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House Adamant #4
Regent's Mate
After a year of hardship and conflict, Lorraine Adamant has finally come home to face her uncle, the Black Regent of Adamant!
- GenresScience Fiction
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2025
293 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Glynn Stewart
115 books1,748 followersGlynn Stewart is the author of over 60 books, including Starship’s Mage, a bestselling science fiction and fantasy series where faster-than-light travel is possible–but only because of magic.
Writing managed to liberate Glynn from a bleak future as an accountant. With his personality and hope for a high-tech future intact, he lives in Southern Ontario with his partner, their cats, and an unstoppable writing habit.
Writing managed to liberate Glynn from a bleak future as an accountant. With his personality and hope for a high-tech future intact, he lives in Southern Ontario with his partner, their cats, and an unstoppable writing habit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 2, 2025
Always a pleasure to be in space with Stewart.
The story is good, a fitting end to this section of the Adamant story before it pivots in the upcoming book, a story I’m looking forward to pursuing.
The book starts out with the first and second child of the monarch under threat of annihilation by the first heir (an uncle). Naming himself regent after he killed the monarch and most of her family, he had a very tight fist around the throat of the eldest child, who’d dug himself into a mountain holdout. His sister had raced to Earth for assistance and is on her way back from Earth, having been denied that help. On her way home, she stumbles upon some new allies, and while they won’t help overwhelm the Regent with numbers, they have some interesting tech.
Lorraine’s uncle is a brilliant strategist; her only hope is to outthink him— the man who taught her everything militaristic she knows.
It’s tight writing, and the result is thrilling for the two of them.
After that, there’s more political stuff going on as the author sets up the next direction the story is heading. While less about ships and ordinances, we do pick up the story of the three Synthetic Intelligences (SI) who’ve been promised asylum, (the new allies) and get into the rights of AIs as ‘emerging’ citizens. Emergence means that they’ve overstepped their programming and have become fully sapient.
There’s a huge confrontation with the homeworld fleet (including Earth representatives who’ve come to Bastion (a bit of a backwater planet, but home to the heirs) to reclaim the SIs because they’re too ‘advanced.’ Still, they’ve been granted citizenship, so has Lorraine find a solution that works for all.
This book could have been two short novellas, or the first half of the book could have been included in the last book, with the second part going into next year’s fifth Adamant book. It’s two different books … kudos to the author though, it felt seamless while reading it.
It’s a delight to be in their universe, however, and I’ll take it .. whatever way it comes.
The story is good, a fitting end to this section of the Adamant story before it pivots in the upcoming book, a story I’m looking forward to pursuing.
The book starts out with the first and second child of the monarch under threat of annihilation by the first heir (an uncle). Naming himself regent after he killed the monarch and most of her family, he had a very tight fist around the throat of the eldest child, who’d dug himself into a mountain holdout. His sister had raced to Earth for assistance and is on her way back from Earth, having been denied that help. On her way home, she stumbles upon some new allies, and while they won’t help overwhelm the Regent with numbers, they have some interesting tech.
Lorraine’s uncle is a brilliant strategist; her only hope is to outthink him— the man who taught her everything militaristic she knows.
It’s tight writing, and the result is thrilling for the two of them.
After that, there’s more political stuff going on as the author sets up the next direction the story is heading. While less about ships and ordinances, we do pick up the story of the three Synthetic Intelligences (SI) who’ve been promised asylum, (the new allies) and get into the rights of AIs as ‘emerging’ citizens. Emergence means that they’ve overstepped their programming and have become fully sapient.
There’s a huge confrontation with the homeworld fleet (including Earth representatives who’ve come to Bastion (a bit of a backwater planet, but home to the heirs) to reclaim the SIs because they’re too ‘advanced.’ Still, they’ve been granted citizenship, so has Lorraine find a solution that works for all.
This book could have been two short novellas, or the first half of the book could have been included in the last book, with the second part going into next year’s fifth Adamant book. It’s two different books … kudos to the author though, it felt seamless while reading it.
It’s a delight to be in their universe, however, and I’ll take it .. whatever way it comes.
January 19, 2026
This was an anticlimax.
Halfway through the book, we get the battle against the Regent that this series has been building toward. We’re told that the Home Fleet is about twice as strong as the Valkyrie battlecruisers, and that victory is unlikely. Yet when the battle finally arrives, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience. Lorraine manages to eliminate half the Regent’s fleet before it can fire a shot, and then similarly decapitates the second half before battle is really begun.
The second half of the book is about Lorraine campaigning to be king, and it’s boring. It doesn’t help that I think the Adamant political system is stupid. It’s not a real democracy when the only legal candidates are members of the royal family. It’s like the people of Adamant are ruled by a race of lizard people, and everyone is concerned about their vote because they want to be sure the right lizard gets in.
Then there’s the other crisis. The United Worlds finally shows up and wants their battlecruisers back. Which was *always* why stealing the battlecruisers in book 2 was an utterly self-defeating plan, it was always going to start a war the Adamant couldn’t win. Yet again it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience. Lorraine talks them out of pretty much any consequences at all. No war, and the UWN doesn’t take the ships back either.
Frankly at this point I feel the entire series was a bit of a waste of my time.
Halfway through the book, we get the battle against the Regent that this series has been building toward. We’re told that the Home Fleet is about twice as strong as the Valkyrie battlecruisers, and that victory is unlikely. Yet when the battle finally arrives, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience. Lorraine manages to eliminate half the Regent’s fleet before it can fire a shot, and then similarly decapitates the second half before battle is really begun.
The second half of the book is about Lorraine campaigning to be king, and it’s boring. It doesn’t help that I think the Adamant political system is stupid. It’s not a real democracy when the only legal candidates are members of the royal family. It’s like the people of Adamant are ruled by a race of lizard people, and everyone is concerned about their vote because they want to be sure the right lizard gets in.
Then there’s the other crisis. The United Worlds finally shows up and wants their battlecruisers back. Which was *always* why stealing the battlecruisers in book 2 was an utterly self-defeating plan, it was always going to start a war the Adamant couldn’t win. Yet again it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience. Lorraine talks them out of pretty much any consequences at all. No war, and the UWN doesn’t take the ships back either.
Frankly at this point I feel the entire series was a bit of a waste of my time.
September 27, 2025
The previous books in the series were fairly interesting and fairly well written space opera/mil-scifi. Perhaps too many times the MC would make a poor decision and was saved by a deux ex machina (in some cases literally). And some of the writing was a little too mary sue.
This book dug even more into the main social-individual rights issue of the series, the rights and roles of a sentient computer expert system. And what to do when one government, who signed all the proper treaties and protocols, doesn't care and just wants them enslaved to maintain their military supremacy.
The second issue, also explored more here, is what is the role of a monarchy/parliament system, where the individual voter is allowed to select the next monarch from a small pre-set slate of rulers. And what if that system is getting outdated?
However, these were more clumsy in this book. Worse, the author appears to have been given, or created for themselves, a checklist of woke tropes for this book. And it felt like a checklist being checked off quickly.
Okay, the brother should be the lead to be elected king, but he has (really summary) PTSD. Check. This new character is a non-bi them. Check. This one is very black, so black skin (no one else besides the MC and her lover/spy/betrayer have been described in much physical detail so far). Check. Blah... Just clumsy.
This book dug even more into the main social-individual rights issue of the series, the rights and roles of a sentient computer expert system. And what to do when one government, who signed all the proper treaties and protocols, doesn't care and just wants them enslaved to maintain their military supremacy.
The second issue, also explored more here, is what is the role of a monarchy/parliament system, where the individual voter is allowed to select the next monarch from a small pre-set slate of rulers. And what if that system is getting outdated?
However, these were more clumsy in this book. Worse, the author appears to have been given, or created for themselves, a checklist of woke tropes for this book. And it felt like a checklist being checked off quickly.
Okay, the brother should be the lead to be elected king, but he has (really summary) PTSD. Check. This new character is a non-bi them. Check. This one is very black, so black skin (no one else besides the MC and her lover/spy/betrayer have been described in much physical detail so far). Check. Blah... Just clumsy.
August 29, 2025
So finishes this arc - the author tells us how the civil war is resolved and how the waging of peace begins. The author also gives me a lot to think about with respect to synthetic intelligence and the ethics of dealing with such. I suspect that our society will not need to consider that in depth yet, but I have to wonder how long it will take before such considerations become necessity. I do like the strong hints of future adventures - I am looking forward to seeing how House Adamant will deal with them!
