A High-Seas Fantasy of Steel, Magic, and Reclamation

A Ticking Clock in the Belly of a Ship

Trapped aboard the Carl Isle as a captive, Sarah is treated as little more than cargo—a trophy kept under the vanity of a ruthless captain and the sinister, soul-stealing magic of a corrupt priest. But Sarah is no helpless prisoner. Armed with an intimate knowledge of anatomy, a stolen set of keys, and a silent, unyielding refusal to break, she sets a secret saboteur’s fuse to the ship’s Lead-Salt-warded powder magazine.

When the ship explodes in a fury of fire and sea, Sarah leaps into the freezing Atlantic, choosing the ocean’s judgment over a life in chains.

A Haven for the Bound and Broken

Rescued from the wreckage by the legendary pirate vessel Sea Belle, Sarah finds herself in a world unlike any she has known. The Sea Belle is a sanctuary of eighty women who have shed their own chains, commanded by Captain Meg Blackwood—a fierce, scarred leader who balances immense tactical authority with her own deep, unspoken wounds.

Yet, freedom on the Sea Belle is not a gift; it is a choice. As Sarah recovers under the watchful, suspicious eye of First Sword Pam and the tender care of the healer Joan, she realizes she must learn how to navigate a crew built on mutual respect rather than fear.

The Hunt Begins

The ocean offers little time for peace. Pursued across the Cays by High Admiral Alastair Carlton—a cold, relentless officer determined to burn the world to ash to crush the Sea Belle’s rebellion—the crew is forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse. To survive, Meg and Sarah must combine forces: the Captain's raw, unyielding command and Sarah's sharp, mechanical brilliance.

As the Carlton closes in with broadsides, mages, and relentless discipline, Sarah must step out of the shadows of her past and become the Carpenter—the one who holds the ship's bones together and strikes back against the navy trying to erase them.

Why Readers Will Love It:

• Unforgettable Characters: Featuring the slow-burn, electrifying dynamic between Sarah—a survivor turned saboteur—and Captain Meg, alongside a richly developed cast of riggers, healers, and warriors.

• Rich, Immersive World-Building: High-stakes naval warfare meets a tactile magic system of Sea Witches, Lead-Salt wards, and elemental sacrifice.

• Found Family & Freedom: A powerful narrative about agency, trauma recovery, and discovering what it truly means to choose your own path.

"I am not cargo. I am the sabotage."