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Judgment of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 5
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Series: Starship's Mage, Book 5
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
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Alien Arcana
- Starship's Mage Series, Book 4
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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A Strong Entry in the 'Starship's Mage' series
- By Langer on 2021-05-18
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Voice of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 3
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When accusations of piracy and mass murder are laid against his homeworld, Damien Montgomery is sent to resolve the crisis. As counteraccusations fly and an old flame reenters his life, the newest Hand of the Mage-King of Mars finds himself in the midst of a bloody interstellar shadow war. With the death toll mounting, Damien must decide whether he should trust the world he came from - or the world that asked for his help. The wrong choice will trigger a civil war that could shatter human civilization. No pressure.
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Excellent.. but that Narrator..
- By Langer on 2021-05-17
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Hand of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 2
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Three years ago, as ship's mage of the starship Blue Jay, Damien Montgomery was pursued to the edge of human space by both the agents and enemies of the mage -king of Mars before being brought in from the cold. Now, trained in new skills by the mage-king himself, Damien has been sent to the planet Ardennes alongside Alaura Stealey, hand of the king. A rebel movement there has destroyed cities fighting a governor seemingly lost to corruption. But not all on Ardennes is as it seems.
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Lost Opportunity..but Still Reasonably Good
- By Langer on 2021-05-16
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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UnArcana Stars
- A Starship's Mage Story
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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It has been over a year since the UnArcana Worlds of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars seceded, shattering the unity of the human race. The new Republic of Faith and Reason has raised new banners in defiance of the power of the Protectorate's Mage aristocracy. Now, Hand Damien Montgomery commands a relief mission to a Republic world ravaged by famine. His humanitarian mission collides with a newborn military beginning to flex its muscles - and a newborn nation prepared to accept no violations of its sovereignty, regardless of their needs.
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The Saga Continues..
- By Langer on 2021-05-20
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Sword of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 7
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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When the star system of Legatus was preparing to secede from the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars, it was the secret agents of the Legatan Military Intelligence Directorate that laid the groundwork and fought the covert war to make it happen. Now, as the open conflict draws to a bloody stalemate, LMID has been broken. Their leader is dead, murdered by agents of the Republic they helped birth. Their surviving agents have scattered, following a final protocol that orders them to defect to the Protectorate. An old friend brings all of this to Damien Montgomery.
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Starship's Mage Omnibus
- Starship's Mage Series #1
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Magi, Damien Montgomery is a newly graduated member of their number. With no family or connections to find a ship, he is forced into service on an interstellar freighter known to be hunted by pirates. When he takes drastic action to save the Blue Jay from their pursuers, he sets in motion a sequence of events beyond his control and attracts enemies on both sides of the law.
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Great book.
- By MKReads on 2019-05-22
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Alien Arcana
- Starship's Mage Series, Book 4
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
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A Strong Entry in the 'Starship's Mage' series
- By Langer on 2021-05-18
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Voice of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 3
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When accusations of piracy and mass murder are laid against his homeworld, Damien Montgomery is sent to resolve the crisis. As counteraccusations fly and an old flame reenters his life, the newest Hand of the Mage-King of Mars finds himself in the midst of a bloody interstellar shadow war. With the death toll mounting, Damien must decide whether he should trust the world he came from - or the world that asked for his help. The wrong choice will trigger a civil war that could shatter human civilization. No pressure.
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Excellent.. but that Narrator..
- By Langer on 2021-05-17
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Hand of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 2
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Three years ago, as ship's mage of the starship Blue Jay, Damien Montgomery was pursued to the edge of human space by both the agents and enemies of the mage -king of Mars before being brought in from the cold. Now, trained in new skills by the mage-king himself, Damien has been sent to the planet Ardennes alongside Alaura Stealey, hand of the king. A rebel movement there has destroyed cities fighting a governor seemingly lost to corruption. But not all on Ardennes is as it seems.
