Call Her Captain

by Abbie Payne

"I was fooled by a twenty-one-year-old girl in a ballgown, corset, and a petticoat."

Claire is a space pirate queen who wants nothing more than freedom not only for herself but for those that she holds most dear. Garnet is a devoted Galactic Force troop who is embarking on her first mission as captain of a starship in pursuit of the dream that her father failed to achieve. Both want something more than their current world can't give them. Both want to get away from their lives back on Earth, and both think that the dreams they’re chasing are the key to that. When their paths cross, they will soon learn that what they think they want and what they actually need are two vastly different things.

Genres: LGBT

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2022

About the author

Abbie Payne (she/her) is the indie young adult fantasy and science fiction author of works such as The Secret Two, America Gone, Call Her Captain, and Curse of Olympus. She fell in love with writing at eleven years old, and since then, she has been dedicated to writing books that help people feel like they’re a little less alone. She’s often writing about found families, people who walk on the road less traveled, and - as one complete stranger on Instagram once put it - destroying the concept of traditional femininity, one word at a time. Abbie grew up right outside of Houston, Texas where she fought through dark moments and many sleepless nights that now deeply inspire her works. She is a college student who plans to eventually get a Ph.D. in women’s and LGBTQ+ history but is currently working on an associate’s degree in general studies. She currently lives there with her grandmother, mother, and retired service dog, Yoda, while obsessing over Greek mythology, crystals, and yelling about why she wasn’t told about some historical figure or another.

Reviews

[J.V. Montague]

I paid for this book, and this is an honest, if negative review. I do not write this to put down the author, but if you are looking to spend money on a product, it’s worth noting what you’re paying for, and this books reads like an unfinished draft. This is a non-spoiler review.

By my own terms, I don’t give star ratings to many books because I find it diminutive of their quality. I did not like Call Her Captain.

The world building is confusing, difficult to follow, and poorly integrated into the overall story (not in a info-dumping way, but it felt clunky). Half of the time I wasn’t sure where in setting anything is, if a location is on Earth or not, how the world actually operates, and it distanced me from the book. Also, when it comes to the social issues discussed, everything was so plainly stated, so on the nose, it felt like the author was lecturing me. My literary devices, nuance, and depth within the storytelling itself is cast to the side because everything is so plainly stated.

I can tell a lot of planning went into the characters, I can see it, literally. But that doesn’t mean it comes off naturally. The dialogue is stiff and unnatural, the characters internal monologues are poorly done (all the characters are either incredibly emotionally intelligent and are able to pinpoint exactly what their feelings are, or the writing is heavy handed) and there are so many characters it’s difficult (for me) to connect to any of them.

The overall writing feels like a third draft. So much is unpolished and it’s reads very armature. I kept forgetting that this isn’t a debut novel. I didn’t notice any spelling or grammar errors, but doesn’t mean a manuscript is finished. The first person perspective is indistinguishable between characters, so I often forgot who’s POV I’m in (there are MANY different POVs in this book). It may not bother other readers, but this book has a massive issue of filtering, which is a pet peeve of mine.

Here are some small excerpts to show what I’m talking about (all non-spoiler):

“Those with disabilities were thought to be beneath those with able bodies and minds, and those with different colored skin were, of course, below those with skin colors that matched mine and my mother’s.” Pg 60

“TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR: I hated everything. Well, that was a lie. There were two things in this world I loved: one of them was myself, and the other was power (particularly when that power belonged to me).” Pg 62

“The throne room was a recreation of some throne room from some palace that my mother frequently talked about.” Pg 58

The writing may not bother you, but it bothers me, and it made it extremely difficult to get through.

The pacing is fine, and I have no major issues with it. Some other readers said the beginning is a little slow, but I think it works for the story.

I appreciate the diversity of this book and the messages it conveys, but that alone isn’t enough for me. Yes, I care about diverse stories, but I care about well-written stories more.

Overall, I was very disappointed, confused, and frustrated while reading. I don’t write this to try and dissuade you from buying or reading the book, but if you’re picky about prose, world building, and or characters, you may have feelings similar to mine.

[Ashmikaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I don't usually find myself picking up a lot of sci-fi books, but I'm so glad I read this one! The world-building is so expansive and beautiful, while it seemed overwhelming at first, it is now one of my favourite things in the book. Every single character was so fleshed out and seemed to jump out of the page--i loved and hated all of them. while the multiple povs seemed like a lot at first, as I read more and more of the book it felt completely natural and easy to understand.
Definitely check this book out, it's got all the elements I enjoy in sci-fi books and the length of the book was perfect. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!
so if you're looking for a new series to start this is it!

[Calliope More · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I was fooled by a twenty-one-year-old girl in a ballgown, corset, and a petticoat."

Let me just begin by saying I really enjoyed reading this book! The characters are intriguing, particularly Garnet One (although perhaps I'm just biased, because she's my favorite). The dynamics between the characters are amazing as well! The Galactic Force Pursuit Crew is a true found family, unlike most YA found families where the members are just a bunch of characters shoved together by circumstance. In this book, the characters genuinely care for each other and it shows.

I also really admire the way Call Her Captain handled heavy topics such as discrimination, SA, and societal double standards. The author took the time to write about those topics sensitively and meaningfully. The messages of CHC are very timely and important and I like how the author chose to portray them.

The plot was interesting and fairly easy to follow, although I feel like the pacing dragged a bit in the first half of the book. However, after the halfway point, things really picked up and I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting! After that ending, I can't wait to read Call Her Wrath and find what happens with the crew!

Reading Call Her Captain, I could definitely see the author's growth as a writer. I truly believe this is the best book she has written yet! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult sci-fi/fantasy and found family.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Several days after finishing this book, I still find myself thinking about it -- it gave me a huge book hangover! I absolutely flew through it; it was so engaging to read! I really enjoyed how the world was somewhat familiar -- Earth, but not the Earth that we know, and with the inclusion of new planets. The inclusion of multiple alien races reminded me of Star Wars, which I absolutely love!
At first, all of the different perspectives made it a little hard for me to keep track of everyone and everything that was happening, but I quickly adjusted and the inclusion of so many perspectives became one of my favorite things about this book! All of the characters were fully fleshed out and very real, and the perspectives of some of the antagonists were very interesting, as I was able to see their train of thought (and grow to dislike them even more)! I also really enjoyed the nuanced and dynamic relationships between all of the characters!
The themes of the book were very uplifting, and though the content could sometimes be dark, there was still the message of hope and a way for the characters to overcome the hardships that they had faced, which I found super inspiring!
Needless to say, I'm so glad I read this book, and I can't wait for the sequel!

[Martina Weiß]

??? / 5 Stars

CW:
● Sexual assault (mentioned several times, never described in detail)
● Physical Abuse
● Kidnapping
● Miscarriages
● Planned abortion (Discussed, never described)
● Discussions of infertility
● Racism
● Homophobia/transphobia
● Sexism

Shoutout to the author for having a detailed CW list. You love to see it. ♡

Placeholder Review:

- Writing Style: very telling, very on the nose
- 8 different POV in the first 10 chapters => kinda confusing to recall who's supposed to be who
- A. Lot. Of. Characters.
- we're tackling a lot of important & heavy topics, but I question the execution

+ Star Trek but g ä y e r
+ very diverse cast

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Imaginative & Bold Start to a Promising Series!

Even from the first glimpse, this book stands out with its unique blend of sci-fi adventure and emotional depth. The idea of a princess-turned-space-pirate crossing paths with a determined young captain is not only creative, but powerfully symbolic of breaking free and chasing something bigger than yourself. The characters feel layered and purposeful, and the themes of identity, freedom, and courage really shine through.

This is the kind of story that speaks to dreamers and rebels alike, and it’s exciting to see such a fresh voice in the YA sci-fi space. Looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!

To the author: keep writing, you’re onto something special.

[Kori · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was such a pleasurable read. Political, intimate, amazing plot design.
Love Glaire with all my heart. Fulfilling read overall.