The Admiral Chronicles was shortlisted for the Wattys 2025. In the chaos of war, some battles are fought with steel—others with the soul. Admiral Arden Lexington was raised by vengeance. After witnessing pirates slaughter her family, she devoted her life to hunting them down as part of the International Pirate Hunters Fleet—a powerful naval militia loyal to no crown, only to the Admiral who leads them. Hardened, brilliant, and feared across the sea, Arden is a force few dare challenge. But when a man from her past—Master of Arms, James Morgan—is pulled from the wreckage of a sunken ship and placed under her command, Arden’s world begins to fracture. The boy who once slipped into her heart has returned a man—and with him, a quiet defiance against the life she’s sentenced herself to. He doesn’t judge her past—he dares her to imagine a future beyond it. As enemies gather and betrayals surface, Arden must decide what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind—one carved in vengeance, or one built on hope. Volume 1: Arden Lexington, The 8th Admiral of the International Pirate Hunters' Fleet, is the first novel in The Admiral Chronicles : a gripping, slow-burn romantic adventure steeped in loyalty, power, heartbreak, and the high price of freedom on the open sea. Note from the author: Originally, this was an idea for a screenplay that I converted into novel format. So if it reads like a movie, that's why. Also, this is why this story is not as long as a novel might be. It's too long to be a novella, but it's also too short to be called a novel, so if you're looking to dive into a weekend read, this might be for you.