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Star Mage Saga #4
Mercenary Mage
Do mercenaries and mages mix?
Carina Lin has fought torturers, vengeful clans and the forces of darkness to free her mage family, but her fight is not over yet.
She returns to the planet where she discovered clues to mage history and lore, hoping to find the way back to Earth and a new home.
But waiting for her is the clan she escaped, and they want nothing more than to enslave the mages and use them as weapons in never-ending clan warfare.
She enlists the help of her old mercenary band, the Black Dogs, for protection and to uncover the ancient secrets she seeks. Battle-hardened men and women must work with the pampered adolescent mages, and Carina is torn between her old and new lives.
The evil clan is closing in. Can Carina find what she needs in time to escape to the stars?
- GenresScience Fiction
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2020
25 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
J.J. Green
106 books392 followersJ.J. Green is a British-Australian science fiction author with a lifelong love of distant landscapes, intriguing cultures and fascinating places. She was born within the sound of the bells of Mary-le-Bow church in Cheapside, London, making her a bona fide Cockney, and she lived in Australia, Laos and Taiwan before returning to the UK to settle down in Cambridge.
Green’s novels weave science-based speculation with richly personal stories. Her works explore themes of environmental degradation, political conflict, mythical resonance, human resilience, and the ethics of technology and expansion. Her characters—often strong women—navigate future worlds grounded in both scientific plausibility and mythic imagination.
Sign up to J.J. Green's reader group at jjgreenauthor.com
Green’s novels weave science-based speculation with richly personal stories. Her works explore themes of environmental degradation, political conflict, mythical resonance, human resilience, and the ethics of technology and expansion. Her characters—often strong women—navigate future worlds grounded in both scientific plausibility and mythic imagination.
Sign up to J.J. Green's reader group at jjgreenauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 30, 2020
The MERCENARY MAGE is the fourth installment in the Star Mage Saga series by JJ Green. The character and world building continues to grow until you find yourself cheering for these young mages to survive.
Carina Lin is working hard to keep her new found siblings together and out of harm's way, but everytime she thinks all is going well, someone attacks her and her family. The biggest problem is the intergalactic war between two rival clans that don't give a fig about anything or anyone except themselves. The clans also know about the mages and the capture of even one of the mages would swing the tide of war to that side. With both sides hunting them Carina doesn't know who to trust, but that won't stop her.
You will be reading long into the night to find out how or if they all survive the many trials and battles these young mages are forced to experience. Will any of them survive to find their true home, the mythical Earth in an unknown universe.
I suggest reading in order, starting with Star Mage Exile, the prequel, available for free if you sign up for JJ Green's newsletter, and it gives a lot of the background.
I did receive a copy of the story from the author. The above is my honest review.
Carina Lin is working hard to keep her new found siblings together and out of harm's way, but everytime she thinks all is going well, someone attacks her and her family. The biggest problem is the intergalactic war between two rival clans that don't give a fig about anything or anyone except themselves. The clans also know about the mages and the capture of even one of the mages would swing the tide of war to that side. With both sides hunting them Carina doesn't know who to trust, but that won't stop her.
You will be reading long into the night to find out how or if they all survive the many trials and battles these young mages are forced to experience. Will any of them survive to find their true home, the mythical Earth in an unknown universe.
I suggest reading in order, starting with Star Mage Exile, the prequel, available for free if you sign up for JJ Green's newsletter, and it gives a lot of the background.
I did receive a copy of the story from the author. The above is my honest review.
April 8, 2020
epub (via Patreon) 233 pages
Continuing Carina Lin's quest to find the home of the mages - she departs Pirine aboard the ship Zenobia with her siblings - including the despised Castiel, who had been helping the Dirksen squad chasing them. The ship she 'borrowed' proves to have a history - one that drives much of the action thereafter - and Castiel changes sides again onmore than one occasion...
By the end of this episode Carina has a clear idea of what she needs to do and how to achieve it - but there will no doubt be obstacles in her path.
The narrative is straightforward enough and the plot is clear, even for those (like me) who may not have read the immediately preceding volumes. Recommended.
Lengthy reading time caused by two days of not reading due to poking eye which hampered vision a bit!
Continuing Carina Lin's quest to find the home of the mages - she departs Pirine aboard the ship Zenobia with her siblings - including the despised Castiel, who had been helping the Dirksen squad chasing them. The ship she 'borrowed' proves to have a history - one that drives much of the action thereafter - and Castiel changes sides again onmore than one occasion...
By the end of this episode Carina has a clear idea of what she needs to do and how to achieve it - but there will no doubt be obstacles in her path.
The narrative is straightforward enough and the plot is clear, even for those (like me) who may not have read the immediately preceding volumes. Recommended.
Lengthy reading time caused by two days of not reading due to poking eye which hampered vision a bit!
March 25, 2020
Carina is still working hard to protect her siblings with some help from Bryce.
They steal a starship and leave that planet - only to find that Castiel has managed to stowaway in order to sabotage their escape. Unfortunately, it turns out that the craft belonged to a smuggler. Naturally, he's not happy.
As the story progresses, Carina draws in her mercenary ex-colleagues. They will get the smuggled goods from the craft if they help Carina and the group find the hidden papers about how to get to earth.
The story has lots of twists and life never runs smoothly.
JJ Green weaves a complex story so that you care about the characters and want things to turn out for the best.
ARC review
They steal a starship and leave that planet - only to find that Castiel has managed to stowaway in order to sabotage their escape. Unfortunately, it turns out that the craft belonged to a smuggler. Naturally, he's not happy.
As the story progresses, Carina draws in her mercenary ex-colleagues. They will get the smuggled goods from the craft if they help Carina and the group find the hidden papers about how to get to earth.
The story has lots of twists and life never runs smoothly.
JJ Green weaves a complex story so that you care about the characters and want things to turn out for the best.
ARC review
April 3, 2020
Wow, another really great book from JJ Green! I love her characters, world building, ideas for a future world - and this one has more excitement than some of the others. No sooner has the situation settled than Carina and her family are hit with another problem: capture, attack, fleeing ... you name it. I had a hard time putting this book down! (Well, actually, all of them are page-turners and wonderful books.) I would recommend starting the series at the beginning, or near it. Star Mage Exile is the prequel, available for free if you sign up for JJ Green's newsletter, and it gives a lot of the background.
June 20, 2020
Wow, another really great book from JJ Green! I love her characters, world building, ideas for a future world - and this one has more excitement than some of the others.
No sooner has the situation settled than Carina and her family are hit with another problem: capture, attack, fleeing ... you name it. I had a hard time putting this book down! (Well, actually, all of them are page-turners and wonderful books.) I would recommend starting the series at the beginning, or near it. Star Mage Exile is the prequel, available for free if you sign up for JJ Green's newsletter, and it gives a lot of the background.
No sooner has the situation settled than Carina and her family are hit with another problem: capture, attack, fleeing ... you name it. I had a hard time putting this book down! (Well, actually, all of them are page-turners and wonderful books.) I would recommend starting the series at the beginning, or near it. Star Mage Exile is the prequel, available for free if you sign up for JJ Green's newsletter, and it gives a lot of the background.
June 16, 2020
Another excellent addition to the series! I was surprised not to have Castiel's perspective this time, since we saw it often in the last novel, but I understand that it would have made certain plot twists less effective if we had access to his inner thoughts. Our adventurers had new obstacles to face and had to be creative to keep their freedom. There was, as usual, a fair amount of action and suspense. I highly recommend it, along with the whole series. You're not going to want to put it down!
February 17, 2024
3.25 stars.
Ok, Castiel is definitely a nasty little manchild. But I'm also finding Catrina getting a bit wishy washy as the series progresses, although there was a moment there towards the end. But I think Bryce is right about her regressing to her mercenary days with that particular incident. The family dynamics are changing, and not in a good way. Let's hope it gets better in the next book.
Ok, Castiel is definitely a nasty little manchild. But I'm also finding Catrina getting a bit wishy washy as the series progresses, although there was a moment there towards the end. But I think Bryce is right about her regressing to her mercenary days with that particular incident. The family dynamics are changing, and not in a good way. Let's hope it gets better in the next book.
April 2, 2020
Carina continues to search for a way to the legendary Earth.
Author J. J. Green again writes an exciting and action-packed tale of Carina Lin and her siblings' efforts to survive in a hostile universe. She is striving to find directions to the place where mage' originated. Check out this interesting saga. It is best read in conjunction with the two previous novels and the prequel. Recommended.
Author J. J. Green again writes an exciting and action-packed tale of Carina Lin and her siblings' efforts to survive in a hostile universe. She is striving to find directions to the place where mage' originated. Check out this interesting saga. It is best read in conjunction with the two previous novels and the prequel. Recommended.
March 28, 2020
JJ Green has done it again. She wrote a great book. I have read the Star Mage series. Each one is better than the last. Carina is one brave lady. She does her best to protect her family and friends Highly recommend this series
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December 20, 2022Not a bad continuation of the story. Was wondering how long it would take the main character to finally grow a backbone. Looks like she did in the final chapter... Good for her.
Looking forward to the next book.
Looking forward to the next book.
March 14, 2025
Top Notch Science Fiction!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews