Alien Arcana (Starship's Mage Book 4)

Just Finished another amazing book in the Starship's Mage series from Glynn Stewart!
Once again not at all what I was expecting, but why I've not come to expect a really intense book with a heap of plot twists just when I think we are on a roll, I don't know.
Books with written words are hard for me to get through thanks to my schedule, I like the ones with sounds. I still managed to get through this in less than a week.
I kind of think that choosing to start reading one of Glynn Stewart's books is kind of like choosing to get addicted to a drug that you know has a non-trivial chance of getting you killed. Fortunately I read his stuff somewhat faster than he writes it so now I have to detox.

I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review. ... Actually I finagled my way on to the early advance reader/reviewer list because Glynn Stewart won't let me just pay more to read his amazing books early.
Suits me just fine.

Seriously, another amazing story I'm trying not to spoil for you. I talk excitedly with friends and clients about how amazing Glynn Stewart's books are, and I read a lot!

Glynn Stewart's Starship's Mage series continues to be a treat to read. This fourth novel in the series continues the story of Damien, the former Ship's Mage and now high-level official in the government of the Mage-King of Mars. Damien's character continues to evolve, and his role within the government is becoming more pivotal. We also learn more about the monarchy in this series, and the role that the Mage-King plays in future human society.

There are significant unanswered questions at the end of this novel, so clearly Stewart is setting us up for more . . . and we will all wait in anticipation for the next installment!

For fans of the series this novel will not disappoint. However, if you have not read any previous novels in this series, I would recommend starting from the beginning with the first novel, Starship's Mage.

Please note that I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

There is nothing I can say, except thank you Glenn Stewart for sharing your talent with the world. Every book keeps on getting more spellbinding, from start to finish.

New readers need to start with the first book and read in sequence for the best enjoyment, but only if you can be prepared to become obsessed with the series.

PS: I only found 1 typo, in chapter 23 of the book. The word "our" should have been "or" in the second use of that sentence.

“It’s pretty damn suggestive that our runes our identical,” Damien replied. “You’re saying that you have proof?”

First this - "I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review. "

I've been a fan of the Starship's Mage series from the very beginning. This is a great continuation of that story. The writing is very well paced, with (IMHO) a good balance between dialogue and background story telling. However I would like to read more about the background of the Protectorate and the Mage King.

Guessing that there will be some sort of trial and conflict based on the title of the upcoming book, I'm hoping that the judicial story won't take up as much space as hunting down the misguided evil doers. A little more romance between our hero Hand of Mars and his former girl friend, the Commodore would be welcome also.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Fantastic book! We finally got to learn more about the Mage King, Mars, and we got a great reminder of just how powerful Damien really is. It was great to be reminded and to compare Damien's unassuming power to other Mages and other Hands. I actually liked this book better than the previous one, as I felt like there was better World Building when compared to the last book.

The biggest negative to this book was that we spent the entire book learning about a new...organization...but nothing is actually learned or revealed in the end. In that way, this book felt like a great segway into the next book, but I didn't like the fact that it ended in several cliffhangers. When it was done, the biggest development seemed to be world building and character development, which are really important to the overall series, but I didn't feel like the plot or overall sorry resolution moved forward much, if at all.

Regardless, it gets 5 stars because I loved reading it, Damien showed off a few awesome displays of power, and mainly because I want to go back and read it again. Well worth the time and money!

This story was very interesting. I normally read space fiction and this was space fiction with a twist with a whole new approach to space travel and space fights. The story had a touch of The DaVinci Code which was quite intriguing. The plot line was not as convoluted as it might have been but probably as much as would be tolerated in such a space-fiction format. The ending was a bit unsatisfying as it left some fairly important questions unanswered but a suspect Glynn Stewart is planning sequels and needed to leave loose ends. I look forward to the next installment.
"I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review"

Another in a fine series of books.This universe of the Protectorate of Mars, ruled by a Mage King and supported by a number of men and women selected to trouble shoot in the King's name is outstanding. Magic, space combat, romance and well drawn human characters all combine to create several hours of pure reading pleasure. The book moves right along; the reader is never bogged down and the detective parts of the story do credit to any of the best mystery writers.
My highest reccomendaton.

The vertically challenged protagonist of the Starship's Mage series Damien Montgomery is back in action with the fourth installment of the series. I was in Hawaii when I got the notification that a new Starship's Mage novel was available and, much to my wife's displeasure, spent one full day just blasting through the whole thing. I was so gripped by the story that I literally spent the better half of a luau reading the climactic ending.

