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The Light of Terra #3
Imperium Defiant
The enemy promises conflict and annihilation.
Their allies threaten betrayal and devastation, a daughter of Earth raises the call of defiance and the Imperium has never knelt!
When the Taljzi’s genocidal invasion brought promises of aid from the oldest and greatest of the Core Powers, humanity and the Imperium looked to the Mesharom for salvation. But that salvation turns to ash as the Mesharom demand the surrender of the very weapons that saved the Imperium.
Defiance leaves the Imperium facing the Taljzi without the aid of the Galaxy’s wisest race, but with their old enemies the Kanzi at their side, they have no choice but to end this war at any cost, but Mesharom and Taljzi alike have scattered fire and death across the stars. The Imperial forces under Fleet Lord Harriet Tanaka will need every scrap of firepower and cleverness not only to defeat their enemies…but to find them in the first place.
Read by Hillary Huber.
Their allies threaten betrayal and devastation, a daughter of Earth raises the call of defiance and the Imperium has never knelt!
When the Taljzi’s genocidal invasion brought promises of aid from the oldest and greatest of the Core Powers, humanity and the Imperium looked to the Mesharom for salvation. But that salvation turns to ash as the Mesharom demand the surrender of the very weapons that saved the Imperium.
Defiance leaves the Imperium facing the Taljzi without the aid of the Galaxy’s wisest race, but with their old enemies the Kanzi at their side, they have no choice but to end this war at any cost, but Mesharom and Taljzi alike have scattered fire and death across the stars. The Imperial forces under Fleet Lord Harriet Tanaka will need every scrap of firepower and cleverness not only to defeat their enemies…but to find them in the first place.
Read by Hillary Huber.
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2019
916 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Glynn Stewart
115 books1,750 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 61 reviews
May 10, 2021
Excellent!
September 17, 2019
Hard to Give a 4.
A note: I received a copy of this book in advance of it's release in exchange for a truthful review.
I would have bought the book anyway...I buy all of Glynn's work because he is a stellar writer.
That being said, I didn't feel the same thrill with this book as I have with the others. It's still a solid work, and a must read (especially since it ties up this portion of the series nicely) - it just didn't hit all the marks for 5 stars.
Things I Loved:
-Smooth flow (never wanted to put it down or felt I needed a break)
-Same characters I have enjoyed
-Exciting new technology
-Perfect plot twists (you don't see them coming even though you KNOW Glynn is always going to write them in)
-Great sci-fi setting as usual
-I love rooting for the underdog, and in this series, Earth was definitely the underdog
-New characters were interesting
Things I Didn't Love:
-No character growth (the characters that have been part of the series from the start are just the same as ever, it felt)
-New characters didn't get a lot of "screen time"
-Getting just a little tired of all the space battles, it feels like it always comes down to prior preparation and who has the better tech...which obviously will be a lot of it, but I get bored. With the Stellar Fox (different series of Glynn's that you should DEFINITELY READ if you haven't already) Glynn made the space battles more balanced between preparation and ingenuity. Yes there is a space battle in this book that involves some smart thinking on one character's part but it felt more like a side note than it should have. Maybe the problem is that character has too many jobs and has to admin their ideas instead of actually putting hands on...
-The fact that I've had to put this much thought into the character dilemmas! Ok, I didn't HAVE to, and it kinda speaks to how much I love the characters and Glynn's writing in general that I AM overthinking it...but frankly, a 5 star book wouldn't require this much work! 🤣
As it is, if you haven't read the series, start from the beginning (though you wouldn't necessarily need to). It is worth it, because nothing Mr. Stewart writes is sub par. I still can't wait for the next book!!!
A note: I received a copy of this book in advance of it's release in exchange for a truthful review.
I would have bought the book anyway...I buy all of Glynn's work because he is a stellar writer.
That being said, I didn't feel the same thrill with this book as I have with the others. It's still a solid work, and a must read (especially since it ties up this portion of the series nicely) - it just didn't hit all the marks for 5 stars.
