Tempest: A Novel

The Lyrian Sea #1

by Victoria Aveyard

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard comes an epic adventure of love and betrayal amid a brutal war for the high seas

May the sea always sing for you

Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.

But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and the legendary Valerian Kane.

With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.

Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.

But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.

A storm is rising on the Lyrian Sea. What will it leave in its wake?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Pirates, Adult, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

Audible Audio

Expected publication September 8, 2026

About the author

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN the #1 NYT bestselling REALM BREAKER trilogy. Next up, my adult fantasy debut, TEMPEST, coming 2026.

Reviews

[Clace]

Reading a Victoria Aveyard book after 5 years is insane 😭 I stopped cuz I wasn't feeling it with Realmcbreaker but I loveeeed her Red Queen series, it was also one of the first series I read. Hopefully, this is good!

Buddy reading with my cousin who will infuriate me throughout the book 😒

[Katherine]

ALEXA, PLAY THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN SOUNDTRACK

[Emily (Books with Emily Fox on Youtube)]

So many anticipated releases in 2026!!

[Cassie (Star-Crossed Book Blog)]

PIRATES! ADULT DUOLOGY! ROMANTIC FANTASY! LOVE TRIANGLE?!?!

WE ARE SO BACK.

[vyn targaryen ‎♡‧₊˚]

give it to me right now victoria hope lauren doesnt plagiarize this one too

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. (I am writing this review a near 6 months before publication, so there is time to alter it). Oof… It hurts to be writing this, but I need to be truthful. I went into this expecting adventure, high stakes, and tension. Above all of that, though, I expected it to be ADULT. The only thing that seemed adult about it, was the expansive world building… But even YA books can have that. The overly-descriptive writing and repetitive language made me want to hit my head on the wall. I wanted so badly to be immersed, but I wasn’t. The pacing is bad… Like really bad. It was so boring until about 80% in, and by then, I had just read so many words, but none of them were saying anything. The main characters’ relationship didn’t give me any feelings because the bond wasn’t shown to the reader until too far in. Therefore, I didn’t really care when the action finally happened. I think with some editing, it could be good. But now? I didn’t like it.

[Anabel]

NEW V.A. BOOK 🚨🚨

saw this on tiktok just now and i read the synopsis and oh my god!!! PIRATES??? YES PLEASE 😋😋

[Kaven Hirning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get me back to gods country (victoria aveyards books)

[Breanna]

sorry to all the other books being published in 2026 because victoria is going to SERVE with this one 🏴‍☠️

[rêverie]

holy shit we're so back

[Mari]

STANDALONE!! PIRATES!!! ADULT NOVEL!!!
AND INSPIRED BY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN?!?

“in which a former noblewoman faces execution for treason unless she helps the Empire hunt their most wanted enemy, the last great pirate captain, and the only man she has ever loved”

and here we are finally with a story that reminds me of one my fav ship ever: Elizabeth Swann and Captain Jack Sparrow 🔥


AND HERE I AM WAITING FOR THIS BOOK IN 2024!!! 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘

[Noi (in & out)]

I need a good pirate book, and I PUT MY FAITH IN YOU VICTORIA

[Sandra Bruxvoort]

Victoria is an auto-add at this point 🌊

[cate]

i'm seated. the book store employees are scared and asking me to leave because it 'isn't even september 2026 yet' but i'm simply too seated

[Lauren McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

VICTORIA. WHEN I CATCH YOU, VICTORIA. Also, making me root for a BLONDE MAN is DIABOLICAL.

[Jenna ♡ (Jenna's Corner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria Aveyard has long been a cornerstone of the YA fantasy book space...but she has come to make her mark on the adult market. Tempest is a highly addictive, politically intriguing, and daring dip into the world of pirates. The Lyrian Sea is no home for the weak & through Tempest, you get to see her brutality first hand.

Cat Rose is no meek FMC, she is cunning, swift, and everything a lady shouldn't be. She is by far one of my favorite FMC's to grace the pages in front of me. I've never found a character I want to be friends with so bad. It's so refreshing to see a character age right before you. We jump between Cat being 20 & 30. You can FEEL how she's changed.

Valerian Kane. My new obsession. What we got to see of him was not enough. I'm sure it will never be enough. Sharp, observant, and so charismatic, he is the ultimate pirate boyfriend. My only qualm is wanting more of him. "Release the files!" I scream, but I'm only screaming at Victoria about wanting the second book already.

