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Imager Portfolio #4
Scholar
Hundreds of years before the time of Imager, the continent of Lydar is fragmented. Years of war have consolidated five nations into three — Bovaria, Telaryn, and Antiago. Quaeryt is a scholar and a friend of Bhayar, the young ruler of Telaryn. Worried about his future and the escalating intrigues in Solis, the capital city, Quaeryt persuades Bhayar to send him to Tilbor, conquered ten years earlier by Bhayar’s father, in order to see if the number and extent of occupying troops can be reduced so that they can be re-deployed to the border with warlike Bovaria.
Quaeryt has managed to conceal the fact that he is an imager, since the life expectancies of imagers in Lydar is short. Just before Quaeryt departs, Bhayar’s youngest sister passes a letter to the scholar-imager, a letter that could well embroil Quaeryt in the welter of court politics he had hoped to leave behind. On top of that, on his voyage and journey to Tilbor he must face pirates, storms, poisonings, attempted murder, as well as discovering the fact that he is not quite who he thought he was. To make it all worse, the order of scholars to which he belongs is jeopardized in more ways than one.
Quaeryt has managed to conceal the fact that he is an imager, since the life expectancies of imagers in Lydar is short. Just before Quaeryt departs, Bhayar’s youngest sister passes a letter to the scholar-imager, a letter that could well embroil Quaeryt in the welter of court politics he had hoped to leave behind. On top of that, on his voyage and journey to Tilbor he must face pirates, storms, poisonings, attempted murder, as well as discovering the fact that he is not quite who he thought he was. To make it all worse, the order of scholars to which he belongs is jeopardized in more ways than one.
658 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
183 people are currently reading
1158 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
191 books2,591 followersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
March 29, 2017
Mar2017 Review: This is the first book in the series chronologically, set about 700 years prior to the first trilogy in the series, & features Quaeryt, an orphan raised by Scholars. He doesn't have much money, but he studied & stays friends with Bhayar, a young, ambitious king. Quaeryt wasn't always a scholar, but after 6 years of working for a living as a sailor, he decides that scholarship is a better path to fulfilling his own ambitions, even if he does have a deep distrust of palace politics.
It's a hard world. People are killed or left to starve to death without much regret. Resources are limited & class boundaries rigid. Travel is difficult & slow plus there are multiple kingdoms & rebellious factions that make life uncertain. Into this maelstrom of discontent, Quaeryt (The name means 'questioner'.) subtly maneuvers an opportunity that many would see as a punishment.
All the elements are there for a great story & Modesitt spins a fine one. He slowly fills in back stories & subtly gives us the same clues as Q. (I can't even pronounce 'Quaeryt' in my head properly.) There are many problems Q faces, but the main one is a doozy & it's a great read to find out how he resolves it.
About the only thing I disliked was the romantic element. That's a fairly typical gripe I have with his books, though. His idea of romance seems to bloom through occasional sidelong looks & occasional correspondence. Premarital sex is reserved for prostitutes & common folk. All the wives are so very wise & the guys have so much to learn from them. I'd really appreciate it if he'd get out of that rut occasionally.
Still, it was an enthralling story, especially in light of the clues we got from Rhenn's trilogy. On to the next, Princeps.
Jun2014 Review: The first trilogy describes a well established school for imagers. Due to their powers, they're feared & have a precarious position in society. They also often die young even with the all the help they get through the school.
Much that Rhen took for granted hasn't even been thought of 700 years previous, before there was a school & imagers tried to hide their powers. Each figured it all out on their own. Worse, this is a Medieval world in many respects. No scientific method or even much in the way of schools. Again, Modesitt has created a wonderfully realistic & detailed world where the magic has a lot of restrictions. Politics & economics play a huge role as do science & logic.
All through this series, Modesitt has made the world similar to a Medieval version of ours in many ways; horses & people are the same. The same physical laws apply. Units are a bit different. Currency is in coppers, silvers, & golds & they're always in short supply. Instead of miles, they walk milles, which seem about the same. Time is in glasses & quints, easy enough that it's no problem to deal with, but different enough to add a sense of strangeness. Very cool.
--- Dates & Times ---
There are five two-month seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Harvest, and Fall.
There are ten months, each thirty-five days long: Ianus, Fevier, Maris, Avryl, Mayas, Juyn, Agostas, Erntyn, Feuillyt, and Finitas
The week is seven days long and based on the French equivalents: Lundi, Mardi, Meredi, Jeudi, Vendrei, Samedi, Solayi.
A glass is roughly 100 minutes of our time. Each day has twenty glasses, with the tenth glass of the day being noon, and the tenth glass of night being midnight. A quint is a fifth of a glass.
It's a hard world. People are killed or left to starve to death without much regret. Resources are limited & class boundaries rigid. Travel is difficult & slow plus there are multiple kingdoms & rebellious factions that make life uncertain. Into this maelstrom of discontent, Quaeryt (The name means 'questioner'.) subtly maneuvers an opportunity that many would see as a punishment.
All the elements are there for a great story & Modesitt spins a fine one. He slowly fills in back stories & subtly gives us the same clues as Q. (I can't even pronounce 'Quaeryt' in my head properly.) There are many problems Q faces, but the main one is a doozy & it's a great read to find out how he resolves it.
About the only thing I disliked was the romantic element. That's a fairly typical gripe I have with his books, though. His idea of romance seems to bloom through occasional sidelong looks & occasional correspondence. Premarital sex is reserved for prostitutes & common folk. All the wives are so very wise & the guys have so much to learn from them. I'd really appreciate it if he'd get out of that rut occasionally.
Still, it was an enthralling story, especially in light of the clues we got from Rhenn's trilogy. On to the next, Princeps.
Jun2014 Review: The first trilogy describes a well established school for imagers. Due to their powers, they're feared & have a precarious position in society. They also often die young even with the all the help they get through the school.
Much that Rhen took for granted hasn't even been thought of 700 years previous, before there was a school & imagers tried to hide their powers. Each figured it all out on their own. Worse, this is a Medieval world in many respects. No scientific method or even much in the way of schools. Again, Modesitt has created a wonderfully realistic & detailed world where the magic has a lot of restrictions. Politics & economics play a huge role as do science & logic.
All through this series, Modesitt has made the world similar to a Medieval version of ours in many ways; horses & people are the same. The same physical laws apply. Units are a bit different. Currency is in coppers, silvers, & golds & they're always in short supply. Instead of miles, they walk milles, which seem about the same. Time is in glasses & quints, easy enough that it's no problem to deal with, but different enough to add a sense of strangeness. Very cool.
--- Dates & Times ---
There are five two-month seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Harvest, and Fall.
There are ten months, each thirty-five days long: Ianus, Fevier, Maris, Avryl, Mayas, Juyn, Agostas, Erntyn, Feuillyt, and Finitas
The week is seven days long and based on the French equivalents: Lundi, Mardi, Meredi, Jeudi, Vendrei, Samedi, Solayi.
A glass is roughly 100 minutes of our time. Each day has twenty glasses, with the tenth glass of the day being noon, and the tenth glass of night being midnight. A quint is a fifth of a glass.
January 4, 2022
In the style of the Recluse Saga, Scholar continues the Imager Portfolio universe in a similar fashion. We had the first trilogy focused on the artist who is an Imager, and Scholar sets up what will likely be another trilogy, but taking place a hundred years before.
My enjoyment is as always, with fascinating, steady characters and solid writing. The main character, here portrayed as a scholar, is in all other aspects a spy. These foreign countries distrust scholars for seemingly good reasons and he gathers information, ferrets out problems, and basically makes himself useful (or annoying) to the powers that be. The scale always increases, as does the danger.
It's great fun and is comfort food, as always.
My enjoyment is as always, with fascinating, steady characters and solid writing. The main character, here portrayed as a scholar, is in all other aspects a spy. These foreign countries distrust scholars for seemingly good reasons and he gathers information, ferrets out problems, and basically makes himself useful (or annoying) to the powers that be. The scale always increases, as does the danger.
It's great fun and is comfort food, as always.
May 1, 2012
In a pattern that’s by now familiar for L.E. Modesitt Jr., Scholar marks a new beginning in the IMAGER PORTFOLIO series. The book is set several hundred years before the events portrayed in the three “Rhentyll” novels Imager, Imager’s Challenge, and Imager’s Intrigue. Because of this, Scholar shares no characters with the earlier novels in the series and can be read separately. However, if you haven’t read the Rhentyll novels yet and are in the mood for some good, thoughtful fantasy, I still recommend reading them first, just so you can see the events of the new novel in the broader historical context L.E. Modesitt Jr. likes to build for his fantasy worlds.
Scholar is set in a time when Solidar hasn’t been unified as one country yet. Rather than the stable and dominant realm we see in the Rhentyll novels, the continent of Lydar is still split up into separate countries that are fighting for dominance. Bhayar, the young ruler of Telaryn, is trying to figure out why the province of Tilbor, conquered a decade ago by his father, still needs such a large armed presence to remain peaceful. He sends his friend Quaeryt to Tilbor to investigate and report back on the possibility of reducing the size of the province’s standing army.
Quaeryt, the main character of the novel, is a scholar. He’s also an imager, but he keeps his imaging ability mostly secret because, in this period before the Collegium Imago, imagers are still feared and frequently shunned. Like Rhentyll from the IMAGER PORTFOLIO’s earlier novels, he is a very recognizable L.E. Modesitt Jr. protagonist: intelligent, quiet, cautious but able to take decisive and sometimes surprising action when necessary. His name seems to mean something like “inquisitive” in one of this world’s languages, which is appropriate given his habit of asking incisive questions that frequently make people uncomfortable.
Quaeryt travels to Tilbor, having several adventures along the way. Once he arrives, he begins to investigate the local situation and the possible reasons that such a large military presence is still needed there, more than a decade after its conquest. He becomes part of life in the military structure in Tilbor, reports to his superiors, strikes up friendships, enjoys meals, and does extensive research into the history of Tilbor. The result is a novel that’s so instantly recognizable as an L.E. Modesitt Jr. story that it verges on the predictable, but as always it’s also full of interesting, well-drawn characters and fascinating world-building, making it well worth your time.
One difference between Quaeryt and Rhentyll, the protagonist of the first three novels in the Imager Portfolio, is that Quaeryt, at least in this book, feels like a more stable character. Rhenn goes through a huge evolution: he starts a whole new life, learns a new profession, gradually becomes stronger and more important. Rhenn’s growth as a character is a big part of what made the first three Imager novels so enjoyable right from the start. By contrast, Quaeryt seems to have gone through his formative period well before the start of Scholar. He now appears as an already complete character who doesn’t change all that much throughout this story, aside from learning some new imaging skills. As a result, the emphasis here is much more firmly on plot than on character development, whereas the previous three novels struck a balance between the two. To be fair, this is only the first novel in what looks to be planned as a second sub-series of four books in the IMAGER PORTFOLIO. There are indications that Quaeryt’s life is going to change again in the next novel, so there’s a good chance that we’ll see much more character growth in Princeps (May 2012) and Subcommander (planned for 2013).
Calling Scholar a prequel is technically correct but, given the author’s penchant for exploring the historical background of his fantasy worlds in great detail, it doesn’t tell the whole story. This is really a separate novel that happens to be set in the same world as, but several centuries before the first three books in the IMAGER PORTFOLIO, allowing L.E. Modesitt Jr. to add considerable depth to this fantasy universe and place the events of the earlier novels in a solid historical context. Despite running along well-established patterns, this is another enjoyable novel by one of the genre’s most reliable and prolific authors.
(This review was originally published on www.tor.com and on www.fantasyliterature.com.)
EDIT May 1, 2012: I reread this novel to prepare for the upcoming sequel, PRINCEPS. I enjoyed it much more on the second reading, caught some subtleties I missed the first time through. I may write a revised review at some point, but for now I'm already bumping this up from 3 to 4 stars.
Scholar is set in a time when Solidar hasn’t been unified as one country yet. Rather than the stable and dominant realm we see in the Rhentyll novels, the continent of Lydar is still split up into separate countries that are fighting for dominance. Bhayar, the young ruler of Telaryn, is trying to figure out why the province of Tilbor, conquered a decade ago by his father, still needs such a large armed presence to remain peaceful. He sends his friend Quaeryt to Tilbor to investigate and report back on the possibility of reducing the size of the province’s standing army.
Quaeryt, the main character of the novel, is a scholar. He’s also an imager, but he keeps his imaging ability mostly secret because, in this period before the Collegium Imago, imagers are still feared and frequently shunned. Like Rhentyll from the IMAGER PORTFOLIO’s earlier novels, he is a very recognizable L.E. Modesitt Jr. protagonist: intelligent, quiet, cautious but able to take decisive and sometimes surprising action when necessary. His name seems to mean something like “inquisitive” in one of this world’s languages, which is appropriate given his habit of asking incisive questions that frequently make people uncomfortable.
Quaeryt travels to Tilbor, having several adventures along the way. Once he arrives, he begins to investigate the local situation and the possible reasons that such a large military presence is still needed there, more than a decade after its conquest. He becomes part of life in the military structure in Tilbor, reports to his superiors, strikes up friendships, enjoys meals, and does extensive research into the history of Tilbor. The result is a novel that’s so instantly recognizable as an L.E. Modesitt Jr. story that it verges on the predictable, but as always it’s also full of interesting, well-drawn characters and fascinating world-building, making it well worth your time.
One difference between Quaeryt and Rhentyll, the protagonist of the first three novels in the Imager Portfolio, is that Quaeryt, at least in this book, feels like a more stable character. Rhenn goes through a huge evolution: he starts a whole new life, learns a new profession, gradually becomes stronger and more important. Rhenn’s growth as a character is a big part of what made the first three Imager novels so enjoyable right from the start. By contrast, Quaeryt seems to have gone through his formative period well before the start of Scholar. He now appears as an already complete character who doesn’t change all that much throughout this story, aside from learning some new imaging skills. As a result, the emphasis here is much more firmly on plot than on character development, whereas the previous three novels struck a balance between the two. To be fair, this is only the first novel in what looks to be planned as a second sub-series of four books in the IMAGER PORTFOLIO. There are indications that Quaeryt’s life is going to change again in the next novel, so there’s a good chance that we’ll see much more character growth in Princeps (May 2012) and Subcommander (planned for 2013).
Calling Scholar a prequel is technically correct but, given the author’s penchant for exploring the historical background of his fantasy worlds in great detail, it doesn’t tell the whole story. This is really a separate novel that happens to be set in the same world as, but several centuries before the first three books in the IMAGER PORTFOLIO, allowing L.E. Modesitt Jr. to add considerable depth to this fantasy universe and place the events of the earlier novels in a solid historical context. Despite running along well-established patterns, this is another enjoyable novel by one of the genre’s most reliable and prolific authors.
(This review was originally published on www.tor.com and on www.fantasyliterature.com.)
EDIT May 1, 2012: I reread this novel to prepare for the upcoming sequel, PRINCEPS. I enjoyed it much more on the second reading, caught some subtleties I missed the first time through. I may write a revised review at some point, but for now I'm already bumping this up from 3 to 4 stars.
March 24, 2021
Notes:
Yay for libraries!
I miss reading about Ren. Q is a great character, but he's a bit too similar to Ren. I didn't take a break between the books because I didn't know there would be an MC change. Enjoyed the first half of the book more than the last half. Both R & Q are spy-killers.
Yay for libraries!
I miss reading about Ren. Q is a great character, but he's a bit too similar to Ren. I didn't take a break between the books because I didn't know there would be an MC change. Enjoyed the first half of the book more than the last half. Both R & Q are spy-killers.
January 26, 2015
Jos jedna odlicna knjiga od Modesita.Intaligentna, sa likovima koji se ponasaju i rezonuju ko pravi ljudi. Nije naivna ko sto ume dosta knjiga da bude. Jedino sto moze nekome da smeta da je knjiga relativno spora i voli fino da opisuje sve sta se desava. Meni odgovara ali ima oni koji imaju manje strpljenja od mene :)
Ako ste citali bilo sta od ovog pisca a svidelo vam se slobodno navalite.
Ako ste citali bilo sta od ovog pisca a svidelo vam se slobodno navalite.
May 20, 2012
I just love everything Modesitt has written. I honestly believe the man could write a story about someone watching grass grow and I would still love it.
Something about the careful nature of his plots always draws me in.
This book did not disappoint.
Something about the careful nature of his plots always draws me in.
This book did not disappoint.
December 20, 2018
“So, cynicism is merely accuracy when no one wishes to accept that accuracy?”
Steampunk Avenger. Excellent story, but the mechanics needed another editing. Set several hundred years before the first three. Pontificating more organic to the tale. The perceptive reader feels closer to Quaeryt’s concerns and trials. The solutions, of course, are too easy, but that’s the nature of fantasy.
“There’s a big difference between light gray and black, and sometimes there’s an even bigger difference between those who claim to follow pure white and those who prefer slightly grayed white.”
Integrates his invented magic and religion seamlessly into a typical fantasy European-prototype medieval world.
“I have too many doubts to be a good chorister, much as I believe in the values for which the Nameless stands.” “We all have doubts, sir. What matters is what we do, given those doubts.”
Like Rhennthyl, the protagonist of the first three imager stories, Quaeryt deals out vigilante justice at will. Yes, he’s wiser and more powerful than everyone around him, but that shouldn’t give him (or any other superhero) a license to kill. Tarnishes the moral high tone.
“It’s better to do something when no one else has done anything than hope that what’s bad will improve itself.”
Steampunk Avenger. Excellent story, but the mechanics needed another editing. Set several hundred years before the first three. Pontificating more organic to the tale. The perceptive reader feels closer to Quaeryt’s concerns and trials. The solutions, of course, are too easy, but that’s the nature of fantasy.
“There’s a big difference between light gray and black, and sometimes there’s an even bigger difference between those who claim to follow pure white and those who prefer slightly grayed white.”
Integrates his invented magic and religion seamlessly into a typical fantasy European-prototype medieval world.
“I have too many doubts to be a good chorister, much as I believe in the values for which the Nameless stands.” “We all have doubts, sir. What matters is what we do, given those doubts.”
Like Rhennthyl, the protagonist of the first three imager stories, Quaeryt deals out vigilante justice at will. Yes, he’s wiser and more powerful than everyone around him, but that shouldn’t give him (or any other superhero) a license to kill. Tarnishes the moral high tone.
“It’s better to do something when no one else has done anything than hope that what’s bad will improve itself.”
October 7, 2020
Queryt is a young scholar and imager who is also advisor to the ruler of Telaryn. He is sent to investigate the situation in Tilber which had been conquered years ago and whose occupying force was an excessive expense. Not all as it seems as conflict, murder, and intrigue run rampant and attempts are made to dispose of Queryt. Plenty of action.
August 14, 2020
A bit slow to start but still good.
This is the first book of a five part series following Quaeryt as his friendship with the ruler of Telaryn, a country within what will become Solidar, starts to move his status in the world from a scholar to something much more. He has hidden Imager abilities and he uses these in conjunction with his native intelligence to investigate political problems in a recently conquered country.
So this book is set nearly a thousand years before the first trilogy in the Imager portfolio and shows the rise of Solidar and how imaging abilities became somewhat socially acceptable. Imager's can basically create anything though there are conditions based on physics that severely limit what a person can do. I like that Quaeryt is a slightly older protagonist, he's in his late twenties, early thirties and has already led an interesting life. He's worked for years on building his abilities in secret and cultivating his friendship with Bhayar and once an opportunity arises to show his competence, he embraces it with open arms.
As always in Modesitt books there is a lot of focus on day to day activities. In this book there is a lot of reading reports and tracking down people. I did find these parts a little slow but they were still interesting. The final part has definitely a more military flavour, involving patrols and a campaign towards the end. There is still a lot of waiting around, dealing with supplies etc but from what I've read that is actually pretty realistic.
It is a promising start to the series and has the embers of what is going to be a very political and military based series.
Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/
This is the first book of a five part series following Quaeryt as his friendship with the ruler of Telaryn, a country within what will become Solidar, starts to move his status in the world from a scholar to something much more. He has hidden Imager abilities and he uses these in conjunction with his native intelligence to investigate political problems in a recently conquered country.
So this book is set nearly a thousand years before the first trilogy in the Imager portfolio and shows the rise of Solidar and how imaging abilities became somewhat socially acceptable. Imager's can basically create anything though there are conditions based on physics that severely limit what a person can do. I like that Quaeryt is a slightly older protagonist, he's in his late twenties, early thirties and has already led an interesting life. He's worked for years on building his abilities in secret and cultivating his friendship with Bhayar and once an opportunity arises to show his competence, he embraces it with open arms.
As always in Modesitt books there is a lot of focus on day to day activities. In this book there is a lot of reading reports and tracking down people. I did find these parts a little slow but they were still interesting. The final part has definitely a more military flavour, involving patrols and a campaign towards the end. There is still a lot of waiting around, dealing with supplies etc but from what I've read that is actually pretty realistic.
It is a promising start to the series and has the embers of what is going to be a very political and military based series.
Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/
September 2, 2011
This is a book that starts a prequel series to Imager but it is a standalone as storyline goes with a definite ending to its main thread though of course more is to come.
It has some similarity with the 3rd Imager book as it being more of a fantasy thriller than anything though it has quite a lot of battles and fights too, so it moves toward clear adventure in the last third
It is also a very clear example of the classical approach to sff - the super competent but not destined hero that was favored in the genre for a long time though today the destined one is more common in fantasy, the super competent remaining more of a sf approach
As such the novel heavily depends on how you find Quearyt, the orphan scholar turned sailing master, turned scholar back when one of his legs got injured, secret imager and all around expert at intrigue and getting out of sticky situations while working for the greater good.
His adventures in the service of Lord Bhayar and his task of "solving" the tricky situation in a conquered but still restive a decade later northern province, takes him from the sea to the forests, from hovels to places, from corrupt officials to fighting bandits and even rebel armies, while having to deal with corruption and even treason in both his scholar order as well as in the officialdom of the country...
A dash of romance too and a superb ending makes Scholar (A++) one of my top 25 novels of the year.
Full FBC rv to come later
It has some similarity with the 3rd Imager book as it being more of a fantasy thriller than anything though it has quite a lot of battles and fights too, so it moves toward clear adventure in the last third
It is also a very clear example of the classical approach to sff - the super competent but not destined hero that was favored in the genre for a long time though today the destined one is more common in fantasy, the super competent remaining more of a sf approach
As such the novel heavily depends on how you find Quearyt, the orphan scholar turned sailing master, turned scholar back when one of his legs got injured, secret imager and all around expert at intrigue and getting out of sticky situations while working for the greater good.
His adventures in the service of Lord Bhayar and his task of "solving" the tricky situation in a conquered but still restive a decade later northern province, takes him from the sea to the forests, from hovels to places, from corrupt officials to fighting bandits and even rebel armies, while having to deal with corruption and even treason in both his scholar order as well as in the officialdom of the country...
A dash of romance too and a superb ending makes Scholar (A++) one of my top 25 novels of the year.
Full FBC rv to come later
December 15, 2011
Scholar by L.E. Modesitt, jr
In the spirit of the terrific Recluse series, the Imager series debuts a new world of similar interest. Imagers, must like mages in the Recluse series seem both powerful and powerless. This book deals with an Imager who, in self defense, has masked his skills and lives his life as a simple scholar, who really is not that simple.
Modesitt has a distinct style that permeates his books. I enjoy the self depreciating nature of his protagonists and their normalcy in dealing with extraordinary talents. Quaeryt is a likeable character from the get go. The scenarios are well set and the descriptions of both people and scenery are accomplished with the aplomb I have come to expect from Modesitt.
As in most of his books there is a fair amount of philosophizing on human behavior, almost a miniature sociological treatise. He sometimes borders on the pandemic but never reaches the point of distraction from the plot nor does he deter from the excitement.
This is the fourth book in the Imager Portfolio but it stands alone well. That being said, I plan on getting the three previous as this is another well done series by a surprisingly prolific author.
I highly recommend.
In the spirit of the terrific Recluse series, the Imager series debuts a new world of similar interest. Imagers, must like mages in the Recluse series seem both powerful and powerless. This book deals with an Imager who, in self defense, has masked his skills and lives his life as a simple scholar, who really is not that simple.
Modesitt has a distinct style that permeates his books. I enjoy the self depreciating nature of his protagonists and their normalcy in dealing with extraordinary talents. Quaeryt is a likeable character from the get go. The scenarios are well set and the descriptions of both people and scenery are accomplished with the aplomb I have come to expect from Modesitt.
As in most of his books there is a fair amount of philosophizing on human behavior, almost a miniature sociological treatise. He sometimes borders on the pandemic but never reaches the point of distraction from the plot nor does he deter from the excitement.
This is the fourth book in the Imager Portfolio but it stands alone well. That being said, I plan on getting the three previous as this is another well done series by a surprisingly prolific author.
I highly recommend.
December 15, 2011
If you like his Imager series, or his Corean Chronicles series for that matter - because they're not the same but they are
similar - then you'll like this one. As with all his fantasy, it leans a bit more towards sci-fi, and it's full of deep ethical
questions and discussions. His main character is a GOOD guy without being perfect, which I always enjoy.
This series jumps backwards in time, a few hundred years or so, before the original Imager series. It's a nice way to
refresh a setting that has been enjoyed for several books without having to completely start over developing a whole
new culture and society.
One comment, parroting what I've read in other reviews, what on earth is up with the names?!?!? It's like he took some
alphabet blocks and tossed them on the floor and however they landed determined the next character's name.
It's hard for me to keep track of who is who when I can't pronounce most of the names!
I've really enjoyed nearly everything I've read by this author, sci-fi and fantasy, and this book kept up the good work!
similar - then you'll like this one. As with all his fantasy, it leans a bit more towards sci-fi, and it's full of deep ethical
questions and discussions. His main character is a GOOD guy without being perfect, which I always enjoy.
This series jumps backwards in time, a few hundred years or so, before the original Imager series. It's a nice way to
refresh a setting that has been enjoyed for several books without having to completely start over developing a whole
new culture and society.
One comment, parroting what I've read in other reviews, what on earth is up with the names?!?!? It's like he took some
alphabet blocks and tossed them on the floor and however they landed determined the next character's name.
It's hard for me to keep track of who is who when I can't pronounce most of the names!
I've really enjoyed nearly everything I've read by this author, sci-fi and fantasy, and this book kept up the good work!
January 16, 2012
Once again L.E. Modesitt Jr. has given us a compelling story. Set several hundreds of years before his first two Imager novels "Scholar" shows us a world before imagers became organized into a cohesive force. As in most Modesitt novels the main character Quaeryt is a modest and moral man with no aspirations of power. And yet he finds himself in a position to create great changes while defending his kings realm. The writing is as always excellent and the story interesting. My only complaint is that Modesitt's characters do have a strong resemblance to each other. They are all unaware of just how powerful they are and can be somewhat over modest. The theme of regular guy just doing his job the best he can becomes a little tiring. Still I definitely recommend this book. The ending, while being satisfying, stills leave room for more stories about this character and the events that lead up to the first two Imager novels.
December 18, 2019
This is a prequel to the Imager Triology by the same author. The time period for this book is long before that of Rhenn of the Imager Trilogy. Its told primarily from the perspective of Quaeryt, a brillant scholar, with a touch of genius. Quaeryt has many gifts, one of which is that of Imager, which he has kept a secret.
The book is full of mystery and intrigue, and saves a couple of surprises for the end. I liked that mysteries are solved by archival research and careful observation of the behavior of others. I appreciated the complexity of the conflict presented and enjoyed it immensely.
The book is much about the author's perspective on socio-economic politics and the philosophy behind the inner workings of society in the world the author has created. I appreciated the insights and story line.
The book is full of mystery and intrigue, and saves a couple of surprises for the end. I liked that mysteries are solved by archival research and careful observation of the behavior of others. I appreciated the complexity of the conflict presented and enjoyed it immensely.
The book is much about the author's perspective on socio-economic politics and the philosophy behind the inner workings of society in the world the author has created. I appreciated the insights and story line.
November 14, 2011
3.5 rounds up to 4. :)
Good solid book by Modesitt - not really a good starting point for the world; however, in context of being book 4 in the world, and the first book of what I can only presume is the start of another series it works well.
As it seems I keep saying, the book starts slow, it is a political intrigue type novel, and there is a wide cast of characters; though, honestly, unless some of the folks who are introduced in the first third show up in future books, Chekov's gun never fires.
Something that I like about this book is that we're close enough to the narrator that we can watch the pieces come together, rather than being stunned by the narrator's brilliance, we are taken along the path of his deductions as they happen and can piece things together.
Good solid book by Modesitt - not really a good starting point for the world; however, in context of being book 4 in the world, and the first book of what I can only presume is the start of another series it works well.
As it seems I keep saying, the book starts slow, it is a political intrigue type novel, and there is a wide cast of characters; though, honestly, unless some of the folks who are introduced in the first third show up in future books, Chekov's gun never fires.
Something that I like about this book is that we're close enough to the narrator that we can watch the pieces come together, rather than being stunned by the narrator's brilliance, we are taken along the path of his deductions as they happen and can piece things together.
April 1, 2024
The start of a sub-series prequel to the Imager books, although in some ways I thought it felt more like the author's Corus and Recluce series. Perhaps it's because it takes place in a more unsettled environment like the other two, rather than the more citified, stable setting in the previous Imager novels. Definitely a pleasure for Modesitt fans for sure.
Re-read 2/15.
Again, 8/17. And 2/19. Also 1/21.
Listened, 9/22 ; 3/24.
Re-read 2/15.
Again, 8/17. And 2/19. Also 1/21.
Listened, 9/22 ; 3/24.
January 16, 2012
I've enjoyed the Saga of Recluce series for years, enjoy the continuing Corean Chronicles and was happy to try the Imager Portfolio when it first came out. Scholar definitely does not disappoint- the writing is smooth, intrigue interesting and it looks like we're going to see the beginnings of formal training and recognition of imagers somewhere in the series. An excellent read, as all of his work is, definitely looking forward to the release of Princeps in a few months.
February 26, 2012
I enjoyed this book as much as the others in the imager portfolio, although I was a little disappointed at first that it did not take up with the same characters. But only at first, and then I was quite taken in with it. I really especially liked the ending on this one, and look forward to any more books in this series, should the author be inclined to write any more.
September 9, 2016
Another great novel in the Imager series. Although Quaeryt didn't grow on me quite as fast as Rhenn did from the original trilogy, and the romance introduced sort of felt forced at the end, the journey he faced and challenges he overcame during this first book set a nice stage for the books to come.
May 26, 2012
I am currently in a re-read, as the next book in this series comes out this week. Really have enjoyed it, even the second time around. Starts a little slower than the previous three. And as usual with Modesitt, this goes back an era. He likes to go out of time sequence.
April 10, 2014
I was expecting a continuation of the characters from book 3 so I was surprised when that wasn't the case. That said, this book started a little slow like the others I have read from this author. After getting into the story I did enjoy the book and will read the next.
March 11, 2015
I read this whole second series, though it's listed as 4-8th in the original series. I quite liked this second series. It tends to be more exciting when there are wars going on, and battles. I did find the first book rather slow, so it gets a 3-star, but the rest get 4.
December 1, 2011
The latest in Modesitt's great Imager Portfolio. I can see this series expanding as the Recluse series did.
December 2, 2011
Prequel to the books in the Imager portfolio already out there. Great characters and lots of intrigue.
December 9, 2011
Different, a lot more subtleties in this one.
December 14, 2011
Interesting backstory to the Imager novels. Twist at the ending. Interesting to see if there are more volumes in backstory tale.
May 2, 2012
This was a great prequel to the Imager Series. I really enjoy seeing the main character grow, and do his best to do the right thing, even as he is keeping his abilities secret.
June 22, 2020
‘Scholar’, the fourth book in ‘The Imager Portfolio’, opens with the furniture of fantasy: a cast list and a map. The other genre that needs this at times is the historical novel, with which indeed Modesitt’s work has much in common. The best historical novels, for my money, deal with the doings of leaders and states, war and generals. Fantasy can do this, too, but they are made up states and made-up characters. That gives you a lot more leeway for fun.
The key made-up states here are the three which fill the continent of Lydar: Bovaria, Telaryn and Antiago. Our hero, Quaeryt the scholar, is a friend of Bhayar, the ruler of Teralyn. Both are young men but Bhayar is the lord so Quaeryt treats him with due discretion and care. Ten years before the book begins, Bhayar’s father had conquered Tilbor to the north and made it part of his domain, but it takes too many soldiers to hold it which leaves the rest of Teralyn vulnerable to rival state, Bovaria. Quaeryt has noticed that his lord soon tires of people who are not useful so he volunteers to go to Tilbor to see how the situation might be improved. He sets sail on a merchant vessel, comfortable with this mode of travel because he spent six years at sea before settling down to be a scholar.
Quaeryt is an Imager, which is worth explaining for those who have not read the other books. An Imager can use the power of his mind to create objects, apparently from nothing. In fact, the atoms and molecules are drawn from the surroundings so, for example, Quaeryt can ’image’ a copper coin if the stones around contain enough copper. He can also image things at a distance and effectively move things by imaging. So if he has a piece of wood, he can image it into an attacker’s brain, killing him instantly. He can also image shields out of the air and image concealment shields to make himself invisible. It’s a slightly far-fetched stretch of the ability but as this is fantasy, can be forgiven, especially as it gets the hero out of several tight corners. This book is a prequel to the first three books in ‘The Imager Portfolio’ and takes place at a time in which Imagers, when spotted, are usually lynched. Quaeryt keeps his super-powers secret but hopes, somehow, to improve the position of those with the talent in his society.
It would be unfair to give away more of the plot. Suffice to say that after some adventures on land and sea, Quaeryt makes it to Tilbor and starts his mission for Lord Bhayar. The governor of the province is a very capable man who runs a formidable, well-disciplined army but there are several worrying anomalies in the local situation, not least the position of the local scholars. Quaeryt has to use all his talents and intelligence to survive in the face of several trials.
There is a lot of political intrigue, along with several meditations on how societies work and the duties and faults of those who hold power. There is also the religion of the Nameless, a monotheist fantasy substitute for those monotheist religions which are, perhaps, a civilising influence on our own society. In fact, the Nameless doesn’t quite fit as a parallel for God because the concept of ‘naming’ as a bad thing is quite abstract. Our hero – and by extension the author, presumably – are by no means anti-religious but find it hard to believe in a Supreme Being. However, Quaeryt does accept that the tenets of the Nameless are good and adheres to them, mostly.
This is a typical Modesitt fantasy and if you like them – I do – it will no doubt suit. Like some others, it holds your interest at the start, flags a bit in the middle and then gallops to a satisfying conclusion. Like the others, it runs about 500 pages long. The slump in the middle seems to indicate that this is perhaps 100 pages too long and if I were Modesitt’s editor, I might suggest a bit of cutting to make it all go faster. On the other hand, his whole technique is based on slow, precise world-building. His publisher is presumably content with his sales and must surely be content with his vast output so who am I to quibble? To be fair, the satisfactory conclusion makes you glad enough of the reading experience that you can forgive the slow middle bit. I look forward to reading ‘Princeps’, the next book in the sequence.
Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/
The key made-up states here are the three which fill the continent of Lydar: Bovaria, Telaryn and Antiago. Our hero, Quaeryt the scholar, is a friend of Bhayar, the ruler of Teralyn. Both are young men but Bhayar is the lord so Quaeryt treats him with due discretion and care. Ten years before the book begins, Bhayar’s father had conquered Tilbor to the north and made it part of his domain, but it takes too many soldiers to hold it which leaves the rest of Teralyn vulnerable to rival state, Bovaria. Quaeryt has noticed that his lord soon tires of people who are not useful so he volunteers to go to Tilbor to see how the situation might be improved. He sets sail on a merchant vessel, comfortable with this mode of travel because he spent six years at sea before settling down to be a scholar.
Quaeryt is an Imager, which is worth explaining for those who have not read the other books. An Imager can use the power of his mind to create objects, apparently from nothing. In fact, the atoms and molecules are drawn from the surroundings so, for example, Quaeryt can ’image’ a copper coin if the stones around contain enough copper. He can also image things at a distance and effectively move things by imaging. So if he has a piece of wood, he can image it into an attacker’s brain, killing him instantly. He can also image shields out of the air and image concealment shields to make himself invisible. It’s a slightly far-fetched stretch of the ability but as this is fantasy, can be forgiven, especially as it gets the hero out of several tight corners. This book is a prequel to the first three books in ‘The Imager Portfolio’ and takes place at a time in which Imagers, when spotted, are usually lynched. Quaeryt keeps his super-powers secret but hopes, somehow, to improve the position of those with the talent in his society.
It would be unfair to give away more of the plot. Suffice to say that after some adventures on land and sea, Quaeryt makes it to Tilbor and starts his mission for Lord Bhayar. The governor of the province is a very capable man who runs a formidable, well-disciplined army but there are several worrying anomalies in the local situation, not least the position of the local scholars. Quaeryt has to use all his talents and intelligence to survive in the face of several trials.
There is a lot of political intrigue, along with several meditations on how societies work and the duties and faults of those who hold power. There is also the religion of the Nameless, a monotheist fantasy substitute for those monotheist religions which are, perhaps, a civilising influence on our own society. In fact, the Nameless doesn’t quite fit as a parallel for God because the concept of ‘naming’ as a bad thing is quite abstract. Our hero – and by extension the author, presumably – are by no means anti-religious but find it hard to believe in a Supreme Being. However, Quaeryt does accept that the tenets of the Nameless are good and adheres to them, mostly.
This is a typical Modesitt fantasy and if you like them – I do – it will no doubt suit. Like some others, it holds your interest at the start, flags a bit in the middle and then gallops to a satisfying conclusion. Like the others, it runs about 500 pages long. The slump in the middle seems to indicate that this is perhaps 100 pages too long and if I were Modesitt’s editor, I might suggest a bit of cutting to make it all go faster. On the other hand, his whole technique is based on slow, precise world-building. His publisher is presumably content with his sales and must surely be content with his vast output so who am I to quibble? To be fair, the satisfactory conclusion makes you glad enough of the reading experience that you can forgive the slow middle bit. I look forward to reading ‘Princeps’, the next book in the sequence.
Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/
September 24, 2022
Summary
Quaeryt is a scholar, with concealed magical powers. Close to the king, he persuades the ruler to send him to a distant province to assess its problems. While doing so, he takes it upon himself to solve some of them.
Review
Thankfully, with a change in characters and timeframe, Modesitt has brought his world back to life somewhat. It doesn’t help that there’s more action (at the start), and less time for the endless introspection and quotidian detail that bogged down the prior books in the series. This book takes place quite some time before those, so there’s an element of discovery as well – at least regarding imaging.
That discovery is something of a muddling factor as well, however. Quaeryt has imaging power, and people know and talk about imaging. Yet never once does it occur to anyone that Quaeryt’s astonishing success might have some magical power behind it.
Unfortunately, Modesitt also falls back on the repetitive small talk that has brought down many of his most recent books. (And I’m a little afraid that when I go back to his earlier ones, it will have been there all along.) For example, Quaeryt occasionally fills in as chorister (which in this book essentially means priest) and does well. It feels like virtually every character in the book – central or peripheral – at some point comes by to say, ‘You should be a chorister.’ To which Quaeryt inevitably responds that he’s a scholar, but there are similarities, or sometimes gives the canned history of his childhood. I don’t know how many times I read this same exchange, but it was at least twenty times too many.
Modesitt also gives us much of the content of Quaeryt and other choristers’ homilies about the nameless and they are vague to the point of empty. If the characters are deriving wisdom from them, they’re seeing something I’m not. That would be fine – natural filler – if only we didn’t have to hear the homilies (and about them) so very often.
All that said, this is a stronger book than the preceding two. It’s not a book likely to draw in new Modesitt fans, but for existing ones, it’s readable, and far less of a slog than the more recent ones have been. While apparently the start of a five book arc, Modesitt seems to have had different plans for this book, since it ends a bit abruptly, and with a not-too-credible visitation.
Modesitt makes an effort to introduce some ethnic tension that was also alluded to in the prior books, but it never really develops, and over four books, we still haven’t really hard why there’s any tension – what is it about the Pharsi that people dislike? I’m also disheartened by the world’s pervasive sexism – why can’t we have new vulnerable groups, at least – with comments about ‘letting’ a wife speak her mind, or implying that killing a female soldier is worse than killing a male, or suggesting that attractive women aren’t bright (and vice versa).
Quaeryt himself has fairly flexible morals. Much like Rhen in the previous books, he’s extremely arrogant, and never considers whether maybe his decision to kill people might be a mistake, preferring to believe that his hand was forced. It seldom is.
All in all, a better book than its predecessor, but that’s a low bar.
Quaeryt is a scholar, with concealed magical powers. Close to the king, he persuades the ruler to send him to a distant province to assess its problems. While doing so, he takes it upon himself to solve some of them.
Review
Thankfully, with a change in characters and timeframe, Modesitt has brought his world back to life somewhat. It doesn’t help that there’s more action (at the start), and less time for the endless introspection and quotidian detail that bogged down the prior books in the series. This book takes place quite some time before those, so there’s an element of discovery as well – at least regarding imaging.
That discovery is something of a muddling factor as well, however. Quaeryt has imaging power, and people know and talk about imaging. Yet never once does it occur to anyone that Quaeryt’s astonishing success might have some magical power behind it.
Unfortunately, Modesitt also falls back on the repetitive small talk that has brought down many of his most recent books. (And I’m a little afraid that when I go back to his earlier ones, it will have been there all along.) For example, Quaeryt occasionally fills in as chorister (which in this book essentially means priest) and does well. It feels like virtually every character in the book – central or peripheral – at some point comes by to say, ‘You should be a chorister.’ To which Quaeryt inevitably responds that he’s a scholar, but there are similarities, or sometimes gives the canned history of his childhood. I don’t know how many times I read this same exchange, but it was at least twenty times too many.
Modesitt also gives us much of the content of Quaeryt and other choristers’ homilies about the nameless and they are vague to the point of empty. If the characters are deriving wisdom from them, they’re seeing something I’m not. That would be fine – natural filler – if only we didn’t have to hear the homilies (and about them) so very often.
All that said, this is a stronger book than the preceding two. It’s not a book likely to draw in new Modesitt fans, but for existing ones, it’s readable, and far less of a slog than the more recent ones have been. While apparently the start of a five book arc, Modesitt seems to have had different plans for this book, since it ends a bit abruptly, and with a not-too-credible visitation.
Modesitt makes an effort to introduce some ethnic tension that was also alluded to in the prior books, but it never really develops, and over four books, we still haven’t really hard why there’s any tension – what is it about the Pharsi that people dislike? I’m also disheartened by the world’s pervasive sexism – why can’t we have new vulnerable groups, at least – with comments about ‘letting’ a wife speak her mind, or implying that killing a female soldier is worse than killing a male, or suggesting that attractive women aren’t bright (and vice versa).
Quaeryt himself has fairly flexible morals. Much like Rhen in the previous books, he’s extremely arrogant, and never considers whether maybe his decision to kill people might be a mistake, preferring to believe that his hand was forced. It seldom is.
All in all, a better book than its predecessor, but that’s a low bar.
August 26, 2021
Scholar by L E Modesitt, is the fourth book in the Imager Portfolio and takes us back in time to a period when Solidar was not united under one government. This is the tale of Quaeryt, a scholar who is on friendly terms with the Bhayar, ruler of one of the 5 countries of Lydar. Quaeryt is sent to the conquered territory of Tilbor, to look into why, ten years after being conquered the area still requires a massive investment in troops to maintain control.
Quaeryt therefore journeys to Tilbor to take up his post as scholar assistant to the Princeps (chief assistant to the governor) . Quaeryt is hiding a secret though, he is in fact an Imager, one of the rare few people with the ability to literally imagine anythign they can think of from, which uses the persons own energy and any material aroudn them. Imagers are shunned and feared, so he must hide his abilities if he hopes to survive.
Needless to say, from a Modesitt book, which is attempting to world build, the trip to Tilbor does not go smoothly, as Quaeryt runs into a number of problems, some man made and some caused by natural events. Even arriving in Tilbor, things do not go smoothly as Quaeryt attempts to look into the what Bhayar wants him to covertly, with a governor who has something that is just not quite right with him. He must also deal with the poor reputation that the Scholars have in Tilbora, the capital of Tilbor, where they are feared and distrusted and also must deal with the situation caused by the Hill Holders, nobles who are agitating and causing low level trouble which could become something serious at any point.
I enjoyed this book. It started strongly, and while it is true that the ending was rushed and followed the usual tropes of a fantasy novel (big battle at the end, boy gets girl) the earlier part of it was a very entertaining read. If there is one thing that the author can do is it is create a realistic and rich world with 3 dimensional characters. As a starting point to a new series this does it#s role admirably, though the ending is a little rushed. Definitely worth a read
Quaeryt therefore journeys to Tilbor to take up his post as scholar assistant to the Princeps (chief assistant to the governor) . Quaeryt is hiding a secret though, he is in fact an Imager, one of the rare few people with the ability to literally imagine anythign they can think of from, which uses the persons own energy and any material aroudn them. Imagers are shunned and feared, so he must hide his abilities if he hopes to survive.
Needless to say, from a Modesitt book, which is attempting to world build, the trip to Tilbor does not go smoothly, as Quaeryt runs into a number of problems, some man made and some caused by natural events. Even arriving in Tilbor, things do not go smoothly as Quaeryt attempts to look into the what Bhayar wants him to covertly, with a governor who has something that is just not quite right with him. He must also deal with the poor reputation that the Scholars have in Tilbora, the capital of Tilbor, where they are feared and distrusted and also must deal with the situation caused by the Hill Holders, nobles who are agitating and causing low level trouble which could become something serious at any point.
I enjoyed this book. It started strongly, and while it is true that the ending was rushed and followed the usual tropes of a fantasy novel (big battle at the end, boy gets girl) the earlier part of it was a very entertaining read. If there is one thing that the author can do is it is create a realistic and rich world with 3 dimensional characters. As a starting point to a new series this does it#s role admirably, though the ending is a little rushed. Definitely worth a read
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