‘Never use your magic. Especially if you’re not alone.’
Sid, a gifted mechanic, has contemplated this rule countless times over the years. Having spent her whole life playing doctor to an ailing ship thousands of miles above her home, she wants nothing more than to find her place amongst her people. But when Sid’s wish is granted by a catastrophic failure that sends her hurtling into the wild … hurtling into the wild jungle of the star below, she realises two things – Neostar isn’t as perfect as she’d originally believed, and sometimes, rules need to be broken.
For on Neostar, the use of magic has been long diminished, the native populace from which her heritage stems have been enslaved for generations, and the Queen she’s idolised from childhood is nothing like the benevolent figure that has perpetually graced her telescreen.
Lost and alone, Sid longs to return to the sky, but sometimes running isn’t an option. A revolution simmers beneath the surface, and all must choose a side. But with the survival of an entire race on the line, how much difference can one small girl make?
Freedom comes at a price. Not everyone is strong enough to pay it.
***
What reviewers are saying about the series:
★★★★★ “This story is an edge of the seat, a hair-raising adventure that you won’t want to miss reading!”
– Amazon Reviewer
★★★★★ “I am in awe of Sid…she’s innovative, inquisitive, and heartfelt. She discovers an inner strength to grapple with her new surroundings and an understanding of historical betrayal. Her journey is harsh at times, but she picks herself up and moves forward. In the end, is she a warrior or an imposter? Stakes are high, with a (her) people on the brink of extinction. The ancient magic is interwoven in a thought-provoking way. I’m a diehard scifi/fantasy fan and enjoy reading fresh voices. Highly recommend for your TBR list!”
– Amazon Reviewer
★★★★★ “I loved everything about this book! The main character is intriguing, the world building amazing, and the writing completely flows. I found this to be an easy book to get through in a couple of days and it only left me wanting more by this author. I am so glad I was given a chance to read this.”
– Amazon Reviewer
From the author of The AetherBorn Saga series, comes the first book in an epic new series about a quirky recluse who must come out of the shadows and use the strength of her hidden magic before a power-hungry queen kills everyone she loves.
Get sucked into this page-turning sci fi/ fantasy mashup today! Perfect for fans of Aurora Rising and Skyward.
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I couldn’t get past the first few chapters.
Kartega is a seat-of-the-pants, hair-raising alien with magical powers.
Kartega has lived her whole life on a space ship rotating around a planet with only a robot as a companion. Her mentor checks in on her regularly for a video chat; until one day, he doesn’t. Her ship is old and has numerous make-do patches that she, as a mechanic, has made.
One insurmountable problem, she is missing an essential replacement valve, and the part is not in the last supply delivery that she just received. Running out of air and being unable to fix the problem, she has no choice except to use the escape pod to go to the planet. An escape pod that she has stripped to keep the spacecraft running.
What happens when she crashes onto the planet? What will she do when she finds that her mentor is dead? How is an alien being with magical powers going to defend herself from certain death when she doesn’t know how to control or use her power?
This story is an edge of the seat, a hair-raising adventure that you won’t want to miss reading!
Free ARC copy!
At first glance “Kartega” is a science fiction adventure that turns out to be a very compelling dystopian tale. The main character in the book Sid, is a young girl and the sole inhabitant/engineer/commander of the Arcturus, a ship orbiting Neostar, a planet in an undetermined star system. When we first encounter her, she is just stuck on the ship, which honestly has seen better days and seems to be on the blink of disaster. Sid’s only support comes from Colton, her supervisor, who regularly checks with her from the planet surface, until…. he does not and the ship decides to finally give up. Faced with the decision to go down with the Arcturus or escape to Neostar, she obviously chooses the later…. and falls right in into a powder keg.
On the planet surface the colonist and the native inhabitants fight for power, and Sid needs to choose a side or find a new way of interaction between the parties. Neostar is an interesting world with a multicultural setting, apart from the colonist, there are three major cultures in the planet, which are nicely crafted and explained.
It is a fast developing story, that sets itself a very high bar, introducing tons of new information at the start of the book, which by the way are some of the best passages of the story, and has a very likeable MC in Sid, whose journey is rollercoaster of emotion vs decision.
“Kartega” is the first book in the „Kartega Chronicles) by Alexis N. Sage, and offers a brand-new blend of science-fiction, fantasy and dystopia, that works surprisingly well.
An involving and intriguing read! I am in awe of Sid…she’s innovative, inquisitive, and heartfelt. She discovers an inner strength to grapple with her new surroundings and an understanding of historical betrayal. Her journey is harsh at times, but she picks herself up and moves forward. In the end, is she a warrior or an imposter? Stakes are high, with a (her) people on the brink of extinction. The ancient magic is interwoven in a thought-provoking way. I’m a diehard scifi/fantasy fan and enjoy reading fresh voices. Highly recommend for your TBR list!