Adrien Thren is the male protagonist in my debut pirate fantasy Cornelia Fairfield and the Darkened Heart publishing on 19 May (available to preorder from WATERSTONES, AMAZON (exclusive bonus chapter only on Kindle) and independent bookshops. The story follows rebellious noble Cornelia Fairfield who is destined for a loveless marriage. She is seizes her last chance of freedom when she strikes a dangerous bargain to save her father from the Curse of the Oblivion Sea and becomes swept into a centuries old power struggle. It has the perfect blend of the high seas adventure of Pirates of the Caribbean with the elegance of Bridgerton and the fierce heroine energy of Renegade Nell. Features a slow burn romance between Cornelia and superstitious pirate Adrien, secrecy and lots of adventure – your next summer adventure sets sail soon!
When I started writing Cornelia Fairfield I wanted a high stakes adventure with pirates and a male lead that wasn’t the stereotypical brooding, dark haired pirate that was inherently cruel given his background. I wanted to flip that stereotype and have a soft hearted pirate who was running from a dark past, but didn’t give in to the temptation to become the reputation that always haunted him. I chose to opt for the softer spelling of ‘Adrian’ with Adrien to demonstrate the dark past the character has and how this juxtaposes to his soft heart and his fatal flaw of always wanting to help those around him.
Originally, I did consider an enemies to lovers situation between him and Cornelia where they were constantly butting heads, but in all honesty, Cornelia is too proud to allow someone she truly dislikes to help her. She would rather find an alternative, so that would be a nonstarter and the book would be quickly over. Instead I wanted to introduce Adrien and Cornelia as having an already established relationship. The reference that they met each other ‘last summer’ when saving her father from Oblivion, and has this whole history unknown to the reader skips that awkward first meeting stage and dives straight into the meat of the story. I wanted an already established tension and romantic friction, which begins unfolding to the reader when Cornelia meets Adrien for their duel to crown the best captain of the sea.
Adrien is an orphan who grew up between the jaws of the sea and is constantly looked down upon because of his superstitions. His input is often overlooked by Cornelia and dismissed for being overly cautious. But ultimately he has a past that is overshadowed by mistakes made in the heat of the moment. One that was made in a bid to save his crew and make a name for himself. His character often conflates lust for power with the need to prove himself to others. He is also a character that wants to protect Cornelia from making poor decisions and walking down a path she can’t escape. I have to say – I might be biased – but Adrien is one of my favourite characters in the book. He is loyal, even when Cornelia pushes him away because of her own silly mistakes, and is brave when his sailing instincts tell him otherwise. Together they are lost in a sea of emotions and expectations that are unknown to the other, yet they’re a team, no matter what. In a bonus chapter exclusive for Kindle readers, I explore Adrien’s character in a little more detail and his empathy towards those who are still trying to find their place in the world that ostracises them.
In the sequel, I’ve been exploring how Adrien confronts his past and accepts that he cannot change what he’s done in the past, but he can make a difference and guide his peers away from a dark past. I can’t wait for readers to meet Adrien and set sail on this high stakes adventure this summer.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and her action-packed debut novel, CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is set to be published on 19 May 2026! Available in paperback here: WATERSTONES, AMAZON (ebook here), FOYLES,HATCHARDS. For more content read Amy’s book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey posts.
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