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 2, 2025
This was a very good story arc which the author ties up nicely. In this last book in the series there was enough action to satisfy me, there was additional palace intrigue and the author fleshed out this part of his universe even more. The characters he has created fully created and you feel like you know them. While the story line was tied up, the author did leave an opening for future books in this arc. Very enjoyable and I gave it 5 stars for these reasons.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book,
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book,
September 26, 2025
Lorraine Adamant had to flee her Uncle when he murdered her Parents and took control of the star kingdom. Three books later she comes home with allies to face a Regent's Mate(ebook from Faolan's Pen Publishing) of a chess game in which she not only has to face her uncle’s ships, the Earth navy looking for the ships she borrowed, and her brother who fought the uncle from a hidden fortress and wants to be the new king. In spite of wrapping everything up, Glynn Stewart has more plans for our heroine.
September 26, 2025
It was a solid book, though not quite up to the quality of Glynn Stewart's best. What we thought was the main conflict for the series comes to a conclusion and a new stage is foreshadowed. I might have given it five stars except for one thing he did that he's done in previous works and has never sit well with me.
I am referring to his habit of giving the protagonists access to advanced technology and then having some greater power show up with overwhelming force and take it away from them. Every time it happens it feels cheap.
I am referring to his habit of giving the protagonists access to advanced technology and then having some greater power show up with overwhelming force and take it away from them. Every time it happens it feels cheap.
September 24, 2025
I will refrain from going into detail other than to say, that I had been awaiting this chapter very much, and was not disappointed.
Glynn Stewart manoeuvred the pieces around his narrative like the master storyteller that he is. The dialogue between his players was alive and informative as the pieces come together but, the outcome of the impending contact is far from certain, so much could go wrong.
The culmination of events just got better and BETTER!! as they made contact.
Glynn Stewart manoeuvred the pieces around his narrative like the master storyteller that he is. The dialogue between his players was alive and informative as the pieces come together but, the outcome of the impending contact is far from certain, so much could go wrong.
The culmination of events just got better and BETTER!! as they made contact.
September 29, 2025
Superb ending to the storyline started in The Exodus Gambit- pretty much all the plotlines from books 1-3 (the fight against the Black Regent, the UNW response to the absconding Valkyries, the restoration of the political system in the Kingdom of Adamant etc) are very nicely wrapped up here, though of course new storylines are introduced so the series continues.
Best sf of the year so far for me, and overall a highly recommended series that hit all the right notes.
Best sf of the year so far for me, and overall a highly recommended series that hit all the right notes.
October 13, 2025
Glynn put a bow on it
I was surprised to see all the major threads in this saga wrapped up in one book. It was a LOT to finish, and while the overall ending was *as one would expect* the way it was done had some unpredictable twists that I liked quite a bit.
A commentary on the whole series thusfar, it’s managed to avoid a most of Glynns standard patterns, or at least decorate them enough to remain interesting.
Looking forward to the next!
I was surprised to see all the major threads in this saga wrapped up in one book. It was a LOT to finish, and while the overall ending was *as one would expect* the way it was done had some unpredictable twists that I liked quite a bit.
A commentary on the whole series thusfar, it’s managed to avoid a most of Glynns standard patterns, or at least decorate them enough to remain interesting.
Looking forward to the next!
September 27, 2025
Another solid novel
GS never disappoints! Fun characters, interesting situations, great storytelling. While this one does not have as much focus on matters a future space naval conflict would address it is still a wonderful work. Highly recommended,
But start with the first book in the series.
GS never disappoints! Fun characters, interesting situations, great storytelling. While this one does not have as much focus on matters a future space naval conflict would address it is still a wonderful work. Highly recommended,
But start with the first book in the series.
October 8, 2025
I have enjoyed this series, but I found the last book a bit irritating, the basic story was fine, but at times it really felt ‘forced’.
This book starts OK, but it is slow to get going and I was beginning to think I should have given up with book three, fortunately once it gets going it is probably the best book in the series so far.
This book starts OK, but it is slow to get going and I was beginning to think I should have given up with book three, fortunately once it gets going it is probably the best book in the series so far.
October 14, 2025
Happy Endings. Not!
You really have to have read the 3 previous books in this series to really appreciate and enjoy this one. That said, it works as a stand-alone. There is a lot of action that pulls together the story threads but, as written earlier, you really need to have read the 3 previous books to really enjoy which, I promise you will.
You really have to have read the 3 previous books in this series to really appreciate and enjoy this one. That said, it works as a stand-alone. There is a lot of action that pulls together the story threads but, as written earlier, you really need to have read the 3 previous books to really enjoy which, I promise you will.
October 18, 2025
The Saga Continues
I enjoyed the fourth part of the House of Adamant saga. Bringing in the partial story of Nicholas helped bring the conclusion of the civil war to an end. Though much of the action was quickly summarized, the story continues with the “Why” it all began in the first place. I’m looking forward to part five!
I enjoyed the fourth part of the House of Adamant saga. Bringing in the partial story of Nicholas helped bring the conclusion of the civil war to an end. Though much of the action was quickly summarized, the story continues with the “Why” it all began in the first place. I’m looking forward to part five!
November 28, 2025
An interesting evolution in the series, and one that I would have expected to conclude this cycle, a bit beyond a trilogy. :-) This series is well executed and has some original takes on some recurring elements in science-fiction stories.
I'm glad that the author seems to have more stories lined up for this universe, as it has a lot of potential for interesting storylines.
I'm glad that the author seems to have more stories lined up for this universe, as it has a lot of potential for interesting storylines.
September 26, 2025
Good finale!
Continues the story of the Adamant coup and resulting battle (s) for survival.
Books 1-3 gave us POV of Lorraine, while that continues we now get Nikolais'.
Some plots and battles - both in space and on the ground!
Overall good series.
Continues the story of the Adamant coup and resulting battle (s) for survival.
Books 1-3 gave us POV of Lorraine, while that continues we now get Nikolais'.
Some plots and battles - both in space and on the ground!
Overall good series.
September 27, 2025
the best so far
I think I’ve tremendously enjoyed everything. Mr. Stewart has written. My favorite series is the Duchess of Terra., but I find that the House Adamant is strong contender for second best.
I think I’ve tremendously enjoyed everything. Mr. Stewart has written. My favorite series is the Duchess of Terra., but I find that the House Adamant is strong contender for second best.
October 1, 2025
A grand finale
A satisfying conclusion to Lorraine's story; while another book is promised, it will follow further events. Plot threads get tied up, there is a long and satisfying conclusion, no rushed ending here!
A satisfying conclusion to Lorraine's story; while another book is promised, it will follow further events. Plot threads get tied up, there is a long and satisfying conclusion, no rushed ending here!
October 2, 2025
This book was enjoyable. It had strategy and action to keep the reader interested, and brought all the pieces of the tale together to a logical denouement. I look forward to the next book in the series, but expect it will be a new story line.
October 8, 2025
loved it.
Great finish, or is it, to a long series. Heavy on politics with Glynn’s signature world building. Read the first 3 before delving into this one. While this one wraps up a lot, it is obvious there is more stories to come.
Great finish, or is it, to a long series. Heavy on politics with Glynn’s signature world building. Read the first 3 before delving into this one. While this one wraps up a lot, it is obvious there is more stories to come.
September 29, 2025
Satisfying arc conclusion
This book is the end of the first arc. A fifth book is in the works, presumably with more to follow.
Eagerly awaiting the next!
This book is the end of the first arc. A fifth book is in the works, presumably with more to follow.
Eagerly awaiting the next!
September 30, 2025
Another awesome book by an excellent writer
Good plot, gripping action - have read every book he has published - not sure how he does this much writing
Good plot, gripping action - have read every book he has published - not sure how he does this much writing
October 2, 2025
great read
I enjoyed this book and all of the aspects, from characters through to the action. I look forward to the next instalment.
I enjoyed this book and all of the aspects, from characters through to the action. I look forward to the next instalment.
October 2, 2025
Lovely read
Excellent addition to this series from Glynn,it will be along six months waiting to find out about the wormhole-I I fancy Oliver in the outside lane to discover it
Excellent addition to this series from Glynn,it will be along six months waiting to find out about the wormhole-I I fancy Oliver in the outside lane to discover it
Read
October 2, 2025More to come. Great characters interesting plot. Start at. Beginning
October 5, 2025
Loved this book! Great parallel narratives and interesting new characters.
October 5, 2025
Top Notch
I can always depend on Glynn Stewart writing a complex interesting novel. It flows and I always want more. I can depend on his stories to be good every time.
I can always depend on Glynn Stewart writing a complex interesting novel. It flows and I always want more. I can depend on his stories to be good every time.
October 6, 2025
3.5 stars, rounding up because this did *not* go how I expected and I finished in one gulp reading until 7:30 am.
October 17, 2025
Another great book.
Great characters. Great story line. Glenn has again created a universe I can't get enough of. Can't wait on the next one.
Great characters. Great story line. Glenn has again created a universe I can't get enough of. Can't wait on the next one.
October 25, 2025
Good tie up of the main story. I know there will be another book. can't wait.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews