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Glynn Stewart
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Starship's Mage: Starship's Mage Book 1 Kindle Edition

by Glynn Stewart (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 6,690 ratings
A ship that cannot leave
A Mage that will not stay
A meeting of desperations

In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Mages, Damien Montgomery graduates into their numbers—only to discover that without connections, he can't find a ship and is stuck in the Sherwood system.

Pirates attacked David Rice's jump freighter, leaving him with a dead Mage and a damaged ship—stuck in Sherwood, where a grieving father has blacklisted him from hiring a replacement Jump Mage.

When their desperate needs meet, Damien Montgomery is drawn into a conflict with the most powerful criminal organization in the galaxy—and to the attention of the Mage-King of Mars himself!
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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    December 15, 2014
  5. File size
    1.7 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. The best way to avoid a trap, in his experience, was to walk into it with your eyes wide open.
    Highlighted by 161 Kindle readers
  2. “That was the Compact,” Damien half-whispered, reveling in the power pulsing around him. “Peace between Mage and Mundane, between Mars and Earth… and in exchange, we gave you the stars.”
    Highlighted by 155 Kindle readers
  3. The Martian Runic script defines a spell matrix in the same way that a programming language defines the 0s and 1s that allow a computer to function.
    Highlighted by 124 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

starship's mage magic science fantasy space opera sci-fi military

Starship’s Mage Universe

blend science fiction and science fantasy jn chaney

Science Meets Magic in this Unique Magic System

In the science fantasy Universe of Starship’s Mage, humanity never cracked the lightspeed barrier with technology. The only tool allowing humans to spread to the stars is the magic of the elite Jump Magi who now transport ships between the stars.

action litrpg gamelit magic science

How the Legend Started

Starship’s Mage was originally released as a serialized space fantasy adventure in the style of the pulp magazines of old. The novella-length episodes were compiled in book 1, and popular demand led to a series of full-length space opera novels.

honor-bound characters

Let the Galactic-Scale Mysteries Take You Away

Explore the Protectorate of Humanity, overseen by the roving warrior judges of the Mage-King of Mars—as their worlds crack at the seams!

Starship's Mage Series

starship's mage damien mage king of mars

Starship’s Mage (Books 1-5)

Start the journey with Damien Montgomery. Damien begins as a novice Jump Mage in a galaxy where his abilities put him at risk—and take him to a place beyond his wildest expectations.

mountain of mars alien conspiracy

UnArcana Rebellion (Books 6-9)

Roslyn Chambers and Damien Montgomery both serve the Protectorate as tensions with the Republic of Faith and Reason hit a breaking point. And underneath lies the framework of a greater conspiracy.

rise the ranks marine mage commander

Mage-Officer of Mars (Books 10-13)

The adventure continues with Mage Roslyn Chambers as she hunts conspiracies and averts disaster in the aftermath of a devastating war. But the people who stoked the fires of war are still out there...

Starship's Mage
Interstellar Mage
Raven's Peace
The Terran Privateer
Space Carrier Avalon
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Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars 6,690
4.6 out of 5 stars 2,441
4.4 out of 5 stars 2,674
4.5 out of 5 stars 3,942
4.4 out of 5 stars 4,618
Price $4.99 $3.99 $3.99 $4.99 $4.99
Series Starship's Mage Starship's Mage Universe: Red Falcon Peacekeepers of Sol Duchy of Terra Castle Federation
Complete Series? Ongoing Completed Trilogy Ongoing Completed 9 Book Series Complete 6 Book Series (Universe Ongoing)
Genre Science Fantasy Science Fantasy Military Space Opera Military Space Opera Military Space Opera
Political & Diplomatic Intrigue ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Honor & Duty ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Space Battles ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Marines or Ground Combat ✓ ✓ no data ✓ ✓
Starfighters no data no data ✓ no data ✓
Transhumanism Elements no data no data ✓ no data ✓
All Glynn Stewart stories include... space opera science fiction

All Glynn Stewart Stories Feature...

  • Honorbound characters aiming to do the right thing
  • Diverse, realistic casts
  • Complex villains
  • Unique high concepts
  • Optimistic views of the future

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the Starship's Mage Series

"An entertaining space opera. Damien isn't your usual hero, with bulletproof abs and square chin. He is short and of slight build, but his ethics set him apart. Damien does his absolute best to do what's right and save people in his care, even if he has to stand up to Mage-king of Mars himself. I own this series and I very much enjoyed it."

- Ilona Andrews, #1 NYT Bestselling Author

"This series has everything! Action, character, heart, and mystery woven masterfully together in Stewart's fascinating universe where science and magic stand on equal footing. I love it!"

- Jason M. Hough, NYT Bestselling Author of Zero World

"What seems like an implausible mix of SF and fantasy at first somehow combines into a thoroughly engaging space opera read that manages to be fun while keeping the tension level high. I'm ready for the next."

- Cat Rambo, Former President of SFWA

About the Author

Glynn Stewart is the author of Starship's Mage, a bestselling science fiction and fantasy series where faster-than-light travel is possible-but only because of magic. His other works include science fiction series Duchy of Terra, Castle Federation and Vigilante, as well as the urban fantasy series ONSET and Changeling Blood.
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 Kitchener, Ontario with his partner, their cats, and an unstoppable writing habit.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00QW6ZG14
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faolan's Pen Publishing Inc.
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 15, 2014
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 6,690 ratings

About the author

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Glynn Stewart

Glynn Stewart

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Glynn Stewart is the author of Starship’s Mage, a bestselling science fiction and fantasy series where faster-than-light travel is possible–but only because of magic. His other works include science fiction series Peacekeepers of Sol, Scattered Stars, and Castle Federation, as well as the urban fantasy series ONSET and Changeling Blood.

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 Alberta with his partner, their cats, and an unstoppable writing habit.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
6,690 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the galaxy with an interesting mix of science and magic, well-paced action sequences, and a solid main character who overcomes every situation. The writing is easy to visualize, and they appreciate the talented author's work, with one review noting the beautifully consistent world and technology. While the story draws readers in, some find it predictable and lacking depth.

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ReadabilityInterestStorylineWriting qualityCharacter developmentScience contentAuthor qualityStory quality
217 customers mention "Readability"208 positive9 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the galaxy, with one customer particularly appreciating the episodes in omnibus format.

"...(and also the 3 books of the Red Falcon parallel story), and enjoyed every one...." Read more

"I really enjoyed reading this book...." Read more

"...Well written. Well crafted and enjoyable book. I’m hooked on the series and can’t to start the next volume. Well worth the time to read." Read more

"This book is wonderful and I cannot recommend it enough. The premise is incredibly unique and inspired, and the plot is just as good...." Read more

191 customers mention "Interest"186 positive5 negative

Customers find the book engaging with its interesting mix of science and magic, intriguing world building, and great blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements.

"...mage who nonetheless has the extremely rare gift of being able to SEE the flow of magic, and to create new magical runes in a way that astonishes..." Read more

"...I enjoyed how the author blended magic into the science fiction of his setting, and he’s created a plausible collection of planetary societies in..." Read more

"A real science fiction in space series. Well written. Well crafted and enjoyable book. I’m hooked on the series and can’t to start the next volume...." Read more

"...choice for yourself, but it leaves the door open for even more interesting stories...." Read more

182 customers mention "Storyline"164 positive18 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, praising its well-paced narrative and engaging plot with enthralling action sequences.

"...Dialogs are fast paced but still sound "real" - with minor cursing and cussing (probably giving it a PG-13 rating)...." Read more

"...There’s plenty of action as they try to evade or outrun everyone who’s after them, with battles on planets, on space stations, and in space...." Read more

"...The premise is incredibly unique and inspired, and the plot is just as good...." Read more

"...There are of course a few twists along the way as well as a fair amount of action and overall there is a good balance between magic and science as..." Read more

122 customers mention "Writing quality"95 positive27 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting it is well thought out and easy to visualize, with one customer describing it as a first-class adventure brilliantly composed.

"...Stewart has an easy writing style that nicely threads the needle between excruciatingly complex descriptions of the background and overly simplistic..." Read more

"A real science fiction in space series. Well written. Well crafted and enjoyable book. I’m hooked on the series and can’t to start the next volume...." Read more

"...overall there is a good balance between magic and science as well as dialogue, character advancement and action...." Read more

"...The characters are well developed, and the protagonist, Damien, VERY likable...." Read more

113 customers mention "Character development"92 positive21 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them engaging and well-written, with the main character being solid and allowing the protagonist to overcome every situation.

"...descriptions of the background and overly simplistic, wooden portrayals of the characters...." Read more

"...solves most of the ship’s problems, but I’m a sucker for good-hearted good guys, and there’s enough scoundrel in some of the characters to keep them..." Read more

"...Each one is unique and interesting, with fascinating new characters being introduced every new place to which our heroes travel...." Read more

"...I quickly took a liking to Damien. He is a likable character, competent and he has a working moral compass...." Read more

23 customers mention "Science content"23 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the science content in the book, with one review noting that it provides enough scientific detail without overwhelming readers with technical jargon, while another mentions that the world and technology are beautifully consistent.

"...excruciatingly complex descriptions of the background and overly simplistic, wooden portrayals of the characters...." Read more

"...There are also a few pop culture references, such as one where the number of a planetary code or something like that is FN-2187, which many will..." Read more

"...Here the author managed to pull it off. There is a bit of a pseudo-scientific explanation as to whether there are magic and mages in this universe..." Read more

"...The language is very simple, not unintelligent, but also unremarkable...." Read more

12 customers mention "Author quality"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's talent and promise, with one customer noting their impressive world-building skills.

"...The author does a good job in his world building, ably and seamlessly combining science with magic without mind-numbing blocks of science babble...." Read more

"...I love how the supporting characters seem pretty human . Mostly good people trying to do the right thing from their perspective...." Read more

"...The good guys are great. Old fashion heroes and heroines that fight the good fight and get a few of lumps along the way...." Read more

"The beautiful soul of a mutant mage finds his unique magical power is needed to survive enormous criminal enemies as well galactic government agents..." Read more

27 customers mention "Story quality"7 positive20 negative

Customers find the story quality of the book unsatisfactory, describing it as predictable, repetitive, and lacking depth, with several customers feeling it was a waste of time.

"...Therefore the crisis resolution is often surprising and never predictable, not to the bad guys and *not to the reader.*..." Read more

"...except that I also wasn’t taken with the characters, and the plot seemed predictable...." Read more

"...'s a good consistent read, no faults with the story or inconsistency with the ideas proposed. A good read and easy to keep reading it." Read more

"...I can't quite put my finger on where it happened. But things began to feel predictable and the characters seemed to stop being developed...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • JB
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Sci Fi series out there
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I'm writing this review on the 10th Anniversary Edition release of this title. Glynn Stewart sent me a complimentary Kindle version of the new release, but as you can see from the "Verified Purchase" tag, I paid for the book. I read the "revised" edition, and enjoyed re-experiencing the origins story of Damien Montgomery, a short, young, and somewhat under-powered mage who nonetheless has the extremely rare gift of being able to SEE the flow of magic, and to create new magical runes in a way that astonishes other mages of the era.

    The new edition is supposed to have been revised for clarity, but honestly, I didn't find much difference between my print copy and the new Kindle edition. So I would not recommend purchasing the 10th Anniversary Edition if you already have the First Edition, unless you just want to than Glynn Stewart in a tangible way for writing so many really good books :-)

    If you are new to the series, then I wholeheartedly endorse both this book and the following ones. So far, I've purchased the first 13 of the series (and also the 3 books of the Red Falcon parallel story), and enjoyed every one. Stewart has an easy writing style that nicely threads the needle between excruciatingly complex descriptions of the background and overly simplistic, wooden portrayals of the characters. Dialogs are fast paced but still sound "real" - with minor cursing and cussing (probably giving it a PG-13 rating). Damien is an "old style" hero, of good intentions and conflicted when he has to choose the "least ugly option" in a situation.

    Also, Stewart writes in the third person, which personally I find much more satisfying than the all-to-prevalent grind-em-out first-person style of so many current works of fiction. This lets him get into the mind of the characters other than Damien, which makes the book much more interesting.

    I should add that I consider this series to be closer to "hard sci-fi space opera" than to "fantasy sci-fi" -- which you might expect from a series featuring magic. (When you are reading, just mentally replace "magic-powered runes" with "quantum singularity gravity drive" and you will feel right at home.)

    A final warning: If you read this book, be prepared to be hooked into an extended odyssey of great reading about Damien Montgomery's transformation from a backwater nobody-mage into one of the most powerful mages in the galaxy.
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  • ROGER ALIX-GAUDREAU
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun, Fast-Paced Space Opera - With Magic!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I really enjoyed reading this book. Things go steadily from bad to worse for a starship captain and his crew who just want to get on with their business. A desperate ploy to defend their ship from pirates turns them into fugitives wanted by criminal and military forces alike. There’s plenty of action as they try to evade or outrun everyone who’s after them, with battles on planets, on space stations, and in space.

    I enjoyed how the author blended magic into the science fiction of his setting, and he’s created a plausible collection of planetary societies in this magic-enabled version of a future space empire. The primary characters are a little on the vanilla side, and the main character solves most of the ship’s problems, but I’m a sucker for good-hearted good guys, and there’s enough scoundrel in some of the characters to keep them interesting.

    I will continue reading the series.
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  • Arthur J. Bumpus Jr
    5.0 out of 5 stars true science fiction in space
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A real science fiction in space series. Well written. Well crafted and enjoyable book. I’m hooked on the series and can’t to start the next volume. Well worth the time to read.
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  • Kel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Concept
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The method of propulsion for the ships in this universe is truly unique and is what kept me glued to the pages. The author has envisioned magically powered being having the ability to hurl vessels into space in the blink of an eye over a distance of a light-year at a jump. The catch is that these ship’s Mages get exhausted doing this, which means they have to rest between jumps. This leaves ships vulnerable if they only have one Mage, by the way. I am intrigued by stories of mysticism and science fiction, so I found this book refreshing. The hero of the story faces obstacles by not being part of the royal line of magic users, so has to make his own way. His journey of finding a ship that will take him is full of grit and I will not spoil your reading with any details. The crew of the ship our hero finds himself on is plagued with hardship from start to finish in a harrowing jaunt through space, being chased by official and very unofficial space goers. There are reasons for the hard chase, but I will not say what they are. Suffice to say that our mystically endowed ship’s living propulsion unit has something to do with one of them. An interesting back story of one of the ship’s crew members has to do with another reason for the chase. Despite the travails, our young hero also finds love. It is a miracle they survive the planet-to-planet space battles at all. By the end of the tale, the ships Mage finds himself with a choice to make. You can read that choice for yourself, but it leaves the door open for even more interesting stories. I plan on reading the rest of the books in this series on an immediate basis.
    7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Ramon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not the usual SciFi
    Reviewed in Spain on March 4, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I must admit that I was somewhat skeptic when I started this book. Magic and SciFi? Allí other books that I read trying to mix them were just so-so.
    This book, however, uses an inteligente mixture that does not come across as weird. Wells written, the story IS also fast-paced, includes intrigue -a bit of love- and lots of action. Actually, I'm going to read the next book, so as to see if the level IS maintained.
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  • Alan K
    5.0 out of 5 stars New Author for me to read, and it was impressive
    Reviewed in Australia on November 2, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed the story immensely, it was hard to put done once the story sucked you in, with only took a few chapters to do. An interesting mix of magic and technology set somewhere in the late 2400’s after Earth had colonised many planets and galaxies. People with magic can be trained to be Jump Mage’s who have the ability to jump a space ship faster than light. The MC (Damien) has a nonstandard ability to ‘see’ magic which helps him with Rune Magic understanding the flow of magic and runes capabilities. This becomes an epic cat and mouse battle across the galaxy and both sides of the law chase the ship. I really enjoyed this book and will quickly jump to the next book in the series to continue reading.
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  • LDC
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I absolutely loved this and could not put it down. Science fantasy/ space opera rather than sci fi but it was refreshing to read something different, exciting and within the world created by the author, plausible! Yes it involved magic and so plausibility might not be the word that first springs to mind but the worldbuilding is so effective not once did I feel incredulous. The main characters grow on you and you want them to succeed. The battles are thrilling and the social constructs are explained through the story not in a clump of unnecessary text. I've not been as impressed in a long time and in a way I owe an apology to the author. I had this on my kindle for 4 years and put it to the back of my reading queue thinking it was more gung-ho battle/ romance/alien nonsense. I was so wrong - this was an excellent read.
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  • Vovchara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let him fool you, this series is more sci-fi than fantasy
    Reviewed in Germany on October 17, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I was really impressed by this whole series, including the side stories "Red Falcon". This author manages to create a world with Magic and still stay consistent. I love how many restrictions there are for the use of "Magic", which replaces most of the usual magical technology in most sci-fi stories. FTL drive? Magic. FTL Comm? Magic. The rest still follows the rules of the real world and even magic is not some kind of "get out of the jail card". It has restrictions, with severe consequences.
    This book and all other books placed in this world also contain interesting characters. Characters who have to struggle, endure the loss. Make hard decisions. So if you are looking for a book where everything makes sense, where no shortcuts are taken and where fictional aspects do not resemble some usual arbitrary mess, this one is for you.
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  • Xionma
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantascienza con della vera scienza
    Reviewed in Italy on April 16, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Avevo letto una recensione positiva di questo libro mi aveva incuriosita.
    La premessa e' interessante: i viaggi interstellari a distanze di centinaia di anni luce sono possibili grazie a maghi addestrati.
    Poi il libro si e' rivelato superiore alle aspettative: i personaggi sono interessanti, i mondi presentati hanno le loro peculiarità' senza che queste siano forzate o che l'autore ricorra a strani alieni, la trama scorre senza essere mai noiosa o affrettata, le sottotrame sono ben accennate.
    Nel primo libro vediamo come il mago protagonista si trovi a lavorare in una nave commerciale che ha dei problemi con un'organizzazione di pirati e come questo problema riesca a mettere in luce le sue capacita', tanto da essere reclutato per il governo centrale di Marte.
    Ma quello che mi fa valutare questo libro molto al di sopra della media e' il fatto che la fisica reale e' integrata nella trama: due navi che comunicano a distanza di qualche migliaio di chilometri hanno dei ritardi nelle comunicazioni; per avere un campo gravitazionale interno alla nave ci vogliono o soluzioni fisiche o magiche che richiedono energia, non e' un dato di fatto scontato; i missili intercettati esplodono e il disturbo elettromagnetico che creano impiega del tempo a propagarsi.
    Sembrano banalita', ma rendono questa serie (e poi il suo spin-off Red Falcon) alcuni fra i migliori libri che ho letto negli ultimi tempi.
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