The Pirate of Panther Bay

 The Pirate of Panther Bay by S.R. Staley is a first-rate, fast-paced historical adventure, and Staley completely establishes readers' immersion into maritime life. 

The nautical details are excellent, breathing life into every tactical decision while keeping the technical language easy to understand.

The cast is fantastic because each person speaks from a fully formed belief system, giving friendships real meaning. A perfect example comes during a later naval battle, when sailors raise the forward sails under cannon fire to gain enough movement for the next broadside. Staley explains the maneuver through the crew’s established knowledge, so the scene demonstrates why their experience is essential to the result. The multilingual dialogue is wonderful, with French appearing organically inside conversations conducted in English. 

Intelligently written, readers looking for good historical adventure should put this at the top of their list.

Asher Syed 

"They say an author can't go easy on his or her main character. No one can accuse author SR Staley...of making life easy for Isabella, the title character in Staley's...adventure novel The Pirate of Panther Bay. When this teenage runaway slave finds herself the captain of a prate ship, the obstacles--and action--pile up and don't stop throughout the story."  

Award-winning author M.R. Street

For readers who love a good pirate adventure but also enjoy characters with depth and an underlying love story, [The Pirate of Panther Bay] is a fantastic read....  

The Pirate of Panther Bay is a fast-paced, exciting adventure.... Author SR Staley uses the uniqueness of his principal character to create understandable tension and intrigue. Surrounded by rogues and ne’er-do-wells, Isabella still stands out as a strong, independent young woman despite her own self-doubts at times. 

I have read other works by this author, and I am always impressed with the way he is able to seamlessly meld great character development with non-stop, fast-paced action. There is no shortage of action and battle scenes for this crew, and adrenaline junkies will definitely get their fill of excitement. Equally, though, there are moments of thoughtful and careful introspection by Isabella as she frequently tests, in her own mind, what direction her life should be taking. 

Grant Leishman

"This adventurous tale takes a circuitous journey that remains true to the real world of pirates and Spain's desire to reign over the New World."
Cindy Vallar, editor,

"...SR Staley puts plenty of zip into the action sequences.... There's fine description plus conspiracies and colorful characters galore, but what I liked best was the irony of the story.... I do know Robert Louis Stevenson would have loved this book."
John Lehman, former publisher of Rosebud literary magazine.

 "A grand high-seas adventure any teen would love; many adults as well. Non-stop action and adventure highlight the story as we learn a little history as well as become close acquaintances of Isabella and her crew."  

"A swashbuckling tale of piracy, action, and romance, The Pirate of Panther Bay is a well-researched and entertaining trip into the same rum-soaked world which Disney has so recently popularized." 

Christi McEntyre 

"The Pirate of Panther Bay is expertly written by S.R. Staley and is a unique book with an old theme." 

Ian McCurley