Devil to Pay: A naval military science fiction series (The Devil and the Dark Book 1)

In a world of pirates and murderous ghosts, naval officer candidate Silas Hunt discovers a secret at the Level's Naval Academy that could result in his execution for treason. His only chance at survival and justice requires him to join forces with Mad Dog, a ruthless pirate captain, and her crew aboard the Sweet Jenny for a deep-space raid against his own navy—a mission that could turn deadly. Meanwhile, Captain Hollis Ives commands the Verity, a ship of the line, in what represents both her first command and her opportunity to prove that a woman from the slums can succeed in a high-ranking naval position. When her orders send her after a ship transmitting distress signals intercepted by pirates, she realizes the posting may be a death sentence. Her situation becomes more dire when she identifies her opponent: the Sweet Jenny, captained by Mad Dog, a pirate legendary for capturing naval vessels and leaving no survivors. The series combines age-of-sail naval warfare in space with a diverse cast of characters.