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The Saga of Recluce #4
The Order War
The saga of Recluce, launched in The Magic of Recluce and continuing in The Towers of the Sunset and The Magic Engineer reaches a new climax in The Order War. "Modesitt has created an exceptionally vivid world," says L. Sprague de Camp, "so concretely visualized as to give the impression that Modesitt himself must have dwelt there." Publishers Weekly says, "Modesitt creates a complex world bgased on a plausible system of magic and peopled with engaging and realistic characters."
Set after the events of The Magic Engineer (and prior to The Magic of Recluce) The Order War illuminates great figures and major events in the historic war between order and chaos that is the central focus of the saga of Recluce.
The deadly White Wizards of Fairhaven, wielding the forces of chaos, have completed their great highway through the Westhorns and now threatened the ancient matriarchy of Sarronnyn, the last bastion of order in Candar. The ruler of Sarronnyn appeals to the Black order wizards of Recluce for help.
Justen - a young Black Engineer in the city of Nylan - joins the relief force. Despite their success in destroying more than half the White armies, Sarronnyn falls to the White Wizards, and Justen is chased into the most inhospitable desert in Candar. These trials are but the beginning, for the White Wizards have all Candar in their grasp. Justen must fight both Recluce and Fairhaven, as well as the highest powers of order and the forbidden technology to harness chaos itself in his efforts to halt the conquest of the chaos wizards.
The Order War is the fourth book of the saga of Recluce.
Set after the events of The Magic Engineer (and prior to The Magic of Recluce) The Order War illuminates great figures and major events in the historic war between order and chaos that is the central focus of the saga of Recluce.
The deadly White Wizards of Fairhaven, wielding the forces of chaos, have completed their great highway through the Westhorns and now threatened the ancient matriarchy of Sarronnyn, the last bastion of order in Candar. The ruler of Sarronnyn appeals to the Black order wizards of Recluce for help.
Justen - a young Black Engineer in the city of Nylan - joins the relief force. Despite their success in destroying more than half the White armies, Sarronnyn falls to the White Wizards, and Justen is chased into the most inhospitable desert in Candar. These trials are but the beginning, for the White Wizards have all Candar in their grasp. Justen must fight both Recluce and Fairhaven, as well as the highest powers of order and the forbidden technology to harness chaos itself in his efforts to halt the conquest of the chaos wizards.
The Order War is the fourth book of the saga of Recluce.
598 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
190 people are currently reading
2017 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 132 reviews
February 12, 2021
This is, by any definition, a wonderful series that is set up in a way to define and redefine the conflicts of magic between Order and Chaos. It probably would not be remotely as interesting a read had it been written in a strictly chronological order, however. If these had been released in chronological order, then I'm certain that the grand reveals would have come across as rather cheap rather than shocking and rather amazingly thoughtful.
I like it very much this way. We get vast happenings out of order, seeing the results of huge cataclysms after the fact only to later get their inceptions. It's like getting to time-travel back to many mythical pasts to see what they were really like. Or to discover that a humble beginning can always hide a rather nasty surprise.
These plots have all be individually wonderful and sometimes shocking. Even so, they're always in service to the greater theme even if they're not explicitly vocalized. We already got that in the first novel. The trick here is to find the true balance, and that's never something that can be set in amber.
The more chaos in the world, the more powerful the order, and vice-versa, and the solution is never easy. In this book's case, it's settled explosively. I chortled in glee during several tank scenes.
Well worth the read. Quite satisfying.
I like it very much this way. We get vast happenings out of order, seeing the results of huge cataclysms after the fact only to later get their inceptions. It's like getting to time-travel back to many mythical pasts to see what they were really like. Or to discover that a humble beginning can always hide a rather nasty surprise.
These plots have all be individually wonderful and sometimes shocking. Even so, they're always in service to the greater theme even if they're not explicitly vocalized. We already got that in the first novel. The trick here is to find the true balance, and that's never something that can be set in amber.
The more chaos in the world, the more powerful the order, and vice-versa, and the solution is never easy. In this book's case, it's settled explosively. I chortled in glee during several tank scenes.
Well worth the read. Quite satisfying.
November 10, 2019
I am hopeful that with this installment done and dusted that the next one will be more to my taste. So far, I have enjoyed book two the most, with my engagement falling during books three and four. These two books have included far too many blacksmithing details and far too many details about gears, clutches, fuel tanks, and wheels. Boring!
The other problem I’m having with this series is that the emotions experienced by the characters feel very wooden to me. I feel like I’m being held away at arms’ length from their emotional lives. For me, that makes it pretty difficult to care about them.
The ending of this volume gives me hope that we may be moving away from all of the engineering details that have dominated the last two books and that we are moving toward more magic and regular fantasy-novel type adventures. If that’s not true, please don’t tell me. I’ve got the next book queued up in my TBR pile and hope to read it before year’s end!
Book number 333 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
The other problem I’m having with this series is that the emotions experienced by the characters feel very wooden to me. I feel like I’m being held away at arms’ length from their emotional lives. For me, that makes it pretty difficult to care about them.
The ending of this volume gives me hope that we may be moving away from all of the engineering details that have dominated the last two books and that we are moving toward more magic and regular fantasy-novel type adventures. If that’s not true, please don’t tell me. I’ve got the next book queued up in my TBR pile and hope to read it before year’s end!
Book number 333 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
March 17, 2013
This is book 4 of the Saga of Recluce. The internal chronology of the series looks to be pretty whacked, since this is apparently ranked as book 9, with the first published book (Magic of Recluce) ranked as book 10, according to some. Anyway, confusion aside, the book works perfectly well as a standalone, although it took me a while to get up to speed on the back story and the history of the world.
If you’ve read Modesitt, you’ll know how he loves long and detailed depictions of the mundane. Who else can spend pages and pages on simple acts such as the drinking of beer or the cutting of cheese? This was the only real gripe I had with this novel, although some people are sticklers for detail and will likely appreciate this kind of thing. The Orbit edition, which is the one I own, does not have a map, and considering the geographical displacement of the characters in this novel, this was a bit of a bummer.
In all truth, though, this is a really good book. Its main strength is, arguably, the world-building. And this is where Modesitt’s penchant for detail really comes into its own. The system of magic, based on Order and Chaos, is really interesting and I’ll especially recommend this book to people who like to lose themselves in the details and discuss the technical aspects of world building and magic systems.
As a coming of age fantasy novel leaning heavily towards magic use, this was not an entirely new idea when it was published in the 1990s. However, it’s pulled off with a reasonable amount of panache. I understand that the other novels in the Saga of Recluce follow much the same pattern. I am tempted to seek them out, especially The Magic of Recluce.
So, four stars, because I really enjoyed it, but with a single reservation: it gets a bit long in the tooth at times.
If you’ve read Modesitt, you’ll know how he loves long and detailed depictions of the mundane. Who else can spend pages and pages on simple acts such as the drinking of beer or the cutting of cheese? This was the only real gripe I had with this novel, although some people are sticklers for detail and will likely appreciate this kind of thing. The Orbit edition, which is the one I own, does not have a map, and considering the geographical displacement of the characters in this novel, this was a bit of a bummer.
In all truth, though, this is a really good book. Its main strength is, arguably, the world-building. And this is where Modesitt’s penchant for detail really comes into its own. The system of magic, based on Order and Chaos, is really interesting and I’ll especially recommend this book to people who like to lose themselves in the details and discuss the technical aspects of world building and magic systems.
As a coming of age fantasy novel leaning heavily towards magic use, this was not an entirely new idea when it was published in the 1990s. However, it’s pulled off with a reasonable amount of panache. I understand that the other novels in the Saga of Recluce follow much the same pattern. I am tempted to seek them out, especially The Magic of Recluce.
So, four stars, because I really enjoyed it, but with a single reservation: it gets a bit long in the tooth at times.
October 23, 2014
This is the 4th book in published order, the way Modesitt likes people to read this series. Chronologically, it is very directly linked to the first book & answers a LOT of questions, even though it happens about 200 years earlier. The hero of the "Magic of Recluse" (2d book) is Lerris & he meets a Gray wizard named Justen. This book tells us just who Justin is & a lot about what Lerris saw.
One of the neatest things that Modesitt does is garble history slightly in the first book. It is quite recognizable in the 4th, but now we can see how the story & names were changed over 2 centuries. It adds a dash of realism into the fantasy.
We also learn a lot more about the Great Forest which is nice to know for several other novels in the series & imperative for the last of the series, chronologically.
One of the neatest things that Modesitt does is garble history slightly in the first book. It is quite recognizable in the 4th, but now we can see how the story & names were changed over 2 centuries. It adds a dash of realism into the fantasy.
We also learn a lot more about the Great Forest which is nice to know for several other novels in the series & imperative for the last of the series, chronologically.
March 20, 2016
9/10
An excellent installment in the Recluce series. Romance, magic, subterfuge, war, characters that were not quite as stubbornly naive or dense as in some of the other books.
An excellent installment in the Recluce series. Romance, magic, subterfuge, war, characters that were not quite as stubbornly naive or dense as in some of the other books.
September 19, 2017
In some ways this is an excellent piece of the Recluce saga. It really fills in a lot that is just hinted at in the first book published, The Magic of Recluce, so great for advancing the story. It also sets the stage very well for those books later in the chronology, even though they were written first.
OTOH, it's the one I like least in the series. I've never cared for the way Modesitt does his romance & this book is particularly cloying. The device used to bring everything to fruition seems particularly clunky. Not just the particular device described in the book, but the whole way it was brought about & cobbled together into the story.
This is the 14th chronologically, but 4th book published (C14, P4). It starts a new arc about a Recluce mage in 1650 when read chronologically that will get interrupted by another. Recluce was founded about 900 by Creslin in The Towers of the Sunset (C8, P2) & then we're given another good look at it in 1200 when Dorrin founds Nylan about 1200 in The Magic Engineer (C10, P3), so Modesitt's publishing order (the way he thinks it should be read) puts it in the same arc.
For a list of the current chronology of this series, see my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
OTOH, it's the one I like least in the series. I've never cared for the way Modesitt does his romance & this book is particularly cloying. The device used to bring everything to fruition seems particularly clunky. Not just the particular device described in the book, but the whole way it was brought about & cobbled together into the story.
This is the 14th chronologically, but 4th book published (C14, P4). It starts a new arc about a Recluce mage in 1650 when read chronologically that will get interrupted by another. Recluce was founded about 900 by Creslin in The Towers of the Sunset (C8, P2) & then we're given another good look at it in 1200 when Dorrin founds Nylan about 1200 in The Magic Engineer (C10, P3), so Modesitt's publishing order (the way he thinks it should be read) puts it in the same arc.
For a list of the current chronology of this series, see my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 17, 2011
My previous reviews of the Recluce saga have been brutally honest when it comes to how L.E. Modesitt, Jr.’s writing is disappointing a second time around. So I want to begin this review by praising The Order War for being the best book so far in the series, in terms of both story and writing! After three repetitive, somewhat dull books, Modesitt has finally produced a volume that drew me into the conflict, made me care about the characters, and found a balance between his intriguing magical system and the drama around its usage.
I knew The Order War would be unlike its predecessors almost from the beginning. Justen begins the book as an experienced engineer in Nylan, the city that Dorrin founded back in The Magic Engineer. Unlike Lerris, Creslin, and Dorrin, Justen doesn’t leave his home because he has to “find himself” (although he ends up doing that) or because he’s being sent away. No, Justen leaves as part of a detachment to help an independent country in Candar resist the White Wizards. The detachment fails miserably, and Justen is stranded in a particularly inhospitable part of Candar. He manages to find his way to the Druids of Naclos, where he meets his soul mate and becomes a Gray wizard.
I love that Modesitt begins this book with a healthy amount of action. There’s no tedious travelling through the countryside with the occasional episode dealing with bandits; visits to an inn and the accompanying yet excruciating exchanges that deal with menu selection and counting coppers and golds are few and far between. No, we begin with Justen on Recluce, learn about his family, then join him on the mission to Candar. There are plenty of battle sequences and some political machinations on both sides. Although both smithing and woodworking make cameos, neither craft is the focus of Justen’s spare time. Mostly Modesitt devotes his exposition to Justen’s growing understanding of the Balance between order and chaos.
The Balance has been a common thread running through all of the Recluce books. Sometimes it has been addressed explicitly, particularly by Justen himself in The Magic of Recluce. In other instances, such as Creslin’s experimentation in The Towers of Sunset, it has been there as an afterthought, something that reacts to a perversion of order or chaos. I feel like The Order War serves a very important role in this series, because it ties together all of these ideas about the Balance and closes the circle first opened by The Magic of Recluce.
One of the reasons this series is so compelling is that there are two oppositional groups, one of which uses chaos and the other order. Yet according to the Balance, that is a self-defeating proposition, like global thermonuclear war. Increasing chaos only increases—and concentrates—order, and vice versa. So the more order that the Black Mages concentrate in Recluce, the more chaos foci who appear in Candar. You can’t win; the only way to win is not to play and embrace the Balance, as the Druids do. It might seem like a somewhat trite and obvious conclusion, but Modesitt develops the theme in potent, poignant way.
The Order War still suffers from many of the same flaws as the previous books. As in The Magic of Recluce, where Lerris’ questions were thwarted by Justen’s combative responses, Justen doesn’t always get a straight answer to his inquiries either (so that’s where he learned it!). The final act of the book, with Justen and his brother racing toward Fairhaven in a steam-powered “land engine” of Justen’s design, drags. And of course, there are the White Wizards. Oh, the one-dimensionality of the White Wizards! I eagerly await the books later in the series that, if I recall correctly, look at the events in The Magic Engineer from Cerryl’s point of view, helps to make the wizards of Fairhaven far rounder characters. As it stands, they remain moustache-twirling caricatures, barely worth taking the time to discuss them.
I’m beginning to think about the reading order I would recommend for this series. Like the Chronicles of Narnia, we could have some heated debates about this, drag in the spectre of authorial intent and publishing constraints and that pesky thing about time being linear. If one has the inclination, one could read the series in several orders, of course. But I do know that The Order War is really good and The Towers of Sunset is really bad (in relative Recluce terms), so I’d probably advise new readers to skip the latter and read the former either before or after The Magic Engineer (but probably after).
Had I read this alone, or as the first book to the series, I might have been less charitable. It does not improve my opinion of Modesitt as a writer by much. Yet considered as part of the larger series, this book contributes a lot to the ongoing mythology, and I actually managed to stay interested for most of it. I’m sure that many of those who share my opinions probably didn’t last past book 3, if that (that is when I gave up on Wheel of Time). That’s a shame, because with The Order War, the Recluce Saga is just beginning to get good.
My reviews of the Recluce Saga:
← The Magic Engineer | The Death of Chaos → (forthcoming)
I knew The Order War would be unlike its predecessors almost from the beginning. Justen begins the book as an experienced engineer in Nylan, the city that Dorrin founded back in The Magic Engineer. Unlike Lerris, Creslin, and Dorrin, Justen doesn’t leave his home because he has to “find himself” (although he ends up doing that) or because he’s being sent away. No, Justen leaves as part of a detachment to help an independent country in Candar resist the White Wizards. The detachment fails miserably, and Justen is stranded in a particularly inhospitable part of Candar. He manages to find his way to the Druids of Naclos, where he meets his soul mate and becomes a Gray wizard.
I love that Modesitt begins this book with a healthy amount of action. There’s no tedious travelling through the countryside with the occasional episode dealing with bandits; visits to an inn and the accompanying yet excruciating exchanges that deal with menu selection and counting coppers and golds are few and far between. No, we begin with Justen on Recluce, learn about his family, then join him on the mission to Candar. There are plenty of battle sequences and some political machinations on both sides. Although both smithing and woodworking make cameos, neither craft is the focus of Justen’s spare time. Mostly Modesitt devotes his exposition to Justen’s growing understanding of the Balance between order and chaos.
The Balance has been a common thread running through all of the Recluce books. Sometimes it has been addressed explicitly, particularly by Justen himself in The Magic of Recluce. In other instances, such as Creslin’s experimentation in The Towers of Sunset, it has been there as an afterthought, something that reacts to a perversion of order or chaos. I feel like The Order War serves a very important role in this series, because it ties together all of these ideas about the Balance and closes the circle first opened by The Magic of Recluce.
One of the reasons this series is so compelling is that there are two oppositional groups, one of which uses chaos and the other order. Yet according to the Balance, that is a self-defeating proposition, like global thermonuclear war. Increasing chaos only increases—and concentrates—order, and vice versa. So the more order that the Black Mages concentrate in Recluce, the more chaos foci who appear in Candar. You can’t win; the only way to win is not to play and embrace the Balance, as the Druids do. It might seem like a somewhat trite and obvious conclusion, but Modesitt develops the theme in potent, poignant way.
The Order War still suffers from many of the same flaws as the previous books. As in The Magic of Recluce, where Lerris’ questions were thwarted by Justen’s combative responses, Justen doesn’t always get a straight answer to his inquiries either (so that’s where he learned it!). The final act of the book, with Justen and his brother racing toward Fairhaven in a steam-powered “land engine” of Justen’s design, drags. And of course, there are the White Wizards. Oh, the one-dimensionality of the White Wizards! I eagerly await the books later in the series that, if I recall correctly, look at the events in The Magic Engineer from Cerryl’s point of view, helps to make the wizards of Fairhaven far rounder characters. As it stands, they remain moustache-twirling caricatures, barely worth taking the time to discuss them.
I’m beginning to think about the reading order I would recommend for this series. Like the Chronicles of Narnia, we could have some heated debates about this, drag in the spectre of authorial intent and publishing constraints and that pesky thing about time being linear. If one has the inclination, one could read the series in several orders, of course. But I do know that The Order War is really good and The Towers of Sunset is really bad (in relative Recluce terms), so I’d probably advise new readers to skip the latter and read the former either before or after The Magic Engineer (but probably after).
Had I read this alone, or as the first book to the series, I might have been less charitable. It does not improve my opinion of Modesitt as a writer by much. Yet considered as part of the larger series, this book contributes a lot to the ongoing mythology, and I actually managed to stay interested for most of it. I’m sure that many of those who share my opinions probably didn’t last past book 3, if that (that is when I gave up on Wheel of Time). That’s a shame, because with The Order War, the Recluce Saga is just beginning to get good.
My reviews of the Recluce Saga:
← The Magic Engineer | The Death of Chaos → (forthcoming)
September 13, 2025
Lots of momentous stuff going on in this volume. Justen is a Black engineer, not overly powerful on the scale of Black mages. He's got plenty of ideas.
The White Council of Chaos mages in Fairhaven are moving ever forward in subjugating the other cities of Candar, with the aim of ruling it all. The Council in Recluse are happy as clams staying out of it with the thought it won't affect them.
After a group of volunteers goes to assist in the war against the White mages ends up in a rout, the Black Council claims it was correct in keeping out of the war.
ln this book we finally get to see some of the mystery of the Druids of Naclos, and their hopes and desires.
Lots of war and battles, but the core of the book is still very much the characters and their lives.
The White Council of Chaos mages in Fairhaven are moving ever forward in subjugating the other cities of Candar, with the aim of ruling it all. The Council in Recluse are happy as clams staying out of it with the thought it won't affect them.