Tempest is an absolute stand out read for me. Reading Victoria Aveyard's book as an adult brings me the same amount of joy that it did when I was reading her books as a teen. PS for the most immersive reading experience you should read this outside in in the sun, perhaps near a body of water, and put on the Pirate of The Caribbean soundtrack. Trust me it won't disappoint.

Thank you Harper Voyager for the advanced copy! <3



May the sea always sing for you…well baby it’s singin. I need a moment to gather my thoughts but know I was here & that this book took my breath away!!

[Angelica]

I got an ARC of this book. No one talk to me!

[Elaina McClendon &#x1f4da;&#x1f338;]

If Aveyard fails to bring some kind of substance to the overall Romantasy genre in this, I simply will dnf it. I am sorry, but I genuinely disagree with authors trying to write in the Romantasy genre when they know they only have a romance story to tell and not a story with complex characters, good plot, and great worldbuilding. If this is basically a romance, I won’t even read from her again. 😂

It just feels like authors are writing in the romantasy genre now because they know it sells well, not because they want to bring something new/ substance to the table, which is what the romantasy genre mostly lacks.

[madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah this one had me on the edge of my seat and I need the next one like tomorrow but also why is everyone calling her old she’s 30 😭😭

[Nya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recieved an e-Arc through Netgalley

Oh ya'll are gonna LOVE this

Review:

4 stars

“May the sea always sing for you”

ALEXA PLAY THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN SOUNDTRACK

The world building for this book is insane! The writing is lyrical and beautiful, and I was so invested in Cat. She was smart and analytical, and I loved how we jump right into her story. The love that Victoria Aveyard put into this book and her passion for pirates is so visible. The knowledge she has for the ships, life on the sea, pirate culture, etc… girl did major homework and I respect it. I ended up doing my own deep dive into the golden age of piracy. She meant it, this is in fact giving pirates of the Caribbean vibes.

I will say, I know there’s still 6 months till this is published, but I NEED a map! There’s so many islands and places mentioned that I would have loved to have that visual. Hopefully they do plan to include one in the published version.

I also want to mention that the world building is so detailed that I do think that’s partially why Victoria had to split this into a duet instead of a standalone. Storywise- not much happens. If anything it’s pretty slow moving. This book is us trying to get invested in the characters and Cat’s fight for survival. You’re trying to get to know them. Not everyone is going to love that, and I know it. But I personally would rather be invested over rushing to finish the actual plot and condense it into one book.

Cat herself is NOT perfect and I love her for it. I support women’s wrongs. She’s mean, she’s catty (get it) and girls got a gambling problem. But she feels grown to me, and aware of the harshness of the world. I was able to see a difference between the naive girl she was and the woman she became just trying to survive. None of these characters are good people. They are PIRATES! They kill, scheme and manipulate. You aren’t going to love them but they are going to be consistent.

The romance was interesting, I very rarely see a true enemies to lovers to enemies romance. Like they REALLY hate each other. Give me more. I do wish we got more bits with Valerian, I think he’s a very intriguing character and he should have had a tiniest bit more focus. That’s all I have to say on that because I want to avoid spoilers.

I’m already so excited for the next book. I did get invested, and hopefully it’ll be able to move faster than this book did. I want to know how it ends, and I’m hoping for a good ending. I know how the golden age of piracy historically ended but maybe in Victoria’s world there can be a happier ending. I hope this brings more good books into the pirate genre; that’s lacking and I want more as someone who also grew up watching pirates of the Caribbean.

Victorias writing style is so good, I can see such a clear difference and her growth as a writer. She seems so confident.

P.s. drink every time the word “tempest” appears in this book

Thank you to Victoria Aveyard and publisher for allowing me to read this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4/22 edit: saw the bookcon panel where VA literally admits to reading goodreads reviews 💀 Hi babes hope you enjoyed my rambling

[Ricky]

We WILL be preordering.

[jenny reads a lot]

I just want all the pirates right now!


| TikTok | IG |

[Althea ☾]

YES MORE PIRATE ADULT FANTASY

[ellanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

YEAAA SO THIS IS IN THE RUNNING FOR MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR, I AM SO SERIOUS

[h i n d]

- adult romantic fantasy
- inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean
- might have a love triangle??

Former noblewoman faces execution for treason unless she helps the Empire hunt their most wanted enemy, the last great pirate captain and the only man she's ever loved.

[✰DoveyV✰]

OCTOBER 16, 2024 // it's gonna be agony waiting till 2026 for this but it's POTC inspired so I'm ready to traumatized again 😆

JANUARY 8, 2026 // WE FINALLY HAVE A RELEASE DATE AND A COVER COMING SOON!! AND BOOK TWO NEXT SUMMER!!!

[Isabel M]

um this cover is the most beautiful thing i've seen this year immediately adding to my tbr

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attended the Barnes & Noble Book Festival Day 2 fantasy panel, and received this book! I am so sorry, I have never read anything from any of the panelists, I just attended because I love paying money to sit and listen to people talk about an industry I am generally interested in. If only you were there to have heard the gasps elicited from the ladies around me... whispers of "Tempest?! Did you see we got Tempest??" I'm happy for everyone who was excited for this release :)

I absolutely never would have picked up this book of my own volition. Pirates are not my thing... but if you give me a book, I will absolutely read it and write a review on it. Free book is free book! With what little knowledge the first few seasons of One Piece provided me, I tackled this story. And immediately got the sinking feeling I'd hate it.

The chapters alternate with "before" and "after" the turning point of their lives - the downfall of piracy. While this style was superbly annoying to read through in the beginning, you get used to it, and then barely register the switch. I think this would have been much better executed if the chapters segued into each other, like if the last thought trailed into the next chapter.

Cat is not interesting. Unlike many of her fellow authors these days, Aveyard can actually write well, and I believe that's what ultimately saved our protagonist from being terrible. I never found Cat exasperating or ridiculous, the only description I can really give is: a Lady who is good at card games. Others describe Cat to be quite clever, but from the story, we don't really see this. Especially when she is jailed right from the start. I do expect her machinating to be portrayed in the second book because it seems like we'll be getting more development on what happened in the past 10 years, whereas this book was just before and after the past 10 years. Now that I think about it, that's quite clever of Aveyard herself!

Allow me to tell you about Jasper - he had enough personality to give those around him some personality!! Personality was spreading through osmosis with him around!! People felt like people when he was there to irritate them. The first few chapters were a struggle to read through, but keep on going, because as soon as Jasper is set free, the rest of the book will become enjoyable.

Unfortunately, Jasper never rises to becoming the villain I hoped he'd be. I wanted to despise him and cheer for his eventual death, but it doesn't happen. He's a good boy. What impressed me the most about Jasper is that despite being someone who would destroy anyone's life without any hesitation in order to advance his own career, he's still a gentleman to his core. I've been describing him as someone who would throw you under the bus, but would make the arrangements himself to give you a proper beautiful funeral.

As for the hot blond man... yeap... I don't know why Cat fell for him. But I'm positive that will be explored in the next segment! I don't appreciate it when characters know that they're in love with each other from first touch, and that's basically Cat and the hot blond man's relationship thus far.

Plotwise... nothing much happens. They go to a few destinations where Cat conducts some pretense of an investigation. I wish she explored and showed us a little more of the livelihoods there. From the descriptions, they seemed like vivid cities, so it would have been nice to see Cat and crew spend at least a few days at each location. This could have led to character development for Cat! There was some good bits of dialogue thrown in, definitely chuckled here and there.

According to the book, as I am the same age as Cat, I am a spinster :( I also didn't particularly love the "whore" quips, like Cat has been with a total of two men... the husband she was forced to consummate with, and her actual lover. But er... if this is the language of the time, I guess...

The book ends exactly like Fourth Wing, and without fail, I continued to hate it here as well.

I can't believe it myself, but I loved this book (because of Jasper). I was hoping it would just be a single volume, but by the end, yes, I need more! 3.5 stars, but I'll round up to 4 (because of Jasper :) may he become the villain he was destined to be!) since I am very much looking forward to the next installment. Backstabbing the backstabber who ends up not countering with another backstab was a surprising turn of events! But hopefully, there is room for more backstabbing soon!

To Aveyard:
Please, I am begging you, no love triangle. I think Cat and Jasper should have ended up together from the beginning, I feel absolutely nothing for hot blond man. They actually had history together! They could have had more history together! They could have survived so much together, rose to the top together!! But alas, if you gave her away to hot blond man for the past 10 years, there's no place to establish a new relationship at this point. Please just let Cat and Jasper continue on like bickering siblings. I know that the second book will show more of Cat's time as a pirate, therefore, her brilliance and actual grounds for love will blossom. Please do not ruin the very strong story you have established so far, I have much faith in you.

[littlefox]

what i would do to get an ARC of this book, i’m gonna POUNCE as soon as it’s released 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[Addy ϟ Adebambo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempest has relaunched my Pirates of the Caribbean obsession, I fear. 🏴‍☠️

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the physical ARC I received at B&N Book Fest. 💙