ship, stowing away from her past. However, she quickly discovers there is much more than first meets the eye on this ship, and when Pirates take command she has to think on her feet and decide who to side with...naturally, she chooses the Pirates and the story goes from there.

I found this a super fun read, it's quick and easy reading, and although there are some predictable elements and some romance I still found it enjoyable.

Clara is a fun character, with her noble past and her escape being so rushed. We are constantly trying to find out more about her.
Trick and Nessa are two of the crew, along with Cat and Mouse, and they make a great cast in the backdrop of the story.
We also have Captain Duke who is the man in charge, and someone that Clara will need to convince if she is to be let into their secrets.

3*s overall from me.

[Andra Weis · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

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! 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!

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

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!

[Kaitlynd The Hopeless Romantic · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining quick read! Can't wait to see the story unfold in the following books :) Also I very much enjoyed the overall tone of the writing and how smooth it flowed :)

[Laura Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure, romance, drama, and awesome characters! This book was a great read. I love following Clara on her adventure and can't wait to see what she gets up to next!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it from beginning to end. a quick light read but so easy to get sucked it. felt like i was right there with clara during her first real adventure. about to start book 2!!

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet... steampunk at its finest!
Gender equality in the Victorian era :)

[M.H. Thaung]

This is an easy-to-read adventure romp, set aboard airships in a steampunk world. It's a short book that covers a couple of episodes in the early adventures of Clara and the Captain Duke (the two PoV characters) plus the rest of the crew as they go about their business.

Both Clara and the Captain Duke have mysterious backstories alluded to throughout but not actually addressed or explained. I didn't find the vague hints intriguing enough to motivate me to find out more (they felt more like a convenient get-out clause that will explain something in a future story than actually contributing to the current book). Clara's rapid acceptance by the crew and gaining of skills she'd never tried before felt too good to be true. I could understand not wanting to bog things down, but I'd have quite liked to see her overcoming more challenges before settling in.

Overall, an entertaining and pleasant read if you're looking for something light.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Rebecca at a writing conference, and she is such a nice person. She is part of my Con family, and I heart her so much.

I picked up her books to support her, but held off on reading them until it was finished being written. I'm going to hold off on a full review until I'm done all of them, because I think they will be best captured as a whole.

I'm looking forward to seeing her grow as an author, both in reading the rest of this series, and with her future works. Watching people grow and improve their craft, makes me hopeful for my own.

Yes, their where some rookie mistakes in this first novella. I might have written scenes differently, or plotted out the scope of the project differently. However, as I am not yet at the end of the series, I can't say truly whether what she is doing is working or not working. Their is a distinct withholding of information regarding persons backgrounds, that I am drying to find out more about. And withholding information and getting away with it, is just one of those things that drives me crazy. As a person with anxiety, no tell me now, not later, is kind of my motto.

I would also say that formatting is more along the lines of an email or in this case a book review, than that of a novel. They have that one line space break between paragraphs, and while I need it here, it drives me crazy in books. Go figure. But she maintains it throughout all of her books, so props to sticking with it, and maintaining consistency. I think I might have hated it more had she changed halfway through.

Am I going to keep reading. HECK YES I AM. I am mightily interested in her air craft carriers. I too would like to sail the world in the clouds.

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich debutante Clara decides to escape the Isle of Wight with the help of her brother and his glider. She lands on an airship bound for London and hides herself away amid the cargo. While she is pondering how she is going to smuggle herself off the airship once it reaches London, pirates attack. She befriends the brigands and buys a pilot’s commission.

There really wasn’t much to this story. It’s basically just an introduction of our heroine Clara (who is the basic indie book strong, independent female. She has a love of adventure, a very daring streak, and she’s smart) and the pirate crew (felt like they were patterned on the crew of Firefly/Serenity. Had the brooding, romantic captain who is more than a little awkward around ladies, and the strong female first officer). There were snippets of songs toward the middle of this book, that I almost expected to have the Firefly theme “you can’t take the sky from me” attached to them. It’s pretty much what you expect of indie steampunk books: high-flying adventure, with a quirky cast, and a smart heroine. I know it sounds right up my alley, but I never really connected with any of the characters and I really would like more to a book in terms of plot than just an introduction to the characters.

[Derek Breedon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across Rebecca at the Grand Canadian Steampunk Exposition and she convinced me to attend her reading of the third book in the Tales of the Captain Duke series. Going in and not knowing what I was getting myself into, I was pleasantly surprised! After her first section of the reading, I was hooked. By the end, I had so many questions. The only way I could find my answers were if I bought the books.

I purchased all three right then and there. After reading the first chapter, I was not disappointed. The only times I put down the book was to go to sleep and to work. This book, and Clara, was what I have been searching for in a book for some time.

This is such a fun read! A light-hearted Steampunk novel with a wonderful female lead with lots of promise. Clara is young and inexperienced in this world and I can't wait to see how she evolves, and her future interactions with the captain of the ship. I was so energetic to read the next page that I spilt coffee on the book in my haste.

[Sienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fun! A good introduction not only to the characters, but the world Rebecca Diem has built for them. I'm fascinated by all the ways we seek to integrate technology into prior eras, and I'm a sucker for a good pirate story; Stowaway Debutante is right in the middle of that Venn diagram.

This book is SUPER duper short, only about 25,000-30,000 words, and as such I had some trouble getting into the protagonists' heads. I like a slow burn, with lots of time to savour little tangents and seemingly-ancillary detail, but this is an action-packed little sucker. What I lost in characterization, I gained in galloping plot development.

I finished the last chapters sitting on the beams of a bridge spanning the train station near my home, open to the wind buffeting my hat and the pages, and felt very much like I was on that airship myself. I'm excited to read the rest of the quartet and see how both the world and its people blossom!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Stowaway Debutante" is a really fun steampunk adventure story! It's got Robin Hood-esque pirates, which I love, and their anti-capitalist romps are ones I would happily read more of. It also gave me major found family feels, especially with the development of the friendship between women and girls. It would've been easy to have them all be men, or for the other main woman to be a romantic rival, but instead they interact like people! Yay!

I also really appreciated the main character, Clara, and how she was able to be smart and tough without having an "I'm better than other girls" air. Also, she gets to have interests that are more """masculine""" but still use the assets that her upbringing as a debutante gave her.

Anyway, if you like steampunk pirates, check this out! I'm certainly looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will give a more complete review after I finish reading the second book, From Haven to Hell, but for now I will say that I enjoyed Rebecca's easy-flowing writing style, her strong and well-envisioned characters, and I am hooked enough that I need to know what happens next. If the rest of the series is anything like the beginning was then I think we readers have a lot of good story-telling to look forward to.

MARCH 2019 UPDATE
Rebecca Diem's 'Tales of the Captain Duke' is a pleasure and a treat. I just got the fourth and final book in the series, so I am doing a complete run-through before embarking on the last leg as I want the whole amazing story fresh in my mind before I move on to the end, so look for my final review when I finish the last book.

[Gurushabd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, engaging read. It's like the pilot of a tv show - lots of action in a short compact package, leaving you wanting more. Make sure you read the next one, From Haven to Hell, for more adventures in steampunk feminist-heroin action. The Stowaway Debutante Rebecca Diem

[Tatteredturtle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the debut series for Rebecca Diem. She is an indie steampunk writer and does a great job with the series, Tales of the Captain Duke. I really enjoyed the political climate, character development and the steampunk inspired engineering in this series. Please read my full review in the link provided below!
Easy Readin'

https://tatteredturtlestittertattle.w...

[Parker (Paperback Parker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really loved this :’) the cast, the atmosphere, the overall plot... just so good. i really hope that in the next books the characters are explored a bit deeper. but either way, i’m excited to venture further into this world! (also - i really hope clara ditches her feelings for the captain duke and ends up falling for nessa lol)

[Amanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! What a fantastic story! I loved every moment of the series. Difficult to put down. I was fortunate to meet Rebecca at FanExpo and I will look forward to saying HI to this wonderful writer at the next one. I just fell in love with Clara and Cat!

[Mer Brebner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful novel was exactly what my scattered heart and head needed! It was sweet, fun, and light, with just a dash of danger to make things interesting. Definitely going to pick up the rest of the series!

[Mathieu Perron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A promising debut from an imaginative author. Diem sets up an intriguing universe and colourful characters. Look forward to the rest of the series.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. Wonderful new author. A vivid imagination.

[Sherry McWilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received a free copy for a review. Cute story. A great introduction to a series.

[Wise_owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing to say about this first book of the Tales of the Captain Duke is that it is short, too short in my estimation. Because just when you've gotten quite settled into the enjoyable tale being woven it ends and while thankfully there are other books in the series if you don't have them at hand you are a tad stuck.

The Stowaway Debutante is a classic adventure story with a Steampunk Mold. The Titular Debutante is fleeing from... something. We never discover quite what but the participation of her brother in her escape and other hints extinguish the most likely classic Penny Dreadful possibilities(A Bad Engagement, an Abusive Uncle after the inheritance, etc.) and make that mystery all the more interesting. I was a bit disappointed we didn't get to find it out by the end of this first book, but leave them wanting mroe I suppose?

In any case, starting somewhat In Media Res, the Debutante is aboard an Airship that comes under attack by Pirates. In short order we discover this Airship was not merely a grain shipment as she had supposed when she Stowed away, but shiping Gun-powder. We also discover that the 'Pirates' are Rob-in-Hood Sorts running a battle against corrupt Merchants(if I understood the Dynamic correctly) run by the famous 'Captain Duke', who is a Pirate captain, and apparently an actual Duke.

The Book posits a vastly more gender-egalitarian Victorian Era than our own, and one that has Airships obviously, and in which this has altered society in a variety of radical and not-so-radical ways. All in all it permits us to have rollicking adventures without concerns regarding propriety so much. There is some fun play with the concept that I quite enjoyed.

In short, this book was a short read, a thoroughly enjoyable one, and I'll definitely be in to see what The Debutante and her Captain, the Duke, are in for.

[Amy (I'd Rather Be Sleeping) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Rolls eyes* I like you,see, that's why I'm going to remain all distant and broody and emotionally unavailable. (Ooh, and don't forget, act totally highhanded because you're just a pampered, prim miss that totally should hide below decks where there's no danger.)

Bleh.

Except for the main guy (see above) and de facto love interest, the story was fairly fun if very forgettable. Clara I could almost like, but then she interacts with the main guy and comes off sounding either simpering or angry all the time. The Captain Duke (no, seriously, he's NEVER called anything else) has that brooding I don't really like you but I'm secretly in love after talking to you for five minutes so I'm going to act like a jerk down pat. It was light on steampunk, but there were airship pirates, if you can deal with the insipid characters.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars. A light, fun read, that was simply a bit short and "easy" to make it into my true favorites. The characters and their interactions are likable, the writing is pretty good (I caught a few errors, mainly in comma omission and splicing), and the plot leaves me wanting to see what happens next... as well as eager to learn what secrets our heroine especially is hiding. She's ever-so-slightly Mary-Sue-ish, but not intolerably so. And of course when you set the story on an airship, it automatically gets a few extra credits from me!
I believe I acquired this story for my Kindle app via InstaFreebie, but I'll almost certainly be buying more from this author.

[Geoff Gander · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the steampunk genre, and found this to be a light, fast read that introduces the reader to a promising new setting. Clara is a likeable character whose as-yet-undetailled high-born origins will probably come back to haunt her in a future book in the series, but this will only make the storyline more interesting.

[The Master · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to a new series. Could totally envision this as something on Space network.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like this, maybe try Shelley Adina's series "Magnificent Devices" or Lindsay Buroker's series "The Flash Gold". Both are excellent.