After a group of volunteers goes to assist in the war against the White mages ends up in a rout, the Black Council claims it was correct in keeping out of the war.
ln this book we finally get to see some of the mystery of the Druids of Naclos, and their hopes and desires.
Lots of war and battles, but the core of the book is still very much the characters and their lives.
April 28, 2008
The Order War is the fourth book in Modesitt's Recluce series. The events in this book take place subsequent to the events in the previous book, The Magic Engineer, but before the events in the first book, The Magic of Recluce. To sum this book up, it has a lot of good information regarding the nature of the balance between order and chaos and it introduces a philosophical element extoling the virtues of balance and the evils of extreme order or extreme chaos. The problem with this book is that it doesn't have much else.
The Plot
Justen, who we met for the first time in the first book, The Magic of Recluce, is an engineer in Recluce. His brother, Gunnar, is a weather wizard, like Creslin. Gunnar and Justen are tasked to go to Candar to act as advisors in helping a country fight off the ever-increasing white hordes of chaos from taking over all of the continent.
After this mission, Justen is separated from the rest of the Recluce task force and wanders into Naclos, a place of perfect balance. It is there that he becomes the first gray wizard the world has seen in ages. His new mission is to reduce both Order and Chaos in the world and restore balance, so that the world is not torn asunder between the two extremes.
The Good
As far as the magic system of Recluce goes, this book finally addresses a lot of questions I have had. Is chaos always evil and order always good? Wouldn't some kind of maintained balance be the best situation?
These questions are satisfactorily answered in this book. First of all, evil (or at least corrupt) leaders are introduced into Recluce, making at more realistic place. The Chaos wizards are still mostly evil, but at least some individuals exist who seem to wistfully question the morality of destroying large numbers of people instead of rubbing their hands together in delight at the prospect of so much destruction.
The concept of gray magic is also very intriguing and it seems to be more powerful than either Order or Chaos alone. The idea of sealing chaos within order to create a gray balance in things is very interesting and, like all of the magic in the Recluce series, makes a lot of sense.
The action scenes in the novel are well done and capture the attention of the reader, as they should. The technological aspects and advances depicted over the course of the novel are very interesting also.
The Not-So-Good
Why, then, didn't I give this novel 4 stars like the others lately in the series? The answer is that, even though the book depicts the virtues of balance, the novel itself lacks balance.
More specifically, the characterizations of the novel are dry and not very compelling.
The character of Justen was the most interesting and he was rather dull. He wasn't written to be all that different from any other main character I've read in a Recluce novel. The only effect of him being a gray wizard instead of a black wizard had on his personality was that he drank beer and had a bit of a happy go lucky attitude that quickly disappeared as the novel's plot progressed. Over the course of the novel he gets falsely accused of being "order-mad". If he were "balance-mad" the book would have been a whole lot more interesting. He would have been a much more compelling character if he got some kind of strange glee out of destroying both chaos and order.
There was a romance in the novel, as there has been in most of the Recluce novels, but it was rather dull. There was no conflict or romantic tension that would make a literary romance interesting. The two people concerned just meet and fall in love. While this is perhaps more true-to-life, it doesn't make for a good read. The romantic aspects of a novel should match the scope of the roles of the characters in the fictional world.
Naclos
This deserves its own section, because I feel that Modesitt's description of Naclos may have been the "point" of the book. Naclos is a place of pure balance. The inhabitants of Naclos follow a pattern of complete balance.
Basically it works like this: If someone consumes a produced good, a service, or a natural resource, they balance out their consumption deficit by providing a produced good, service, or resource in turn. No actual currency changes hands.
On the surface it seems very similar to Thomas More's "Utopia", and it also seems to have the same flaw: cheaters. What if someone consumes without replacing or in any way compensating for their consumption? "Utopia" didn't have an adequate answer for this and Naclos' answer is not much better. If someone consumes without compensating for it, the land "takes them" or "gets rid of them". They'll get eaten by a forest beast or killed by a man eating tree or something like that.
This suggests some kind of intelligence that must exist behind the maintenance of balance, keeping tabs. However, this is sort of shrugged off and not addressed. It's a little too convenient.
Also, why is it this way in Naclos alone and not in any other area of the world?
I can only hope these questions and criticisms would be addressed in a later book, but I doubt it. The world of Recluce seems blissfully absent of any kind of organized Religion other than order- or chaos- based expletives (Demons of Light!).
Conclusion
I can only hope that the series gets better. I kind of doubt it, though, and I'm toying with leaving it altogether...for a while at least. This book was a tough read. For non-Recluce fans I say avoid like the plague. For fans of Recluce, I say know what you're getting into. For fans of the Recluce series' magic system, I say prepare to have a lot of your questions answered...but not much else. If you're still on the fence about the series, I say you can probably end your involvement with this book.
The Plot
Justen, who we met for the first time in the first book, The Magic of Recluce, is an engineer in Recluce. His brother, Gunnar, is a weather wizard, like Creslin. Gunnar and Justen are tasked to go to Candar to act as advisors in helping a country fight off the ever-increasing white hordes of chaos from taking over all of the continent.
After this mission, Justen is separated from the rest of the Recluce task force and wanders into Naclos, a place of perfect balance. It is there that he becomes the first gray wizard the world has seen in ages. His new mission is to reduce both Order and Chaos in the world and restore balance, so that the world is not torn asunder between the two extremes.
The Good
As far as the magic system of Recluce goes, this book finally addresses a lot of questions I have had. Is chaos always evil and order always good? Wouldn't some kind of maintained balance be the best situation?
These questions are satisfactorily answered in this book. First of all, evil (or at least corrupt) leaders are introduced into Recluce, making at more realistic place. The Chaos wizards are still mostly evil, but at least some individuals exist who seem to wistfully question the morality of destroying large numbers of people instead of rubbing their hands together in delight at the prospect of so much destruction.
The concept of gray magic is also very intriguing and it seems to be more powerful than either Order or Chaos alone. The idea of sealing chaos within order to create a gray balance in things is very interesting and, like all of the magic in the Recluce series, makes a lot of sense.
The action scenes in the novel are well done and capture the attention of the reader, as they should. The technological aspects and advances depicted over the course of the novel are very interesting also.
The Not-So-Good
Why, then, didn't I give this novel 4 stars like the others lately in the series? The answer is that, even though the book depicts the virtues of balance, the novel itself lacks balance.
More specifically, the characterizations of the novel are dry and not very compelling.
The character of Justen was the most interesting and he was rather dull. He wasn't written to be all that different from any other main character I've read in a Recluce novel. The only effect of him being a gray wizard instead of a black wizard had on his personality was that he drank beer and had a bit of a happy go lucky attitude that quickly disappeared as the novel's plot progressed. Over the course of the novel he gets falsely accused of being "order-mad". If he were "balance-mad" the book would have been a whole lot more interesting. He would have been a much more compelling character if he got some kind of strange glee out of destroying both chaos and order.
There was a romance in the novel, as there has been in most of the Recluce novels, but it was rather dull. There was no conflict or romantic tension that would make a literary romance interesting. The two people concerned just meet and fall in love. While this is perhaps more true-to-life, it doesn't make for a good read. The romantic aspects of a novel should match the scope of the roles of the characters in the fictional world.
Naclos
This deserves its own section, because I feel that Modesitt's description of Naclos may have been the "point" of the book. Naclos is a place of pure balance. The inhabitants of Naclos follow a pattern of complete balance.
Basically it works like this: If someone consumes a produced good, a service, or a natural resource, they balance out their consumption deficit by providing a produced good, service, or resource in turn. No actual currency changes hands.
On the surface it seems very similar to Thomas More's "Utopia", and it also seems to have the same flaw: cheaters. What if someone consumes without replacing or in any way compensating for their consumption? "Utopia" didn't have an adequate answer for this and Naclos' answer is not much better. If someone consumes without compensating for it, the land "takes them" or "gets rid of them". They'll get eaten by a forest beast or killed by a man eating tree or something like that.
This suggests some kind of intelligence that must exist behind the maintenance of balance, keeping tabs. However, this is sort of shrugged off and not addressed. It's a little too convenient.
Also, why is it this way in Naclos alone and not in any other area of the world?
I can only hope these questions and criticisms would be addressed in a later book, but I doubt it. The world of Recluce seems blissfully absent of any kind of organized Religion other than order- or chaos- based expletives (Demons of Light!).
Conclusion
I can only hope that the series gets better. I kind of doubt it, though, and I'm toying with leaving it altogether...for a while at least. This book was a tough read. For non-Recluce fans I say avoid like the plague. For fans of Recluce, I say know what you're getting into. For fans of the Recluce series' magic system, I say prepare to have a lot of your questions answered...but not much else. If you're still on the fence about the series, I say you can probably end your involvement with this book.
August 4, 2015
This book was much harder to get through than most of the others, and that has sunk my rating a bit. At times reading this story even felt a bit like a chore, which was funny because this story is a pivotal point in the history of this world, one that changed both Recluse, and Fairhaven and all the lands on the planet. I am pleased to say that it picked up towards the end of the book. I’ll try to explain the parts that slowed me down below.
First of all the hero of the book, Justin, starts out friend zoned whiney. I hate the whole friend zoned character. Just because you pine over someone doesn’t give you the right for them to like you back in the same way, or even at all. I recognize that most of us go through a period in our lives where we are in a situation like that but most people grow out of it pretty quickly by facing reality and from this story it looks like Justin has been this way a long time and manages to stay in it for most of the story.
In fact this bothered me even more when later on in the book he goes home and we are introduced to his family. They are practical, intelligent and caring. I can’t believe that his mother or father or brother or maybe even little sister didn’t ever sit him down and help him reason through the situation to see the reality. That would have really been all that was needed and he would have grown up a bit and moved on.
Second, I was really bothered by the relationship that was forced upon Justen. About midway through the story he is rescued by a druid from Naclos, Dayala or something like that, who has been chosen for him by person or persons or forces unknown. This was never explained, but it was stated that neither he nor she had any choice in the matter. It was similar to the pair bonding that Creslin and Maggie (remember I just call her Maggie because the name in the book is silly) were forced into. It didn’t work out very well for either of them, and I have a hard time thinking it will be any better for Justin and Dayala.
Third, the concept of balance was a principle part of this story and not in the same way that it was important to what I have been calling grey mages throughout all these reviews. The grey mages were usually primarily either black or white, but were able to sense and use the opposite power in order to strengthen their primary power. This story posits that the true masters of balance are the druids of Naclos.
The real druids have the power to live for nearly forever (a wildly unbalanced power I think), and can see both white chaos and black order and can in same way use these abilities simultaneously to do magical things like talk to the animals, or make trees grow into boxes without any seams. Most cannot use metal tools (a wildly unbalanced trait I think) or leave the great forest of Naclos (another wildly unbalanced trait, I mean if balance exists it exists why don’t you go somewhere else and be balanced). They are ruled by a collection of ancients who seek to preserve the balance between order and chaos.
They seek to preserve it so much that they force Justin unto an unasked for alliance, and then condition him through that link to pursue his conflict against the whites of Fairhaven. Justin becomes a druid in the process learning how to use chaos as well as order and then after a brief excursion dabbling in what could only be uranium, decides to build a focused light weapon, a rudimentary tank and then proceeded to destroy Fairhaven. This destruction consumed so much of the world’s free chaos and order that the abilities of all white and black wizards worldwide are significantly reduced thus restoring balance.
This is one of the first four recluse books written in external chronological order and so may be a weaker effort by Modesitt Jr. In fact I think for the next four books I have to read in internal chronological order they are mostly the older books in the series. I will be curious to see if the other older books are as hard to read as this one was. It does make me long for the latest Imager book.
First of all the hero of the book, Justin, starts out friend zoned whiney. I hate the whole friend zoned character. Just because you pine over someone doesn’t give you the right for them to like you back in the same way, or even at all. I recognize that most of us go through a period in our lives where we are in a situation like that but most people grow out of it pretty quickly by facing reality and from this story it looks like Justin has been this way a long time and manages to stay in it for most of the story.
In fact this bothered me even more when later on in the book he goes home and we are introduced to his family. They are practical, intelligent and caring. I can’t believe that his mother or father or brother or maybe even little sister didn’t ever sit him down and help him reason through the situation to see the reality. That would have really been all that was needed and he would have grown up a bit and moved on.
Second, I was really bothered by the relationship that was forced upon Justen. About midway through the story he is rescued by a druid from Naclos, Dayala or something like that, who has been chosen for him by person or persons or forces unknown. This was never explained, but it was stated that neither he nor she had any choice in the matter. It was similar to the pair bonding that Creslin and Maggie (remember I just call her Maggie because the name in the book is silly) were forced into. It didn’t work out very well for either of them, and I have a hard time thinking it will be any better for Justin and Dayala.
Third, the concept of balance was a principle part of this story and not in the same way that it was important to what I have been calling grey mages throughout all these reviews. The grey mages were usually primarily either black or white, but were able to sense and use the opposite power in order to strengthen their primary power. This story posits that the true masters of balance are the druids of Naclos.
The real druids have the power to live for nearly forever (a wildly unbalanced power I think), and can see both white chaos and black order and can in same way use these abilities simultaneously to do magical things like talk to the animals, or make trees grow into boxes without any seams. Most cannot use metal tools (a wildly unbalanced trait I think) or leave the great forest of Naclos (another wildly unbalanced trait, I mean if balance exists it exists why don’t you go somewhere else and be balanced). They are ruled by a collection of ancients who seek to preserve the balance between order and chaos.
They seek to preserve it so much that they force Justin unto an unasked for alliance, and then condition him through that link to pursue his conflict against the whites of Fairhaven. Justin becomes a druid in the process learning how to use chaos as well as order and then after a brief excursion dabbling in what could only be uranium, decides to build a focused light weapon, a rudimentary tank and then proceeded to destroy Fairhaven. This destruction consumed so much of the world’s free chaos and order that the abilities of all white and black wizards worldwide are significantly reduced thus restoring balance.
This is one of the first four recluse books written in external chronological order and so may be a weaker effort by Modesitt Jr. In fact I think for the next four books I have to read in internal chronological order they are mostly the older books in the series. I will be curious to see if the other older books are as hard to read as this one was. It does make me long for the latest Imager book.
October 6, 2014
I like the Recluse books and got sucked into the series as soon as I read the first. They (unfortunately) tend to run a little hot and cold and while this one didn't "pull me in" as much as some others, it's a good read in it's way. The rating fluctuates as I think of it, so maybe 3.5 might be considered a better rating...it might have come out here a compromise 3 depending on the way I felt when I reviewed it.
December 2, 2019
This series gets better with every book. The novel features my series favorite character, Justen who appeared first in the initial novel. Modesitt crafts very fine fiction and he's becoming a personal favorite. I imagine given enough time, I will work my way through his whole library.
April 12, 2025
I love the recluse books. This is book 4 in release order. if you liked the other books in the series you will like this one. if you have never read a recluse book just understand that the release order and chronological order are very different. I always recommend reading in release order as there patterns and themes thethat run through the series and these build on each other. it would be nice to have a timeline but it's not too important.
July 1, 2024
Friendzoned engineer decides to dedicate his life to eradicating fascism after meeting a local vegan
April 10, 2022
The first part or act was a little long for me, but the next 2/3 made up for it, this series continues to develop new character types and new lands while linking In previous novels from the series. This book again is a great one, right up until the very last page. Omg.
Through that first part I thought that it was going to be set at the one location, and I started to lose interest, im glad I powered through, and was able to read about the adventures of what I think was a character from the 1st book, And how some of the scenes developed in that 1st book from this book. But there is a suprise that I don't remember reading in the second book that would be the future of this character. I can't wait to see or read if there is a book in between the 4th book and the 1st book to understand how the new race of people develop. I may have to go back and re read book 1. Soo good. Right up to the last page. Definitely recommend. I love how this is written, bouncing around, character development, scenery/imagery and tying them together but without spoiling the next books numerically not by timeline.
Through that first part I thought that it was going to be set at the one location, and I started to lose interest, im glad I powered through, and was able to read about the adventures of what I think was a character from the 1st book, And how some of the scenes developed in that 1st book from this book. But there is a suprise that I don't remember reading in the second book that would be the future of this character. I can't wait to see or read if there is a book in between the 4th book and the 1st book to understand how the new race of people develop. I may have to go back and re read book 1. Soo good. Right up to the last page. Definitely recommend. I love how this is written, bouncing around, character development, scenery/imagery and tying them together but without spoiling the next books numerically not by timeline.
October 24, 2023
Justin turns into the first grey mage protagonist of the series, showing the dangers of an extreme concentration of either order or chaos within the world of Recluce. The beginning is a bit weak. the younger characters are a bit whiny, maybe accurate for teens, but not so fun to read.
The magical tech is handled well, as an amateur wood and metal worker I can appreciate the descriptions in the book. Also having to set up and align crystal lasers in the past, the thought of doing it leaning out the basket of a hot air balloon with dodgy equipment, is a nightmarish thought. And those crystals are magic, if I remember correctly, all the crystal type lasers work in the IR range and require some special power wasting hoops to jump thru for visible light.
The trials of Justin that goes thru in the start are epic, long and intense labor and frenzied combat support, a grim endurance chase by enemy mages and a torturous desert walk. All of this so he can meet his druid lover.
A nerdy bit of fun.
The magical tech is handled well, as an amateur wood and metal worker I can appreciate the descriptions in the book. Also having to set up and align crystal lasers in the past, the thought of doing it leaning out the basket of a hot air balloon with dodgy equipment, is a nightmarish thought. And those crystals are magic, if I remember correctly, all the crystal type lasers work in the IR range and require some special power wasting hoops to jump thru for visible light.
The trials of Justin that goes thru in the start are epic, long and intense labor and frenzied combat support, a grim endurance chase by enemy mages and a torturous desert walk. All of this so he can meet his druid lover.
A nerdy bit of fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2017
I absolutely LOVE this series.
February 28, 2022
My favorite of the four so far. Finally a balance between the Chaos and the Order in the world. Great book.
October 3, 2019
Endless War is endless. But with a magic tank.
The 4th (in publication history) of 21 novels telling the "Saga of Recluce." This tells a prequel story to the first novel "The Magic of Recluce." In that first novel we meet an older, mysterious Gandalfy/Obi-Wan-ish "Grey" Wizard named Justen. This novel tells Justen's origin story, how he started as a "Black" engineer in the battle against the "White" Wizards but ultimately turns "Grey."
Modesitt's world is a constant battle of "Order" vs "Chaos." Basically, order is creative while Chaos is entropy. As a magic system, this has promise but frequently feels arbitrary in its use or tacked on. Modesitt uses Order/Chaos in everything from cooking fire to acting as a bug repellent to ironworking to world-ending magic. It's so ubiquitous as to become boring.
Because it's a neverending struggle between Chaos and Order...THE STRUGGLE NEVER ENDS. So we are dropped right into a battle between fairly generic pseudo-feudal fantasy archetype kingdoms except one follows Order and one follows Chaos. Why are they fighting? Eh. Who knows. Why is Justen helping one side? Because he's on their team. So he's an Engineer and does a LOT of ironworking...I mean a LOT of ironworking. In exhaustive and boring detail.
War continues, Justen discovers he has a great talent for magic but feels the pull of Chaos and order and struggles to find "balance" between the two (hence the Grey). Oh, and he builds a magical tank. Which is kinda cool.
Any world system that stresses "balance" invariably feels stagnant and this is no different. There are the seeds of a decent tale here, but it's bogged down in a seemingly endless, and thereby pointless, war where you hope NOBODY wins.
The 4th (in publication history) of 21 novels telling the "Saga of Recluce." This tells a prequel story to the first novel "The Magic of Recluce." In that first novel we meet an older, mysterious Gandalfy/Obi-Wan-ish "Grey" Wizard named Justen. This novel tells Justen's origin story, how he started as a "Black" engineer in the battle against the "White" Wizards but ultimately turns "Grey."
Modesitt's world is a constant battle of "Order" vs "Chaos." Basically, order is creative while Chaos is entropy. As a magic system, this has promise but frequently feels arbitrary in its use or tacked on. Modesitt uses Order/Chaos in everything from cooking fire to acting as a bug repellent to ironworking to world-ending magic. It's so ubiquitous as to become boring.
Because it's a neverending struggle between Chaos and Order...THE STRUGGLE NEVER ENDS. So we are dropped right into a battle between fairly generic pseudo-feudal fantasy archetype kingdoms except one follows Order and one follows Chaos. Why are they fighting? Eh. Who knows. Why is Justen helping one side? Because he's on their team. So he's an Engineer and does a LOT of ironworking...I mean a LOT of ironworking. In exhaustive and boring detail.
War continues, Justen discovers he has a great talent for magic but feels the pull of Chaos and order and struggles to find "balance" between the two (hence the Grey). Oh, and he builds a magical tank. Which is kinda cool.
Any world system that stresses "balance" invariably feels stagnant and this is no different. There are the seeds of a decent tale here, but it's bogged down in a seemingly endless, and thereby pointless, war where you hope NOBODY wins.
July 20, 2017
Strong finish, but most of the book was dragging on a fair bit.
June 25, 2024
Love the world but i confess was confused with the magic system. Still i'll keep going.
Cheers.
Cheers.
March 2, 2022
The reading order of these books, if read as published, bounces around a bit. The Order War fills in one of the gaps and brings me a sense of closure. I love the main character and share some of his struggles with communication and assumptions/ conclusions.
August 14, 2019
good entry in the series.
January 3, 2021
I've been enjoying this series, although I'm not positive I'm up for 22 volumes (I found 1-5 at a thrift store). Each story is independent, although they build on each other to form a coherent history (and it appears that a lot of the books going forward are actually ancient history to this book).
First off, let's get some of the niggles out of the way. Each of the 5 books, so far has had a central character (the "savior") who has to do something exceptional to solve the problem the book poses. Each character meets a woman who he doesn't understand, who helps him grow until he's able to accomplish the quest. Lots of people who are close to the hero die, and lots of unintended consequences occur...
I've read a lot of books by Modesitt over the years-no idea how many he's written, but the characters are always well drawn. The basic rules and conflicts are well planned out. This is no exception, the quest that Justen goes on results in many deaths, but in the end he finds love and succeeds in solving the problem thru the use of hidden talents no one knew he had.
Another issue is Modesitt's fascination with the details. He clearly loves blacksmithing, books 2-3-4 at least involve a lot of it in some detail. He probably love horses, the relationship between the hero and his (various) horses seems to occupy a lot. He obviously feels that the paths of love never run true-there's always a barrier or conflict between the hero and the love interest which must be surmounted at great cost to everyone.
Anyway, fun, well written, worth reading. Recommended.
First off, let's get some of the niggles out of the way. Each of the 5 books, so far has had a central character (the "savior") who has to do something exceptional to solve the problem the book poses. Each character meets a woman who he doesn't understand, who helps him grow until he's able to accomplish the quest. Lots of people who are close to the hero die, and lots of unintended consequences occur...
I've read a lot of books by Modesitt over the years-no idea how many he's written, but the characters are always well drawn. The basic rules and conflicts are well planned out. This is no exception, the quest that Justen goes on results in many deaths, but in the end he finds love and succeeds in solving the problem thru the use of hidden talents no one knew he had.
Another issue is Modesitt's fascination with the details. He clearly loves blacksmithing, books 2-3-4 at least involve a lot of it in some detail. He probably love horses, the relationship between the hero and his (various) horses seems to occupy a lot. He obviously feels that the paths of love never run true-there's always a barrier or conflict between the hero and the love interest which must be surmounted at great cost to everyone.
Anyway, fun, well written, worth reading. Recommended.
July 9, 2025
3.5, rounding down.
So. This was one of my most anticipated Recluce books since Justen was introduced in book one, since he was my favourite character and had what looked like an interesting backstory.
For the most part, that backstory was quite neat. I liked learning about him becoming the grey wizard we see in book one, the final battle was really cool, and it was awesome to see
HOWEVER, the momentum of the book ground to an absolute halt about halfway through for the same reason book three did: the author's love of explaining the minutiae of building something.
Holy. Crap. I did not need to know every tiny detail about building a land engine. At all. I felt my attention glaze over the longer it went on, almost making me want to turn my audiobook to higher and higher speeds just to get through it.
When it was focused on the character development and the more interesting sides of the lore and magic system, it was great.
When it bogged itself down in explaining all the details of how they had to stop to change a wheel...not so much. Which is a shame, because it really killed my enjoyment for me and even had me questioning whether or not I'll end up continuing with the series.
ALSO, the audiobook narrator was excellent, and had me cracking up several times as he fought for his life doing all the sound effects. Hearing this man desperately trying to whinny like a horse was absolutely hilarious, and I loved it.
So. This was one of my most anticipated Recluce books since Justen was introduced in book one, since he was my favourite character and had what looked like an interesting backstory.
For the most part, that backstory was quite neat. I liked learning about him becoming the grey wizard we see in book one, the final battle was really cool, and it was awesome to see
HOWEVER, the momentum of the book ground to an absolute halt about halfway through for the same reason book three did: the author's love of explaining the minutiae of building something.
Holy. Crap. I did not need to know every tiny detail about building a land engine. At all. I felt my attention glaze over the longer it went on, almost making me want to turn my audiobook to higher and higher speeds just to get through it.
When it was focused on the character development and the more interesting sides of the lore and magic system, it was great.
When it bogged itself down in explaining all the details of how they had to stop to change a wheel...not so much. Which is a shame, because it really killed my enjoyment for me and even had me questioning whether or not I'll end up continuing with the series.
ALSO, the audiobook narrator was excellent, and had me cracking up several times as he fought for his life doing all the sound effects. Hearing this man desperately trying to whinny like a horse was absolutely hilarious, and I loved it.
August 8, 2019
It had been quite a while since I read the previous book in the Recluse series. Based on positive reviews for The Order War, and even better reviews for the next few books in the series, I decided to jump back in.
This book really required no knowledge from the previous books. It's set in a different time period with an entirely different set of characters (except occasional references to previous characters as historical figures). The book is an easy read, with mostly short chapters outside of the battles.
As others have mentioned, Modesitt's characters seem to spend a lot of time enjoying meals and drinks, but the dialogue in these scenes helps with character development and a better understanding of the Recluse world. Although the cast of characters in this book is rather small, the main characters are well developed and easy to grow attached to.
As fantasy novels go, the battle scenes are strictly PG, as it the language and adult themes. If you are looking for Game of Thrones gore and sex, you won't find it here. The battles do have an interesting mix of magic and conventional weapons without a lot of detailed blow by blow descriptions.
I would recommend this book to those looking for a lighter fantasy series than many that are currently popular. I plan to read the next 2 books in the series in the new future to see where the stories go.
This book really required no knowledge from the previous books. It's set in a different time period with an entirely different set of characters (except occasional references to previous characters as historical figures). The book is an easy read, with mostly short chapters outside of the battles.
As others have mentioned, Modesitt's characters seem to spend a lot of time enjoying meals and drinks, but the dialogue in these scenes helps with character development and a better understanding of the Recluse world. Although the cast of characters in this book is rather small, the main characters are well developed and easy to grow attached to.
As fantasy novels go, the battle scenes are strictly PG, as it the language and adult themes. If you are looking for Game of Thrones gore and sex, you won't find it here. The battles do have an interesting mix of magic and conventional weapons without a lot of detailed blow by blow descriptions.
I would recommend this book to those looking for a lighter fantasy series than many that are currently popular. I plan to read the next 2 books in the series in the new future to see where the stories go.
September 15, 2025
This book takes place 10 generations at least after Dorrin so its the latest in the timeline of the series to date. The effect that Dorrin has on this novel though is quite evident, as the dangergelder tradition has been done away with, and the practice discontinued. The story of Justin, the first Grey Wizard, makes much more sense with the foundation of the prior novels at your fingertips (particularly since I am rereading them again in order). His brother, the great Gunnar and the small ensemble cast make for easy reading. It took me longer to get through this installment only because I went on vacation mid-book, but its easy to pick up right where you left off at any point in the book. For this particular novel, I found it very handy to consult google for all the maps of Candar to see just how massive Justen’s adventure really is as I proceeded through this book again 30 years later. I like the use of common knowledge “druid” lore for this story and this book also clearly documents what finally happened to erase Fairhaven off the map. I can’t wait to read the next book as to where Modesitt takes us (since there is no way I am going to remember in what direction his next book takes. If I had to guess, perhaps the main character will be a white wizard?). Lets find out. Onwards!!
January 25, 2024
"The Magic of Recluce" was the first book published in this long series, but the next three -- including this one, "The Order War" -- are prequels. Like all the books, though, the setup is simple: White vs. Black, though in this case, White represents chaos and Black stands for order.
In "The Order War," however, Modesitt introduces Naclos, a country distant from Recluce (which is an island) and the bulk of the continent of Candar, which the Whites are busy conquering. Naclos favors Balance, which reflects the fundamental underpinning of the series: For every bit of chaos, there is a corresponding bit of order. If chaos is increased here, then order is increased there; and vice versa.
Justen, the protagonist in this series, shares some traits with the protagonists of previous books. He starts out loving a redhead who doesn't love him back, he does a lot of blacksmith work, he underestimates his own abilities and influence, and he's a very powerful magician.
Yes, there's lots of magic in this series, but Modesitt expanded the parameters a bit in book four, which for me was just as much fun as the first three. I'm definitely still on board.
In "The Order War," however, Modesitt introduces Naclos, a country distant from Recluce (which is an island) and the bulk of the continent of Candar, which the Whites are busy conquering. Naclos favors Balance, which reflects the fundamental underpinning of the series: For every bit of chaos, there is a corresponding bit of order. If chaos is increased here, then order is increased there; and vice versa.
Justen, the protagonist in this series, shares some traits with the protagonists of previous books. He starts out loving a redhead who doesn't love him back, he does a lot of blacksmith work, he underestimates his own abilities and influence, and he's a very powerful magician.
Yes, there's lots of magic in this series, but Modesitt expanded the parameters a bit in book four, which for me was just as much fun as the first three. I'm definitely still on board.
March 5, 2018
This appears to be the first book in the saga chronologically -- which may be why the airport bookstore had this one and not book #1 on their shelves. The downside of starting here is that there's a lot of stuff from book 1 (The Magic of Recluce) which is assumed knowledge in this one. I was continually disoriented by missing information and that made it hard to really suspend my disbelief. It also made me question some of the blurbs on the cover which universally proclaim it to be innovative and deeply thought provoking.
It was not until I read book 1 that I understood that the title is a pun from the perspective of the world itself. How could "Order" start a war? How could it pursue one? What would that look like?
I enjoyed the book. The characters were well drawn and the story was engaging fantasy which does not rely on routine tropes to drive the plot.
It was not until I read book 1 that I understood that the title is a pun from the perspective of the world itself. How could "Order" start a war? How could it pursue one? What would that look like?
I enjoyed the book. The characters were well drawn and the story was engaging fantasy which does not rely on routine tropes to drive the plot.
June 8, 2018
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Whenever I read epic fantasy I am always floored by the sheer size of plots and characters who have to come together. It includes a forethought and mastery of elements I just have no clue about. But what I loved about The Order War is just how epic it is. Not only does this occur as part of a series, which you can seriously still jump into because I had absolutely no problem, but the sheer scale is epic. All of these perspectives are inching together in an unhurried way. It never feels slow, it just feels like we're taking the time to mature. I think true good epic fantasy doesn't feel slow or hurried.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/l-e-...
Whenever I read epic fantasy I am always floored by the sheer size of plots and characters who have to come together. It includes a forethought and mastery of elements I just have no clue about. But what I loved about The Order War is just how epic it is. Not only does this occur as part of a series, which you can seriously still jump into because I had absolutely no problem, but the sheer scale is epic. All of these perspectives are inching together in an unhurried way. It never feels slow, it just feels like we're taking the time to mature. I think true good epic fantasy doesn't feel slow or hurried.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/l-e-...
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