Everything To Know About Victoria Aveyard's Upcoming Novel 'Tempest'
Victoria Aveyard first made her foray into the world of young adult fantasy with her first novel, Red Queen, which immediately garnered a huge fanbase upon its release in 2015. The dystopian novel had a top-selling debut, with 150,000 copies sold in its first printing. The story went on to become a 4-book series, followed by a collection of novellas. Aveyard then followed up the saga with another fantasy series, Realm Breaker.
Now, the New York Times bestselling author is breaking into another aspect of the fantasy genre with her upcoming novel, Tempest. The book, which is the first in The Lyrian Sea duology, will be set in the Golden Age of Piracy. Learn more about Aveyard’s upcoming novel and when you can expect to see it in bookstores near you!
What is ‘Tempest’ about?
Tempest will follow former-noblewoman Cat Rose, who is facing an ultimatum: either help the Empire hunt for and turn in its greatest enemy, Valerian Kane—who also happens to be the only man she ever loved—or face execution for treason. At the center of this sweeping, immersive adventure is a slow-burn romance, one that will keep your eyes glued to the page until its very last.
Aveyard shared with USA Today that the novel will “unfold in dual timelines, flipping back and forth so we see characters after a cataclysmic shift to the world, with everyone dealing with the repercussions, and long before, starting 10 years prior to the opening scene.”
How ‘Tempest’ was inspired by The Pirates of the Caribbean
As Aveyard’s first pirate-focused novel, you may be wondering where she found the inspiration to write Tempest. According to the author, this book is “a love letter to The Pirates of the Caribbean.” But before Aveyard was sparked with this incredible idea, she was working on an entirely different story, one that only had a sprinkle of a pirate storyline. She soon realized that Tempest was the story she wanted to tell after inspiration struck while listening to The Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I was struggling so much with the other idea, which was much more literary and cerebral, and kind of half-baked,” Aveyard shared in the interview. “So I went for a walk and I listened to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack as I stomped around my neighborhood. But as I walked and listened, an entire plot unfolded. I saw the sequences, the acts, the arcs of each character so clearly, to the point it was almost scary. It truly felt like magic unfolding in my brain, and all I could do was try to write down what I was seeing.”
And, so, Tempest was born.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 10:55 AM.