Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Narrator: Jeffrey Kafer
Series: Starship's Mage #5
Published by Tantor Audio on August 1, 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Length: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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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!
I have enjoyed the Starship’s Mage series from the beginning. I’ve taken an odd route, reading some, listening to others. I discovered the series when the first book, The Starship’s Mage was a kindle freebie and I was in the mood for space opera. The writing has improved as the series goes along. It has a bit of a campy feel, but I love it.
The politics here were almost over-the-top. It is true some people have egos too big for the room. It only made Damien’s job increasingly difficult. He is such a person of strength and integrity. He has shown repeatedly he would give his own life to save others. I really hope we see more of his future.
The action was nonstop in Judgment of Mars. I was very worried for Damien and not everything went well for him. This ends the first series and apparently there will be a new series, the UnArcana Rebellion later this year? I’m looking forward to it. There is also an offshoot trilogy called the Red Falcon series., somewhat set in the same time frame as the Starship’s Mage series. These books are in Kindle Unlimited so I want to give them a try while I am in the program.
Narration:
Jeffrey Kafer continues to provide an excellent performance. I listened at 1.25x speed again. He keeps me in the story and is easy to understand.
Listen to a clip:
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 Audiobook Challenge