The Salamander


Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
325 Pages
Reviewed on 12/21/2025
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Author Biography

Regan Walker is an award-winning author of more than twenty historical novels set in the Regency, Georgian and Medieval periods. She is known for her deep historical research and richly drawn characters. Many of her novels are set in Scotland and on ships.

The Dawn of America series is her newest venture. Set in the Revolutionary War, these stories tell of courageous American Patriots who brought our country into being, whether fighting on land or the sea. The first three tell of the privateers, brave ship captains whose effect on British shipping was devastating.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jessica Barbosa for Readers' Favorite

Captain Jonathan Haraden, also known as “the Salamander”, has endured the deepest heartbreak of his life: losing his wife, Hannah. His grief is a heavy burden he constantly carries, but even so, the world continues to turn. Jon’s grief propels him back to sea with ferocity while his two young daughters stay behind to wait for him, cared for by the young widower Eunice Mason. Jonathan is handsome and effortlessly charismatic. He wins admiration wherever he sails. However, he is frustrated by the bureaucratic delays and is hungry for greater independence. He takes charge of the privateer General Pickering, where Salem merchants celebrate his daring, and his crew idolizes him. Courageous and unstoppable, he becomes a maritime legend. Read The Salamander by Regan Walker to find out more.

The Salamander by Regan Walker is a wonderfully evocative recreation of privateering, maritime combat, and political tensions. As someone who loves being immersed in the past, I was absolutely absorbed in the story. Captain Jonathan Haraden was flawed and emotionally layered. His grief, duty, loneliness, and loyalty give the book strong emotional resonance beyond the action-packed sequences. The narrative read clearly and kept me rooted both in the amazing action and the steady character development. Well-researched historical information enhanced the setting and provided a solid background to the core of the story. The domestic scenes also gave a great contrast to the high-stakes action on the water and grounded the story in human connection. In all, this is one journey of love, loss, and sea I will never forget. Excellent read!