Things I Loved:
-Smooth flow (never wanted to put it down or felt I needed a break)
-Same characters I have enjoyed
-Exciting new technology
-Perfect plot twists (you don't see them coming even though you KNOW Glynn is always going to write them in)
-Great sci-fi setting as usual
-I love rooting for the underdog, and in this series, Earth was definitely the underdog
-New characters were interesting
Things I Didn't Love:
-No character growth (the characters that have been part of the series from the start are just the same as ever, it felt)
-New characters didn't get a lot of "screen time"
-Getting just a little tired of all the space battles, it feels like it always comes down to prior preparation and who has the better tech...which obviously will be a lot of it, but I get bored. With the Stellar Fox (different series of Glynn's that you should DEFINITELY READ if you haven't already) Glynn made the space battles more balanced between preparation and ingenuity. Yes there is a space battle in this book that involves some smart thinking on one character's part but it felt more like a side note than it should have. Maybe the problem is that character has too many jobs and has to admin their ideas instead of actually putting hands on...
-The fact that I've had to put this much thought into the character dilemmas! Ok, I didn't HAVE to, and it kinda speaks to how much I love the characters and Glynn's writing in general that I AM overthinking it...but frankly, a 5 star book wouldn't require this much work! 🤣
As it is, if you haven't read the series, start from the beginning (though you wouldn't necessarily need to). It is worth it, because nothing Mr. Stewart writes is sub par. I still can't wait for the next book!!!
July 20, 2022
THE DUCHY OF TERRA series continues on with some big climatic changes to the setting as conflict between the Duchy of Terra, its allies, and the genocidal cloned religious cultists who want to wipe out all bipedal life different than themselves. Humanity has managed to advance its technology considerably, to the point it may soon threaten the Core Races, but this is less of a conflict than the realization their allies will kill billions to make sure that the clone threat is "contained."
I felt this was a bit of an anticlimax after all the buildup but was otherwise a really strong story. I love Morgan Casimir as the protagonist and think she's a great character who actually exceeds Annette from the original books.
I felt this was a bit of an anticlimax after all the buildup but was otherwise a really strong story. I love Morgan Casimir as the protagonist and think she's a great character who actually exceeds Annette from the original books.
April 18, 2020
This was a decent story, but quite surprisingly I didn't find it easy to get into. It started well, but then it became quite 'bitty' and I could only read it in short bursts. There seemed to be excessive reference to the number and size of ships, fleets, squadrons etc.
The later part of the story did get easier to read and I enjoyed the lead up to the main battle. However I wasn't as impressed with this fight, which degenerated into a slugfest, basically documenting how many missiles were fired, which ships disintegrated and how many were dying. I much prefer my space battles to rely on clever creative tactics rather than weight of weapons.
I noticed a few reviewers criticised the author for including the relationship between Morgan and Victoria, but I thought this introduced a little character development that is so often missing in many SciFi books and I am happy for my SciFi to include personal relationships.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
The later part of the story did get easier to read and I enjoyed the lead up to the main battle. However I wasn't as impressed with this fight, which degenerated into a slugfest, basically documenting how many missiles were fired, which ships disintegrated and how many were dying. I much prefer my space battles to rely on clever creative tactics rather than weight of weapons.
I noticed a few reviewers criticised the author for including the relationship between Morgan and Victoria, but I thought this introduced a little character development that is so often missing in many SciFi books and I am happy for my SciFi to include personal relationships.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
September 19, 2019
Wow
Absolutely amazing story!!! I couldn't put it down once I started it!! Truly an amazing universe you've created Glynn Stewart!!!!!!
Absolutely amazing story!!! I couldn't put it down once I started it!! Truly an amazing universe you've created Glynn Stewart!!!!!!
November 26, 2020
This side series is better than bonds original one. There's slightly more character development but it's like giving a starving person half a candy bar. You aren't really solving the main issue now, are you? I keep thinking that the world is going to widen out. The lore is going to expand. I'm going ot care more. In ways, there are certain times where it jerks me in just the right way that I start. Then they hop back in the train before finishing the thought out and expanding and ride away. Your life with this. Welp serves me right for thinking that this storytelling style is going to change. I like stories with a blazing pace. I enjoy clear action-filled rides but stakes are some of the most important things to build when making that work. There are cheat states example john wick people always care about puppies dying. You can shoot a puppy and no matter what people are going to care. But by the time we get to the second john wick movie he has a new puppy and we care about that puppy not just because it's a puppy but because we finally understand what that puppy respects to john. We get stakes and we get built stakes. Even though it's thin stakes and it's a super fastpace action movie. Yes, the earth being in trouble matters but sell us on bond, sell us on morgan, sell us on your earth do the work man.
March 1, 2022
A massive coalition armada has assembled to go after genocidal terrorists who are using dangerous and incredibly powerful weapons. Will they be able to withstand internal squabbling (several different interstellar empires are involved), track down their enemy, and neutralize the threat once and for all?
This is the culmination of Stewart's second trilogy, and also the culmination of the "each book has to have BIGGER and MORE EPIC space battles!!!" Upping the stakes ad infinitum does get a bit old to me...I enjoyed the smaller-scale, not as much the "thousands upon thousands of ships" thing. I find the battles are vaguer and less immersive that way, and they struggle to hold my attention. I'm very "character focused" rather than spectacle-focused.
That said, I enjoyed Cawl in this book particularly, and how differently the Core Powers approached possible solutions than the Arm Powers. The Mesharom and the Laians (not the Exiles, though I like them too) have been good additions to Stewart's cast.
Will be interested to see where Stewart goes from here. Hopefully it dials back a bit for the space battles.
This is the culmination of Stewart's second trilogy, and also the culmination of the "each book has to have BIGGER and MORE EPIC space battles!!!" Upping the stakes ad infinitum does get a bit old to me...I enjoyed the smaller-scale, not as much the "thousands upon thousands of ships" thing. I find the battles are vaguer and less immersive that way, and they struggle to hold my attention. I'm very "character focused" rather than spectacle-focused.
That said, I enjoyed Cawl in this book particularly, and how differently the Core Powers approached possible solutions than the Arm Powers. The Mesharom and the Laians (not the Exiles, though I like them too) have been good additions to Stewart's cast.
Will be interested to see where Stewart goes from here. Hopefully it dials back a bit for the space battles.
Read
June 14, 2025I very much enjoyed this book. It had a romance arc, a galaxy-threatened arc, and enemies working together to confront a greater enemy arc.
As always, Stewart writes diverse characters and species that all have some characteristic the reader can relate to. This isn't a heavy sci-fi that gets into how every nut and bolt is connected to make a space ship work, but it does provide enough technology and scientific context for sci-fi-ish problems to arise and the different species to have different biological constraints (what they can eat, what they can tolerate in terms of living conditions, etc.)
There's nuance and big picture, and there are some amazing true sci-fi features like a 63km wide ship.
A great read all around.
As always, Stewart writes diverse characters and species that all have some characteristic the reader can relate to. This isn't a heavy sci-fi that gets into how every nut and bolt is connected to make a space ship work, but it does provide enough technology and scientific context for sci-fi-ish problems to arise and the different species to have different biological constraints (what they can eat, what they can tolerate in terms of living conditions, etc.)
There's nuance and big picture, and there are some amazing true sci-fi features like a 63km wide ship.
A great read all around.
September 12, 2020
Summary: Space opera/ Military SF with big battles and lots of alien species, interesting technology and a captivating style and story line. there's plenty of weaknesses as well but I enjoyed this book, highly recommended. Continues from book 2, more of the same
Plotline: Simple plot really based around the premise
Premise: Complex with multiple species, good, bad and different
Writing: The reader is right there in the action. Good set of main characters as well
Ending: Weaker than the previous books, but satisfying
Pace: Never a dull moment!
Plotline: Simple plot really based around the premise
Premise: Complex with multiple species, good, bad and different
Writing: The reader is right there in the action. Good set of main characters as well
Ending: Weaker than the previous books, but satisfying
Pace: Never a dull moment!
May 7, 2020
Typical Glenn Stewart
I'm a fan of Glenn Stewart. This is not hardcore science fiction but more like space melodrama. If you have liked his previous books, you will like this. If you want something where Newtonian physics are completely adhered to, you need to go somewhere else.
I'm a fan of Glenn Stewart. This is not hardcore science fiction but more like space melodrama. If you have liked his previous books, you will like this. If you want something where Newtonian physics are completely adhered to, you need to go somewhere else.
September 16, 2023
More Personal
I really love Morgan as a character. We get to see more of the day to day in fleet life in this book, in addition to the usual high intensity fleet battles. We also see more of the personal costs of decisions made, and I'm really looking forward to learning even more about the Kanzi and how those new problems sort out.
I really love Morgan as a character. We get to see more of the day to day in fleet life in this book, in addition to the usual high intensity fleet battles. We also see more of the personal costs of decisions made, and I'm really looking forward to learning even more about the Kanzi and how those new problems sort out.
March 30, 2020
Nice to see the series continue. Will be interesting to see where it goes after this one though. Most military scifi fans should enjoy this one, though it was a bit long, it was a pretty decent read.
March 31, 2020
Excellent novel.
This is another excellent novel in this series. The characters are wonderful and carried forward from the last book in the series. The space battles are truly epic in proportion. The story has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
This is another excellent novel in this series. The characters are wonderful and carried forward from the last book in the series. The space battles are truly epic in proportion. The story has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
December 3, 2020
Too much emphasis is being placed on alternative life styles . It should not be the brightest light, just another light in the sky.
I do not have 20 more words, just take them as their given . Am was is by it to
I do not have 20 more words, just take them as their given . Am was is by it to
December 14, 2020
Good story!
So this is six of eight and the main enemy has been stopped. But there will always be some idiots that want more without working for it. Here and now we call them democrats. They cannot build or make, they just take. And justify it with "my fair share".
So this is six of eight and the main enemy has been stopped. But there will always be some idiots that want more without working for it. Here and now we call them democrats. They cannot build or make, they just take. And justify it with "my fair share".
November 2, 2021
Good demi conclusion to this space opera,
Good book of heavy space war. Tempered with the touchy feely human interest but where are the babies? I'd
Like to know what's going on with twins.
Good book of heavy space war. Tempered with the touchy feely human interest but where are the babies? I'd
Like to know what's going on with twins.
April 13, 2025
(Spoilers) I will continue with this series, but it is illogical that a fleet would accept millions of casualties assaulting the enemy stronghold when they could have just destroyed the star system with little to no loss of life.
Also, please quit the oversuse of "lover." Cringe.
Also, please quit the oversuse of "lover." Cringe.
May 27, 2020
Great installment of the series. The adventure continues with lots of action and the mysterious core powers finally begin to give up some secrets. A very enjoyable read.
June 1, 2020
Outstanding story and I recommend listening to this book!
August 4, 2020
Good read, an outstanding follow up to a very interesting series.
October 12, 2020
Good continuation of the story, and not bad for a story in itself. Plenty of surprises in technology, but personal relationships are minimal and stilted.
November 19, 2020
Great atory.
Had all the feels and wrapped up the arc well. I'm happy that the focus moved on to a new MC for this arc.
Had all the feels and wrapped up the arc well. I'm happy that the focus moved on to a new MC for this arc.
January 22, 2021
I really hate the F word, the story is great except that word!
June 12, 2021
For me it was a good read!
I am really enjoying this series and the space action plus the political players are what made it fun. A fan!
I am really enjoying this series and the space action plus the political players are what made it fun. A fan!
February 19, 2023
Very good!
May 30, 2023
Too much military action and not enough personal interactions for me. Not a bad book, just personal taste.
Read
December 1, 2024I've now read all the books in the series and they are all brilliant. I'd definitely recommend them.
December 31, 2024
Classic military sci-fi with some really good plot devices. Stewart continues to deliver solid tales in a familiar universe.
June 10, 2025
The Saga Continues
Book 6 of 9 is now read and I'm still enjoying the series. I continue to be surprised in the story line. I think you will be too.
Book 6 of 9 is now read and I'm still enjoying the series. I continue to be surprised in the story line. I think you will be too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews