A Kind of Peace

The planet of Inan has been torn by war for 500 years, but at long last a peace accord has been signed by the warring nation-states of Inan. Yet, there are those who are not content with peace and are willing to incite a new war to achieve their own ends.

Simeon, a warrior of the nation-state of Bethel has been assigned as a bodyguard to the irascible mage Ramus Bey. Before long, a mysterious string of attacks on Bey pushes Simeon's abilities to the limits, ultimately resulting in Bey's abduction and Simeon's branding as a traitor to Bethel. To clear his name, Simeon must escape and discover what has happened to Bey before a new war begins.

A Kind of Peace melds elements of sci-fi and fantasy, where mages are the "ultimate" weapon that prevents any one nation-state from gaining advantage, yet modern technology is relied upon for a wide variety of functions.

The main story is readable if not groundbreaking (the usual power-hungry stereotypes are alive and well here), but there's plenty of action to keep the story moving.

However, Simeon's relationship with Jenna comes off as rather flat and acts as more of a plot device than anything else. This and a few other plot holes work against the book, otherwise I would mark it higher.

Not a terrible read by any means, but I can't say I'd recommend it highly, either.