Colors of Chaos [Hardcover]

L. E. Modesitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

The new Recluce novel is the biggest fantasy from L. E. Modesitt, Jr. to date. It is a study of the adult life of the White Chaos wizard Cerryl, his education in life and love, and his rise to power in the magicians guild of Fairhaven. This is a direct sequel to The White Order, which told of Cerryl's boyhood and youth, and takes place at the same time as the events in Modesitt's earlier novel, The Magic Engineer. Yet it stands alone, the longest Recluce novel, a portrayal of the growth and change of character and of the strengths and weaknesses of an age-old civilization held together by the power of magic.

This is a must-read for followers of the Saga of Recluce, offering a unique, sympathetic point of view of the White Chaos wizards -- the forces that throughout history have opposed the magicians of Recluce.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When the tension between the lands governed by the mages of chaos and the order-ruled Isle of Recluce escalates into full-fledged war, Cerryl?newly ordained as full mage of the White Order?discovers his true calling as reconciler. A direct sequel to The White Order (LJ 5/15/98), set at the same time as the events portrayed in The Magic Engineer (LJ 3/15/94), Modesitt's latest novel in his "Recluce" series views the conflict from the other side, as Chaos struggles to prevent the forces of Order from gaining ultimate victory. The author's skill in portraying the humanity of characters who possess the power to destroy others with a thought adds a level of verisimilitude and immediacy rarely found in grand-scale fantasy. A strong addition to fantasy collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Doorstopper addition to Modesitt's already huge fantasy series exploring the struggle between White Chaos magic and Black Order magic on a planet colonized by survivors of a spaceship crash. This entry's a direct sequel to the saga's most recent a ddition, The White Order (p. 539), which followed the boyhood of the future wizard Cerryl, and detailed his early adventures, revelations about his heritage, and his destiny to join the great and powerful magicians in the city Fairhaven. Readers will lear n all about Cerryl's subsequent career as a White Order wizard, although, chronologically, the actions take place at the same time as a much earlier volume, The Magic Engineer (1994). Should please the fans. Its a pity, though, that the talented and versa tile Modesitt didn't choose to write something new. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 634 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312867670
• ISBN-13: 978-0312867676
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,816,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After spending years writing poetry, political speeches and analyses, as well as economic and technical reports on extraordinarily detailed and often boring subjects, I finally got around to writing my first short story, which was published in 1973. I kept submitting and occasionally having published stories until an editor indicated he'd refuse to buy any more until I wrote a novel. So I did, and it was published in 1982, and I've been writing novels -- along with a few short stories -- ever since.

If you want to know more, you can visit my website at www.lemodesittjr.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to the Recluse books., March 31, 1999

By 

austin_Larry (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Colors of Chaos (Hardcover)

The Magic Engineer is one of my favorite Recluse books and The Colors of Chaos is in no way a repeat of that book. The events recounted are the same, but obviously told from a different viewpoint. Moreover you see the development motivations and actions of the characters introudced in The White Order not those found in the Magic Engineer.

The author does an excellent job in adding depth to the issues of order and chaos. After reading the book you realize that neither order nor chaos is inhernetly 'good' or 'evil' but both are capable of force and building and desstruction. Ultimately its the people employing order and or chaos and their reasons for doing so that makes all the difference.

I enjoyed the time spent on explaining the motivations of tertiary charcters like traders and perfects even if its through the primary charcters' words. Thumbs up and highly recommended overall.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A REAL study of philosophy from perspectives., April 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Colors of Chaos (Saga of Recluce) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent book, particularly if you have read other books in the Recluce Saga. It allows the reader to begin to understand why the white mages are not universal "evil people". Modestitt evidently felt the depth of his societal commentary was being missed and went into true detail of contrasting Cerryl's perspective of the events to those of Dorin in "The Magic Engineer". Both are following their beliefs as best as they can and find themselves in conflict due to differences in methods for providing peace and prosperity, rather than good vs. evil. It should be read with at least "The Magic Engineer" and "The White Order" to fully appreciate the book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely great! The best so far!, June 18, 1999

By 

Jeremy Tuck (Chicago, IL U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colors of Chaos (Hardcover)

L.E. Modesitt's portrayals of the Guild in Fairhaven and the Black Order of Recluce from opposing viewpoints are probably my favorite feature of this series. This book tells an excellent story of a young White that is not out to destroy the blacks and his struggle to stay alive long enough to reach his potential. A great book that I would recommend to anyone!