I took a break from the Starship's Mage series for about a year and so jumping back into this series via UnArcana Stars feels like a mental adrenaline shot. Glynn Stewart writes incredible space opera, with highly developed world-building and a complete and utter lack of regard for the status quo. I've always enjoyed his writing and this is no exception. UnArcana Stars is a triumph within the universe of the Protectorate of Mars, and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who has gotten this far.

What makes this novel stand out is that it does not hold back. Glynn Stewart will break that implicit agreement between author and reader that the foundational elements of a universe are sacrosanct. World-shattering events just keep crushing the reader with their far reaching scope, and UnArcana Stars takes this even further as it ties together multiple plot threads from the previous novels and brings them all together. Our heroes are constantly faced with unbelievable odds and even when you think they're okay, the antagonists come up yet another surprise. I often felt like I needed to take a break from UnArcana Stars, just because it was so fast paced!

And so to summarize - a book that rewards its fans with invested subplots coming to fruition, surprise after surprise having long-term impact, and heroes doing their best facing long odds.

Highly recommended.