The Magic of Recluce
Ratings42
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings42
Average rating3.7
Gunnar, who has kept himself and his family alive using druidic techniques taught by his brother Justen, sends his son Lerris (who is unaware of his father's history and his own magical potential) to Candar to undertake a rite of passage commonly administered to dissatisfied individuals living in Recluce, especially those who have an affinity or ability for either order or chaos. While exiled to Candar, Lerris meets his uncle Justen, and comes to understand his father's ulterior motives for sending him off. Centuries of dominance by Recluce and their order engineers has once again led to increasingly more powerful chaos mages in Candar, with one in particular threatening to cause trouble on the scale of the white council. Gunnar has sent Lerris to Candar with the suspicion that a strong order mage and strong chaos mage will ultimately be drawn into direct conflict, and that Lerris would take care of the problem without Recluce being directly involved. Lerris ultimately defeats the white mage and settles down in Candar to live as a woodworker.
Reviews with the most likes.
I've been trying to find the first book of this series for more than a decade. After seeing Modesitt's books in libraries, used bookstores, featured at B&N, and in the bargain bin at Staples (true story). He's written a ton, but seems absent from Booktube or any other discussion of the history of fantasy. People mention Terry Brooks, Tad Williams, Robert Jordan, but not L.E. Modesitt. Weird. Especially because he's still alive and still producing work regularly. There must be something wrong with his books...
Of course not. This book is great. It follows a young man with burgeoning power, prone to boredom, who's being shifted around by the authority figures in his life. Given his last choice, he ends up in a magic school with similar youth. There's some making out, and then he and the rest are exiled from their home island. Fantasy hijinx ensue.
This is a medium-length story, spanning a few years, in which our main character grows up and faces some serious challenges. The narrator is humorous, self-deprecating, and intelligent. And it's a good old fantasy coming of age tale. Nothing wrong with it unless you're in the “I hate farmboys” camp. But if you are, why not give it a chance?
An oldie but a goodie. Read these back in high school, and decided to pick it back up. It starts a little slow, and it's fairly simplistic (no crazy twists, very straight forward), but there's something very satisfying about the story as it unfolds.
I really enjoyed the beginning. His descriptive world building had me hooked. It's told in first person which I also love. The main character was on a quest to figure out what kind of wizard he wanted to be and he had an old wizard companion for part of the story. All of these things I love but this guy writes so slow. Ridiculously slow with little pay off. This is a long series so it obviously gets better but it's such a commitment that I don't even want to continue. I feel the same way about Ursula K Le Guin's writing as I do this guy so if you enjoy her then I say give this guy a shot.
Series
22 primary booksThe Saga of Recluce is a 22-book series with 22 primary works first released in 1991 with contributions by L.E. Modesitt Jr..
Series
8 primary booksRecluce Zyklus is a 8-book series with 8 primary works first released in 1991 with contributions by L.E. Modesitt Jr..
Series
1 released bookThe Saga of Recluce (Chronological) is a 22-book series first released in 1991 with contributions by L.E. Modesitt Jr..
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