Firemane (The Darkbringer Chronicles #1)

She set sail to save her heart. She might lose her soul instead.

Sam Atherton was a thief by trade, but she never intended to be a pirate. When the boy who holds her heart is taken by a powerful ring of underground slavers known as the Lily Company, Sam will risk anything to bring him home.

Her desperate search leads her to the open sea, where a brutal pirate attack leaves her captured by the infamous Captain Kharzul. To survive among his ruthless crew, Sam must prove she belongs—learning to fight, steal, and navigate the brutal life of piracy. But the greatest threat isn't the ocean… It's Kensley, Kharzul’s sharp-tongued second-in-command. He’s dangerous, brilliant, and the only one who sees Sam for who she truly is.

With every battle, every choice, and every life she takes, Sam looks less like the girl who first set sail and more like the legend the seas will come to fear—the Firemane.

Now she must fight for the girl she once was or embrace the pirate she is becoming.

Why readers are diving into Firemane:

Pirates & high-seas adventureSlow-burn romanceMorally gray charactersFound familyNo spice / closed-door romance
A gripping YA fantasy perfect for fans of Fable and To Kill a Kingdom.