I really wish Goodreads would let me do half stars, because this is really a 3.5. But, I figure it's worth rounding up because it was a debut book, and that makes me happy, it makes me believe that people can still get found and published in today's market. 
 The premise, as far as I could tell, is entirely unique. Although you only learn bits and pieces of the history of magic in the novel, I managed to piece together that magic more or less popped into reality one day on Earth. Only the smallest fraction of humans were 'latent,' meaning that they could actually perform feats of sorcery. When the government realizes what people can do, they immediately draft any magic user into the military. 
 Oscar, our hero, is a grunt military pilot who manifests magical ability one day, not only does he manifest magic, but of a type so rare that he becomes a prized superweapon for the U.S. About the time he manifests, he also begins to lose faith that magic users are being treated fairly. 
 There was a lot to like in the novel, but at the same time, there was a lot that I just couldn't get into. One, the main character was conflicted, I get that, but he came across as a bit wishy washy, one day he loves what he does, the next he's ready to go awol, the next he's back on mission, then he wants to quit again. 
 I get that, that sounds a lot like real life, but to follow a character around who doesn't know what he wants kinda makes me, the reader, not so sure either. Is he on the right team? Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. It's hard to tell because they spend the bulk of the novel training and having internal conflict over that very question. 
 In the end, what surprised me the most is that for a military fiction story, written by someone with a military background, it paints a very negative view of the armed services. 
 Anyway, this is the first in a new series, that much is obvious even if you miss it plastered all over the outside of the book. The story does reach a satisfying conclusion, with most of the storylines tied up. But it's pretty clear who the big bad will be in the next book too. 
 This is fun, but a bit uneven. I'd wager that as the author continues to put out installments, that that the series will only get better.