Treachery's Tools

Imager Portfolio #10

by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

L. E. Modesitt's tenth novel in the New York Times bestselling Imager Portfolio fantasy series begins thirteen years after the events of Madness in Solidar, Alastar has settled into his role as the Maitre of the Collegium. