The Saltcrows

Content Warning (18+): This book contains explicit, graphic sexual content, as well as graphic violence and gore. Intended for readers aged 18 and over. Please read at your own discretion.

Rooke has spent years making sure no one can claim her. Not her past, not her name, and certainly not the life she built among the Saltcrows, an infamous mercenary crew of thieves, killers, and ex-pirates who take the kind of jobs no one else is reckless enough to touch.

When a contract drags them into the Ascendant's great city, what should have been just another dangerous job quickly turns into something far deadlier. Suddenly, the Saltcrows are running for their lives, hunted across the continent by one of the most feared men in the Ascendant's service.

As the chase tightens, secrets begin to surface, loyalties are tested, and Rooke is forced to confront a past she thought she buried long ago.

Because in a world where power controls the gates and freedom is bought in blood, survival has always come at a cost.

And this time, it might cost everything.

© 2026 Maggie Barker. All rights reserved. This story, its characters, worldbuilding, and text are original and protected by copyright. Any theft, plagiarism, reproduction, or redistribution without permission will be documented and pursued to the fullest extent available, including platform reports, takedown actions, and legal proceedings.