50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fomulaic, but good, April 16, 2009
L.E. Modesitt, Jr., begins a new series in the same vein as Recluse. The parallels with Recluse are undeniable and formulaic, but they're also the reason that the Recluse series is successful. Remember, when we first read The Magic of Recluse back in 1991, a primary point of interest was introducing a system of magic without actually detailing how it worked, first. We discover, along with the protagonist, how it works, oh, so very slowly.
The same thing happens, here. We have a protagonist in a coming-of-age story. He doesn't fit in where he is, and his adventures consist of his finding his own way. I won't explain the magic, because that would spoil the book for those who are interested. Suffice it to say that it's very subtle, and the plot is suitably more subtle than those of the Recluse books.
Another large part of the fun in a new series such as this is gaining the flavor of a new imaginary world. This is almost-France in the Renaissance. A keen reader will recognize famous names, slightly modified, such as Descartes and Poincare. A strength of the author's approach is the detail with which he describes the environment, the food, the art, etc., giving the reader sufficient detail to imagine what the world is "really like." Of course, while such is a strength in the eyes of some readers, others will find this approach to be tedious and boring. If you like reading fantasy novels in order to explore a new world, this is right up your alley. If you prefer your fantasy to be more like Indiana Jones or Star Wars (the movies, not the mishmash of the extended universe), with fast-paced action without requiring much background detail, then you'll not appreciate this story.
Another forte of Modesitt's is the combination of magic and philosophy. In this universe, the philosophy is more separate (Recluse's order vs. chaos had very moralistic overtones, in which chaos-wielders tended to be evil, for example). The philosophy here is an exploration of people, principles, and social interaction in general.
Modesitt's primary weakness is also evident, here: the character development isn't as good as one might wish, for a novel that introduces a new world. With good character development (e.g., David Eddings' Belgariad), a reader will quickly get a sense of liking and disliking certain characters, and after time, will feel as if one actually knows these very real people. Modesitt's characters, while not undeveloped, still feel like abstractions, slightly too perfect, with no real sense of humor or jocular interaction taking place between them. In all physical, philosphical and artistic aspects, Modesitt's creations feel real and alive - but the people feel a bit more "animatronic".
I give the book 5 stars, however, because my standards for character development are very high, and I am -so- relieved to read a fantasy story without vampires, without werewolves, and without having it turn into a "romance novel" for a few pages, I can forgive this novel for not meeting this particular standard of excellence.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Imager: Little Imagination, Plodding, Listless, September 23, 2010
Sadly (because I had high hopes for the series), I thought Imager was a dull, plodding tale. The story, narrated by young Rhennthyl, an artist-turned-Imager spy, just creeps along with little beyond descriptions of food, philosophy, social structures and basic Imager rules. The protagonist is too colorless and detached to care much about. His reactions to events good or bad are pretty much the same: unemotional, impassive, impersonal.
Rhenn does kill several people - accidentally or on purpose in self-defense (and for practice killing condemned prisoners) and it's of no more import than having to write an essay on jurisprudence or learn more Imager lore. It's all written in the same tone - whether Rhenn's just escaped an assassination or having dinner with his girlfriend.
(About the assassination attempts, there are so many - always stopped by Rhenn's mental shield - that they became humorous: Rhenn can't seem to stick his head outside Imager Isle without bullets whizzing by like pesky mosquitoes.)
Oddly enough though, the attempts on Rhenn's life aren't all that interesting even to Rhenn. He does ask around, at the Imager HQ's request, to find out who might be trying to kill him but he doesn't particularly change his daily routine. As for the Imager organization, they're apparently too busy imaging aluminum pots or whatever they do, to find out who's trying to kill Imagers every week. Or why would a very inexperienced Rhenn be conducting the investigation?
Even this lethargic tale sounds more exciting than it really is. Rhenn's days are spent mostly describing everything he's doing, eating, writing or thinking. It's really the author's way of tediously telling us this world's philosophy, magic, economics, social structure, foods, government, etc.
If this book were a tv series or movie, Imager would've been one episode or the first fifteen minutes. Maybe the following books become more interesting. I doubt I'll bother finding out.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Typical Modesitt - but then, that's why I buy his books, June 22, 2009
A thoroughly enjoyable book - the first time (and the second). Modesitt spins a good yarn and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. The one quibble I have is that, as usual in a Modesitt story, the principal character works far harder and is more dedicated to his work by far than the "normal" person. But then, the "normal" person is usually content to float through life trying to stay within a "comfort" zone and that just wouldn't make much of a story, would it?
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