Fall of Angels (Saga of Recluce) (Mass Market Paperback)

by L. E. Modesitt Jr. (Author) "THERE WERE ANGELS in Heaven in those days, and there were demons, and the demons were the creators and the creation of chaos . ..." (more)
Key Phrases: lander couch, firin cells, lander shells, Roof of the World, Ser Gethen, Old Anglorat (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The Gods themselves do battle in this prequel to Modesitt's popular Recluse saga. Set centuries before last year's The Death of Chaos, the story recounts a space battle in which the frigate Winterlance is blown into another universe and makes an emergency landing on a habitable planet. The castaways, mostly female space marines, initially must struggle with the harsh weather and their own failing technology in order to survive. Soon, however, they discover that they share their new world with a more intelligent enemy: other humans. The natives, whose culture is intensely patriarchal, have magical powers and are extremely hostile, especially to independent women. As Ryba and Nylan, the Winterlance's former chief officers, struggle to create both a civilization and a means to defend it, they must fight increasingly difficult battles even while coming to terms with their own awakening magical powers. Modesitt's character development is solid, and the novel makes intriguing use of technology in a fantasy setting, but the plot is predictable and the language pedestrian. A seemingly superfluous subplot concerning the chief villain's home life fails to add excitement. Fans of the series should enjoy this sixth entry, particularly for its explication of the myths and legends of latter-day Recluse, but it's not the sort of volume likely to win Modesitt a new legion of admirers.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
The latest novel in Modesitt's Recluce series is one of the best and most accessible for readers new to the saga. It casts back in time to the founding of one of the well-established cultures of Recluce, the women warriors of Westwind. The Westwind women sprang from the mostly female crew of a crashed starship who then faced a classic situation, that of exiles from a technological culture on a pretechnological planet that holds more than a few surprises for them. Modesitt manages this version of that predicament quite well, infusing it with more action than is in most of the other Recluce yarns, as well as with a certain amount of preaching on the utility of violence. The resulting tale will hold existing series fans and probably recruit some new ones. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy (July 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812538951
• ISBN-13: 978-0812538953
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #168,346 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding & Enjoying the World of Recluse, November 15, 2000

By	J. Bryant "t0problemsolver" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

-L.E. Modesitt jr's Recluse series is a world of magic and balance. a world that will grab you and make you loss track of time as you are unable to put his Recluse books down. The author, recommends that you read his book in the order of they were published. If you are the person who likes to read the last 50 pages of a book first, and then skip around to different areas of the book as you read it through, then by all means, read the Recluse series in the order of publish. WAIT!..... If you are a reader who truly enjoys finding yourself part of the on going story, as read a series from the start of he story to its end. Then the Recluse series will grab you and not let you go until the conclusion of the series. L.E. Modesitt, jr. has written an 11 books series of the Recluse world so far. This author wrote the Magic of Recluse first. As be has published books, he has jumped around throughout the story time line of the world of Recluse, and put together books of set, and other single books, which he may add another book to that part of the story in a future published book. This author has written the story in books of set, that is the first three book of story: 1st book) "Fall of Angels", 2rd) "The Chaos Balance" & 3rd) "The Tower of the Sunset". Tells the birth and the destruction of kingdom of highly skilled warriors, with the third book leading into the creation of a new kingdom, (Recluse). Then the next book is, 4th book of the World of Recluse) "The Magic Engineer". Then Modesitt, jr. switches to the side of Chaos, and tells a story where the character's of Chaos will became heroes in your eyes too. So with time, you will gain a better understanding of the World of Recluse through the following books: 5th book) "The White Order", & 6th book) "the Color of Chaos". The next set of books that go together in the World of Recluse, are: 7th book) "The Order War", 8th book) "The Magic of Recluse", & the 9th book) "The Death of Chaos". As for the last two book that the author has written, he has drifted into the life of some of the troops found in the World of Recluse. My $0.02 worth.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of the blend, February 2, 1998

By A Customer

If you have yet to experience Modesitt's Recluce Series then this book is the perfect place to start. Fall of Angels is the first book in the timeline of the story, and is consistent in its approach to the rest of the series. What Modesitt does that few other writers can or will, is blend science fiction and fantasy together, and it is in this book where this is most easily seen, for the survivors from the spaceship must learn to adapt from a universe where science rules to one in which magic is the master. Modesitt also focuses in depth on one particular character in each of his books, and what this does besides add to character development in general, is let the reader see and feel what it is like to be a blacksmith or a carpenter. Other fantasys use these occupations as a general piece of the setting, but Modesitt seems to have a firm grasp of the importance people place on what they do, especially in a society in which work is still done on a hands on basis and not on an assembly line. In this book, we see the character of Nylan up close, who apparently in addition to being an inventor, engineer, blacksmith, and carpenter, is also the founder of the order of black mages. What we see in this character is a scientist, not one in a futuristic setting, but one who must learn to do things that we take for granted even today. What this book does not make as clear as the others in the series is the role that chaos and order play. The reason for this is, of course, that Nylan is just learning how to use Order. But even here one can begin to see how different this series is. Modesitt takes Order and Chaos, two scientific concepts, and through the use of his blending of science fiction and fantasy, turns them into magical concepts. This is more realistic than the normal antithesis between good and evil, and allows the characters to have more depth. If you're a fantasy lover and want something different than this book is for you.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, a Masterpiece !!!!!!, April 23, 1999

By A Customer

This is the first book I have read in the Recluce series and it certainly will not be my last. Modesitt's Fall of Angels is a Science Fiction Fantasy that delivers a descriptive methodical account of a technologically advanced militaristic space force (Angels) that becomes marooned on a less advanced planet. The story is told from the perspective of Nylan; the engineer of the space ship Winterlance. His transition from using "the net" of the Winterlance to using "the local net" of the planet on which he and his comrades are marooned is a central theme within the story. Through his ability to harness this ability of "order", the Angels have a chance to survive a very hostile environment filled with local kingdoms ruled by lords and their white wizards of chaos. The story is filled with stories of heroism and survival and infused with statements of moral and social issues that can can certainly be applied to todays modern society. Though a bit slow in spots, Mr. Modesitt does not let the reader down when it counts. I walked away from Fall of Angels very satisified. Fall of Angels is a book that can stand on its own and I will always consider it a classic in my library.