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Young Lerris is dissatisfied with his life and trade, and yearns to find a place in the world better suited to his skills and temperament. But in Recluce a change in circumstances means taking one of two options: permanent exile from Recluce or braving the dangergeld, a complex, rule-laden wanderjahr in the lands beyond Recluce, with the aim of learning how the world works and what his place in it might be. Many do not survive. Lerris chooses the dangergeld. When Lerris is sent into intensive training for his quest, it soon becomes clear that he has a natural talent for magic. And he will need magic in the lands beyond, where the power of the Chaos Wizards reigns unchecked. Though it goes against all of his instincts, Lerris must learn to use his powers in an orderly way before his wanderjahr, or fall prey to Chaos.… (more)
User reviews
On the surface it's a typical fantasy saga starter - young boy of modest means, goes on a quest to save
Specifics then: Lots of the things that other reviewers complain about didn't bother me, or even were my favourite bits.
The pace (or lack of, in places) was fine for me. I deeply appreciated the way Lerris figured out his own abilities, and how to finish his quest Lerris was very young - but smart. The idea that given time, enough clues, and left to his own devices, things would "click" did not at all surprise me, that's how my brain works, and how one of my daughters does too. She, in particular will ask all day long for answers to study questions - but I learnt long ago if I tell her the answer, and ask again tomorrow, she's forgotten. It makes her whine when I go all Socratic method on her, but then a half hour later when we're doing dishes or something else entirely, she'll suddenly say "Oh! I got it!" My other kids are not at all like this (despite which, they also got the Socratic treatment, because it's how *my* brain works, as mentioned.) I suspect she'd be very like Lerris, in the same situation, she would complain, be annoying as hell, procrastinate on reading the damn book - and then it would all go "click" for her one day and she'd see through it all.
Initially the tendency to describe surroundings (particularly furniture) seemed to drag, but after a while, and once I came to understand the magic system in place here, it actually became not just useful, but enjoyable. It was like I was learning to see things through Lerris eyes, in some small way.
The onomatopoeia - didn't bother me. I only even noticed it from Gairloch, who at several points in the story was my favourite character anyway, so it's only fitting he should get dialogue. Of a kind.
The First/Third person switching (Lerris adventures are told in first person, anything he's not around for in omniscient third): I liked it! I am so tired of the multiple POV character style that seems trendy these days, and having to spend the first paragraph of every chapter trying to figure out who's telling me the story now. It was a tiny bit jarring the first instance, but only because I wasn't ready for it, by the second I knew what was happening.
There's really not much more to say - this is book 1 of a series that has so far reached 18 books, yet it's actually the second to last, chronologically. That's a little disconcerting (I'm almost tempted to skip the next book, which is the last book chronologically, and start reading the history until I get back to here.)
I would warn readers that although the first book is worth reading, the later books are somewhat redundant. Every following tale follows pretty much the same format of a lone orderly individual establishing an orderly society only to be threatened by a chaotic one (this is an oversimplification but it is essentially accurate). There are some minor deviations and a slight twist upon the philopsophy about midway through the eleven book series, but in the end this is the basic format.
Summation: This first book could potentially change the way you look at the world, but don't buy the whole series at once.
Modesitt has a talented for character and world-building. When we start, the main character Lerris is a bored whiny directionless boy.
Through this, Lerris learns and here is where Modesitt’s talent with character development because apparent. Lerris goes from a whiny child to an adult with courage and wisdom. It’s fantastic.
As for the world building – the idea of Order and Chaos as magic, the history of the planet, the dark and light, it’s intriguing. In particular, the idea that Chaos magic can help people (food and warmth) but too much causes problems, while Order seems cold and heartless, but in the end, in can bring balance. I want to read more of this world, to learn more about the difference between the magic.
If you enjoy well-developed characters, intriguing world-building, and epic fantasy stories, read this!
Modesitt has a very interesting look at the whole good vs. evil business. In his world everything needs to balance. Modesitt doesn't define good or
It is nice though, has the author went to lengths to define a very strict way to practice magic, unlike other fantasy works where magic is very vague and anything can happen if it helps with plot.
As far as the narrative goes Modesitt exploits the boy that becomes hero template. The Boy is expelled from Recluce for questioning the principles of order. Recluce has a policy where if you don't fit the frame exactly you're being trained and shipped off. In this book's case, the hero is shipped off to Candar which is the home of White Magic. We quickly learn that the candarian are not "evil" and the hero does in fact settle down in Candar.
The book is in first person, which I loved, and unlike the rest of the series which is third person.
If you are looking for a story with character growth, Lerris' journey as an exile from Recluce will fit that bill. If you are looking for a new fantasy world with a detailed history, divergent societies, a logical robust magic system, with a different spin on the age-old struggle between angels and demons, good and evil, black and white, order and chaos, then you've come to the right story and series.
Modesitt's Recluce series reminds me of Asimov's robot stories. He sets up a scenario with some basic, seemingly simple rules (for example, Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and Modesitt's Order/Chaos balance system as glimpsed through snippets of The Basis of Order) and proceeds to challenge those rules with his world and its characters. While each novel adds a piece of the broader puzzle, for the most part, like this first one, the books stand alone quite well.
It's probably the volume I reread the least (except maybe the immediate followup, which is inexplicably written in the present tense) but it has its moments. I am a sucker for the series's focus on simple craftsmanship - this character is a woodworker, something the author knows rather a lot about, and I find the interlude with Lerris reestablishing a failing furniture shop somewhat inexplicably charming. And his pony is adorable, even though I find Modesitt's use of onomatopoeia rather excessive.
I had to struggle through the book the first time, but it does set up the world effectively, and while I might at this point suggest someone start the series with Magi of Cyador (the earliest in the internal chronology, and a much stronger book on its own) it's worth looking at this one as the seed of the ideas that later turn into such a remarkable accomplishment.
However, again, I'm not going to go get the sequels.
I like fantasy because it has such potential to expand our concepts of what human society can be, in different and unusual, often dramatic situations.
One can tell,
The main character is a bored young man who lives in a utopian society of peace and plenty (where women know their place). But he's bored.
His family sends him to a center where the various disaffected (the bored, criminals, feminists) are trained and then sent out of the lovely, ordered kingdom of Recluce to make their way in the dangerous wide world, only possibly to ever return.
Our protagonist goes questing and along the way discovers he has the potential to be a super-powerful wizard. MORE TO COME.... in the sequels, of course.
I did not understand the ending at all. That may be because it took me so long to get to it, but it just came out of nowhere and was, for me, never properly explained.
I am not sure if I will give the series another chance. For now, I will put it down and listen to something else for a while.
Right now Lerris is essentially at Dangergeld school,
If I have to learn something, I'd rather learn Japanese, or macrame, not the complicated ethics of a magic system in an imaginary place. This is still supposed to be entertainment! So I'm out.
I also tend to have limited love for large, sprawling epics encompassing dozens of books and 20 times that many place names and 50 times that many characters, so I shall cut my losses quickly and move on. I love fantasy (The Last Unicorn, The Lies of Locke Lamora, Howl's Moving Castle), but not this kind, I guess (I'm similarly unenthralled by the works of Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, etc.).
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!