Glynn Stewart has come a long way from the original episodes of Starship's Mage. The writing is much tighter, the pacing better, and the action grittier. I also liked the fact that we finally get a look at the inner workings of Mars, and the royal family especially. My only complaint is that *minor spoilers ahead* while we find out who the main antagonists are and their goals, we never find out this big secret that the whole novel revolves around.

All in all I really enjoyed this novel and cannot wait to get my hands (does that expression apply to kindle downloads?) on the next one.

First: I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

With that said, I also purchased a copy to support the author. The Starship's Mage series continue to be great reads. I have found that the books are getting longer as well, which is a good thing.

This book continues the evolution of Damien and introduces some interesting elements into the universe. The magic system has always been interesting, and now there are more angles to it.

I highly recommend this book, the series and the other books that Glynn writes.

Alien Arcana continues the adventures of our old friend Montgomery, the star ship mage. The Universe is just great from the concept on, Space travel only possible for magically gifted people. Unfortunately, the power level keeps ramping in this book, after we had a criminal syndicate in the first book(s) (Star Ship Mage) there was a megalomaniac planetary governor in the next book (Hand of Mars), and a multistellar conspiracy of the mage-hating unArcana Worlds in the third Book (Voice of Mars), now we have a deeply entrenched conspiracy within the government of the mage worlds. And moreover we learn that magic was not bred into humanity on the whim of the Eugenicists, as we all believed.
I do not know where the author will take us, I will buy the next book, because the ideas are so good, but I dread what herculean feats will be necessary und what Rivers of Power must be channeled by the slim shoulders of Our hero.

I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review...That said I really enjoyed the book!
I have had several authors of series let me down after 3/4 installments since I started reading on a kindle, but Mr Stewart is not one of them with the Starship's Mage. The combination of magic and tech are fun and Montgomery is a character that I love to watch grow. I don't want to say anymore because they would be spoilers. Read the earlier ones first if you haven't and enjoy a character that takes a stand and never strays from the course.

Spoiler Alert

This was the first book in the series that I was disappointed. This book opened with the promise of secrets about the nature of magic in this universe. The ride to the end was interesting and fun. It was a real rollercoaster. But... It never delivered on the initial promise. Even the nature of the enemy is never fully clarified. They get mostly destroyed before their potential could be fulfilled. This was a great book, but I feel like a large portion was interesting fluff. The plot itself doesn't get advanced much and I was left with a huge amount of questions that Im worried will never be answered. I hope that the author will see this, and that if he does, he'll know that I love this series. I have never written a review before, but this series is special. I love having a wonderfully intelligent and interesting main character, in a universe which is diverse and interesting. If you haven't, read the rest of the books.

I enjoyed the story immensely, I must add that it is one of my favorite series. Intriguing plot, complicated adversaries (although coming at the main character one at a time), hinting at the difficulties to come in the next books (hopefully), the hero being, well a hero - what's not to like. It looks like some difficult choices to be taken in the future. Well written too. I was also required by the store to include information in my review that "I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review.". Well of course it is unbiased - from my point of view. I can only ask the author for more free electronic copies like this book - I will always give my unbiased view on them.

This is another outstanding volume in the series. I only found Glynn Stewart's books recently and went through all the books in this series within two weeks. I have a kindle on my phone and was taking every opportunity to read Alien Arcana whenever I had a free moment including stopping in the park while taking a long walk to read a chapter or two. Some of the best I have seen in several years. Highly recommend it.

Here's my unbiased review for reading the ARC version. This is a good one - actually a really good one! It ties together a lot of the loose threads from the previous books.That being the case I would really recommend it for readers who have read the previous books in this series. And those were terrific books btw. I guess it could stand alone, but so much would be lost, I think. And so, all that said, it was a page turner for me and not only did I like it a lot, but I'm also looking forward to the next in the series.

I have enjoyed this story immensly. The characters are well developed, the villians are people, not just props, and the plot is interesting. My only draw back is that it all happens too fast. All the crazy stuff has happened in a year. In the earlier books we were given time for the people to learn and grow, in the last couple of books it's simply been 'go go go'!

I highly recommend this series

Wonderful continuation of the Starship mage series.Fast action, characters you've come to know as friends,and now an old secret that threatens to bring down the Mars empire, and the Mage King along with it.Will keep you reading long into the night.Whether you are new to the series, or enjoying each book as it comes out, these are stories that stay on your permanent list, and in your mind, for a long time.

Hand Montgomery uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of the government of Mars. His foes are covering their tracks. Unfortunately, this is getting so big that their side must come out, while the other side attempts to keep hiding, and this may bring down the entire Mars Protectorate. I liked the story, and cannot wait to read the next one.

The first book in the Starship Mage series was fun, exciting, and full of really cool ideas. The author seamlessly weaves science and magic together in a totally believable science fiction world I really enjoyed spending time with. But the series hit its stride in book two. Ever since, Starship Mage has strongly reminded me of the action-packed, political adventures of the Miles Vorkosigan books. High praise indeed!

Throughout the entire book it was like the author had JUST discovered italics, and their overuse of it was painfully distracting at times. The author should seriously consider taking a course on how to write effective dialogue as well. If you're able to look past the weak writing it had it's good let's. I just found the poor writing to detract so much that it kept me from enjoying the book.

Fantastic, kept me riveted to the pages from beginning to the end. The story is a complex mystery, that leads the reader on a fast pace journey to the Mage King's government on Mars itself. Glynn Stewart did it again, keeping the reader in suspense and wondering where the Hand's investigation will lead him. Excellent book, the third in the series. Looking forward to the next adventure!

I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for writing an honest review. Honestly, I have been hooked on the protagonists adventures ever since the first book. I simply loved it. No spoilers in my review, but if you like Montgomery, you'll love this one. The story, the characters, the plot, and the action are all engaging. I want to live in the authors world.

Got hooked on the first book and have enjoyed watching Damien grow as a person & mage.
I signed up for Mr. Stewart's list and lucked out and am now a prerelease reader. So yes I received a free copy for my review but the opinion on mine.
This book brings out a secret from the past and a also stretches Damien's mage skills.
We also get to meet the Mage King of Mars children. They've been mentioned in earlier books, so it was nice to see them enter the plot & get fleshed out.
As for Damien's personal growth I'll mention without giving a spoiler. Damien goes toe to toe with his king. Get the book and see if you like Damien as much as I do.

Another good series, I think I might have missed #3 but I was still able to follow the exploits of our hero and his friends. An interesting guessing game about what is happening and who is making it happen. Some predictable but still not enough to spoil the scenario. I liked the addition of new characters as well. Looking forward to the next book.

An excellent addition to Glynn Stewart's Starship's Mage Series, Alien Arcana shows the true strengths of our characters even as it sets the stage for interesting and exiting new developments even as it upturns everything we think we know. if you've never read any of glynn stewarts books the starship Mage series is highly recommended, if you're coming to this as an experienced reader this book is an excellent addition to the series and i cant wait to see where it goes. I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Glynn Stewart continues her saga of Damien Montgomery, a Mage and Hand of the Mars King in her fun and imaginative universe where science fiction and magic combine several hundred years in the future. "Alien Arcana", the latest in the series begins with several very interesting twists that lead a fast paced romp across the stars, with love interests, unknown traitors, and political intrigue. A fun time for teenage and older readers.
This reviewed received an Advanced Reader Copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Once again Glynn Stewart fails to disappoint. Damien Montgomery and his companions stand between disaster and a better future. This installment begins just after the 3rd book left off with Montgomery on a surprising vacation. Fortunately for us readers, Stewart doesn't believe that Montgomery should have a relaxing vacation like us normal people and Damien is quickly swept up into another adventure as the Mage-King's Hand.

A very enjoyable read, will anxiously wait for the next book, along with the other book this author is also writing (Duchy of Terra - book 2).
The introduction of new supporting characters in this book were done very well. More world building please, Olympus Mons and cities on and around it were nicely done, but left me wanting more.

Really like this series and the book continues to exceed expectations. A lot of series can get boring and predictable by the fourth book. This has not happened. Also enjoying the authors other books

To be clear I received an advanced readers copy of the book, and Glynn Stewart then asked for us to leave an honest review.

Much like the last few entries in this series, the writing, plot and characters advance nicely with the page number. Having read most of his work you can see Glynn Stewart's progression as an author with each novel.

It is always a joy to read Starship's Mage books and i am eagerly waiting for the next entry.

I'm really enjoying the Starship's Mage series. Each book is consistently good, with well though out story arcs that I find very satisfying. I really dig the magic system, and look forward to the next book!

Another great book in the Series, I found it hard to put down. I'm a big fan of the uncovering conspiracies in fantasy (and sci-fi) novels and enjoyed this one too.

I received a free copy as an advance reader and have purchased the book on the store too which is one of the best indications I know of to say I loved it. (the store verified on the store Australia).

Once again Glynn Stewart delivers a universe that is readily believable with characters that remind us of what it means to be human. Yes, some of the plot is predictable but that makes sense when characters are being themselves and not being twisted to fit the plot.

Start with the first book; the context is needed to understand the universe these books are set in. Readers of David Weber and Christopher Nuttall will not be disappointed with this series.

I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Excellent continuation of the series and now looking like it's going to get even better with the discovery in the ruins and the secret group