Victoria Aveyard - Tempest

Cat Rose has lived two very different lives. Once she was Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, trapped in an unwanted marriage and bound by the expectations of nobility. Now she is known as the Widow Rose, the independent owner of a pirate tavern on the Lyrian Sea.

Her hard-won freedom is threatened when the Meridian Empire moves against the pirate republic. Determined to regain its colonies and destroy the remaining resistance, the Empire turns its attention to Valerian Kane, the legendary pirate captain who continues to evade capture. His unusual connection to the sea may make him the only leader capable of uniting the surviving pirates.

Facing execution for treason, Cat is given a ruthless choice: find Valerian and surrender him to the Empire, or lose her own life. The mission forces her to confront a shared past shaped by love, separation and betrayal. Moving between different periods of Cat’s life, Tempest explores survival, loyalty and the struggle to control your own fate against the atmospheric backdrop of a magical sea at war. 

A strong choice if you enjoy adult romantic fantasy, morally complex characters, pirate adventures, political conflict and slow-burning relationships.