Books like Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Jill, an avid fencing competitor, discovers a corroded sword fragment on a Caribbean beach that mysteriously renders her a ghost‑time traveler. Thrust into the 17th‑century Caribbean, she finds herself aboard a pirate vessel, forced to sign on as crew to survive the brutal reality of life at sea. The story blends action, romance, and supernatural intrigue as Jill teams up with unlikely allies, learns about the shadowy forces pushing her forward, and devises a high‑stakes plan to escape the past. A tense duel with a menacing pirate captain raises the stakes, forcing Jill to confront her own limits. Set against the golden‑eyed Caribbean backdrop, this adventure explores themes of destiny, agency, and the price of the past, all while keeping readers on the edge in the swashbuckling world of sea pirates.

First publish date: 2011