Nefarius

 

This entry of Chris Fox’s Magitech Chronicles series opens with Aran inspecting and approving of the vessel Talon, happy to have a chain of command again. Meanwhile, Nebiat plots to expand his empire, wanting Kaho as one of his guardians, and Frit feels treasonous towards Shaya. The survivors of Krox’s wrath begin constructing homes on the upper branches of a great tree, with Voria eying them as her next targets. Aran also evokes doubts from his crew, especially from Rhea, who avoids him, feeling that he is draining more magic. Moreover, Kahotep receives a ghostly call from his mother Nebiat.

Voria wants to terraform the planet Ternus to make it habitable for her species, and as she does so, the human fleet expresses concern for the doomed world. Frit reads about a mysterious armada known as the Vagrant Fleet, and Skare’s vessel the Dragon Skull drifts near the Ternus station. Drakkon mourns the loss of young drakes, while Voria senses something amiss on Marid, and informs him that his world was lost. Voria seeks to create her own religion with herself as its goddess, and Olyssa scolds her for treating the Wyrm Father as an equal.

Ternus enjoys its first victory in the war, whilst Talifax manipulates public opinion in Ternus space, Voria further seeking to awaken an elder goddess. Aran and his crew keep to themselves during Virkonna’s awakening, distraught at the lives lost, yet knowing that gods too have mortal feelings. He engages in a space battle with demons, considering the sun of the system where the fight erupts in his tactics. Frit regularly engages in magical translocation, and Voria is aware that she needs Virkonna and Inura to help fight the Krox. Several battles and a cliffhanger epilogue end the sixth book.

Overall, I found this entry of the Magitech Chronicles to be slightly more enjoyable than its precursors, given plentiful science-fiction action and commentary on the nature of godship, although it does still have its flaws such as a lack of distinction between Krox as a species and as an individual, and again one can find it difficult to keep track of which species the various characters are. As I’ve said before, the book series doesn’t fuse science-fiction and fantasy as well as other franchises such as Star Wars, but those who enjoyed its precursors will definitely enjoy book six.