14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
more of the same from Modesitt, March 9, 2005
This review is from: Ordermaster (Saga of Recluce) (Hardcover)
"Ordermaster" is the 13th volume in the long running Saga of Recluce. This is the sequel to "Wellspring of Chaos", the first book to feature a cooper from Brysta named Kharl, a man who just happens to be a talented order mage. Because Kharl is imbued with this natural sense and talent of order, even though he doesn't know he has the potential to be a mage, he always tries to do what is right and to always do his best. This causes big problems for Kharl, his family, and anyone associated with him, and through an odd series of events Kharl ends up without a family but an order mage and a lord of an estate in Austra. This is where we begin "Ordermaster". While Kharl would much prefer to live out his life quietly and find his sons, we know that is not possible for the order mage.
Lord Ghrant of Austra owes his life to Kharl, but Kharl owes his new life to Lord Ghrant, so it is only a matter of time until Kharl is called upon to assist Lord Ghrant in stopping a rebellion in Austra. In doing so, Kharl becomes more and more adept at being an Order Mage, even without any training (as it always seems to be). Kharl continues to serve Lord Ghrant and protect him (and himself) against those who dishonestly oppose him and try to do wrong. Kharl, you see, always strives to do what is right.
Modesitt uses a fairly standard template for his Recluce novels. The description of the previous two paragraphs can be adapted to most of the other 12 novels in the Recluce Saga with only minor differences (even the four books which are about Chaos Mages). So, at some point if you've read a couple of Recluce books you've really read them all. Still, Modesitt does a good job in telling the story and he makes it always interesting to read about the actions, magery, and morality of these men. There is enough time between new Recluce novels that the repetition does not grate as much as it would if one tries to read the entire series back to back to back.
The bottom line is that I enjoy the Saga of Recluce and I enjoy reading new volumes in the series to see how Modesitt is going to expand on the world he has created. There are still many things I would like to know more about in the history of this world: Westwind, the Druids, and the founding of Cyador, but until then I can still enjoy the new books in Recluce. Just know that they are not significantly different than what he has written before.
-Joe Sherry
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A solid addition to the Recluce Saga., April 19, 2005
This review is from: Ordermaster (Saga of Recluce) (Hardcover)
Modesitt delivers what his readers expect in this new eddition to the Recluce Saga. While following the same basic story outline as his past books, of a humble man discovering his talent for magery and then being forced to use it to influence world events in huge ways, L.E. is also able to continue adding much detail to his rich world of Recluce.
In this sequel to The Wellspring of Chaos, Kharl the cooper/beggar/sailor/carpenter/mage/lord continues his adventures on the island nations of Nordla and Austra. Fighting (and killing) mage after mage throughout the book makes for an exciting read and having the story take place in another part of the world besides Candar and Recluce helps in expanding the reader's understanding of the lands and their people. By some accounts, Kharl could be the most powerful order mage we've encountered up till now, able to withstand the effects of death and chaos better than other powerful mages. He surely faced and defeated more white wizards in one on one combat than any yet written about. Even if he isn't the most powerful per se, he has undoubtably discovered one of the most powerful uses of order in unlinking bound order and thus creating a chaos explosion. Regardless, Kharl is one of my favorite characters of the entire series. Powerful and imposing, he stands up to every challenge boldly (no matter how uncomfortable or unfamiliar) and prevails.
If you've become tired of Modesitt's world of Recluce, stop reading these books for a while. I find that if I space them out by a couple of months or more I am not turned off by the seemingly repetitive story lines. Each character and story is different in large and small ways and all are enjoyable.
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37 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Magic of Reuse, April 7, 2005
This review is from: Ordermaster (Saga of Recluce) (Hardcover)
I'm a big fan of Modesitt's science fiction, which I find to be most imaginative. I loved the first books in the Recluse saga for the same reason--they presented an interesting magical system set in a fanstasy world that went far beyond the realms of the LOTR clones that populate the field.
Still, I can no longer recommend reading any new Recluse books. I won't belabor the point that Modesitt keeps writing the same book over and over. Other reviewers have discussed that, and I won't do to you what Modesitt has done to all of us by repeating a tired old story. So I'll just make a few observations:
(1) The Recluse saga mages seem to grow less intelligent with each new book in the series. Consider this: Say you are a mage who just saved a kingdom--and your own life--from the designs of a rapacious invader who was supported by several wizards. You did this only by thinking of a new way to use magic at the very last minute of the battle. Assume further that you expect further invasions. What would you do?
If you said "I'd practice my magic," you would not make a good Recluse saga character. Kharl, the protagonist of Ordermaster, spends most of his time his time making barrels, running an estate that seems to run perfectly well without his interference, and going to law school. Really. I'm half expecting the next novel in the series (not that I really care, since I won't be reading it) to have a title like "Bootmaker of Hamor."
Here's another example of Modesitt's moronic mages: Kharl makes a habit of dragging people into his battles. Invariably his companions serve no function other than to increase the body count. If you can find ONE useful thing that an armsman accomplishes by accompanying Kharl into combat, other than dying, I'll print this review and eat it. I won't even bother asking why he drags his would-be girlfriend into the fray. Twice.
Luckily for our hero, the chaos wizards are just as ill prepared for battle as is Kharl. Maybe nobody told them that he's killed before. Oh, yeah--if anyone can explain to me why the white wizards sometimes can sense where Kharl is, and sometimes cannot, please don't. I haven't figured it out, but I no longer care.
(2) If, despite this review, you nevertheless decide to read "Ordermaster," here are some guidelines for cutting the time that you will spend by 60% while still getting 95% of the story:
(a) Read only paragraphs that either contain quoted dialog or are followed by the following italicized words: "Whssssst.... CRUMMMMPT!" or "Eeeeeeeee..." Nothing interesting ever happens without a "Whssssst... CRUMMMMMPT!" or an "Eeeeeeeeee..."
(b) If, in any chapter, you see a reference to food or drink, skip immediately to the end of the chapter. L.E., NOBODY cares whether the cheese on the fried pearapples was spicy. The same advice applies to discussions of the relative merits of different kinds of wood for barrelmaking.
There is one exception to this rule: If you like to drink alone, chugging a brewski every time Kharl agonizes over a food or beverage choice isn't a half bad drinking game. From my own experience, I can guarantee that you won't enjoy the novel any less.
(c) If one character compliments another, then the second returns the compliment, skip the rest of the chapter. "Lord Hagen, you're so much cleverer than the usual Lord Chancellor... If it appears that way Kharl, it's only because you're so much more astute than the typical cooper/carpenter/mariner/lord/ambassador/mage." Sheesh.
If you want to know what happens in the parts you skip, just pretend that they make goo-goo eyes at each other and then get a room someplace. Whatever you might imagine has got to be far more entertaining than reading the twelve additional self-righteous platitudes that Modesitt would have you wade through.
If you aren't familiar with the Recluse saga, I recommend that you begin with "The Magic of Recluse"--it's quite good--then keep reading until you start to find the series tiresome. If you already know the series, then "Ordermaster" offers up no surprises. It's more of the same, just not as well written.
Postscript: If you can guess who will become Lord West in the sequel to "Ordermaster," you get 10 extra credit points.
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