Starship's Mage: Omnibus (Starship’s Mage #1) by Glynn Stewart (****)

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 to 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!

Starship's Mage was originally released as five separate episodes. 



REVIEW: ****
This was surprisingly good! It did not sound like something I would want to read....but it kept coming up on all my recommendations screens and since it was in amazon unlimited I decided to give it a go. And I was immediately sucked into the story. It was well done...mixing magic and science fiction would be hard to do I think but this author managed it wonderfully. The characters were interesting, well fleshed out and I kept wanting to read when the book ended. I looked it up and found three more in this series so I downloaded them all. Book two did not disappoint either and I am continuing right along. I recommend this for any sci if fan...even if it seems unbelievable to mix in magic. It works. 

Forbidden the Stars (The Interstellar Age #1) by Valmore Daniels (**)

At the end of the 21st century, a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt has left two surveyors dead. There is no trace of their young son, Alex Manez, or of the asteroid itself.

On the outer edge of the solar system, the first manned mission to Pluto, led by the youngest female astronaut in NASA history, has led to an historic discovery: there is a marker left there by an alien race for humankind to find. We are not alone!

While studying the alien marker, it begins to react and, four hours later, the missing asteroid appears in a Plutonian orbit, along with young Alex Manez, who has developed some alarming side-effects from his exposure to the kinetic element they call Kinemet. 

From the depths of a criminal empire based on Luna, an expatriate seizes the opportunity to wrest control of outer space, and takes swift action.

The secret to faster-than-light speed is up for grabs, and the race for interstellar space begins! 

REVIEW: **

I had a difficult time with this one. Almost stopped reading in several times. There was no real character development. In a lot of places it read like a report (which is exactly what it was in a lot of places). If I wanted to read a report I would not have picked up a book. A lot of this story took place in the form of reports/memos/news articles. I want to get to know the characters, not read about them third hand. It made it very difficult for me to relate to them and the story line. Whole months/years were skipped in this fashion and it made it a bit confusing in places. Maybe its just me...because this book seems to have gotten a lot of really good reviews, but I just can not recommend a book so dry.

The Commander by C.J. Williams (****)

Lucas Blackburn had a peaceful job as an Airport Director in an out of the way community in central Nevada. He wanted to live quietly and let old scars heal. But then a spaceship landed. The lone occupant, a guy named Sam, gave Luke the keys and said it was up to him to stop a massive alien invasion that was on the way. Luke wanted to believe it was a hoax. The problem was, Sam had the proof.

REVIEW: ****

I was not expecting much from this one, and it was not a real deep/meaningful story, but I loved it. It was fun, Quick to read and left you feeling good. The first chapter or two was tough for me...the way he just accepted the fact that this alien showed up at his airport. He was way too casual and calm about the whole thing which threw me off, but once the story got started I really enjoyed it. It was light reading and easy to relate to the characters. If you want serious sci-fi then don't choose this one. But if you want a quick, light read this is a good one for you. 

Linesman (Linesman #1) by S.K. Dunstall

First in a brand new thought-provoking science fiction series.

The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…

Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever. 

REVIEW: ***
I liked the story overall, but honestly there was too much politics and not enough action for me. There were so many players it got confusing and hard to keep track of sometimes. It became slow and boring over time with no real action or drama to keep the story moving along. Not really worth the effort unless you like that kind of story.