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Amazon’s The Bluff (2026) was released on February 25th, 2026. It is a high-stakes, action-packed film that draws its audience in with a fast-paced plot, a tale of pirate revenge, and thrilling fight scenes.
Ercell Bodden (Priyanka Chopra) and Captain Connor’s (Karl Urban) twisted tale in The Bluff recalls the thrilling pirate adventures of films like Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Here are ten books that capture the thrill of being a treasure-hunting, freedom-seeking pirate.
What Makes A Great Pirate Story
A great pirate story thrives on its thrilling stakes, complex and at times morally ambiguous characters, action-packed plots, and a close glimpse into the mysteries of the ocean.
Like The Bluff, a standout pirate tale builds tension through a balance of character motivation-driven storytelling and external, environmental conflicts. It supports itself through its historical or mythological groundings and instills within its audience an urgency to find what its characters lost, whether that be freedom, glory, or love.
High-Stakes Pirate Adventures
Novels centered around pirate crews and perilous ocean settings often feature hair-raising stakes, ensuring characters’ adventures are memorable and addicting. For fans of films like The Bluff and Pirates of the Caribbean who are looking to tag along on another journey over the seas, the following recommendations are full of epic settings, action-driven storytelling, and tense pacing that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
RJ Barker’s The Bone Ships
The Bone Ships is set in a war-locked world where ships are crafted from dragon bones. It follows a condemned crew led by the disgraced Captain “Lucky” on their high-stakes mission to hunt a sea dragon.1 As the first installment in The Tide Child trilogy, this novel opens up a world of naval warfare and political intrigue.
Barker leads the novel’s readers into an unpredictable adventure full of volatile crews and razor-thin survival, creating a page-turner that exemplifies the same adrenaline-packed pacing and gritty atmosphere of The Bluff. The Bone Ships combines fantasy elements with pirate lore to up its stakes and secure itself as an intense, action-packed must-read.
“The greatest revenge is not taken with a blade, it is done by taking your enemy’s taunts and throwing them back in their face.”
R. J. Barker, The Bone Ships
Michael Crichton’s Pirate Latitudes
Pirate Latitudes follows Charles Hunter, a privateer captain who is hired to raid a Spanish treasure galleon for its gold.2 Hunter and his crew face Spanish enemy forces, close-knit betrayal, treacherous waters, and the politics of the novel’s 1665 Jamaican setting, making this book a fast-paced and highly suspenseful tale.
Crichton captures the raw, lawless reality of a pirate’s life by blending a historical atmosphere with an adventurous plot. Pirate Latitudes shares the evocative, quick narrative flow of The Bluff. Fans of the film will find that Pirate Latitudes provides intense action, complicated treasure hunts, and jungle-based dangers.
“I do so think well of a man who dies with finesse.”
Michael Crichton, Pirate Latitudes
Pirate Stories With Strong Female Leads
In the past, pirate stories typically built themselves around male main characters and male-dominated crews. Today, more novels with strong female voices are constantly flooding the market, with audiences supporting the break in societal conventions. For readers craving more women-centric stories, the following recommendations showcase empowering leading ladies, the bonds they form with one another, and the hardships they must face for themselves.
Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures Of Amina Al-Sirafi
S. A. Chakraborty weaves a medieval Islamic tale of pirate adventure in the first installment of her Amina al-Sirafi trilogy. The story follows Amina, a retired pirate captain, who is called back to the sea and tasked with rescuing a kidnapped girl. Amina is reunited with her misfit crew and must confront her past and her demon husband while managing the politics, magic, and monsters of the novel’s 12th-century Indian Ocean setting.3
Like The Bluff, Chakraborty’s novel features a middle-aged mother as its lead, providing a refreshing lens that moves away from the male viewpoint usually popularized in pirate-centric media. The character-driven novel blends witty prose and action, allowing its readers to fall in love with Amina and her crew while accompanying them on their trek across the dangerous seas.
“After all, we build our homes upon the ruins of lost cities and sail our ships over the drowned palaces of forgotten kings.”
Shannon Chakraborty, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Natalie C. Parker’s Seafire
Seafire follows female captain Caledonia Styx and her all-women pirate crew as they band together against an oppressive empire and hunt for the warlord who killed Caledonia’s family.4 When an enemy weaves their way into Caledonia’s crew, her quest for vengeance turns even more complicated, offering readers a close look at the crew’s sisterhood and how it ensures their survival.
Seafire is a novel full of strong female leads. By putting her characters at the forefront of the story, Parker provides her readers with a cast of women to root for amidst the novel’s fast-paced, emotional, ocean-rich plot.
“Never underestimate the girls of this world.”
Natalie C. Parker, Seafire.
Adrienne Young’s Fable
Adrienne Young’s novel Fable follows seventeen-year-old Fable as she fights for survival when she is left behind by her father on a dangerous island that is home to thieves and contains very few resources.5 Desperate to find her father, Fable befriends a young trader to search the dangerous seas, evoking the character-focused tension found in The Bluff.
Like the film’s main character, Ercell Bodden, Fable fights for survival against the island’s cutthroat economy and violent sea traders. Young utilizes an immersive and suspenseful plot to highlight her heroine’s strength and resourcefulness, and gives readers a quick adventure and another character to love.
“The only safety that existed was in being completely alone.”
Adrienne Young, Fable
Pirate Romances On The High Seas
One of the main foundations of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was the main coupling between Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann — a storyline that combined the thrill of piracy with the delicate act of falling in love. The forced proximity on a ship out at sea and the emotional intensity wrought by ruthless enemies and harsh waters make pirate stories the perfect home for a love story. The following novels are for readers looking for passion, complex character dynamics, and a bit of danger with their romance.
