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Starship’s Mage #4
Alien Arcana
An alien ruin
A murdered archeologist
An ancient secret—and a conspiracy that will kill to keep it!
When a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes.
His investigation is interrupted when a mysterious ship attacks the ruins with weapons only available to the Martian Navy. Despite saving the dig site, Montgomery is left with more questions than answers.
His investigations reveal questions about the origin of his magic and his nation—and lead him back to the one place that should be safe: the court of the Mage-King of Mars.
A murdered archeologist
An ancient secret—and a conspiracy that will kill to keep it!
When a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes.
His investigation is interrupted when a mysterious ship attacks the ruins with weapons only available to the Martian Navy. Despite saving the dig site, Montgomery is left with more questions than answers.
His investigations reveal questions about the origin of his magic and his nation—and lead him back to the one place that should be safe: the court of the Mage-King of Mars.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2016
1423 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Glynn Stewart
115 books1,749 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 157 reviews
June 19, 2017
I really wanted to like this book because because while the series was never revolutionary it still offered solid entertainment and a lot of interesting ideas.
But while this book continues to provide well written action scenes (and a mostly interesting and believable world building) it has a number of serious flaws that prevented me from truly enjoying it.
The most serious flaw is that the central plot/storyline is simply stupid and makes less sense the more it progresses - it starts interestingly enough with a murder investigation and an attack by a mysterious,shadowy organization but the more the plot/the investigation progresses the less believable it becomes. Once Damien survives the initial attack and makes his report I simply don't see any way how "the secret" will remain a secret - no matter how many people the shadowy organization kills/subverts. The inevitable betrayal is also foreshadowed badly enough that I suspect any experienced reader will see the "flags" within seconds of the characters being introduced. I could continue this list of grievances if not for the fear of spoiling what little story there is, sufficient to say that it was a real let-down after the interesting plots and antagonists of the last two books. ( I mean why not simply continue with the Legatus conspiracy? - that one actually worked and made some sense!)
Speaking of characters, Damien continues to often feel and act like a teenager/young man while being portrayed as a thirty year old mage who enjoys the confidence of the Mage King. Some "maturity" would be welcome in my opinion though I admit that this can vary from reader to reader. The rest of the cast remains pale, often one-dimensional and in dire need of some flaws to flesh them out.
And the less said about the ending the better - nothing gets answered, Damien "suddenly" develops a case of idealism that wasn't there over the last two books (and supports if with one of the most stupid arguments I have ever seen). It is perhaps the fitting end to a book whose quality goes down if with every new page.
But while this book continues to provide well written action scenes (and a mostly interesting and believable world building) it has a number of serious flaws that prevented me from truly enjoying it.
The most serious flaw is that the central plot/storyline is simply stupid and makes less sense the more it progresses - it starts interestingly enough with a murder investigation and an attack by a mysterious,shadowy organization but the more the plot/the investigation progresses the less believable it becomes. Once Damien survives the initial attack and makes his report I simply don't see any way how "the secret" will remain a secret - no matter how many people the shadowy organization kills/subverts. The inevitable betrayal is also foreshadowed badly enough that I suspect any experienced reader will see the "flags" within seconds of the characters being introduced. I could continue this list of grievances if not for the fear of spoiling what little story there is, sufficient to say that it was a real let-down after the interesting plots and antagonists of the last two books. ( I mean why not simply continue with the Legatus conspiracy? - that one actually worked and made some sense!)
Speaking of characters, Damien continues to often feel and act like a teenager/young man while being portrayed as a thirty year old mage who enjoys the confidence of the Mage King. Some "maturity" would be welcome in my opinion though I admit that this can vary from reader to reader. The rest of the cast remains pale, often one-dimensional and in dire need of some flaws to flesh them out.
And the less said about the ending the better - nothing gets answered, Damien "suddenly" develops a case of idealism that wasn't there over the last two books (and supports if with one of the most stupid arguments I have ever seen). It is perhaps the fitting end to a book whose quality goes down if with every new page.
October 24, 2021
ALIEN ARCANA is an interesting twist on the adventures of Damien Montgomery. Rather than continuing the usual adventures of him handling high level diplomatic crises as well as the treason of Legatus, the UnArcana world, it has him investigating a murder conducted at a set of alien ruins. Once there, Damien finds himself under assault from a secret conspiracy that has existed in the Martian Protectorate since it's beginning.
I liked this investigation and the dealing with a fanatical cult as an alternative to the usual foes. I also liked Damien's brief romance before the inevitable twist with it. On the other hand, I kind of wish we'd gotten more answers about what the Keepers are.
I liked this investigation and the dealing with a fanatical cult as an alternative to the usual foes. I also liked Damien's brief romance before the inevitable twist with it. On the other hand, I kind of wish we'd gotten more answers about what the Keepers are.
October 25, 2018
Twist!
A good political twist in a sci-fi story, already filled with action!!! Yes give more of it! Onto devouring the fifth book! :)
A good political twist in a sci-fi story, already filled with action!!! Yes give more of it! Onto devouring the fifth book! :)
April 3, 2022
Lacking
Spoilers ahead
I found this book lacking in its motivations. Damien when he met winton didn't even fully talk with the old man before he started throwing him around. And ndosi - I saw her from a mile away as to what she was. And I didn't feel any tension during the fight between her and Damien.
In the past few novels, the only time I had felt something was for alaura stealy dying so helplessly. I mean there would have been a story there had she not been killed off.
Hopefully the next book would be better.
Spoilers ahead
I found this book lacking in its motivations. Damien when he met winton didn't even fully talk with the old man before he started throwing him around. And ndosi - I saw her from a mile away as to what she was. And I didn't feel any tension during the fight between her and Damien.
In the past few novels, the only time I had felt something was for alaura stealy dying so helplessly. I mean there would have been a story there had she not been killed off.
Hopefully the next book would be better.
September 10, 2020
I’m really not sure where this storyline has come from, before starting the book I assumed that Damien would be continuing with investigating the ‘Legatus’ fuelled problems. However in parts it was an interesting investigation even though the ‘Keepers’ were totally illogical, the author tried to cover this by suggesting the keepers themselves were betrayed, but it just added to the frustration of the story that ended with absolutely no resolution.
I presume there is a plan behind all this mystery, but it can be quite frustrating when you finish a book even more puzzled than when you start it. If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
I presume there is a plan behind all this mystery, but it can be quite frustrating when you finish a book even more puzzled than when you start it. If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
March 27, 2019
Audio book version.
Damian can't catch a break. A fairly simple seeming murder investigation uncovers a vast, old conspiracy, which is perfectly willing to rack up the body count for their cause. With few to trust, the Hand is forced to sneak around, attacked when he should be safe, facing a hidden and determined foe in those that once were his allies.
Another action packed adventure, full of space battles, combat magic, argumentative politics, and deception. At the end, Damian faces a battle which might be even more dangerous.
Damian can't catch a break. A fairly simple seeming murder investigation uncovers a vast, old conspiracy, which is perfectly willing to rack up the body count for their cause. With few to trust, the Hand is forced to sneak around, attacked when he should be safe, facing a hidden and determined foe in those that once were his allies.
Another action packed adventure, full of space battles, combat magic, argumentative politics, and deception. At the end, Damian faces a battle which might be even more dangerous.
May 6, 2018
3.5
Kind of predictable turn although I think it still has potential to be unique in the overall outcome.
The copy editing is improving but still poor enough to pull me out of the story.
Kind of predictable turn although I think it still has potential to be unique in the overall outcome.
The copy editing is improving but still poor enough to pull me out of the story.
March 26, 2023
Riktigt spännande.
Historien handlar i princip om upptäckandet av artefakter två gånger - först artefakterna av en glömd historia, därefter artefakterna efterlämnade av den fiendekonspiration som sett till att historien var glömd. Ett tema är frågan om vad som är politiskt ansvarsfullt: att hålla på information eller sprida den?
Om man är något slags nörd åt något håll, så kommer man förmodligen uppskatta boken.
Historien handlar i princip om upptäckandet av artefakter två gånger - först artefakterna av en glömd historia, därefter artefakterna efterlämnade av den fiendekonspiration som sett till att historien var glömd. Ett tema är frågan om vad som är politiskt ansvarsfullt: att hålla på information eller sprida den?
Om man är något slags nörd åt något håll, så kommer man förmodligen uppskatta boken.
September 16, 2016
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***
I found this book to be fast paced and gripping. I virtually ignored the world to read this book in one sitting. The story was interesting and complex and kept me glued to the page.
My first thoughts on finishing this book, aside from "wow", was "No!" which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the ending. The other was "exactly how short is Damien?".
I have since read the book again and whilst my feelings about the ending remain the same, Damien's height didn't seem as commented upon when reading the book in spaced sections. (Although I would like to remark to the author that we're four books in to the series and by now we know that Damien isn't the tallest of men.)
The writing and story are both of a quality standard and the characters have developed as time and experience has impacted on them. It was nice to see more of the Royal family and see Damien interact with all of them. Until this book we had mostly avoided politics associated with Damien's position and not really seen other Hands. This book gave us something of a glimpse of the politics and also the diversity in attitude between the Hands.
I was very glad that the author has originality when it comes to secondary character progression. I was very worried early on that the "cop movie" stereotype was going to come in to play and was dreading it. I should have trusted the author. We also get to meet new characters and they get to play a significant role and as a result we get to know them and their history quite a bit better.
Overall this book is a quality addition to the series. I am hoping the next book continues to follow some of the storylines set out in this one and taking us further in discovery.
I have already purchased a copy of this book as whilst I really enjoy getting to read the book early, I want to support the author because I really want more books. I'm now eagerly awaiting further books in this series and others by the author.
*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***
I found this book to be fast paced and gripping. I virtually ignored the world to read this book in one sitting. The story was interesting and complex and kept me glued to the page.
My first thoughts on finishing this book, aside from "wow", was "No!" which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the ending. The other was "exactly how short is Damien?".
I have since read the book again and whilst my feelings about the ending remain the same, Damien's height didn't seem as commented upon when reading the book in spaced sections. (Although I would like to remark to the author that we're four books in to the series and by now we know that Damien isn't the tallest of men.)
The writing and story are both of a quality standard and the characters have developed as time and experience has impacted on them. It was nice to see more of the Royal family and see Damien interact with all of them. Until this book we had mostly avoided politics associated with Damien's position and not really seen other Hands. This book gave us something of a glimpse of the politics and also the diversity in attitude between the Hands.
I was very glad that the author has originality when it comes to secondary character progression. I was very worried early on that the "cop movie" stereotype was going to come in to play and was dreading it. I should have trusted the author. We also get to meet new characters and they get to play a significant role and as a result we get to know them and their history quite a bit better.
Overall this book is a quality addition to the series. I am hoping the next book continues to follow some of the storylines set out in this one and taking us further in discovery.
I have already purchased a copy of this book as whilst I really enjoy getting to read the book early, I want to support the author because I really want more books. I'm now eagerly awaiting further books in this series and others by the author.
May 29, 2020
Two and a half stars. This was such a clunky, unnecessarily convoluted read, I found my mind wandering off a lot as I listened to the audiobook. Too many meetings, scenes with people formally greeting each other or walking through ships or corridors, and silly plot holes/characters doing dumb things. Like Damien telling Ngosi the details of his secret mission simply because he’d slept with her a couple of times and she was a Hand. This just didn’t make sense for someone in his position to do.
Also, there’s a lot of awkward language. There are lines where the word ‘open’ for example, is used three times in the one sentence. This is just one example. I don’t expect perfect literature, and I like Damien and the world that Stewart has built, but this book does have me rethinking whether I want to continue with the series.
Also, there’s a lot of awkward language. There are lines where the word ‘open’ for example, is used three times in the one sentence. This is just one example. I don’t expect perfect literature, and I like Damien and the world that Stewart has built, but this book does have me rethinking whether I want to continue with the series.
November 5, 2016
I was happily surprised about a release of Alien Arcana in an audiobook edition. Have to admit, really fantastic surprise! Anyway it was my pleasure to listen to Mage Damien Montgomery's new investigation murder case, which lead him into the shadows and secrets of Mars. Great work! The main storyline was fast paced and gripping for the entire time, I loved it whole!!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WORK!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WORK!
April 8, 2019
In general, of this series and author...
So, Glynn Stewart has some pretty good stories and a world he's delved into that catches my attention, that I have appreciated for it's freshness and approach. There are many glaring issues that definitely keep him from being a favorite author or one I would want to take notes from or consider beyond a passing good author.
There are many times in many of his books where he has very nonsensical, nonsequiter or otherwise completely out of place and contradicting sentences. Things that are very jarring to any flow, as though it were copy pasted and forgotten to be reviewed and edited properly.
Another issue is the constant interjections of the author's voice that completely wipes out the character's personality which perspective we are viewing things from to be supplanted by that author voice instead of a well made internal narrative of the individual. All in all, this makes for uninteresting characters that are bland and have no real drive beyond what the author forces them to do. The most glaring inappropriate use of narrative and author voice are the constant exclamatory interjections in the middle of a standard non-internal narrative description of a situation. It was painful in book 2 of this series with it's frequency and how jarring it was, ripping the reader from building their own versions of the characters that all really lacked much of any internal dialogue, everyone reading almost identically to one another, all in the voice of Glynn Stewart, instead of the voice of the character that was being developed. The only character that seemed to actually have a different voice was Amiri, brief and few and far between as her parts were in the last 2 books.
A lot of the sections of the books also come across as clearly having hit some deadline, as I scratch my head trying to recall any of the strings of information laid out before that could possibly lead Damien to conclusions that he just suddenly, MASSIVELY leapt to without, well, any reason to have.
I just finished book 5 and am finding the glaringly obvious and painful things to be less frequent, though the internal dialogue, expression, development and character or psychology of almost all characters is very stilted as yet. Bland, really. Not compelling at all, unfortunately. There are many incongruities as well. But all in all the series is driven by quite an interesting approach to the dynamics of quasi-realistic sense of time to actual space combat, limitations of technology and how we could approach it, even if many of the descriptions of it fail to anchor any meaningfulness in scale because of rapid switching between metric and astrometrics, and, frankly, staggeringly improbable development of laser technology for range... I mean, lasers instantaneous at metal vaporizing capability from 100,000 km away, or 45,000 mi away... that range is insane. Beyond insane. That is more than 5 Earth's in range. Most of the time it feels like Glynn is pulling random numbers out of hats for how many km he wants these weapons to reach and their effectiveness, only really maintaining consistency within the particular book, sometimes within the particular battle.
Despite the absurdities of weapons ranges and velocities and effectiveness compared to every other work I have ever read or watched, the story itself still remains compelling enough to keep me going through, and how well Glynn is able to develop and craft suspenseful moments. Even if far too many of them are just... impossibly sequenced to being extremely absurd, since, as we know, real life comes together messy no matter how expert and skilled anyone is at anything, fiction should still reflect that.
My final bone to pick, and this one is relatively minor, but constantly knocks me out of immersement and destroys suspension of disbelief. Other than Damien's distinct lack of ant human resembling characteristics and traits of anyone I have met in my considerable travels and experiences, is the complete lack of a realistic scope of time for the esteem, reputation, and expertise lavished on him. With just 1 year having held the job, talking about things constantly the way most people talk about 20 years is just painful to read and go through. Having been in the military, well, 6 months to a year is just enough to get a few watches qualified. Mastery? That takes half a decade per skill. And acting like the 6 months to a year Amiri worked with Damien as though it were decades? More groaning. It's like Jack Bower, of 24 were in space and each day were happening back to back to back and he was 25 the whole time, then realizing some ridiculousness, add a year... For all the intense effort to go into the details of just how much time it takes to do anything on the interstellar theater, Glynn super compacts everything into an impossibly narrow time frame when he truly could have just placed years of unwritten context between each book to explain rapport, loyalty, familiarity and skill that are impossible.
So, Glynn Stewart has some pretty good stories and a world he's delved into that catches my attention, that I have appreciated for it's freshness and approach. There are many glaring issues that definitely keep him from being a favorite author or one I would want to take notes from or consider beyond a passing good author.
There are many times in many of his books where he has very nonsensical, nonsequiter or otherwise completely out of place and contradicting sentences. Things that are very jarring to any flow, as though it were copy pasted and forgotten to be reviewed and edited properly.
Another issue is the constant interjections of the author's voice that completely wipes out the character's personality which perspective we are viewing things from to be supplanted by that author voice instead of a well made internal narrative of the individual. All in all, this makes for uninteresting characters that are bland and have no real drive beyond what the author forces them to do. The most glaring inappropriate use of narrative and author voice are the constant exclamatory interjections in the middle of a standard non-internal narrative description of a situation. It was painful in book 2 of this series with it's frequency and how jarring it was, ripping the reader from building their own versions of the characters that all really lacked much of any internal dialogue, everyone reading almost identically to one another, all in the voice of Glynn Stewart, instead of the voice of the character that was being developed. The only character that seemed to actually have a different voice was Amiri, brief and few and far between as her parts were in the last 2 books.
A lot of the sections of the books also come across as clearly having hit some deadline, as I scratch my head trying to recall any of the strings of information laid out before that could possibly lead Damien to conclusions that he just suddenly, MASSIVELY leapt to without, well, any reason to have.
I just finished book 5 and am finding the glaringly obvious and painful things to be less frequent, though the internal dialogue, expression, development and character or psychology of almost all characters is very stilted as yet. Bland, really. Not compelling at all, unfortunately. There are many incongruities as well. But all in all the series is driven by quite an interesting approach to the dynamics of quasi-realistic sense of time to actual space combat, limitations of technology and how we could approach it, even if many of the descriptions of it fail to anchor any meaningfulness in scale because of rapid switching between metric and astrometrics, and, frankly, staggeringly improbable development of laser technology for range... I mean, lasers instantaneous at metal vaporizing capability from 100,000 km away, or 45,000 mi away... that range is insane. Beyond insane. That is more than 5 Earth's in range. Most of the time it feels like Glynn is pulling random numbers out of hats for how many km he wants these weapons to reach and their effectiveness, only really maintaining consistency within the particular book, sometimes within the particular battle.
Despite the absurdities of weapons ranges and velocities and effectiveness compared to every other work I have ever read or watched, the story itself still remains compelling enough to keep me going through, and how well Glynn is able to develop and craft suspenseful moments. Even if far too many of them are just... impossibly sequenced to being extremely absurd, since, as we know, real life comes together messy no matter how expert and skilled anyone is at anything, fiction should still reflect that.
My final bone to pick, and this one is relatively minor, but constantly knocks me out of immersement and destroys suspension of disbelief. Other than Damien's distinct lack of ant human resembling characteristics and traits of anyone I have met in my considerable travels and experiences, is the complete lack of a realistic scope of time for the esteem, reputation, and expertise lavished on him. With just 1 year having held the job, talking about things constantly the way most people talk about 20 years is just painful to read and go through. Having been in the military, well, 6 months to a year is just enough to get a few watches qualified. Mastery? That takes half a decade per skill. And acting like the 6 months to a year Amiri worked with Damien as though it were decades? More groaning. It's like Jack Bower, of 24 were in space and each day were happening back to back to back and he was 25 the whole time, then realizing some ridiculousness, add a year... For all the intense effort to go into the details of just how much time it takes to do anything on the interstellar theater, Glynn super compacts everything into an impossibly narrow time frame when he truly could have just placed years of unwritten context between each book to explain rapport, loyalty, familiarity and skill that are impossible.
November 24, 2017
While the first novel in the starship mage series could be considered a space opera, it quickly devolved into Hand Damien Montgomery being drawn into one conspiracy after another. In the second book he had to bring down a corrupt planet government and in the third he had to stop a war between two planets. Though this planet pointed to a conspiracy probably at the hands of the Unarcana world Legatus. By stopping this crisis Damien stopped a far greater conflict that could potentially have drawn in the entire Protectorate.
The fourth book starts almost immediately were the third book left off, but it doesn’t continue the Legatus conspiracy. Instead Damien is called in to investigate a murder case at an archeological dig on an alien planet. The case doesn’t actually require a hand, but since Damien is on vacation nearby and they need a rune scribe, he takes on the job. It wouldn’t be Damien if he didn’t immediately uncover a conspiracy of epic proportions. There is an Order within Mars calling themselves the Keepers, who apparently were created by the first Mage-King and tasked with guarding the secret of magic‘s origin (and probably something with the Eugenics experiments, which is only hinted at in the book). They will stop at absolutely nothing to keep those secrets.
The book is the usual mix between breathtaking action sequences and investigations. If you liked the first three books, you will like this one. Though compared to the last three, this is one is a little more focused on the investigations part. There are battles, but these aren’t on quite the epic scale as the ones in the other books. There are only two attacks with fatalities in this book, which range somewhere in the lower hundreds instead of tens of thousands of casualties. I actually liked that.
As usual Damien shows what a badass he is, this time by stopping a missile attack from space through his magic. Interestingly enough he uses his magic more subtly this time around. There is still frequent mention of his diminutive size or how before the Runes of Power he was just an average mage (which I could do without), but in book 3 you almost got the impression that he also wasn’t a very good mage and that he basically uses brute force to overcome most obstacles. Him using his power in a more subtle way, made him actually more of a force to reckon with. Also very positive.
Chasing the Keepers follows the classic trope of not being able to trust anybody, because the Organisation has infiltrated all of Mars including the Hands. As their intent isn‘t to overthrow Mars in any way, instead they wish to keep a secret, which they believe would destroy everything the Mage-Kings have build, they are very hard to find. Because as long as you don’t threaten this secret, they won’t reveal themselves. As if poor Damien wasn’t paranoid enough. While I liked this storyline, the age old ‚the enemy is always two steps ahead‘ cliche can be a little annoying. Though I have to say it is actually not that bad in this book.
Overall this is another great entry in the series. On a final note: I normally don’t comment on language. You can probably tell that I am not a native speaker and while I might notice some things, I don’t have enough confidence in my grasp of the English language to actually pass judgment. However, this book could have done with some editing. There is one scene in the beginning that was particularly jarring. Damien and one the MIS agents are searching the room of the deceased for clues. In a single paragraph the phrase ‚neatly organized‘ was mentioned three times. And there are quite a few scenes like that throughout the book. Since I never read through my reviews there are probably quite a few mistakes here as well, but this is a reader review instead of a published book.
The fourth book starts almost immediately were the third book left off, but it doesn’t continue the Legatus conspiracy. Instead Damien is called in to investigate a murder case at an archeological dig on an alien planet. The case doesn’t actually require a hand, but since Damien is on vacation nearby and they need a rune scribe, he takes on the job. It wouldn’t be Damien if he didn’t immediately uncover a conspiracy of epic proportions. There is an Order within Mars calling themselves the Keepers, who apparently were created by the first Mage-King and tasked with guarding the secret of magic‘s origin (and probably something with the Eugenics experiments, which is only hinted at in the book). They will stop at absolutely nothing to keep those secrets.
The book is the usual mix between breathtaking action sequences and investigations. If you liked the first three books, you will like this one. Though compared to the last three, this is one is a little more focused on the investigations part. There are battles, but these aren’t on quite the epic scale as the ones in the other books. There are only two attacks with fatalities in this book, which range somewhere in the lower hundreds instead of tens of thousands of casualties. I actually liked that.
As usual Damien shows what a badass he is, this time by stopping a missile attack from space through his magic. Interestingly enough he uses his magic more subtly this time around. There is still frequent mention of his diminutive size or how before the Runes of Power he was just an average mage (which I could do without), but in book 3 you almost got the impression that he also wasn’t a very good mage and that he basically uses brute force to overcome most obstacles. Him using his power in a more subtle way, made him actually more of a force to reckon with. Also very positive.
Chasing the Keepers follows the classic trope of not being able to trust anybody, because the Organisation has infiltrated all of Mars including the Hands. As their intent isn‘t to overthrow Mars in any way, instead they wish to keep a secret, which they believe would destroy everything the Mage-Kings have build, they are very hard to find. Because as long as you don’t threaten this secret, they won’t reveal themselves. As if poor Damien wasn’t paranoid enough. While I liked this storyline, the age old ‚the enemy is always two steps ahead‘ cliche can be a little annoying. Though I have to say it is actually not that bad in this book.
Overall this is another great entry in the series. On a final note: I normally don’t comment on language. You can probably tell that I am not a native speaker and while I might notice some things, I don’t have enough confidence in my grasp of the English language to actually pass judgment. However, this book could have done with some editing. There is one scene in the beginning that was particularly jarring. Damien and one the MIS agents are searching the room of the deceased for clues. In a single paragraph the phrase ‚neatly organized‘ was mentioned three times. And there are quite a few scenes like that throughout the book. Since I never read through my reviews there are probably quite a few mistakes here as well, but this is a reader review instead of a published book.
February 14, 2019
Up until this point I have been giving the Starship's Mage books 3 stars. And I haven't bothered to review them up until now because, honestly, they have been pretty boring. Their audiobooks were available through my local library's Hoopla, so I have played them during my commute to and from work just because they have some nice imagery of magic and starship battles.
"Alien Arcana" finally stepped up the series' game.
Damian Montgomery is the protagonist, just as he has been for the previous three installments. He is a "mage by right," meaning that he is one of the rare humans to develop mage talent from the general population instead of coming from a well-defined mage family. He is also a "runewright," meaning that he can read magic. Most mages are like computer programmers who just copy and paste code text without understanding it, but Damian can actually understand every bit of runic script he comes across.
"Alien Arcana" follows a murder investigation, but it quickly becomes more than that. A professor is murdered within the first chapter as part of a conspiracy's coverup. The breadth and depth of the conspiracy is explored for the rest of the plot. There is also a somewhat inexplicable side-character in the form of a juvenile delinquent teenage girl Damian tries to help out. Her sub-plot is baffling in its brevity, making you wonder why the author bothered with her at all.
Usually this series leaves me a little cold because it's so... Military fantasy. Book after book describes the class of ship that Damian is piloting or fighting, or the missiles launched during space battle, or... Something else like that. I would typically prefer an engaging plot about genetic experimentation, or learning how to use one's powers, or discovering alien civilizations. And finally, with book 4, "Starship's Mage" introduces some of those concepts. There is the barest hint of romance, but otherwise it's just a more engaging installment than any of the previous books.
"Alien Arcana" finally stepped up the series' game.
Damian Montgomery is the protagonist, just as he has been for the previous three installments. He is a "mage by right," meaning that he is one of the rare humans to develop mage talent from the general population instead of coming from a well-defined mage family. He is also a "runewright," meaning that he can read magic. Most mages are like computer programmers who just copy and paste code text without understanding it, but Damian can actually understand every bit of runic script he comes across.
"Alien Arcana" follows a murder investigation, but it quickly becomes more than that. A professor is murdered within the first chapter as part of a conspiracy's coverup. The breadth and depth of the conspiracy is explored for the rest of the plot. There is also a somewhat inexplicable side-character in the form of a juvenile delinquent teenage girl Damian tries to help out. Her sub-plot is baffling in its brevity, making you wonder why the author bothered with her at all.
Usually this series leaves me a little cold because it's so... Military fantasy. Book after book describes the class of ship that Damian is piloting or fighting, or the missiles launched during space battle, or... Something else like that. I would typically prefer an engaging plot about genetic experimentation, or learning how to use one's powers, or discovering alien civilizations. And finally, with book 4, "Starship's Mage" introduces some of those concepts. There is the barest hint of romance, but otherwise it's just a more engaging installment than any of the previous books.
January 19, 2020
This isn't really a review as I haven't actually finished the book yet, although I have enjoyed all of the books so far, including this one. Mainly I have a question I'd like to ask the author. Why does he depict Chinese as dark skinned?
I lived in Taiwan for 2 years. I've been married to my husband, who is Chinese, for 56 years and he is from a very large family. I have always been around multitudes of Chinese and the only ones I have ever seen who could possibly be described as anywhere near to 'dark-skinned' are those whose lives kept them outdoors a great deal of the time in hot weather. And there aren't many of those these days. I saw a picture one day of an extremely large crowd of Chinese on a Shanghai beach and noted they looked pallid to an unhealthy degree.
Even people such as my grandson-in-law-to-be who was born in Pakistan (grew up in the US), refers to himself as brown and can be called dark-skinned. I have never in my life seen a Chinese as dark as him.
So I have to say, your method of assessing others' skin coloring is seriously erroneous. For the majority of Chinese, I'd say, off the top of my head, at least 90%, probably more like 98%, are as light as any white person. The only REAL difference is that the skin is a little thicker. Due to this the skin allows no blood to show through and produces a golden effect. So, is there a reason why you describe, at least the last Chinese character, and it seems like there was another, as dark-skinned?
I lived in Taiwan for 2 years. I've been married to my husband, who is Chinese, for 56 years and he is from a very large family. I have always been around multitudes of Chinese and the only ones I have ever seen who could possibly be described as anywhere near to 'dark-skinned' are those whose lives kept them outdoors a great deal of the time in hot weather. And there aren't many of those these days. I saw a picture one day of an extremely large crowd of Chinese on a Shanghai beach and noted they looked pallid to an unhealthy degree.
Even people such as my grandson-in-law-to-be who was born in Pakistan (grew up in the US), refers to himself as brown and can be called dark-skinned. I have never in my life seen a Chinese as dark as him.
So I have to say, your method of assessing others' skin coloring is seriously erroneous. For the majority of Chinese, I'd say, off the top of my head, at least 90%, probably more like 98%, are as light as any white person. The only REAL difference is that the skin is a little thicker. Due to this the skin allows no blood to show through and produces a golden effect. So, is there a reason why you describe, at least the last Chinese character, and it seems like there was another, as dark-skinned?
October 2, 2017
Another fabulous book in Glynn Stewart's Starship's Mage series! Damien is enjoying his first vacation in years when the King calls to send him on a murder investigation at an archaeological dig site. A prominent professor has been killed, apparently by another mage, and his body found among the most important discovery in centuries. Expecting this to be a fairly easy case to work when compared to keeping the peace or preventing interplanetary war, Damien cuts his vacation short and boards the newly repaired Battlecruiser, The Duke of Magnificence.
The Hubster and I are still trying to pick our jaws up off the floor after some intense battle scenes and a major conspiracy theory that could cost Damien everything he holds dear. I liked that we got to see Damien interact with the King and his family, specifically the two children. It revealed another side of Damien that we hadn't seen before and gave me a little hint at a possible connection between David Rice, a jump mage killed in the line of duty, and the case Damien is working now. Most of you know that The Hubster and I hate major cliffhangers and this book has a biggie, but we are fortunate that the next book was released on audio in August 2017. Whew! Close call!
As usual, we continue to recommend this author and especially the Starship's Mage series to all Science Fiction and Space Opera fans.
The Hubster and I are still trying to pick our jaws up off the floor after some intense battle scenes and a major conspiracy theory that could cost Damien everything he holds dear. I liked that we got to see Damien interact with the King and his family, specifically the two children. It revealed another side of Damien that we hadn't seen before and gave me a little hint at a possible connection between David Rice, a jump mage killed in the line of duty, and the case Damien is working now. Most of you know that The Hubster and I hate major cliffhangers and this book has a biggie, but we are fortunate that the next book was released on audio in August 2017. Whew! Close call!
As usual, we continue to recommend this author and especially the Starship's Mage series to all Science Fiction and Space Opera fans.
September 13, 2021
The rating really depends on your expectations -- and if you've read any of the previous three books in the series, and are fine with the old-fashioned, somewhat simplistic nature of the books, the four stars make sense.
But if you're looking for modern sci-fi, with a little more bite than good guys and villains, a little more subtlety than the protagonist overcoming incredible odds several times, then three stars would work for you.
For me, though, "Alien Arcana" and the series are almost like palate cleansers, light and pleasant diversions that don't demand too much and yet still satisfy. And in this book, Glynn Stewart adds another layer of mystery to the story of Damien Montgomery, a powerful mage from a poor background, as aliens enter the heretofore human-dominated picture of an interstellar space conrolled by the king of Mars.
This new wrinkle promises a little more depth and texture in future volumes, but my guess is that regardless, Montgomery will continue to perform individual feats of derring-do involving serious magic, and the pages will still turn without too much investment of emotional or intellectual energy.
And sometimes, you know, that's a good thing.
But if you're looking for modern sci-fi, with a little more bite than good guys and villains, a little more subtlety than the protagonist overcoming incredible odds several times, then three stars would work for you.
For me, though, "Alien Arcana" and the series are almost like palate cleansers, light and pleasant diversions that don't demand too much and yet still satisfy. And in this book, Glynn Stewart adds another layer of mystery to the story of Damien Montgomery, a powerful mage from a poor background, as aliens enter the heretofore human-dominated picture of an interstellar space conrolled by the king of Mars.
This new wrinkle promises a little more depth and texture in future volumes, but my guess is that regardless, Montgomery will continue to perform individual feats of derring-do involving serious magic, and the pages will still turn without too much investment of emotional or intellectual energy.
And sometimes, you know, that's a good thing.
May 30, 2022
Science-fantasy with space opera and mages
Every now and again, I look for a very different book from the crime fiction and nonfiction that I usually read. I do read SF and UF, but a starship AND a mage? I didn’t see that coming. This book is fourth in an ongoing series, but I often read fiction out of order. I like the idea of an advanced civilization without FTL tech, so mages use magic—and their own powers—to jump their starship.
This book opens on an archeological site, when one of the researchers—and the only mage present—is murdered by magic. The victim AND his killer are named. Aaaaargggh! There went the whodunnit. I almost stopped reading. But the setting was intriguing, and the characters introduced thus far were well-developed. I also wanted to know the why the victim had to be killed, so I kept reading. As the mystery progresses, it becomes clearer that a vast conspiracy is in play.
Unfortunately, soon after the investigator arrived, I had a suspect. Later, I spotted another suspect as soon as they were introduced. However, this was a read worthy of my time—which made me get the Kindle Unlimited version of the first book of this series. I now have a new author in Glynn Stewart and his quick-read SF-Fantasy series.
Every now and again, I look for a very different book from the crime fiction and nonfiction that I usually read. I do read SF and UF, but a starship AND a mage? I didn’t see that coming. This book is fourth in an ongoing series, but I often read fiction out of order. I like the idea of an advanced civilization without FTL tech, so mages use magic—and their own powers—to jump their starship.
This book opens on an archeological site, when one of the researchers—and the only mage present—is murdered by magic. The victim AND his killer are named. Aaaaargggh! There went the whodunnit. I almost stopped reading. But the setting was intriguing, and the characters introduced thus far were well-developed. I also wanted to know the why the victim had to be killed, so I kept reading. As the mystery progresses, it becomes clearer that a vast conspiracy is in play.
Unfortunately, soon after the investigator arrived, I had a suspect. Later, I spotted another suspect as soon as they were introduced. However, this was a read worthy of my time—which made me get the Kindle Unlimited version of the first book of this series. I now have a new author in Glynn Stewart and his quick-read SF-Fantasy series.
July 13, 2020
As seems to be fairly consistent with Stewart's writing I finished the book in a single sitting. I might nitpick a little but with what was damn near two stories in one book he did the pacing incredibly well and they flowed seamlessly into each other. Not a lot of fat to trim here.
This is still a fun smaller scale sci fi that is basically 40k lite. The wit is solid, the character is satisfyingly powerful and we even got to watch him flex his nerd cred a little more, though still not in the profoundly satisfying way that resonated with me so much in book 1.
The universe is growing here, and growing in a way that I think that could keep the 'verse running for some time exploring all the nooks and crannies, but sadly the characters themselves havent grown since book 2. They are all quite firmly established and at this point.. its like a high level RPG game, the characters arent really growing that much anymore and instead the focus is on these extremely powerful individuals solving the big problems. I have to say that watching the main character go all out was fantastically delivered, but I still would have liked to see more character here.
This is still a fun smaller scale sci fi that is basically 40k lite. The wit is solid, the character is satisfyingly powerful and we even got to watch him flex his nerd cred a little more, though still not in the profoundly satisfying way that resonated with me so much in book 1.
The universe is growing here, and growing in a way that I think that could keep the 'verse running for some time exploring all the nooks and crannies, but sadly the characters themselves havent grown since book 2. They are all quite firmly established and at this point.. its like a high level RPG game, the characters arent really growing that much anymore and instead the focus is on these extremely powerful individuals solving the big problems. I have to say that watching the main character go all out was fantastically delivered, but I still would have liked to see more character here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2019
God these books are just so damn good. The first two in the series start out simple enough with just slight hints at the main story line. Then with the third you are introduced to it fully. Now in the fourth it is in full effect and action is non stop.
The storylines are simple and yet complex. Overall it is just really well done. It is also nice to see Damien let go and really let his magic fly outside of a space battle. You never really get the full amount of his power until this book and it is great. It is also a nice change to have most of the book take place planet side instead of on a ship.
At the end we are not really given much in the way of answers for the series plot. We learn a lot through the book, but what we learn isn't really resolved. I would have liked to have more at the end, but since there are still two more books I can't be too upset.
Overall this is the best book in the series. I seem to think that at the end of every book. I just hope that pattern holed's for the last books in the series. This is a solid read either way.
The storylines are simple and yet complex. Overall it is just really well done. It is also nice to see Damien let go and really let his magic fly outside of a space battle. You never really get the full amount of his power until this book and it is great. It is also a nice change to have most of the book take place planet side instead of on a ship.
At the end we are not really given much in the way of answers for the series plot. We learn a lot through the book, but what we learn isn't really resolved. I would have liked to have more at the end, but since there are still two more books I can't be too upset.
Overall this is the best book in the series. I seem to think that at the end of every book. I just hope that pattern holed's for the last books in the series. This is a solid read either way.
September 21, 2017
Before you read this one, please note it is the fourth book in a series: you need to have read the first three books or this one won’t make much sense to you. Similar to the previous books in the series there is a lot of action and conflict and a now seasoned Montgomery faces some desperate characters and situations. The author has an engaging writing style and makes you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action. Once again you’re left wanting a little more once you finish the book, which is both good and frustrating.
I hit the wrong button and purchased this for $4.99 vs. using my Kindle Unlimited borrow: oops for me, but I received more than $4.99 in entertainment value out of this one. If you enjoyed the first three books in the series I’d recommend you giving this one a try, and I’m ready for a continuation of the series.
I hit the wrong button and purchased this for $4.99 vs. using my Kindle Unlimited borrow: oops for me, but I received more than $4.99 in entertainment value out of this one. If you enjoyed the first three books in the series I’d recommend you giving this one a try, and I’m ready for a continuation of the series.
February 5, 2024
This book series has been amazing, descriptive, action-packed, mysterious, and, in some parts funny, with moralistic characters, political turmoil, magical aspects, and space adventures. This book was no less wonderfully written. The characters have strong morals; even in difficult situations, they work together, cooperate with each other, save people, and help people. Alien Arcana contained the perfect amount of action and peace. The story starts with Damien being on vacation, only to hear of the murder of an archaeologist and professor on Andala; this murder investigation (Damien's now "working vacation") turns into the investigation of a conspiracy based in Sol — and Damien can no longer trust anyone.
My only complaint about this book is that it doesn't have many strong three-dimensional women.
Overall a wonderful read!
- Echo (they/them) ⚧️
My only complaint about this book is that it doesn't have many strong three-dimensional women.
Overall a wonderful read!
- Echo (they/them) ⚧️
January 22, 2017
I liked this book, but I liked the previous two in the series better. This book starts with Damien called in for a murder investigation and progresses to a massive conspiracy. Damien keeps getting attacked when he should be completely safe by people trying to do a cover up on what he discovers.
***possible spoilers***
It bothered me that there were SO many people involved in this conspiracy and yet they were able to keep it secret long-term. I find it a stretch to believe that a huge number of people and resources could be involved and no one from the outside suspect anything. Especially with no one asking questions at the number of suspicious deaths there would have to have been as part of the cover up.
Maybe this will all get resolved in the next book.
***possible spoilers***
It bothered me that there were SO many people involved in this conspiracy and yet they were able to keep it secret long-term. I find it a stretch to believe that a huge number of people and resources could be involved and no one from the outside suspect anything. Especially with no one asking questions at the number of suspicious deaths there would have to have been as part of the cover up.
Maybe this will all get resolved in the next book.
February 22, 2024
I still love all the characters, but I didn’t love where this one went and actually put it down for a little bit. (I didn’t put the previous one down at all). I’d enjoyed the quick, entertaining quality and the good battle scenes.
I don’t love when sci fi battle opera becomes more political secret society everywhere. This particular secret society and how pervasive it was just wasn’t believable either. The foreshadowing of what’s to come with Damien is also disappointing. But there are a lot more books in the series, so I will hope it turns around in the next book.
Still, I love the characters.
I don’t love when sci fi battle opera becomes more political secret society everywhere. This particular secret society and how pervasive it was just wasn’t believable either. The foreshadowing of what’s to come with Damien is also disappointing. But there are a lot more books in the series, so I will hope it turns around in the next book.
Still, I love the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2016
A brilliant read in the best tradition of Science Fantasy.
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.
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.
March 2, 2020
10/10: There is no comparison...This is the Mona Lisa of the fictional world!
“You speak for Mars,” the Hand said quietly, “and I will obey.”
Still addicted to this world, these characters, and this story. Four books in and I'm giving another 10/10 on the NBRS which is unheard of!
I am so into this series!
With a deep inhalation and a surge of magic, Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, blew the doors apart and strode into the lair of his enemy.
“You speak for Mars,” the Hand said quietly, “and I will obey.”
Still addicted to this world, these characters, and this story. Four books in and I'm giving another 10/10 on the NBRS which is unheard of!
I am so into this series!
With a deep inhalation and a surge of magic, Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, blew the doors apart and strode into the lair of his enemy.
March 22, 2023
At some point in this series, will we ever learn why the Mage is so short and/or why the author keeps constantly reminding us of this fact? Three times in the first three chapters and a fourth time later in the book. While this is down from the previous novels, it is still too often.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, the book was entertaining with an interesting development on Mars. Runes are discovered on the walls of a cave that hold secrets hidden for years. But someone doesn’t want that discovery out. Just who is behind it? That’s what The Hand of the Mage wants to find out.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, the book was entertaining with an interesting development on Mars. Runes are discovered on the walls of a cave that hold secrets hidden for years. But someone doesn’t want that discovery out. Just who is behind it? That’s what The Hand of the Mage wants to find out.
April 17, 2023
2 stars and a bit
Yet another good story adversely affected by cut-and-paste lazy writing and the excessive use of italics. The author's beta readers really need to up the ante on this, it's not acceptable to simply say 'yes, I like it' or 'no, I don't'. You're part of the writer's editing team, and your responsibility is to help move the writing from merely okay to 'wow, I really want to read this again'.
I still enjoy the mix of genres, though, and the plot basis is good enough for me to keep on reading, so I suppose there's that.
Yet another good story adversely affected by cut-and-paste lazy writing and the excessive use of italics. The author's beta readers really need to up the ante on this, it's not acceptable to simply say 'yes, I like it' or 'no, I don't'. You're part of the writer's editing team, and your responsibility is to help move the writing from merely okay to 'wow, I really want to read this again'.
I still enjoy the mix of genres, though, and the plot basis is good enough for me to keep on reading, so I suppose there's that.
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