Seafire, by Natalie C. Parker

Enough with trees, let's go to the sea! Girl power is dominant in this fierce, vaguely steampunk young adult fantasy. Caledonia, whip smart and fearless, captains the ship Mors Navis, home to about fifty other women and girls seeking to fight back against cruel Aric's reign. He rules the seas with a bloody fist, conscripting young children from hapless colonies and drugging them into submission. Caledonia and her closest friend, Pisces, lost everything to Aric's vicious warriors, and have made a new home on Mors Navis, along with other girls who lost it all too. They are clever, loyal, and deadly.

There's a lot of fun elements here: seafaring, sisterhood, old technologies left over from a time before that no one can really remember. It's a strong start to the trilogy, though one does start to wonder if Caledonia will ever be able to fully trust her crew the way she expects them to trust her. A goal that comes tantalizingly close to being reached but doesn't quite make it sets us up nicely for book number two, and a small hint of romance cuts the bloodiness and tension of the rest of the book.

Seafire releases in August, pre-order here!