Captain

All That Glitters #2

by Shalaena Medford

Mere weeks have passed since Tsingsei “Song” Gould’s world fell into ashes. Now she must accept her role as captain of the Stars’ Bounty.

The crew returns to the skies to do what they do best: piracy. They travel the world, visiting new countries and finding an adventure wherever they go. In the frigid south, Song finds there are answers to her questions about kijæm…with a caveat. In the trading country, she gains confidence in her notoriety. In the exotic west, she makes a terrible mistake.

However, one of Song’s dearest friends has become a wanted man, and they must find a way to free him of the price on his head. Will she commit the highest crime in the world, or will she lose him to the gallows?

Content Warning: Contains graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, and situations which some may find upsetting.

418 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

About the author

Shalaena Medford is an American author, editor, researcher, book formatter, and definitely not a lizard person. She has attended university for creative writing, with focuses in fiction and screenwriting. She has always had a passion for books and the written word.

Reviews

[Grace DeLune]

I loved this book as much as I did the first, its so easy to be swept into Song’s swashbuckling adventures. In this sequel, she learns more about herself and her relationships with the pirate crew, growing into being a leader and trying to find answers to her magic, which has very detrimental effects. Also, the prose never ceases to stun me with how natural and illustrative it is.

Song and the crew, especially with Leslie, are the bittersweet heart of this saga. This sequel is definitely much heavier than the last as the consequences of Song’s past and future actions catch up between scenes of grief and passion and adventure. This book is definitely a wild ride, through Song you explore what it means to truly be free, whether it comes to love or being a pirate.

[Distracted Melody]

This series so far is spectacular. The characters are so endearing and the story is captivating. The adventure hits the marks, the relationships hit the heartstrings. The world seems so vast but is digestible. The pace is ✨👌. I honestly can't say enough about how great of a read this is....oh except to add that the author is ruthless. 🥹😭

[Piper James]

I'm not sure my heart will ever recover from this book.

We are still with Song, but she is captain now. She still struggles with her identity but this one had more 🔥 it is full of adventures and heart ache. Don't get too attached to anyone.

Also- sultana 👀🔥

[Amanda Stanford]

No spoilers:

I am shattered. Heart-broken doesn’t even begin to cover my devastation… and the endings 😭😭😭

Heart wrenching continuation of “Wanted”. So well written. Fall even more in love with Song. I can’t wait for book 3! ❤️

[Tiffany J McLay]

I am so in love with this book and the series in general.

I have the 1st book 5 stars because of the action and the lore, but oh my God, the sequel is even better.

It is filled with action, friendship, a bit of romance, and the lore is just superb.

The descriptions are so incredible that the image in my mind is vivid enough that I sometimes think I'm watching a movie.

I highly recommend this series, and I can not wait to continue Song's adventure.

[Fahan]

"Damn you, Shalaena Medford!" - my actual words, when I finished this book and discovered that the Ruthless Queen of Cliffhangers has been at it again. I wanted to throw it! Don't get me wrong - this book is excellent and I loved it. And I love a great cliffhanger. But it's so hard to have to wait for the next book now. And I both appreciate it and suffer for it when the author isn't afraid to do what's needed for a great story, even when it hurts my heart.
I want to be in this place. I want to meet these people. This book is another - greater - episodic journey of wonder and danger as Song travels through her world, following her ever-evolving quest. As in the previous book, I was swept up in the vivid and varied landscapes and cultures and languages. Tension climbs as she follows leads and red herrings until she comes to a final catastrophic situation, and even then it's not over. But aside from the plot and the shellshock, this book is living rent-free in my head for another reason: the characters, and Song especially, go through some pretty tough times and personal discovery that challenge them and the reader. Their difficulties are handled with grace and tact by the author.
I wish I'd read stuff like this that opened my mind and taught me about the world ten years ago. And I will buy a subscription to whatever streaming service airs a TV show based on this book.