Starship Salvager

Paragon Space, Book 1

By: Jarom Strong

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

An action-packed military space opera

A vast battlecruiser moves silently through space—a ghost ship, abandoned decades ago. There could be treasure inside… or monsters.

I’m the sucker who’s going to find out.

Once I was a hero. An elite soldier fighting for the Paragon military. Now the Paragon’s wars are won and I’m nobody—a gun for hire, working illegal salvage operations.

There’s money to be made out in the dark. Ships filled with valuable tech, left to drift between the stars. A smart salvage crew can get rich. Or at least die trying.

Because there’s a damn good reason these ships are abandoned. Rippers. Crafted in Paragon labs, rippers are living weapons—terrifying creatures with steel claws that tear into any human they see. They can clear a ship in minutes. And a planet in a week.

I’ve fought rippers before. I’ve got the scars and the nightmares to prove it. But this mission is different…

When an old friend and his beautiful, deadly new boss break me out of prison and ask me to join their crew, I know right away there has to be a catch.

They’re searching for a lost warship that contains a priceless secret. But this is a fully armed Paragon battlecruiser, a maze of passageways and advanced defence systems, all of it infested with rippers. It’s a suicide mission. Impossible. But if it could be done…

Whoever raids that ship will hold the fate of the galaxy in their hands.

An absolutely thrilling science-fiction adventure of tension, intrigue and hard-hitting action, Vanguard Strike is perfect for fans of James S.A. Corey, Marko Kloos and Craig Alanson.

©2025 Jarom Strong (P)2025 Second Sky, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Critic reviews

“Compelling and vivid… A high-powered, electric story… will keep military SF fans reading!” Jeremy Szal, author of Stormblood

Thrilling sci fi adventure

This was a great listen. Both the book and the narration were excellent. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Intriguing and fun!

I love it! Great narrator and fun story. The main character has a lot of personal growth to overcome the traumas of his past. I am buying the next book in the series to see where the characters go!!

Big Monsters, Big Men

I’ll be honest, this book has a slow start. The build up for the plot and the main characters pain is a slow burn but worth the pay off. The monsters are a fever dream of terror that nobody would want to stare down in a hallway. The hero is somebody you wouldn’t want to be staring down in a hallway either. Put those two together and give everyone a burning urge to go thru each other and you have a wonderful story. Just don’t put me in this universe and expect me to get out of it alive.

StarCraft/Space Marine Vulture Story

Great story - feels like if you were looking through the eyes of a StarCraft Marine after the main war had finished. What do you do next? The story is engaging and has tons of unexpected twists that keep you coming back for more. I would recommend this book to everyone!

Cinema-like action! What a ride!

The book is AMAZING but FYI the narrator takes getting used to.

I am often apprehensive about 'Rough around the Edges' characters due to how stereotypical or flat they are. But the author masterfully balanced grit with vulnerability, crafting a main character who’s both powerful and deeply human.

While not a romance, the story offers beautifully written glimpses of fighting alongside those you love. This book has something for everyone. 10/10.