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Lost Opportunity..but Still Reasonably Good
- By Langer on 2021-05-16
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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UnArcana Stars
- A Starship's Mage Story
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It has been over a year since the UnArcana Worlds of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars seceded, shattering the unity of the human race. The new Republic of Faith and Reason has raised new banners in defiance of the power of the Protectorate's Mage aristocracy. Now, Hand Damien Montgomery commands a relief mission to a Republic world ravaged by famine. His humanitarian mission collides with a newborn military beginning to flex its muscles - and a newborn nation prepared to accept no violations of its sovereignty, regardless of their needs.
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The Saga Continues..
- By Langer on 2021-05-20
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Sword of Mars
- Starship's Mage, Book 7
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When the star system of Legatus was preparing to secede from the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars, it was the secret agents of the Legatan Military Intelligence Directorate that laid the groundwork and fought the covert war to make it happen. Now, as the open conflict draws to a bloody stalemate, LMID has been broken. Their leader is dead, murdered by agents of the Republic they helped birth. Their surviving agents have scattered, following a final protocol that orders them to defect to the Protectorate. An old friend brings all of this to Damien Montgomery.
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Starship's Mage Omnibus
- Starship's Mage Series #1
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Magi, Damien Montgomery is a newly graduated member of their number. With no family or connections to find a ship, he is forced into service on an interstellar freighter known to be hunted by pirates. When he takes drastic action to save the Blue Jay from their pursuers, he sets in motion a sequence of events beyond his control and attracts enemies on both sides of the law.
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Great book.
- By MKReads on 2019-05-22
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Mountain of Mars
- UnArcana Rebellion, Book 3; Starship's Mage, Book 8
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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As the celebration of the victory at Legatus cools, a shuttle accident claims the lives of the Mage-King of Mars and his heir. The Crown and the Mountain fall to the Mage-King’s daughter, 16-year-old Kiera Alexander. She recalls Damien Montgomery, her father’s First Hand, to stand as her Lord Regent. The pair are unprepared to govern but are thrust into the heart of Protectorate politics. Damien is grimly certain of one thing: when it comes to the deaths of Kings, he doesn’t believe in accidents.
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loved this series
- By John on 2020-09-15
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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The Service of Mars
- UnArcana Rebellions, Book 4 (Starship's Mage, Book 9)
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Secrets and warships combined to turn the tide of the Siege of Legatus, delivering the capital of the Republic of Faith and Reason into the hands of their enemies. With Damien Montgomery called away to lead the entire Protectorate of Mars, fighting the war falls to Mage-Admiral Jane Alexander and Mage-Lieutenant Roslyn Chambers. As the Martian Second Fleet moves against the remaining Republic worlds, Captain Kelly LaMonte’s covert stealth ship sweeps the worlds away from the conflict, searching for the Republic’s government-in-hiding and a chance to end the bloody conflict.
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AWESOME.
- By Bunty on 2021-01-12
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Beyond the Eyes of Mars
- Mage-Officer of Mars, Book 3
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Royal Martian Navy moved against reports of piracy in the Fringe Systems, the last thing Mage-Commander Roslyn Chambers expected was to find was a malignant remnant of the defeated Republic of Faith and Reason. Now the Royal Martian Navy knows their enemy and their Mage-Queen has charged them to bring the First Legion, conquerors of the hidden colonies beyond the Fringe, to justice. The Legion knows the RMN’s tricks, though, and has cleverly concealed their tracks.
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Another great book in a great series!
- By Read on 2022-04-05
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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A Darker Magic
- Mage-Officer of Mars, Book 1
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Two years ago, Lieutenant Commander Roslyn Chambers stood witness to the surrender of the last remnants of the Republic. Fueled by atrocity against Mage and mundane alike, the secessionists who waged war against the Protectorate of Mars are finally defeated. Now, a special commission from the Mage-Queen of Mars takes Roslyn deep into the former Republic to hunt the architects of that atrocity. Mages who betrayed their own, the creators of Project Prometheus must be brought to justice. But hidden from even the Republic, Prometheus has woven magic and technology together once more.
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Story is too short for a credit
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-05-27
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Mage-Commander
- Mage-Officer of Mars, Book 2
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Mage-Commander Roslyn Chambers has risen through the ranks of the Royal Martian Navy. Tempered on the anvil of the war against the secessionist UnArcana World and tested against the evil of Project Orpheus, she now serves as second-in-command of one of their most prestigious battlecruisers, Duke of Magnificence.
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Academic Magic
- The Last Magus, Book 2
- Written by: DB King
- Narrated by: Alex Knox
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Now that Alec and Eleira have learned how to use the Greater Elements, they must take the Royal Academy's entrance examination. What awaits them there is something neither could have anticipated: more magic, more friends, and more danger.
Written by: DB King
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The Peacekeeper Initiative
- Peacekeepers of Sol, Book 2
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
The Kenmiri Empire has fallen, broken against the might of the Vesheron rebels and the United Planets Space Force. The alliance between the Vesheron and the UPSF has collapsed in turn, leaving the former empire as worlds without governance or leaders. Amidst the chaos, the UPSF has launched a valiant effort to reach out to the weak and protect the defenseless. As part of the Peacekeeper Initiative, Colonel Henry Wong leads the battlecruiser Raven deep into once-hostile territory. There, an old ally has begun to forge a new empire from the old slave worlds.
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Duchess of Terra
- The Duchy of Terra, Book 2
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Terra knelt to an alien Imperium, they guaranteed our safety and our future. But now their enemies are coming for us. To preserve humanity's survival and freedom in a hostile galaxy, Annette Bond tied her world to the A!Tol Imperium, taking on the mantle of Duchess of Terra to rule humanity in the Imperium's name. The A!Tol have provided technology, ships, and money to uplift the new Duchy of Terra, but those gifts come with strings attached. The Imperium has their own plan for Terra - but Bond has tricks of her own.
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The story was captivating, narration was 10/10
- By Alexander Sivilla on 2022-06-15
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Child of a Mad God
- The Coven, Book 1
- Written by: R. A. Salvatore
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 18 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
From R. A. Salvatore, the legendary creator of Drizzt Do'Urden, comes the start of a brand new epic journey. When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home. The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe's coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price.
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Great story, poor ending choice
- By NesMD on 2018-09-04
Written by: R. A. Salvatore
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Rebels of Last World
- Chimera King, Book 1
- Written by: Atlas Kane
- Narrated by: Christopher Boucher, Jessica Threet
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Cade Clarke spends his last night on Earth drinking with an old army buddy. When he decides to risk his life to defend a gorgeous bartender, he pays the ultimate price. Resurrected to Antinium, Cade finds himself thrown into a world where the very rules of reality have shifted. He chooses a unique class, customizes his soul weapon, and levels up to unlock vital skills, traits and attributes points in order to survive. Cade’s chances for success are minimal, until he finds his destiny intertwined with a group of sexy women.
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harem lit RPG style and Atlas Kane
- By Ray McLellan on 2022-03-06
Written by: Atlas Kane
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The Terran Privateer
- The Duchy of Terra, Book 1
- Written by: Glynn Stewart
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Earth is conquered. Sol is lost. One ship is tasked to free them. One Captain to save them all. When an alien armada destroys the United Earth Space Force and takes control of the human homeworld, newly reinstated Captain Annette Bond must take her experimental hyperspace cruiser Tornado into exile as Terra's only interstellar privateer. She has inferior technology, crude maps, and no concept of her enemy, but the seedy underbelly of galactic society welcomes her so long as she has prizes to sell and money to spend.
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It was ok.
- By Frank on 2022-06-10
Written by: Glynn Stewart
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Reincarnation
- A Xianxia Cultivation Series (Threads of Fate, Book 1)
- Written by: Michael Head
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Jim was thrust back in time, returned to his body at the moment he started cultivating. Anyone else might have given up, but Jim doesn’t have that option. He’s already made the mistakes that doomed him in his first life, and he knows what to do to make it right. Jim wants to right the wrongs of the past...or future? All while a pair of angry gods torture him through lack of sleep.
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Pretty good
- By Arty on 2021-02-22
Written by: Michael Head
Publisher's Summary
The destruction of the secret archive of the Royal Order of Keepers on Mars has left Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King, with his enemies defeated, his lover dead - and his questions unanswered.
When he seeks out the remaining Keepers for answers, he discovers only violence and death in their strongholds. Someone else is hunting down the survivors to make sure they never answer Damien's questions - or anyone else's.
As a wave of murder sweeps Mars and the consequences of the Keepers' conspiracy sink home, Damien is summoned before the Council of the Protectorate to answer for the deaths of two other Hands. In the political heart of the Protectorate of Mars, he finds he may be forced to choose between honoring the oaths he swore and preserving the survival of the Protectorate itself.
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What listeners say about Judgment of Mars
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Langer
- 2021-05-19
Placeholder? Yes..but a Good One
This book continues the story arc from 'Alien Arcana' (the previous entry), but doesn't resolve it. More is obviously to come. Glynn Stewart has the balls to introduce a mysterious all-powerful cabal known as "The Keepers of the Secret" - and then doesn’t reveal what the "Secret" is two novels later (and counting..). He has the courage to introduce some tension.. making his overpowered main character - Damien Montgomery - fallible and vulnerable in this novel.. but does so with a wink and a nod (by introducing an omniscient villain). One can't help but feel the underlying goal is to justify more sellable novels.
That said, this book is well-crafted: Stewart builds his military/political galactic power structure and goes deeper into the history of his magic system, but maintains techno-thriller aspects to satisfy his more geeky fans and incorporates enough entertaining action sequences to keep the pace going.
Jeffrey Kafer is once again nothing special as a reader.. falling back into a disinterested monotone with laughable volume modulation patterns, but does a "fair" job (other than an annoyingly plodding pace - I recommend a 1.25X playback rate).
In toto, this book cheats fans a little while still advancing the 'Space Opera' mandate and providing genuine entertainment. It rates 7.5/10.
If you have never listened to Glynn Stewart before, you've in for a treat.. 'Judgement Of Mars' is a good example of his writing chops.. but I definitely recommend starting with books earlier in the series.
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- MKReads
- 2019-05-25
Disappointing(spoilers... Kinda)
Someone else's review mentions it, but a near omniscient enemy that manages to always be ahead is pointlessly dreary. Unsolvable incidents of stupid in otherwise intelligent characters is frustrating at best. And the grand finale with evidence of war crimes, mass murder/terrorism, and treason, no no its fine, go ahead no repercussions. It just really undermines the whole justice and strength bits of the protectorate. Seriously, no need to play nice, they're responsible for a million dead or more...
Also, it seems this story has been continued, but this book seems to have been written at lesser quality in terms of plot, development, and characters to intentionally force gaps to allow follow up story lines. To me this brings the follow up content into question. If you have to force holes to fit continuations, are they actually going to reach acceptable quality.
The performance as usual was quite good, though let down by the content somewhat. And for all my complaints there are certainly good points about the book. However compared to the others books the failings in this one were extremely upfront and were clearly used to put things off for the sake of delaying and lengthening the story. It was seriously hampered by repeatedly using the same encounters over and over again instead of varying interactions. This made the book feel.... Boring and repetitive whenever you hit the sequence of interactions.
Sorry for the vagueness/spoilerness.. It needs some reference to events in the book to communicate my complaints, but I don't want to ruin things for people who choose to read/listen to the book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2017-08-06
I hate omniscient villains
For me there was just too much of the bad guys always getting their way, too much of the good guys being just a little too late, too much of almost knowing the secret. I admit I got annoyed about halfway through and listened to the rest in bits and pieces but I am truly disappointed in the ending - I hate omniscient villains!
I give the title 3 stars because I'm still interested in the plot to give the next one a try. I hope it's a more balanced story.
9 people found this helpful
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- KLM
- 2017-08-03
First Hand... when is the next book
This book is just as good as the previous ones if not better. Unlike previous books (arguably) this one focuses more on political intrigue but still has the action you would expect. We don't get to find out what the keepers secret is in this book and I'm not quite sure we will ever find out. But I would really like to know what it is. We see more of the Mage King in this book and I quite like him. I am eagerly awaiting the next book can't wait.
3 people found this helpful
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- Bunty
- 2017-08-02
WOW, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!
Wonderful writing and performance. Damian Montgomery, the Hand of Mars, is kept busy trying to find the Keepers but is constantly thwarted by his enemies. With his strength and his mage powers he was able to save so many people from death. I like that the Mage King of Mars appreciates his efforts and loyalty and he was rewarded at the end of this book with a promotion and recognition of his achievements. Glynn Stewart is a talented writer and I hope he will publish the next book in this series ASAP. Jeffrey Kafer performed excellently and I hope he will continue to narrate future books in this series.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous_Reviewer
- 2020-07-17
The Author Earned ONE Book Like This...
I have really enjoyed this series so far, but I did NOT enjoy this book. With the prior books in the series Glynn Stewart has earned my trust enough for ONE book in the series like this. Throughout the entire book the main character is always a step behind the bad guys. He keeps getting beaten up (figuratively and literally at times), and he can't get a "win" to save his life. You keep expecting him to finally have a "win" throughout this book, but it NEVER happens (the ending is only a half win, and that is being generous). Part of the reason I read sci-fi books like this is for a break from how depressing the real world can be, and so this book wasn't very helpful with that.
I have a few problems with this book:
1. The statistical improbability of so many bad things happening to the main character, or things the main character can't stop. Yes, the bad guys have a lot of knowledge that the good guys don't which gives them an advantage, but how many times can you show up a few minutes too late. The one that pushed me over the top was when the "last person who knew the truth" (who the bad guys didn't even know existed) died as a result of some completely unrelated politicians goals who just so happened to attack the main character at the meeting giving the other bad guys an opportunity to kill the "last person who knew the truth."
2. The main character and his helpers acted incredibly stupid during certain aspects of the investigation. I understand taking the first lead or two of an investigation casually, but once those leads fall apart because your enemy is clearly ahead of you and has infiltrated your government I would expect you to by much more careful after that. There were multiple times throughout the book during an action scene when the main character would walk into a room for a fight (he knew he was going into), but then he would let someone he wanted to protect die before he could act. I can imagine that you might be shocked or surprised into hesitating once, but not in multiple fights against the same enemy. When you go into a fight when you have the element of surprise (and the amount of power the MC has), and your enemy has time to see you and act before you can that is a bit hard to stomach. After I was too late a number of times to save someone I think I would stop leaning towards hesitation and instead lean towards acting too quickly. In other words, after enough stuff happens you would expect the main character to start "always double tapping" (to quote Zombieland), and assuming the worst about the enemy before the fight starts.
3. Honestly, this book felt a bit like emotional manipulation. The author gets your hopes up, then dashes them, gets them up, dashes them, and it continued until the end of the book. Modern culture seems to think this makes books and movies good by being "unpredictable" (Game of Thrones did this kind of emotional roller-coaster all the time, and as a result I was surprised people liked it so much). I do not enjoy this kind of emotional manipulation.
4. ******Spoiler******** The main character gets crippled at the end of the book limiting his power in the future. ******Spoiler******** Part of what made this books series fun was how intelligent and overpowered the main character was. I'm concerned the author will fall into the trap of many authors who feel they have to "nerf" an overpowered main character. I have seen it in a number of books (For example, in the Sword of Truth Series, every book creates a reason Richard can't use his gift). I haven't read past this book so I don't know how much the author will "nerf" the main character in the future, or if it will be permanent. So, while this is a concern, I don't know if it is valid or not since I have not read the next books.
HOWEVER, I have really enjoyed this book series so far, and I believe Glynn Stewart is an excellent author. I can also acknowledge that the main character has to go through some adversity to grow, and characters who don't ever struggle aren't interesting. With the prior books in the series Glynn Stewart has earned my trust enough for one book in the series like this. So, I will count this entire book as adversity for the sake of character development. I'm planning to read the next books, but I really hope the author lets the main character have a "win" occasionally in the future books. I don't like feeling more depressed after reading a sci-fi book then when I started reading it.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 2019-05-09
This is the fifth Book in the Starship Mage series
I have listened to this Auditable Book twice now and I still love it . Our main protagonist is everything that I could ever want in a main character. The world building is fantastic the support characters are amazing too . This Author has like four series going on all at once but this series has me HOOKED . I can't wait for more of this series .
1 person found this helpful
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- Harvey
- 2019-02-07
Great futuristic science fiction.
I enjoy reading and listening to books by Glynn Stewart. Holds my interest while relaxing and driving. The Narrator Jeffery Kafer is gifted with his talent. Holds my interest while I am driving and makes my commute to and from work seem shorter. Great series to read as well as listen.
1 person found this helpful
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- Troy Bowlin
- 2021-09-18
Damien Montgomery continues to amaze.
I'm a fan of the continuing Starship Mage storyline. Damien continues to unravel the mysteries, shine light in the darkness, and amaze all with his acts bravery, duty, and magic. I would continue to recommend the story to anyone who enjoys a blending of sci-fi and fantasy.
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- milbrill
- 2021-07-23
Thumbs down! Talk about a nose dive.
The series started out well written, clever and quite enjoyable. Books 1, 2, and 3 were wonderful. However, beginning with book 4 there has been a clear and steady decline in the quality of the storytelling. Frankly, I nearly couldn’t finish, having skipped entire chapters get to see where the story ended up. Infuriatingly ridiculous. Only purchase if you absolutely must know what happens.
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- Troy Kukulka
- 2021-06-14
A universe of idiots
Glynn Stewart has no business trying to write intrigue. The first few Starship's Mage books were fine as schlocky action sci-fi but the whole Keepers of Oaths and Secrets arc proves how out of his depth Stewart is. Every character is an absolute moron, Damien was never a super genius but his one specialty is teleportation yet somehow he's always late to do anything and whenever someone springs a scheme on him he just shrugs his shoulders and says shucks nothing we can do. Someone last minute adds a traitorous mage to his detail? No back tracking who arranged that just gone and forgotten. Someone on Mars puts a tracker on his car? Well shucks no need to look into that. The book is a complete waste of time, and its infuriating to boot. Nothing new is learned, no character progression occurs it just wastes your time while Stewart does a tour de force of poor plot development.
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- Andrew
- 2021-06-09
Yet again...raw power for the win
It's a bad habit sign the final conflict of the story is resolved, always, by the raw power of the protagonist. Add that together with the protagonist being pretty bad at their job, failing at every turn to nail down the mystery of the story. Frankly, I think the "good guys" are just dumb at this point. The prior story was filled with "Me rar smash don't care about mysteries!". This one is all "Me no can capture anyone ever." It caps off with the protagonist breaking established rules and having more power than everyone. This last is particularly frustrating because the proper solution would have been "even though the King is displaced, the heir is back at the big magic throne and can intervene, proving the value of the monarchy". Apparently the heir is busy with his love life or something, because that's about all we know about him. However, instead of a responsible monarchy following through on Chekov's Super Throne, or a basic respect for delta-V, we get special protagonist powerz.
I'd avoided this series for a while, mainly because I suspected it would turn into this sort of drek. The first one seemed to circumscribe appropriate limits. The second was clearly a "pivot to series". The third...I probably should have stopped there. I spent most of the fourth wondering why the guy supposed to be investigating stuff preferred to boom things up instead of ask questions about the mystery. Honestly, after the guy wallowing in a conspiracy in his own organization tells a couple hundred people he's going to go get his last chance at a clue, I kinda put this in the "too dumb to live" category.
Also, anti-matter is stupidly energetic. The author should stop talking about conjuring GRAMS of antimatter into existence if he doesn't know it's like saying a 100 megaton bomb.