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The Magitech Chronicles #4
War Mage
The Krox have finally reached their end game, and the sector will never be the same. Their relentless fleet darkens the skies of New Texas, home of the fabled Ternus shipyards. Their only hope lies with their sworn allies, the Shayans. But the Shayans refuse to help.
Only Aran and his company can keep their leadership alive long enough for Voria to bring reinforcements and the fabled Spellship. If they fail, the entire world burns, and Ternus morale will collapse with it.
But the war is merely a smokescreen for something much more sinister. Teodros, Guardian of Krox, plans to use the distraction to resurrect his dark father. If he is not stopped, Krox will live again.
Behind it all Talifax schemes, and Nara will pay the price.
Only Aran and his company can keep their leadership alive long enough for Voria to bring reinforcements and the fabled Spellship. If they fail, the entire world burns, and Ternus morale will collapse with it.
But the war is merely a smokescreen for something much more sinister. Teodros, Guardian of Krox, plans to use the distraction to resurrect his dark father. If he is not stopped, Krox will live again.
Behind it all Talifax schemes, and Nara will pay the price.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2018
156 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Chris Fox
87 books672 followersBy day I am an iPhone developer architecting the app used to scope Stephen Colbert’s ear. By night I am Batman. Ok maybe not. One can dream though, right?
I’ve been writing since I was six years old and started inflicting my work on others at age 18. By age 24 people stopped running away when I approached them with a new story and shortly thereafter I published my first one in the Rifter.
Wait you’re still reading?
Ok, the facts I’m supposed to list in a bio. As of this writing I’m 38 years old and live just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the beautiful town of Mill Valley. If you’re unsure how to find it just follow the smell of self-entitlement. Once you see the teens driving Teslas you’ll know you’re in the right place.
I live in a tiny studio that I can cross in (literally) five steps and don’t own an oven. But you know what? It’s worth it. I love developing iPhone apps and if you want to work in San Francisco you accept that rent for a tiny place costs more than most people’s mortgage.
If you and about 2 million other people start buying my books I promise to move out of Marin to a house in the redwoods up in Guerneville. No pressure. Wait that’s a lie. Pressure.
I’ve been writing since I was six years old and started inflicting my work on others at age 18. By age 24 people stopped running away when I approached them with a new story and shortly thereafter I published my first one in the Rifter.
Wait you’re still reading?
Ok, the facts I’m supposed to list in a bio. As of this writing I’m 38 years old and live just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the beautiful town of Mill Valley. If you’re unsure how to find it just follow the smell of self-entitlement. Once you see the teens driving Teslas you’ll know you’re in the right place.
I live in a tiny studio that I can cross in (literally) five steps and don’t own an oven. But you know what? It’s worth it. I love developing iPhone apps and if you want to work in San Francisco you accept that rent for a tiny place costs more than most people’s mortgage.
If you and about 2 million other people start buying my books I promise to move out of Marin to a house in the redwoods up in Guerneville. No pressure. Wait that’s a lie. Pressure.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 21, 2020
War Mage is the start of the second phase of this series really, it sees the change in all the major Characters from what they were in the starting books, to what they will be as the series moves into its latter stages.
Magitech is a brilliant series, a combination of in-depth technology, something Chris Fox does exceptionally well, and incredible magic, creating characters that not only have spell blades, and armour that uses magic, but spell rifles, pistols, all the way up to starship cannons that can cast amazing spells to both decimate and perform powerful magic on friend and foe alike. There are very few stories on the market that have the combination of Tech, Magic, and Rich Character Driven Storylines.
At the Fourth book in, the story is only getting better, and War Mage is full of so much action, adventure, plot lines and politics, that you will go blue during some chapters it is so utterly breathtaking.
The story picks up from Spellship, with Nara still reeling from her vision of killing Voria, and worse, meeting Nefarius’ Guardian, Talifax.
The story unfolds into a river of subplots, but the main plots being that the Krox have their eyes on Ternus, meaning to take them out of the fight once and for all.
Nebiat is causing chaos amongst the allies, and she has also found a new ally in the form of Frit and her Ifrit friends.
This is a really great story though, as we get to see Aran starting to come into his own, and it is clear that Aran is going to have a major part in the future of this story.
The development of Aran’s character is done exceptionally well, not allowing him to turn into a mindless barbarian, just hacking and slashing at anything. Instead, Aran has been developed into a strategist, thinking his plans through, taking council from those around him, and coming to conclusions based on all the information he has before taking a course of action that most often leaves his enemies a smoking pile of ruin. Aran has gone from this (quite literally), mind wiped nobody, to starting to be one of the most powerful characters in the series, as with each battle, he seems to gain access to a catalyst, or some new level of experience etc that makes him that much more powerful.
As usual, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but as Krox’s followers rally around the Ternus system to strike at the tech loving humans, Aran and his company rush to their aide. He has to hold off the forces long enough for Voria to arrive with the fabled Spellship, and hopefully save the day.
However, there are too many variables at play in this book, and those working for the forces of good, find that they are having a hard time of it.
This is a powerful story, one in which all the main characters must face their true inner demons if they are not just to win, but in this battle, it is just about survival as well. As with all of his writing, this is high action, gritty and talented storylines, that have thrilling battle scenes, that are so incredibly in-depth, it is like you are stood at the edge with a slow-motion camera so you don’t miss any of the truly amazing moves. Fox has managed to turn writing combat scenes into a fine art, and each of his battles is now a brilliant masterpiece that is just spectacular to behold.
War Mage is easily the best book in the series so far, but more than that, it is the stepping stone into the remainder of the series, in which we are going to see not just the return of further deities, but Men and Lesser Creatures elevated to the Realm of Deities, as the try to battle those that have come to lay waste to all that they have built.
And central to all of this, will be Aran, Nara, Voria, Frit, Crewes, Kazon, Nebiat, and those that are Gods, Nefarious, Krox, Talifax, Virkon, Inura, and even the legacy of Xal.
The first 3 books have been setting the stage, developing the characters, and getting us ready, War Mage finally sets the stakes as each side fights over Ternus, and from here, it only gets better, Now is the time to get on board one of the best series ever written.
Magitech is a brilliant series, a combination of in-depth technology, something Chris Fox does exceptionally well, and incredible magic, creating characters that not only have spell blades, and armour that uses magic, but spell rifles, pistols, all the way up to starship cannons that can cast amazing spells to both decimate and perform powerful magic on friend and foe alike. There are very few stories on the market that have the combination of Tech, Magic, and Rich Character Driven Storylines.
At the Fourth book in, the story is only getting better, and War Mage is full of so much action, adventure, plot lines and politics, that you will go blue during some chapters it is so utterly breathtaking.
The story picks up from Spellship, with Nara still reeling from her vision of killing Voria, and worse, meeting Nefarius’ Guardian, Talifax.
The story unfolds into a river of subplots, but the main plots being that the Krox have their eyes on Ternus, meaning to take them out of the fight once and for all.
Nebiat is causing chaos amongst the allies, and she has also found a new ally in the form of Frit and her Ifrit friends.
This is a really great story though, as we get to see Aran starting to come into his own, and it is clear that Aran is going to have a major part in the future of this story.
The development of Aran’s character is done exceptionally well, not allowing him to turn into a mindless barbarian, just hacking and slashing at anything. Instead, Aran has been developed into a strategist, thinking his plans through, taking council from those around him, and coming to conclusions based on all the information he has before taking a course of action that most often leaves his enemies a smoking pile of ruin. Aran has gone from this (quite literally), mind wiped nobody, to starting to be one of the most powerful characters in the series, as with each battle, he seems to gain access to a catalyst, or some new level of experience etc that makes him that much more powerful.
As usual, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but as Krox’s followers rally around the Ternus system to strike at the tech loving humans, Aran and his company rush to their aide. He has to hold off the forces long enough for Voria to arrive with the fabled Spellship, and hopefully save the day.
However, there are too many variables at play in this book, and those working for the forces of good, find that they are having a hard time of it.
This is a powerful story, one in which all the main characters must face their true inner demons if they are not just to win, but in this battle, it is just about survival as well. As with all of his writing, this is high action, gritty and talented storylines, that have thrilling battle scenes, that are so incredibly in-depth, it is like you are stood at the edge with a slow-motion camera so you don’t miss any of the truly amazing moves. Fox has managed to turn writing combat scenes into a fine art, and each of his battles is now a brilliant masterpiece that is just spectacular to behold.
War Mage is easily the best book in the series so far, but more than that, it is the stepping stone into the remainder of the series, in which we are going to see not just the return of further deities, but Men and Lesser Creatures elevated to the Realm of Deities, as the try to battle those that have come to lay waste to all that they have built.
And central to all of this, will be Aran, Nara, Voria, Frit, Crewes, Kazon, Nebiat, and those that are Gods, Nefarious, Krox, Talifax, Virkon, Inura, and even the legacy of Xal.
The first 3 books have been setting the stage, developing the characters, and getting us ready, War Mage finally sets the stakes as each side fights over Ternus, and from here, it only gets better, Now is the time to get on board one of the best series ever written.
October 24, 2020
This entry of author Chris Fox’s Magitech Chronicles opens with Skare about to meet a Guardian, before the action changes to Aran, who steps onto a fabled vessel known as the First Spellship, continuing to question his loyalty towards the Confederacy. Sure enough, Aran starts his own band of mercenaries, and interrogates Kheross about various matters. Aran ultimately plans a large operation, aiming for military bases such as Fort Crockett and battling rival vessels, and has a personal battle with Arkelion, the results of some of his missions made known in the news.
Nara, in the meanwhile, deals with a Wyrm attack, and is reluctant to meet Eros. She controls the vessel Talon, and yearns to visit a Zephyr research facility. Voria receives a significant amount of focus as well, becoming friends with Ikadra, the Krox in the meantime invading the New Texas colony. Thus, Voria seeks to familiarize herself with the controls of the First Spellship. The last few events in the story occur in Ternus space, with Nara glad to be in their captivity, and Nebiat ascending to godhood through supernatural means.
All in all, this entry definitely isn’t one of the finer moments of the Magitech Chronicles series, and stumbles often with regards to its slight character and perspective fatigue. I found it difficult to imagine the appearances of the various characters, particularly the draconic ones, as well. The mixture of science-fiction and fantasy definitely doesn’t work as well as it does in franchises such as Star Wars, it’s somewhat difficult to remember the important events of the novel, and I would only recommend this entry to those who truly enjoyed its precursors.
Nara, in the meanwhile, deals with a Wyrm attack, and is reluctant to meet Eros. She controls the vessel Talon, and yearns to visit a Zephyr research facility. Voria receives a significant amount of focus as well, becoming friends with Ikadra, the Krox in the meantime invading the New Texas colony. Thus, Voria seeks to familiarize herself with the controls of the First Spellship. The last few events in the story occur in Ternus space, with Nara glad to be in their captivity, and Nebiat ascending to godhood through supernatural means.
All in all, this entry definitely isn’t one of the finer moments of the Magitech Chronicles series, and stumbles often with regards to its slight character and perspective fatigue. I found it difficult to imagine the appearances of the various characters, particularly the draconic ones, as well. The mixture of science-fiction and fantasy definitely doesn’t work as well as it does in franchises such as Star Wars, it’s somewhat difficult to remember the important events of the novel, and I would only recommend this entry to those who truly enjoyed its precursors.
July 8, 2020
This was much better than the previous couple of books. Mainly because it had stakes.
This was the Empire Strikes Back of the series so far. The main characters are in real peril, and things don't go right for all of them. Nara's sub-plot was interesting, even though I didn't think the resolution was fantastic. I like Aran's story of going on a one-way mission and accidentally becoming a hero. I felt like Voria shined more in this than in the previous book (where she played board games). This time she made decisions, and some of them turned out to be wrong and had major consqequences.
In terms of other characters, I like the reporter. She seems grizzled, which fits in more with this universe than Wesley did from the last book. Nebiot had a plan that doesn't quite make sesne, but her ending leaves the next book exciting. Cuross was my favourite new character, a dragon joining Aran's team and everyone being uneasy around him. He is mysterious, being out of his time and all, and I hope we get more of him.
The book was a little bit heavy on Texas call-backs, and the prose was still a bit repetitive at points, but this was a definite uptick for me.
This was the Empire Strikes Back of the series so far. The main characters are in real peril, and things don't go right for all of them. Nara's sub-plot was interesting, even though I didn't think the resolution was fantastic. I like Aran's story of going on a one-way mission and accidentally becoming a hero. I felt like Voria shined more in this than in the previous book (where she played board games). This time she made decisions, and some of them turned out to be wrong and had major consqequences.
In terms of other characters, I like the reporter. She seems grizzled, which fits in more with this universe than Wesley did from the last book. Nebiot had a plan that doesn't quite make sesne, but her ending leaves the next book exciting. Cuross was my favourite new character, a dragon joining Aran's team and everyone being uneasy around him. He is mysterious, being out of his time and all, and I hope we get more of him.
The book was a little bit heavy on Texas call-backs, and the prose was still a bit repetitive at points, but this was a definite uptick for me.
April 3, 2020
I don't know if I'm unfair with the rating since I had a long gap between this book and the first three. I also read the two Magitech Legacy books in between and breaking the reading order was probably a bad thing since the writing is even better in his newer books.
(this was a great help for catching up: https://www.magitechchronicles.com/pr...)
Anyway, I felt that this book was on fast forward. Great action, but not great on character development (except Nara). The different plots also felt a bit confusing, but as I mentioned, this might be due to the fact it has been a while since reading the series.
(this was a great help for catching up: https://www.magitechchronicles.com/pr...)
Anyway, I felt that this book was on fast forward. Great action, but not great on character development (except Nara). The different plots also felt a bit confusing, but as I mentioned, this might be due to the fact it has been a while since reading the series.
August 27, 2018
This might be my favorite book in the series to date. The author's signature blend of science fiction, fantasy, and action is in full force here. He's created some excellent action set pieces and layered it with intricate plotting and continued development of his characters. I'm not sure how many installments this series will ultimately have, but this feels like a real turning point for the series. Events of this book end with huge implications for what's to come, and leaves the reader wanting more.
May 3, 2019
Chris Fox is on fire...
This was a reintroduction to me to the series. When I started reading there were inly three books out and I read them quickly. The writing I found charming and entertaining, but by the third book I felt it had become a little dry. But then I found this book and wow... Chris Fox not only reignited my fascination with his quirky and ever so sarcastic writing style but also re-invested me in the world his book has created! I cant wait to start the next one!
This was a reintroduction to me to the series. When I started reading there were inly three books out and I read them quickly. The writing I found charming and entertaining, but by the third book I felt it had become a little dry. But then I found this book and wow... Chris Fox not only reignited my fascination with his quirky and ever so sarcastic writing style but also re-invested me in the world his book has created! I cant wait to start the next one!
February 5, 2019
Everything starts to come to a head, with Voria and her team spread across the sector dealing with the different threats.
Lots going on in this book as the Krox try to bring their god back to life while attacking on multiple fronts. Tough decisions have to be made to get the right people in the right place.
As usual, the characters are all well written and have grown in powers and their behaviours since book 1.
Lots going on in this book as the Krox try to bring their god back to life while attacking on multiple fronts. Tough decisions have to be made to get the right people in the right place.
As usual, the characters are all well written and have grown in powers and their behaviours since book 1.
August 3, 2019
It's difficult to know what to say that isn't too spoilery. I enjoyed this book, though I do think I read the first four volumes too closely together, as I was a little burned out on the world by the end of this one. But it was fascinating to see where the personalities established throughout the preceding volumes led the characters. Each of them made the choices that were perfectly understandable for them, at the time they made them, and somehow, they still ended up at the "Well, poop" moment.
February 6, 2020
Another great entry into this series by Chris Fox. Every time I begin to suspect I'm getting tired of his story or characters, he does something intriguing or allows something significant to transpire that really changes things and it draws me in for more of this. I understand there are three more books in this series and I'm really curious to see how Fox lands this story. He's woven some pretty big concepts and themes into it.
March 13, 2024
More space dragons and risen gods fight a fractured space army and loving swords and ships. In other words, more of the same from the previous books as we inch closer to the end game. Nara is on her own in this one while she deals with the fallout from the previous book, no spoilers. If anything, I found it a half a step down from the last book, which was the peak of the series this far. Still, as previously stated, Chris Fox writes what I like to read. Simple as that.
February 27, 2019
Another great story!
As with previous entries, the dialogue could be better and the "spell level" designations are a bit annoying.
But apart from those relatively minor issues, the storyline is awesome, I love the development of the characters, and I can't wait to see where things are going, particularly with Nora's character!
As with previous entries, the dialogue could be better and the "spell level" designations are a bit annoying.
But apart from those relatively minor issues, the storyline is awesome, I love the development of the characters, and I can't wait to see where things are going, particularly with Nora's character!
August 22, 2018
Too complicated
Too little plot carried forward. The author seems to have lost his way. This volume seems to do too little and too much for what little it moved the story. I did not like this one. Perhaps the next will remedy this defect.
Too little plot carried forward. The author seems to have lost his way. This volume seems to do too little and too much for what little it moved the story. I did not like this one. Perhaps the next will remedy this defect.
August 23, 2018
Spellbinding!
More great action of Aran and co in their battlle against Krox. Still leaving you wanting more.The story which started off simply seems toleave more questions as it answers.
More great action of Aran and co in their battlle against Krox. Still leaving you wanting more.The story which started off simply seems toleave more questions as it answers.
September 23, 2018
Really love this series
My group is getting ready to play Rifts again. Starting my daughter and niece on Rifts next. We have them playing DnD already.
My group is getting ready to play Rifts again. Starting my daughter and niece on Rifts next. We have them playing DnD already.
September 30, 2019
A great adventure.
February 12, 2020
Great Read
I really can’t get enough of this series.I really hope that it is converted into a movie or tv show one day.
I really can’t get enough of this series.I really hope that it is converted into a movie or tv show one day.
November 11, 2020
I'm really enjoying this series. It's an interesting mix of the powered armor space marine theme and a magic using culture
May 10, 2025
there will be an inflation on Goddesses
September 12, 2025
Very meh. And wow I hate his recaps at the start.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews