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Captain Raven #1
The Raven's Revenge
A dead man tells a single tale. A drowned man tells none.
A bloody civil war has left elves as the inferior race in the country of Curliffe. Hot-tempered elf Slate Raven takes to piracy in rebellion against the new norm, his sister Cal beside him on board their ship, The Raven’s Revenge. While rescuing their youngest sister from slavery, Slate and Cal hear of an ancient treasure. Rumoured to be magical, it’s the perfect prize to win for elfkind—if they can reach it first.
The adventure quickly proves to be more than they bargained for as they sail into unfamiliar waters. Slate pushes forward nonetheless, forcing his crew to their breaking point. But as dangers rise and tensions are strained, Slate finds himself forced to choose between his own goals and the safety of those he cares for most: his sisters.
A bloody civil war has left elves as the inferior race in the country of Curliffe. Hot-tempered elf Slate Raven takes to piracy in rebellion against the new norm, his sister Cal beside him on board their ship, The Raven’s Revenge. While rescuing their youngest sister from slavery, Slate and Cal hear of an ancient treasure. Rumoured to be magical, it’s the perfect prize to win for elfkind—if they can reach it first.
The adventure quickly proves to be more than they bargained for as they sail into unfamiliar waters. Slate pushes forward nonetheless, forcing his crew to their breaking point. But as dangers rise and tensions are strained, Slate finds himself forced to choose between his own goals and the safety of those he cares for most: his sisters.
316 pages, Hardcover
Published June 10, 2025
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
K. J. Wagner
2 books6 followersK. J. Wagner is the author of the epic-fantasy Captain Raven Duology: The Raven's Revenge and its sequel, The Forsaken Souls. She has always had a love for books and fantasy, and at thirteen discovered her love of writing—going on to create a myriad of worlds, characters, and stories. Her books carry timeless themes of family and friendship that can be enjoyed by a variety of ages. She currently lives in Alberta, where she spends most of her time daydreaming new stories with a cup of tea or hot cocoa on hand.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 26, 2025
Y’all…when I say this book is a masterpiece, I mean it. It feels so alive. The characters are so real, and the emotions are so big and—and idk, I’m not wordsing. The lore is stunning, the foreshadowing and development are BRILLIANTLY done, the themes made me almost cry in the way they were executed.
Captain Slate Raven is an icon, Cal is the best big sister, and Tinta is the most cinnamon roll to ever cinnamon roll.
I struggle to re-read books, so when I tell you I read this book for the third time (first two times were alpha/beta reading) and still adored it—especially the ending chapters—you need to understand how much this book means to me. Also, it was written by one of my bestest writer friends. So please read it. PLEASE?? AND THEN SCREAM WITH ME???
HOWEVER, do note there are some sensitive/heavy topics to be aware of, so do take those into consideration and don’t read (or give to someone too young) if you’re not comfortable with these. Off the top of my head, there’s a lot of violence, references to past abuse, attempted SA, aaaaand idk those are the main ones I remember. There might be a few other things? But I don’t remember them at the moment.
But yeah. I love this book so much.
Captain Slate Raven is an icon, Cal is the best big sister, and Tinta is the most cinnamon roll to ever cinnamon roll.
I struggle to re-read books, so when I tell you I read this book for the third time (first two times were alpha/beta reading) and still adored it—especially the ending chapters—you need to understand how much this book means to me. Also, it was written by one of my bestest writer friends. So please read it. PLEASE?? AND THEN SCREAM WITH ME???
HOWEVER, do note there are some sensitive/heavy topics to be aware of, so do take those into consideration and don’t read (or give to someone too young) if you’re not comfortable with these. Off the top of my head, there’s a lot of violence, references to past abuse, attempted SA, aaaaand idk those are the main ones I remember. There might be a few other things? But I don’t remember them at the moment.
But yeah. I love this book so much.
July 1, 2025
Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this book so much!
Some things I thought were unique and cool:
-a different take on elves and dwarves
-pirates
-unique mythology
Characters i loved
-Martin
-Tinta
-Leticia
-Cal
-Slate
-Ven
-Captain Vaquita
It's been a good few months since I have read a book this fast.
Love, love, LOVE this book!
Some things I thought were unique and cool:
-a different take on elves and dwarves
-pirates
-unique mythology
Characters i loved
-Martin
-Tinta
-Leticia
-Cal
-Slate
-Ven
-Captain Vaquita
It's been a good few months since I have read a book this fast.
Love, love, LOVE this book!
May 29, 2025
“How could it be wrong to love someone because you know they have faults? If we could only love people who were perfect, we wouldn’t love anyone.” - The Raven’s Revenge
I was fortunate enough to have the honor of seeing this story develop, and I’m so excited to have received an ARC copy.
Where do I begin? This is one of my favorite books and such a comfort read. Wagner weaves a story of adventure, family, and love. As a fan of romance, Tinta and Martin had my heart, but it was the family dynamics of the Raven siblings that made this book so impactful.
The biggest success of this story is found in the characters and their relationships. Wagner does an amazing job of writing platonic, romantic, and familial dynamics. She’s created a complex and truly real character in Slate Raven—and in each of the Raven siblings. Cal has a special place in my heart as I relate to her in many ways, and I also love love LOVE Tinta. I’m always happy to see more variety in strong female characters, and Tinta being a more gentle and feminine character is something I appreciated.
I think the character development was one of my favorite parts of this book. Slate’s arc specifically is so well-written. Instead of making him only a man for readers to fangirl over (though he is certainly worthy of fangirling), he is imperfect, makes mistakes, has depth, and does not exist just to be attractive (though he definitely reminds me of Killian Jones at times, so I can’t say he isn’t a *chef’s kiss* male lead). I love a sibling-centric plot, and I love the larger cast in this story. The fantasy world and dynamics felt fleshed out but not overly info-dumpy, and the plot is fresh. I’m a sucker for pirate stories, and I absolutely loved this one and all its pirate-y elements.
I also love the moral grounding of this story and the way piracy is taken seriously—maybe less romanticized than Pirates of the Caribbean and other stories surrounding pirates. While I love a good pirate story, I appreciate the way the characters in this one grapple with the morals of what they’re doing and how this affects the plot.
If you enjoy swashbuckling narratives with moral depth and strong character dynamics, you’ll love The Raven’s Revenge. I highly recommend it and cannot wait to see what’s next for the Raven siblings.
I was fortunate enough to have the honor of seeing this story develop, and I’m so excited to have received an ARC copy.
Where do I begin? This is one of my favorite books and such a comfort read. Wagner weaves a story of adventure, family, and love. As a fan of romance, Tinta and Martin had my heart, but it was the family dynamics of the Raven siblings that made this book so impactful.
The biggest success of this story is found in the characters and their relationships. Wagner does an amazing job of writing platonic, romantic, and familial dynamics. She’s created a complex and truly real character in Slate Raven—and in each of the Raven siblings. Cal has a special place in my heart as I relate to her in many ways, and I also love love LOVE Tinta. I’m always happy to see more variety in strong female characters, and Tinta being a more gentle and feminine character is something I appreciated.
I think the character development was one of my favorite parts of this book. Slate’s arc specifically is so well-written. Instead of making him only a man for readers to fangirl over (though he is certainly worthy of fangirling), he is imperfect, makes mistakes, has depth, and does not exist just to be attractive (though he definitely reminds me of Killian Jones at times, so I can’t say he isn’t a *chef’s kiss* male lead). I love a sibling-centric plot, and I love the larger cast in this story. The fantasy world and dynamics felt fleshed out but not overly info-dumpy, and the plot is fresh. I’m a sucker for pirate stories, and I absolutely loved this one and all its pirate-y elements.
I also love the moral grounding of this story and the way piracy is taken seriously—maybe less romanticized than Pirates of the Caribbean and other stories surrounding pirates. While I love a good pirate story, I appreciate the way the characters in this one grapple with the morals of what they’re doing and how this affects the plot.
If you enjoy swashbuckling narratives with moral depth and strong character dynamics, you’ll love The Raven’s Revenge. I highly recommend it and cannot wait to see what’s next for the Raven siblings.
May 27, 2025
I was so impressed with K. J. Wagner’s debut! Her writing is so polished, with beautiful description, well developed characters, and snappy dialogue.
The settings had good variety, and the cast of the story was distinct. Everyone had strong motivations and felt real!
I loved Tinta. She was so sweet, and definitely my favourite character. The contrast between her and her siblings really rounded out the story well. And I appreciated her resolve and how she spoke up. I love characters whose compassion and gentleness is their strength.
Going into this, I knew it wasn’t a genre I usually prefer. The violence with the piracy did make me uncomfortable, and some of the description of it was too much for me. That being said, I appreciated the honest, un-romanticized portrayal of piracy.
To tie in with that, for a majority of the book, I didn’t like Slate or Cal. I couldn’t see how the story could change my mind. But the ending really surprised me, and I felt that Slate’s arc was very satisfying and paid off. Their worldviews were challenged, and their actions called out.
As for side characters, I loved Leticia and Martin! Ven and Captain Vaquita were also really colourful, interesting characters, and I enjoyed their presence.
The plot twists surprised me, and the thoughtful ending was really well done. I look forward to reading more by K.J Wagner! If you enjoy adventure fantasy, and aren’t too squeamish, you should definitely check out The Raven’s Revenge.
The settings had good variety, and the cast of the story was distinct. Everyone had strong motivations and felt real!
I loved Tinta. She was so sweet, and definitely my favourite character. The contrast between her and her siblings really rounded out the story well. And I appreciated her resolve and how she spoke up. I love characters whose compassion and gentleness is their strength.
Going into this, I knew it wasn’t a genre I usually prefer. The violence with the piracy did make me uncomfortable, and some of the description of it was too much for me. That being said, I appreciated the honest, un-romanticized portrayal of piracy.
To tie in with that, for a majority of the book, I didn’t like Slate or Cal. I couldn’t see how the story could change my mind. But the ending really surprised me, and I felt that Slate’s arc was very satisfying and paid off. Their worldviews were challenged, and their actions called out.
As for side characters, I loved Leticia and Martin! Ven and Captain Vaquita were also really colourful, interesting characters, and I enjoyed their presence.
The plot twists surprised me, and the thoughtful ending was really well done. I look forward to reading more by K.J Wagner! If you enjoy adventure fantasy, and aren’t too squeamish, you should definitely check out The Raven’s Revenge.
June 20, 2025
Pirates, retribution, family, rescue. An intense adventure on the high seas.
Initially, I was surprised by the amount of pirating in the very first chapter (it is a book about pirates so I should have guessed haha). Two of the thee point of view (POV) characters are pirates and happy to be pirates in the beginning of the story. The reader quickly learns the motivations behind the violence. I understood and felt sad for them while also hoping the characters would experience regret and change.
Tinta was my favorite POV. She was sweet and has a stable moral compass that drew me too her.
I liked that the end of the story had characters questioning their life choices. I personally would have liked to see more direct repentance, mercy, or change, but there is hope for continued growth in the sequels.
Overall, it was a very well written, fun adventure with sweet sibling relationships.
Readers might like to know:
There is a fair amount of aggressive violence. The pirates are pirates by choice and don't shy away from that in the beginning.
References to slavery, SA (not explicit, past and attempted), beatings and injury, fighting, death.
A lightly described kiss.
References to a pantheon of gods, though one seems to stand out over the others.
Initially, I was surprised by the amount of pirating in the very first chapter (it is a book about pirates so I should have guessed haha). Two of the thee point of view (POV) characters are pirates and happy to be pirates in the beginning of the story. The reader quickly learns the motivations behind the violence. I understood and felt sad for them while also hoping the characters would experience regret and change.
Tinta was my favorite POV. She was sweet and has a stable moral compass that drew me too her.
I liked that the end of the story had characters questioning their life choices. I personally would have liked to see more direct repentance, mercy, or change, but there is hope for continued growth in the sequels.
Overall, it was a very well written, fun adventure with sweet sibling relationships.
Readers might like to know:
There is a fair amount of aggressive violence. The pirates are pirates by choice and don't shy away from that in the beginning.
References to slavery, SA (not explicit, past and attempted), beatings and injury, fighting, death.
A lightly described kiss.
References to a pantheon of gods, though one seems to stand out over the others.
June 7, 2025
This book was such a whirlwind from start to finish. I haven't read many pirate fantasies, but I greatly enjoyed TRR. The sibling relationships were the best and I loved getting into each and every character. Wagner's debut is something you shouldn't miss!
July 26, 2025
A fantastic pirate fantasy!
The Raven's Revenge by K.J. Wagner is a fantastic tale filled with swashbuckling adventure and a cast of true, morally gray pirates. Family (both found and biological) is a strong theme throughout the book. While platonic love shines brightest, there are also several sweet/spice-free romantic subplots in the story.
TRR has everything pirate fans could want: treasure hunting, mutiny, pirates vs the law, tortured pasts, and so much more!
If you're a fan of stories such as Pirates of the Carribean, you won't want to miss The Raven's Revenge!
The Raven's Revenge by K.J. Wagner is a fantastic tale filled with swashbuckling adventure and a cast of true, morally gray pirates. Family (both found and biological) is a strong theme throughout the book. While platonic love shines brightest, there are also several sweet/spice-free romantic subplots in the story.
TRR has everything pirate fans could want: treasure hunting, mutiny, pirates vs the law, tortured pasts, and so much more!
If you're a fan of stories such as Pirates of the Carribean, you won't want to miss The Raven's Revenge!
October 10, 2025
PHENOMENALLY written. Maleficent meets pirates of the carribean MAGIC
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews