What do you think?
Rate this book
The Galactic Mage #1
The Galactic Mage
Altin Meade is a sorcerer with a curse. Seeking to avoid a looming doom, he sets his magical sights on the stars—a quest that will likely bring about the very end he's seeking to escape.
Far across the galaxy, Ensign Orli Pewter of planet Earth has a looming doom of her own—one of loneliness, depression and, worse, a race of genocidal aliens known as Hostiles seeking to destroy humanity. Trapped aboard a spaceship she never asked to be upon, Orli is in a fight for her life and her sanity.
Worlds apart, Altin and Orli share a destiny, though neither knows the other is alive. The Hostiles know. And they have other plans.
Far across the galaxy, Ensign Orli Pewter of planet Earth has a looming doom of her own—one of loneliness, depression and, worse, a race of genocidal aliens known as Hostiles seeking to destroy humanity. Trapped aboard a spaceship she never asked to be upon, Orli is in a fight for her life and her sanity.
Worlds apart, Altin and Orli share a destiny, though neither knows the other is alive. The Hostiles know. And they have other plans.
536 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2012
274 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 8, 2012
I confess to being horribly biased, but I have read it, and I do love it.
February 13, 2016
Quick Update: I completed the second book. It is good, way better than the first. You need the first to get to the second, but GM 2 is worth reading.
Okay, to sort this out..
3 stars because I cannot tell to what degree the author believes he is writing an authentic fantasy/sci-fi merge story and to what extent he is writing what could be the equivalent for Action-suspense thriller's self-depreciating The Road to Gandolfo by Robert Ludlum where long time Thriller writer Ludlum pokes fun at his own genre ...or... is this expected to be take as a serious attempt at epic fantasy mixed with Sci-fi.
Generally, both the fantasy world building and the sci-fi world building were marginal at best with the sci-fi world being slightly more sound. The fantasy world had moments that reminded me of Piers Anthony's More Magic of Xanth and the anachronisms particularly in speech offered the only explanation for the world as "what it would look like if technology were replaced by magic" and society developed to equal points of development.
The characters were likable, if a bit sappy, though they tended to be more caricature's than people-like. This helped the fairytale-esqueness of the story, which did work. The plot, which did not require complexity, was not complex. It was the classic, girl meets boy with dragon, both swoon, and everyone else rolls their eyes and lets out exasperated sighs-story filled with cliché fantasy tropes (orcs and such) taken from Tolkien and the Advance Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook (Gygax Evil Empire) and wise-ass comments. The heroine is a damsel waiting for distress to happen, the hero taken straight from a nerd boy fantasy about the skinny pale kid saving the hot chick and living happily ever after.
That said, do not underestimate it. It was fun to read and funny. There was adventure and adversity. There was action, though it came at the end and I did get the next book to see where this is going.
Bottom line, if you do not expect anything and read with an open mind, ignore old biases towards epic fantasy or hard science fiction and approach the story as a comedy then you may be pleasantly surprised. If you want more... well, this aint' your Daddy's fantasy....
okay, maybe that didn't come out right.... this is not the Tolkien stories your father read to you while you were a kid, nor is it hard science fiction or even story based fiction like Allen Steele's Coyote. It was okay. 3 stars.
Okay, to sort this out..
3 stars because I cannot tell to what degree the author believes he is writing an authentic fantasy/sci-fi merge story and to what extent he is writing what could be the equivalent for Action-suspense thriller's self-depreciating The Road to Gandolfo by Robert Ludlum where long time Thriller writer Ludlum pokes fun at his own genre ...or... is this expected to be take as a serious attempt at epic fantasy mixed with Sci-fi.
Generally, both the fantasy world building and the sci-fi world building were marginal at best with the sci-fi world being slightly more sound. The fantasy world had moments that reminded me of Piers Anthony's More Magic of Xanth and the anachronisms particularly in speech offered the only explanation for the world as "what it would look like if technology were replaced by magic" and society developed to equal points of development.
The characters were likable, if a bit sappy, though they tended to be more caricature's than people-like. This helped the fairytale-esqueness of the story, which did work. The plot, which did not require complexity, was not complex. It was the classic, girl meets boy with dragon, both swoon, and everyone else rolls their eyes and lets out exasperated sighs-story filled with cliché fantasy tropes (orcs and such) taken from Tolkien and the Advance Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook (Gygax Evil Empire) and wise-ass comments. The heroine is a damsel waiting for distress to happen, the hero taken straight from a nerd boy fantasy about the skinny pale kid saving the hot chick and living happily ever after.
That said, do not underestimate it. It was fun to read and funny. There was adventure and adversity. There was action, though it came at the end and I did get the next book to see where this is going.
Bottom line, if you do not expect anything and read with an open mind, ignore old biases towards epic fantasy or hard science fiction and approach the story as a comedy then you may be pleasantly surprised. If you want more... well, this aint' your Daddy's fantasy....
okay, maybe that didn't come out right.... this is not the Tolkien stories your father read to you while you were a kid, nor is it hard science fiction or even story based fiction like Allen Steele's Coyote. It was okay. 3 stars.
August 11, 2016
When I first read the description of "The Galactic Mage," I was intrigued by the way it promised to combine science fiction with fantasy. It was $2.99 and got good reviews, so why not?
It starts off as two stories told side by side. On the fantasy side, Altin Meade is a sorcerer training with the preeminent sorcerer of his land. In the way his people measure magic, he's a Six, which means that he can work six of the eight kinds of magic. His strength is teleportation, which he's using to explore space. Through trial and error, he visits his planet's moon, then the planets in his solar system, and then he ventures farther afield. He's searching for signs of life, which he finds when he's attacked by what he terms "coconut monsters." Luckily, he's got magical defenses.
On the science fiction side, ensign Orli Pewter is aboard a fleet of Earth ships heading to investigate a distress signal from another planet of humans. They arrive, only to discover it's devoid of human life. No bodies, no ruined cities, no sign of civilization at all. The crew -- which has been traveling for 10 years -- is torn over whether they should search for the Hostiles who destroyed the Andalian civilization or return to Earth. Orli only wants to get off the ship before her life is over.
The stories unite as the characters face the same opponent; what Altin calls "coconut monsters," the fleet calls the Hostiles. They're a neat concept: a large ball of rock that floats in space and attacks by shooting lance-like portions of itself at its enemies. As they're able to avoid counterattacks nearly without fail, they're as confounding to the technologically advanced fleet as they are to medieval-age Altin.
Until I got to the end of this book, I liked it. The author managed to keep my interest as he switched back and forth between the story lines. The fantasy was detailed in all the right ways, the cast of characters that surrounded Altin was fun to read, and the system of magic was suitably complex. The science fiction was compelling, and I had a lot of sympathy for Orli as an unwilling recruit who was essentially conscripted into service when her father enlisted. Imagine if you never wanted to spend 20 years of your life on a space mission but literally had no way out.
However, this book, which started out as an improbably enjoyable hybrid, turned into something I had to force myself to finish. The dual storylines were what hooked my interest, but in the end, the way they were united killed my enjoyment.
I can't say more without revealing too much of the ending. I would give this book three stars because I think the first three-quarters is well-done, but I'm leery of buying another John Daulton book.
It starts off as two stories told side by side. On the fantasy side, Altin Meade is a sorcerer training with the preeminent sorcerer of his land. In the way his people measure magic, he's a Six, which means that he can work six of the eight kinds of magic. His strength is teleportation, which he's using to explore space. Through trial and error, he visits his planet's moon, then the planets in his solar system, and then he ventures farther afield. He's searching for signs of life, which he finds when he's attacked by what he terms "coconut monsters." Luckily, he's got magical defenses.
On the science fiction side, ensign Orli Pewter is aboard a fleet of Earth ships heading to investigate a distress signal from another planet of humans. They arrive, only to discover it's devoid of human life. No bodies, no ruined cities, no sign of civilization at all. The crew -- which has been traveling for 10 years -- is torn over whether they should search for the Hostiles who destroyed the Andalian civilization or return to Earth. Orli only wants to get off the ship before her life is over.
The stories unite as the characters face the same opponent; what Altin calls "coconut monsters," the fleet calls the Hostiles. They're a neat concept: a large ball of rock that floats in space and attacks by shooting lance-like portions of itself at its enemies. As they're able to avoid counterattacks nearly without fail, they're as confounding to the technologically advanced fleet as they are to medieval-age Altin.
Until I got to the end of this book, I liked it. The author managed to keep my interest as he switched back and forth between the story lines. The fantasy was detailed in all the right ways, the cast of characters that surrounded Altin was fun to read, and the system of magic was suitably complex. The science fiction was compelling, and I had a lot of sympathy for Orli as an unwilling recruit who was essentially conscripted into service when her father enlisted. Imagine if you never wanted to spend 20 years of your life on a space mission but literally had no way out.
However, this book, which started out as an improbably enjoyable hybrid, turned into something I had to force myself to finish. The dual storylines were what hooked my interest, but in the end, the way they were united killed my enjoyment.
I can't say more without revealing too much of the ending. I would give this book three stars because I think the first three-quarters is well-done, but I'm leery of buying another John Daulton book.
June 24, 2012
I have to admit when i saw this book on amazon i wasn't really expecting much. I love fantasy and don't even like sci-fi. So i figured combination of two would be somewhat mediocre at best right? Well, wrong!
Mr. Daulton does an excellent job at combining two genres. I'm not an experienced sci-fi reader so i can't really comment about Orli part of things expect to say it seemed pretty good to me. But i can safely say that Altin parts(fantasy) were expertly done. In fact with a magic system and world building done that good, Mr. Daulton could write a purely fantasy book and it would be a damn good one too.
Characters are another thing that draw me into this story. At the begining of the book i fell in love with Altin's determinatin for reaching the moon with skipping stones(thats how i imagined the process anyway). At fantasy novels with mages as their agonists, there is usually either a grand conflict to solve, a revenge to be taken or a big bad guy to brought to justice. In Altin's story, his goal is such a simple(reaching the moon, quite simple right? :), innocent, childlike thing. I couldn't help but cheer him on. For once leave killing the Dark Lord and saving the world to someone else right..? I can't really put the feeling to words but... i can say that i felt refreshed after reading his story.
For Orli's story... Compared to Altin's, her story is quite depressing. Tho in a good way(depressing in a good way? Yeah i know...) While reading it, i could literally feel what would 10 years on a sterile space ship without any shore leaves could do to someone as full of life as her. In fact while reading her story at home at one point i felt so claustrophobic, i got out and kept reading in the park. Seriously. I love how innocent and loving she remained after practically being born and raised on a military ship. I hope for the rest of the series she stays just as she is now. It would really pain me if in one of the later books she takes a laser rifle in hand and becomes a warrior. There are lots of amazon heroines in literature nowadays. If Orli becomes a warrior i believe it'd kill what makes her so refreshing.
Another great aspect of this book was its humor. Last time i laughed this hard while reading a book was Belgariad series from David Eddings. Especially Altin's parts has some very funny dialogs. American humor usually feels flat to me, so while reading American authors i just suffer thru "humorous" parts... Interesting thing is there are some American humor on Orli's part(especially from his Spaniard friend) but on Altin's story humor felt much more organic and alive to me.
As for romance between Orli and Altin... It was neither particulartly good nor it was too bad. But then i wasn't expecting all that much. Thing is, i've been reading books for over 18 years(in other words since i could read) and i'm yet to find a male author who can write romance. For that matter female authors with good world building and magic system creating skills are as rare as two headed cows. So with Galactic Mage i got just what i expected.
The way Altin and Orli fell in love was unbeliavibly fast. And had me wondering, if the man in the tower was not Altin but some other mage from Prosperion, would she fell in love with him too? Honestly i felt like Orlin was just looking for a way out of ship life(which i can't blame her for). That ball thing at the end felt a little corny. Riding the Dragon together was a fine touch tho.
All in all Galactic Mage is a suprisingly good read. Even if you are not into fantasy and/or sci-fi, give it a try. It's only 4$ on Amazon. You won't be disapointed.
I have very high expectations from the rest of the series and will keep a close eye on Mr. Daulton.
PS:Sorry for any gramatical errors, English is not my native.
Mr. Daulton does an excellent job at combining two genres. I'm not an experienced sci-fi reader so i can't really comment about Orli part of things expect to say it seemed pretty good to me. But i can safely say that Altin parts(fantasy) were expertly done. In fact with a magic system and world building done that good, Mr. Daulton could write a purely fantasy book and it would be a damn good one too.
Characters are another thing that draw me into this story. At the begining of the book i fell in love with Altin's determinatin for reaching the moon with skipping stones(thats how i imagined the process anyway). At fantasy novels with mages as their agonists, there is usually either a grand conflict to solve, a revenge to be taken or a big bad guy to brought to justice. In Altin's story, his goal is such a simple(reaching the moon, quite simple right? :), innocent, childlike thing. I couldn't help but cheer him on. For once leave killing the Dark Lord and saving the world to someone else right..? I can't really put the feeling to words but... i can say that i felt refreshed after reading his story.
For Orli's story... Compared to Altin's, her story is quite depressing. Tho in a good way(depressing in a good way? Yeah i know...) While reading it, i could literally feel what would 10 years on a sterile space ship without any shore leaves could do to someone as full of life as her. In fact while reading her story at home at one point i felt so claustrophobic, i got out and kept reading in the park. Seriously. I love how innocent and loving she remained after practically being born and raised on a military ship. I hope for the rest of the series she stays just as she is now. It would really pain me if in one of the later books she takes a laser rifle in hand and becomes a warrior. There are lots of amazon heroines in literature nowadays. If Orli becomes a warrior i believe it'd kill what makes her so refreshing.
Another great aspect of this book was its humor. Last time i laughed this hard while reading a book was Belgariad series from David Eddings. Especially Altin's parts has some very funny dialogs. American humor usually feels flat to me, so while reading American authors i just suffer thru "humorous" parts... Interesting thing is there are some American humor on Orli's part(especially from his Spaniard friend) but on Altin's story humor felt much more organic and alive to me.
As for romance between Orli and Altin... It was neither particulartly good nor it was too bad. But then i wasn't expecting all that much. Thing is, i've been reading books for over 18 years(in other words since i could read) and i'm yet to find a male author who can write romance. For that matter female authors with good world building and magic system creating skills are as rare as two headed cows. So with Galactic Mage i got just what i expected.
The way Altin and Orli fell in love was unbeliavibly fast. And had me wondering, if the man in the tower was not Altin but some other mage from Prosperion, would she fell in love with him too? Honestly i felt like Orlin was just looking for a way out of ship life(which i can't blame her for). That ball thing at the end felt a little corny. Riding the Dragon together was a fine touch tho.
All in all Galactic Mage is a suprisingly good read. Even if you are not into fantasy and/or sci-fi, give it a try. It's only 4$ on Amazon. You won't be disapointed.
I have very high expectations from the rest of the series and will keep a close eye on Mr. Daulton.
PS:Sorry for any gramatical errors, English is not my native.
November 6, 2013
The writing was decent. The descriptions were solid. The action was pretty well-paced.
The content was just bad.
1) Atlin has nothing to ever lose. The worst is that he feels guilty about people being hurt. But that's okay! His teacher just told him that he is special and shouldn't feel bad, because stuff like that happens. Live and learn, my boy!
2) Atlin never fails to his own detriment. He's the best teleporter ever and just succeeds at everything. If he doesn't do something right, someone else gets hurt. That's mighty nice. Of course, others get hurt a lot because Atlin's a selfish idiot.
3) Orli is an idiot. If you believe her point of view, then she's a smart, talented botanist that is unfairly hated by her captain. But we never see her use any skills more complex than asking the computer to analyze some fungus, she disobeys orders, she deserts her post, she threatens to tell her dad on the mean captain. The entire narration is consistent with her possessing reduced mental facilities and being brought along by her father because she wasn't able to take care of herself at home.
4) Orli doesn't actually do anything. Everything is done by people around her. When she tries to do something, she either screws it up or does one thing and gets yelled at for it. This meshes with #3, the only times she actually wants to do something and succeeds, it's the wrong thing to do.
5) Atlin and Orli are whiny bastards.
6) The "romance." Atlin goes from eschewing interpersonal relationships to falling in love with the next woman he meets. And she instantly falls in love with him, too. So much so that she considers leaving her people and asking him to take her back to his planet. Then Atlin gets hurt and she goes catatonic. FOR SOMEONE SHE MET THE DAY BEFORE. See points 3 and 4.
7) The villains. They just kill. No reason is even alluded to. They just come across someone and attack.
8) The head hopping. Orli and Atlin are the protagonists, but we regularly hop into the heads of Atlin's teacher, Atlin's friend, Orli's friend, Orli's captain, Orli's duty office, and maybe a couple of others. That really annoys me.
9) The science issues. All of them. Atlin's an educated mathematician that uses a magic based on a circle and notes that he's an expert of geometry...but overlooks the trivially simple solution to his distance problem?
10) The magic system. It is a standard Dungeons and Dragons school-based system with the names changed. The only difference is that the schools you can cast are determined by...something that isn't choice. It seems like mages are a significant chunk of the population, although most people can only cast one or two schools. And probably weakly, at that.
The content was just bad.
1) Atlin has nothing to ever lose. The worst is that he feels guilty about people being hurt. But that's okay! His teacher just told him that he is special and shouldn't feel bad, because stuff like that happens. Live and learn, my boy!
2) Atlin never fails to his own detriment. He's the best teleporter ever and just succeeds at everything. If he doesn't do something right, someone else gets hurt. That's mighty nice. Of course, others get hurt a lot because Atlin's a selfish idiot.
3) Orli is an idiot. If you believe her point of view, then she's a smart, talented botanist that is unfairly hated by her captain. But we never see her use any skills more complex than asking the computer to analyze some fungus, she disobeys orders, she deserts her post, she threatens to tell her dad on the mean captain. The entire narration is consistent with her possessing reduced mental facilities and being brought along by her father because she wasn't able to take care of herself at home.
4) Orli doesn't actually do anything. Everything is done by people around her. When she tries to do something, she either screws it up or does one thing and gets yelled at for it. This meshes with #3, the only times she actually wants to do something and succeeds, it's the wrong thing to do.
5) Atlin and Orli are whiny bastards.
6) The "romance." Atlin goes from eschewing interpersonal relationships to falling in love with the next woman he meets. And she instantly falls in love with him, too. So much so that she considers leaving her people and asking him to take her back to his planet. Then Atlin gets hurt and she goes catatonic. FOR SOMEONE SHE MET THE DAY BEFORE. See points 3 and 4.
7) The villains. They just kill. No reason is even alluded to. They just come across someone and attack.
8) The head hopping. Orli and Atlin are the protagonists, but we regularly hop into the heads of Atlin's teacher, Atlin's friend, Orli's friend, Orli's captain, Orli's duty office, and maybe a couple of others. That really annoys me.
9) The science issues. All of them. Atlin's an educated mathematician that uses a magic based on a circle and notes that he's an expert of geometry...but overlooks the trivially simple solution to his distance problem?
10) The magic system. It is a standard Dungeons and Dragons school-based system with the names changed. The only difference is that the schools you can cast are determined by...something that isn't choice. It seems like mages are a significant chunk of the population, although most people can only cast one or two schools. And probably weakly, at that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2012
I rather like cheesy science-fiction stories. So it's no wonder I rather enjoyed this one. Mixing fantasy and science-fiction has been done before (consider reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books if you liked this one, they are awesome!), but the story of that young mage trying to jump to the moon was quite interesting. Characters were somehow well-done, although a little more world-building wouldn't have done any harm.
What disturbed me here? And why only 4 stars? Pacing. Pacing. The first 3/4 were way too slow, and right after Altin met Orli, things started getting fast. Faster. Much faster. To this point, I can safely say that the ending was too rushed.
Nevertheless, that won't prevent me from buying the second book, because in spite of all that I really want to know what comes next ;)
What disturbed me here? And why only 4 stars? Pacing. Pacing. The first 3/4 were way too slow, and right after Altin met Orli, things started getting fast. Faster. Much faster. To this point, I can safely say that the ending was too rushed.
Nevertheless, that won't prevent me from buying the second book, because in spite of all that I really want to know what comes next ;)
April 18, 2012
This is a tough one.... I really liked this book, but it annoyed me at the same time.
I love the premise, the combination of Scince-Fiction and Fantasy. The fantasy aspect is well flushed out. I even felt that one of the main characters is wonderfully developed. The reader gets a clear idea of his struggles and aspirations.
That is where the problems begin. The other main character is hardly developed to the point that she seems like a spoiled brat, and not a military officer. While this is kind of explained in her history, she seems contrived. The author spends so much time on the other character that the two don't meet until 3/4 of the way through the book. As a result, the main characters' meeting seems forced and unnatural. Everything after their meeting just feels off.
The other problem is that nothing is explained. Why are there two difderent sets of physics? Why are these strange creature attacking? Why are there humans on multiple planets in different solar systems? There should have at least been a theories presented, but there was no time.
I will certainly read the next book, hoping that the author flushes some of these issues out.
I love the premise, the combination of Scince-Fiction and Fantasy. The fantasy aspect is well flushed out. I even felt that one of the main characters is wonderfully developed. The reader gets a clear idea of his struggles and aspirations.
That is where the problems begin. The other main character is hardly developed to the point that she seems like a spoiled brat, and not a military officer. While this is kind of explained in her history, she seems contrived. The author spends so much time on the other character that the two don't meet until 3/4 of the way through the book. As a result, the main characters' meeting seems forced and unnatural. Everything after their meeting just feels off.
The other problem is that nothing is explained. Why are there two difderent sets of physics? Why are these strange creature attacking? Why are there humans on multiple planets in different solar systems? There should have at least been a theories presented, but there was no time.
I will certainly read the next book, hoping that the author flushes some of these issues out.
December 9, 2012
So what would you think about a book that has a scene involving a space ship having a stare down in the middle of space with a stone tower from a castle. On the castle tower is a dragon and a mage. Oh and to make it realistic there is a magical bubble around the tower.
yeah I know what you are thinking "What the Vietnamese Soup were you drinking that day!" This is a very engaging and fun read. There is enough detail in the world and in the way the characters get to that interaction to make it believable. It also makes you want to know whether Mr. Daulton will return with a second book. This for me was a truly imaginative and creative approach to a "you gotta be kidding me" premise.
Check it out.
yeah I know what you are thinking "What the Vietnamese Soup were you drinking that day!" This is a very engaging and fun read. There is enough detail in the world and in the way the characters get to that interaction to make it believable. It also makes you want to know whether Mr. Daulton will return with a second book. This for me was a truly imaginative and creative approach to a "you gotta be kidding me" premise.
Check it out.
May 7, 2012
I will start by stating that I am easy to entertain. I did find the relationship between Altin and Orli to be a little simplistic and too quickly established. The end was a little rushed as well; but the story was fun and became especially gripping about halfway through the book. There is so much that could be explored in this world the author has shared with us. I truly look forward to the adventures ahead.
July 29, 2012
It was hard to get in to, would have been nice to have an intro to start it. Once I understood the characters and their role, I couldn't put the book down. Looking forward to future sequels.
September 13, 2012
This was an all around fun read. Decent magic system, decent aliens, fine technology. I would definitely read more if he were to write a sequal or ten.
February 15, 2022
Altin Meade is a sorcerer, living his life in a world of castles and queens, elves and orcs, and we can't forget the dragons. He seeks a life better than what he was given, or that anyone could ever hopeful of, pushing himself to bigger and greater things. This is his story.
Orli Pewter is an ensign on a starship, though not really the life that she wanted or cared for, wishing desperately for something better. This is her story.
This book manages to tell two stories, of two separate people, living separate lives, not knowing the other exists or even could be possible, until they meet. And for most of the book, they don't meet. This is a great story--or really, two really great stories--and one that I am glad that I was able to enjoy. The reason I'm not giving this book five stars is the fact that it seems overly drawn out. On a few occasions, I thought about giving up reading this, because it seemed to go on and on, with the story needlessly drawn out at times. I'm glad i stuck with it. There are some dangling questions I had when I finished reading the book, and perhaps those questions are answered in the next book, or it's possible I missed the narrative as I was reading the book, which I suppose also contributes to the four stars I'm giving the book.
Orli Pewter is an ensign on a starship, though not really the life that she wanted or cared for, wishing desperately for something better. This is her story.
This book manages to tell two stories, of two separate people, living separate lives, not knowing the other exists or even could be possible, until they meet. And for most of the book, they don't meet. This is a great story--or really, two really great stories--and one that I am glad that I was able to enjoy. The reason I'm not giving this book five stars is the fact that it seems overly drawn out. On a few occasions, I thought about giving up reading this, because it seemed to go on and on, with the story needlessly drawn out at times. I'm glad i stuck with it. There are some dangling questions I had when I finished reading the book, and perhaps those questions are answered in the next book, or it's possible I missed the narrative as I was reading the book, which I suppose also contributes to the four stars I'm giving the book.
July 3, 2022
The book starts with two completely different stories, one a fantasy the other SciFi.
I found the author’s style quite weird, partly because he obviously has literary pretensions, but mainly because at times it didn’t make sense.
I tried to stay with the book until the two stories merged, but it was so boring for hundreds of pages and I finally gave up just before halfway.
I found the author’s style quite weird, partly because he obviously has literary pretensions, but mainly because at times it didn’t make sense.
I tried to stay with the book until the two stories merged, but it was so boring for hundreds of pages and I finally gave up just before halfway.
May 12, 2014
I had to give this book 5/5 for the pure surprise value :)
Despite the cheesy cover (no offence...) and the low probability of good melding of sci-fi and fantasy genre.....this book delivered. I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi both, so I enjoyed both aspects. The sci-fi didn't fulfil my hopes all that much, because the female protagonist is rather weak...and since she has no great obstacles to overcome, an artificial obstacle in form of a hateful bastard captain was put there to provide the balance. I like well written bad guys....I don't like frustrating assholes. So....the sci-fi, though interesting wasn't quite to my liking.
That being said....the fantasy half of the book was awesome. A mage, who wants to explore the stars....that's not an often seen concept. That it was funny, enjoyable and filled with "the other perspective"....that was an unexpected boon. I loved the fact that it gave me the feeling of discovery you just don't get all that often. How to deal with temperature....the vacuum....the food...
Some parts of the book gave me pause, and I'm not yet sure how the story will progress. So far however, I'm excited to start reading the second book, so... that's as much as I could have asked for :)
Despite the cheesy cover (no offence...) and the low probability of good melding of sci-fi and fantasy genre.....this book delivered. I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi both, so I enjoyed both aspects. The sci-fi didn't fulfil my hopes all that much, because the female protagonist is rather weak...and since she has no great obstacles to overcome, an artificial obstacle in form of a hateful bastard captain was put there to provide the balance. I like well written bad guys....I don't like frustrating assholes. So....the sci-fi, though interesting wasn't quite to my liking.
That being said....the fantasy half of the book was awesome. A mage, who wants to explore the stars....that's not an often seen concept. That it was funny, enjoyable and filled with "the other perspective"....that was an unexpected boon. I loved the fact that it gave me the feeling of discovery you just don't get all that often. How to deal with temperature....the vacuum....the food...
Some parts of the book gave me pause, and I'm not yet sure how the story will progress. So far however, I'm excited to start reading the second book, so... that's as much as I could have asked for :)
January 26, 2022
Abandoned. Nothing happens in the first 200pp (36%) and if it weren't for the book summary, you would have no clue what this story will be about.
The book covers two parallel stories that presumably will converge at some time. The major part is reserved for a young wizard who is trying to teleport himself to his planet's moon using magic. Page after page follows his progress in overcoming the many obstacles. Given that either the destination or the ability to teleport between planets will be the real story, not the actual process of discovering how to do it, this story just drags on and on.
The second parallel story concerns a young botanist on a spaceship mission to scout out a planet presumably inhabited by humans and under attack from "the hostiles". Although not nearly as lengthy as the wizard's part, here too there is no real action, progress or clear sense of purpose.
Not recommended.
The book covers two parallel stories that presumably will converge at some time. The major part is reserved for a young wizard who is trying to teleport himself to his planet's moon using magic. Page after page follows his progress in overcoming the many obstacles. Given that either the destination or the ability to teleport between planets will be the real story, not the actual process of discovering how to do it, this story just drags on and on.
The second parallel story concerns a young botanist on a spaceship mission to scout out a planet presumably inhabited by humans and under attack from "the hostiles". Although not nearly as lengthy as the wizard's part, here too there is no real action, progress or clear sense of purpose.
Not recommended.
May 15, 2012
The Galactic Mage by John Daulton is a twisted, but fun story. We have human beings from Earth who were in contact with another human civilization across the galaxy. This civilization was apparently wiped out after it sent a warning. A fleet of ships from Earth is assembled to go investigate. Meanwhile, on a remote planet, a bona fide mage has decided to go explore space. He does so by teleporting himself (and his tower) in space. At first, the premise seems unbelievable, and it is, but it is fascinating to see how a mage might explore space. Without any scientific background, he is faced with several challenges such as unimaginable distances. Unfortunately, the novel never quite feels complete: many issues are left unresolved. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining book well suited for teenagers or people looking for a fun little book.
March 7, 2012
Overall a good read, that said it took a looooooong time before the two main characters met, after which it felt like the rest of the book was over very quickly. I could have wished a bit more meat on the latter part of the book, and a little less on the first part.
Not a book to take too serious, but got me well entertained for as long as it lasted.
Not a book to take too serious, but got me well entertained for as long as it lasted.
May 20, 2012
Best book of all time. I love the combination of Sci Fi and Fantasy. What a wonderful story and a great easy read. A love story and an epic outer space war that has you wondering what is coming next. Lots of way this story could go and wonderful character development. This story took me away to a place I would want to revisit. I hope I get to with the next book.
July 16, 2012
The theme is undoubtedly goofy, but I really like the sub-theme of "discovery." Having a medieval wizard discover the true nature of the universe is a really fun exploration, and gives a unique perspective on astral bodies. The "hard" sci-fi was pretty underdeveloped, and it's clear which part of sci-fi/fantasy the author cares for, but it's still an intriguing mix that I'd like to see more of.
July 31, 2012
Magic meets Science as a mage tests the limits of teleportation by heading to the stars, and meets other humans searching for colonies in their star ships. Just add a coconut and you have a happening three-some.
October 16, 2012
This is hilarious on the same note as "A Dark Lord's Handbook" is - makes you smile all the way to the (entirely cheesy) Happy End. Admittedly I liked the first 2/3 of the book better than the rest - but that's me, I defy "sentimental".
March 7, 2012
I enjoyed this so much. I'd gotten away from reading sci-fi and this brought back all the fun reasons why I loved to read it. I can't wait for a sequel
April 13, 2012
Spaceships, magic, coconut monsters, and dragons! it was a great read.
April 21, 2012
Complete and utter brain candy with no depth. That said and accepted, amusing and worth the read. (Will also note that the cover is misleadingly horrible.)
April 26, 2012
Fun, light-hearted, well-written romp. While the story isn't THAT original, the author's blending of different genres was well-done. I'm definitely looking forward to more books in this universe.
July 20, 2012
Surprisingly good read for what I thought was a goofy title.
June 23, 2012
This is one of only a few books I've read that successfully blends science fiction and fantasy.
It was a good read.
It was a good read.
August 28, 2023
Two parallel alternate reality universes/worlds, one Sci-Fi in outer space is a story about space exploration and search for human-like-life, the other is a fantasy-magic world, and an investigator that uses a kind of "scientific-method" for magic-based-space-exploration. Would a fantasy-magic-system-that-has-no-science-based-systems, require of investigators, a scientific-method-style-of-investigation?? Some believe fantasy and Sci-Fi are diametrically opposites in that one is built around imagination and no scientific principles, while the other one is based upon all of human kind's technology and scientific advancements. This author seems to favor a scientific-method-type-of-investigation/research versus our known and tried Scientific-method advancement for improvements in our technology. The action/actual story flow is slower than molasses in January, and there really is no point (except exploration for "knowledge's sake") to either half of the story. Can "space-exploration" like Star Trek, be a main theme to a half-fantasy, half-Sci-Fi novel series?? Are they supposed to coincide at some point in the middle?? Is that even possible?? Even though they are diametrically opposites and most consider them to be contradictory in rationality, logic, scientific advancements?? Does magic need to comply with traditional scientific principles?? (oxygen supply, velocity, gravity, E=MC*2)??? Can magic really come out on top, after all that deep analysis?
So, this is the story of the "first-mage-astronaut" that later becomes the First Space Knight, Altin, Main character of half-fantasy-story, to explore outer space of a fantasy other world. Would a Fantasy other world need to have a trial and error, style of research and advancement?? Aren't all their systems and algorithms based on usage of mana (magical energy) and spells, magic skills and fantasy created "solutions" to most of our scientifically sound technological advancements??
I do not like that the Magician/Mage/Wizard, seems to be more "academically sound" than the biologist, that is supposed to only use and only know the scientific method of our "real world".
Is this story entertaining?? No. Is this story new? No. Most isekai fantasy novel series are based on a dual-or more type of alternate realities for the main characters.
What would have made this story series better?? I think it needs a better main theme: Exploration and discovery for it's own sake is okay for National Geographic, Science and researcher/investigation type people but not necessarily interesting for readers that are used to adventure-fantasy or Sci-Fi story series.
The action picks up around the 75% mark, in an exciting space battle. The Captain of Orli's ship, was always stubbornly wrong and crass and gives the military it's bad reputation. The story has a fairy tale ending.
This story has maps and inside illustrations has no character summaries, no world descriptions (geopolitical, religious, economic, social, etc. systems in place in these planets/star systems). The Sci-Fi part is attacked from orb-type "aliens" which Altin describes as "Coconuts" weird that an alien universe/star system planet, has Palms and Coconuts, and they are a Universe away from Earth. In the end, the "underdeveloped monarchy" is ahead in a lot of things, because of Fantasy magic, and the Earthling explorers are behind mostly because of they xenophobia, lack of vision and "openness" to diversity and change. It is strange, that the "Earthlings" of this story are "space explorers and discoverers" and yet they are so close-minded and crass, uneducated and incapable.
So, this is the story of the "first-mage-astronaut" that later becomes the First Space Knight, Altin, Main character of half-fantasy-story, to explore outer space of a fantasy other world. Would a Fantasy other world need to have a trial and error, style of research and advancement?? Aren't all their systems and algorithms based on usage of mana (magical energy) and spells, magic skills and fantasy created "solutions" to most of our scientifically sound technological advancements??
I do not like that the Magician/Mage/Wizard, seems to be more "academically sound" than the biologist, that is supposed to only use and only know the scientific method of our "real world".
Is this story entertaining?? No. Is this story new? No. Most isekai fantasy novel series are based on a dual-or more type of alternate realities for the main characters.
What would have made this story series better?? I think it needs a better main theme: Exploration and discovery for it's own sake is okay for National Geographic, Science and researcher/investigation type people but not necessarily interesting for readers that are used to adventure-fantasy or Sci-Fi story series.
The action picks up around the 75% mark, in an exciting space battle. The Captain of Orli's ship, was always stubbornly wrong and crass and gives the military it's bad reputation. The story has a fairy tale ending.
This story has maps and inside illustrations has no character summaries, no world descriptions (geopolitical, religious, economic, social, etc. systems in place in these planets/star systems). The Sci-Fi part is attacked from orb-type "aliens" which Altin describes as "Coconuts" weird that an alien universe/star system planet, has Palms and Coconuts, and they are a Universe away from Earth. In the end, the "underdeveloped monarchy" is ahead in a lot of things, because of Fantasy magic, and the Earthling explorers are behind mostly because of they xenophobia, lack of vision and "openness" to diversity and change. It is strange, that the "Earthlings" of this story are "space explorers and discoverers" and yet they are so close-minded and crass, uneducated and incapable.
May 31, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this book, even though, I did not regret reading it.
For a good portion of the book, the story follows two independent threads. The exploration and battles of an interstellar fleet from Earth. And a mage's efforts to expands his range of teleportation and get off his planet. On both threads we follow one main character. Of course, the two threads will meet, just as they do.
Short spoiler free summary:
Pro: Interesting idea of mixing full sci-fi and full fantasy. New kind of life form encountered in space. Detailed description of magic.
Con: While on some areas it's very detailed and elaborated, there is some contrast with clearly neglected areas. The contrast is due to the fact that they are closely related. The ending turned abruptly too fairy tale'ish for my taste.
More comments with spoilers...
For a good portion of the book, the story follows two independent threads. The exploration and battles of an interstellar fleet from Earth. And a mage's efforts to expands his range of teleportation and get off his planet. On both threads we follow one main character. Of course, the two threads will meet, just as they do.
Short spoiler free summary:
Pro: Interesting idea of mixing full sci-fi and full fantasy. New kind of life form encountered in space. Detailed description of magic.
Con: While on some areas it's very detailed and elaborated, there is some contrast with clearly neglected areas. The contrast is due to the fact that they are closely related. The ending turned abruptly too fairy tale'ish for my taste.
More comments with spoilers...
May 23, 2020
I got this book based on a facebook campaign for a local author's first book. I decided to help this guy out and take a chance on his book. I was pleasantly surprised.
Overall, the book was quite good, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mash up of sci-fi and fantasy was done quite well, though it took a long while for the two main characters to meet up. I knew it was going to happen (if you read the back cover, it is obvious), it just happened in the last quarter of the book, and once they did the story got a lot better. The writer gets you emotionally attached with the main characters. The magic/science of Altin (the galactic mage) is done quite well, and when Altin is trying to figure out the space ships, explaining it in magic terms is great.
The book is written for a more mature audience than the Harry Potter and the Eragon series (more mainstream fantasy) and is far better than the vampire books that are out there. That said, My only negative comment (an why I give the book four, not five stars) is that there are some rough patches in the book. I feel they will only get better, especially once the author gets more comfortable and confident in his writing.
If you like sci-fi, or fantasy, this is a great book and the comparison of how magic and technology can reach the same goal kept me intrigued. I wish Mr. Daulton the best of luck, and I will purchase his next book as I am sure it will be even better.
Overall, the book was quite good, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mash up of sci-fi and fantasy was done quite well, though it took a long while for the two main characters to meet up. I knew it was going to happen (if you read the back cover, it is obvious), it just happened in the last quarter of the book, and once they did the story got a lot better. The writer gets you emotionally attached with the main characters. The magic/science of Altin (the galactic mage) is done quite well, and when Altin is trying to figure out the space ships, explaining it in magic terms is great.
The book is written for a more mature audience than the Harry Potter and the Eragon series (more mainstream fantasy) and is far better than the vampire books that are out there. That said, My only negative comment (an why I give the book four, not five stars) is that there are some rough patches in the book. I feel they will only get better, especially once the author gets more comfortable and confident in his writing.
If you like sci-fi, or fantasy, this is a great book and the comparison of how magic and technology can reach the same goal kept me intrigued. I wish Mr. Daulton the best of luck, and I will purchase his next book as I am sure it will be even better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews