Description
2021 Sir Julius Vogel Award Winner for Best Collection.
2021 Rainbow Awards – Runner Up for Best LGBTA Anthology/Collection
You can get Cinrak in ebook everywhere, including direct from us; print is available right here, as well as other major platforms like Bookshop.org.
Publishers Weekly says: “This delightful diversion will reel in anyone in need of a quirky break from reality.”
Dapper. Lesbian. Capybara. Pirate.
Cinrak the Dapper is a keeper of secrets, a righter of wrongs, the saltiest capybara on the sea and a rider of both falling stars and a great glass whale. Join her, her beloveds, the rat Queen Orvilia and the marmot diva Loquolchi, lead soprano of the Theatre Rat-oyal, her loyal cabin kit, Benj the chinchilla, and Agnes, last of the great krakens, as they hunt for treasures of all kinds and find adventures beyond their wildest dreams. Let Sir Julius Vogel Award-winning storyteller A.J. Fitzwater take you on a glorious journey about finding yourself, discovering true love and exploring the greatest secrets of the deep. Also, dapperness.
The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper includes seven stories about Cinrak and her crew:
“Young Cinrak”
“Perfidy at the Felidae Isles
“The Wild Ride of the Untamed Stars”
“Search for the Heart of the Ocean”
“The Hirsute Pursuit”
“Cetaceous Secrets of the Jewelled Nadit”
“Flight of the Hydro Chorus”
This is the second volume of the Queen of Swords Press Mini Series.
Queen of Swords –
Reviewer Paul Weimer says: “Fitzwater winningly returns to the character of Cinrak the Dipper , star of several previous stories, in a collection that spans the titular Capybara Pirate’s career. From dreams of a life away from the orphanage where she was raised, to full fledged leading member of the IRATE pirate union, these stories of found family, finding oneself, and having adventures across the ocean are funny, poignant, colorful, and a lot of bloody good fun. Raise the mainsail and join Captain Cinrak’s crew as she wins hearts, finds precious treasures both tangible and ephemeral, and grows from new to the sea into a seasoned salt.”
Queen of Swords –
Editor Sigrid Ellis says: “Cinrak the Dapper is completely charming from the start. It wasn’t until I was further in that I appreciated how thoughtful, ambitious, and kind this book is. The world and characters unite to create a world based on entirely different values than the capitalist and patriarchal reality we currently occupy. The stories inspire impulses of cooperation, of harmony, of compassion, and of curiosity. Cinrak and her crew do not shy from hard work, nor do their tales hide the dangers inherent in choosing to be one’s best self. But in the end, the journey is worth the adventure. I personally would not object to find that, at the end of my life, I sailed a path similar to Cinrak’s.”
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Reviewer Marie Haskins says: ” n short: read this book. It is full of delightful wonders and a whole lot of capybara fun. It’s GOOD in the best kind of uplifting way. Joy is important, after all.” Read the entire review here.
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Reviewer A.C. Wise says: “Especially when it comes to queer characters, it’s important to see them being brash and triumphant and resplendent, reveling in who they are and winning the day. Cinrak does all that and more, and it’s a pleasure to follow this lesbian pirate cabybara on her adventures.” Read “Queer Rodents and Joyful Resistance” here.
Queen of Swords –
Publishers Weekly says: “This delightful diversion will reel in anyone in need of a quirky break from reality.” Read full review here.
Queen of Swords –
Author Nathan Burgoine is doing a series of story by story reviews of all the stories in Cinrak, accompanied by commentary from A.J. on their inspiration for the specific story. Read the series here.
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Adri Joy at Nerds of a Feather says: “I may have read this collection before “adventurous fluff in which everything is fundamentally OK” became one of the most important commodities on the planet, but my appreciation for it has only grown since then, and this is definitely a diversion I’d recommend to anyone who needs one at the moment.”
Read full review here.
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Reviewer Katherine Kleffner at the Nerdy Girl Express writes: “If you are looking for a read that will transport you this is the perfect book for you.” Read the rest of the review here.
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Reviewer Charles Payseur at Quick Sip Reviews says: “Cinrak herself is so much fun and her lovers are a delight. Her crew is diverse and eager, and she joins a generational effort, not losing sight of the historical progress that’s been done and is ongoing in the rush to have new gains and fresh challenges. And it’s a work that I guess I didn’t realize I was ravenous for, as I tore through the book in a single sitting. It’s just so much fun!”
Read the rest of the review here.
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RunAlong the Shelves says: “These seven joyous tales will bring adventure, wonder and a smile to your face.” Read the rest of the review here.
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Linnea Capps at The Furry Book Review says that “These stories have the power to uplift anyone needing a boost while sailing the stormy seas of life.” Check out the link to read the full review.
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“I.Adore.This.Book” says reviewer Olivia Wylie at Queer Sci Fi Reviews.
Queen of Swords (verified owner) –
“But my FAVORITE part was that it was a world where the main character could be lesbian and polyamorous and it was just JOYFUL.” From Jennifer Crispin’s Bookstagram review. Check out the rest here! It’s great bedtime reading!
Queen of Swords (verified owner) –
One of our favorite books!
Queen of Swords Press staff
Queen of Swords (verified owner) –
“The winner of the 2021 Sir Julius Vogel Award, the collection is a delightful romp through magical lands and a heartfelt affirmation of kindness and friendship; celebrating queer lives in loving detail, it is also a salty rebuke of cruelty and hate.” Read the rest of Jennifer Jodell’s review at Ancillary Review of Books.