Alexandra Christo’s To Kill A Kingdom
To Kill A Kingdom follows siren princess Lira, who is punished by the Sea Queen and transformed into a human.6 Lira is taken aboard a ship and finds herself among a crew of renowned pirates. Her only path to redemption is their captain, Prince Elian, whose heart Lira must steal for her queen.
To Kill A Kingdom is inspired by The Little Mermaid and blends fairy tale romance with ocean mythology. The enemies-to-lovers arc between Lira and Elian, two royals from different worlds falling in love despite the ocean between them, reimagines The Little Mermaid’s forbidden romance between Ariel and Eric. To Kill A Kingdom is a tale of passion and unlikely pairings, which makes it the perfect read for those looking for romance, tricky plots, and treacherous sea-dwelling creatures.
“They celebrate love as though it’s power, even though it has killed far more humans than I ever have.”
Alexandra Christo, To Kill a Kingdom
LJ Andrews’ The Ever King
Set in the same universe as LJ Andrews’ best-selling The Broken Kingdoms series, The Ever King weaves Norse mythology together with a world filled with pirates, sirens, Vikings, and fae. The novel follows King Erik, who has recently been trapped beneath the sea, on his path for vengeance against the man who put him there and killed his father.7
Andrews gives readers a passionate hate-to-love arc in this romantasy. Erik’s revenge becomes complicated when the princess he kidnaps becomes more than a mere pawn in his plan. Dark and full of tension, The Ever King promises its readers an addicting tale of forced proximity, fated mates, and magical seas.
“Hate me all you want, but don’t regret me. Promise me that.”
L.J. Andrews, The Ever King
Victoria Aveyard’s Tempest
Victoria Aveyard’s newest project, Tempest, is inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean. It follows Cat Rose as she faces execution and is forced to hunt the pirate captain she loves to save herself.8 The narration of Tempest is split between events that happened in its past and events that are happening in its present, and explores themes of betrayal, regret, and the choice between love and life.
The novel is set to release on September 8th, 2026. It promises epic romance and legendary stakes and tracks one woman’s shift from noble Lady to lady of the sea. Aveyard utilizes complex characters to create a daring narrative full of bad choices and desperation, making this novel perfect for fans looking for tight-knit pirate crews, fantasy undertones, and an angst-filled love story.
“There was no antidote to Valerian Kane. The only cure, more poison.”
Victoria Aveyard, Tempest
Pirate Stories Grounded In History
As prominent figures in history, pirates impacted the political and economic climate of 1650-1726, a period known as the Golden Age of Piracy.9 Beyond the familiar story tropes of buried treasures and lawless thrills found in pirate fiction, there are several books that trace piracy back to its beginning, exploring the truth behind the many myths and legends that originated from this time in history. For readers looking for nonfiction recommendations, the following books provide an immersive lens into the history of piracy.
David Cordingly’s Under The Black Flag: The Romance And The Reality Of Life Among The Pirates
Under the Black Flag gives its readers a look into the golden age of piracy. Cordingly provides historical details about weapons, ships, and popular legends like Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, and Mary Read and Anne Bonny.10
Under The Black Flag goes beyond its pirate aesthetic and catalogues an authentic and brutal display of piracy. Its action-packed, research-filled prose engages its readers with a close-up on long-standing pirate legends, making this novel a must-read for fans searching for pirate thrills and a bit of history.
“A pirate is not made by the ship he sails, but by the code he lives by.”
David Cordingly, Under The Black Flag
Samuel Marquis’ Captain Kidd: A True Story Of Treasure And Betrayal
Samuel Marquis, Captain Kidd’s ninth-great-grandson, untangles the legend of William Kidd in this biographical piece, providing readers with an in-depth history of the pirate-hunter turned brutal pirate.11 Marquis transforms Kidd from myth to man, humanizing the captain’s past by exposing the politics that surrounded Kidd’s shift into piracy.
By unraveling the truth behind the legendary Captain Kidd, Marquis weaves a passionate, informative exposé that fans of pirate history, 17th-century politics, and conspiracy theories will enjoy.
“I have been sworn against by perjured and wicked people.”
Samuel Marquis, Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal
Where To Sail Next
Fans of The Bluff will find many novels that capture the heart-racing essence of being a buccaneer. Pirate fiction and non-fiction are full of strong voices waiting to be heard.
Readers in search of high-stakes adventure, complex female leads, intense romance, or stories grounded in history will find these ten novels to be must-reads when they are looking to get lost in a world full of pirates, passion, and thrills.
Footnotes
- Barker, R. J. The Bone Ships. Orbit, 2019. ↩︎
- Crichton, Michael. Pirate Latitudes. Harper, 2009. ↩︎
- Chakraborty, Shannon. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. Harper Voyager, 2023. ↩︎
- Parker, Natalie C. Seafire. Razorbill, 2018. ↩︎
- Young, Adrienne. Fable. Wednesday Books, 2020. ↩︎
- Christo, Alexandra. To Kill A Kingdom. Feiwel & Friends, 2018. ↩︎
- Andrews, L.J. The Ever King. Ace Books, 2023. ↩︎
- Aveyard, Victoria. Tempest. Harper Voyager, 2026. ↩︎
- Elsbury, William. “Golden Age of Piracy: A Resource Guide.” Library of Congress, 17 December 2021. ↩︎
- Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House, 1996. ↩︎
- Marquis, Samuel. Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal. Diversion, 2025. ↩︎