The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper

I must again apologize for the wait on this to the author and the publisher Queen of Swords - I was given a ARC around February of 2020 after reading and reviewing Scourge of the Seas of Time (a problem I had found my phone wouldn't let me read epub docs or keep my place in them so couldn't use the ARC; but I didn't know what could be done and told no one this trouble). I had much enjoyed the short story with Cinrak the Capybara within it ("Search for the Heart of the Ocean"). So much so I bought my ebook copy later on.'The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper' put me in mind or Tanith Lee's Piratica: Being a Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas or Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy although more fantastic than either with mers and magic and animals who speak and reason like out of Aesop's Fables.'The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper' is made up of seven short stories, I'll not soon forget Loquolchi or rat Queen Orvillia, Cinrak's beloveds, or their son Benj. Nor the mysteries between a (space) krakan Agnes- or their glass whale love Xolotli. Between the mysteries of sea and stars are many for this fascinating voyager, religions and royal and conspiracy of many kinds.I hope for more stories someday, I'm sure they'll be Epics.

Who could resist a dapper lesbian capybara pirate? (Er, say what?!) Not to mention glass whales, mountains with beards, living stars, a giant squid (kraken) with orange tentacles who answers to the name of Agnes… the list goes on. They’re all here, and all delightful.This isn’t really a children’s story, but there’s certainly nothing in it to frighten anyone, unless you object to gender expansion/fluidity—of which there is plenty (but no actual sex). It’s beautifully written, charming, imaginative, and occasionally touching. It may overdose on the sweetness a bit, but you have to be a real Grinch to fuss about that.I did have a couple of hopefully-not-too-Grinchy quibbles. First, the author never deals with the size disparity among the rodent characters (which make up most of the cast). Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, are the size of a medium-size-to-large dog, WAY bigger than, say, Cinrak’s marmot and rat lovers—which would cause some problems, I’d think. Second, calling Cinrak and her crew “pirates” seems a little silly: they have a ship, and they talk the way pirates in stories are supposed to talk, but they’d never dream of doing anything so impolite as attacking or stealing from another ship—which is normally a pirate’s main activity.Oh well… In mid-2020 many people are looking for stress-relievers and escapist fare, and you could hardly find a nicer example than these seven “tails” of the adventures of Cinrak and her friends.

Fitzwater has created a fascinating and unique world in this book. The main character is a queer capybara, and the other characters are a variety of animals. It might seem like a gimmick, but the author stayed true to the animal idea and references the differences it would make for them throughout the story (meaning it doesn't read like she's talking about humans with animal names just slapped on the story). The stories are fun, and the setting is interesting. There are animals, pirates, and queens. Nothing about this story is taxing, so if you're looking for a great quick read, check this one out.

I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked up this book on someone's recommendation. It was different and delightful. Cinrak, an orphan capybara goes off to become a pirate in a world where pirates are ethical, but also swashbuckling. These seven tales reminded me a bit of the Redwall books, if Redwall were set in a matriarchal woke world where most creatures are kind though tough. It also had some of the flavor of the Mary Poppins books (not the movie). But its enchanting world and characters are uniquely its own.My only issue with it was some elements of the language, which took some getting used to - substituting other words for commonplaces like day and night and so on. Once you persevere and read the book, it becomes simpler to understand; and if there's another book in the series, this will not be a barrier.

I saw this recommended on a best fantasy list, and after reading the description, decided to give it a try. The first story or two did not really draw me in, I wanted more description of the characters (are they all different sizes?) and surroundings. There also seemed to be some language or editing issues that made the stories make less sense than it could have, and I was not that into the affected speaking like a pirate.As I continued reading though, it really grew on me. This is a collection of stories with whimsy and magic, and all of it is of the happy, kind, and welcoming sort. There is no trace of grimness or gloom to be found, instead the characters go on magical adventures, support each other, and learn more about themselves and the world around them. There is joy in these stories, and a belief that working together and understanding differences can lead to a better future for all. Not a bad message at all in these times.

What do you get when you read about the many adventures of Cinrak the Dapper? A set of fairy tales in a world in which non-human mammals, merpeople, and sea creatures sail the salty seas and ride the very stars in the sky. This is a magical world unlike any other. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and stories in which animals talk. Lots of fun!

This beautifully written book describes the voyages of Cinrak the Dapper, a queer capybara pirate. This is a perfect read for those of us who are on the sensitive side, like kids looking for their identity. It is a very touching story about acceptance and found family and shows how love transcends all. What's not to love about a capybara, marmot, chinchilla, rats, a great kraken and a glass whale? Read this book!

This is an collection of long short stories which are episodes in the life of Cinrak the capybara, lesbian and pirate. Really imaginative, upbeat, inventive and several moments of total hilarity that will stay with me for a long, long time. Not a children's book, just to make that clear in case you were thinking it was. Could be read by teens.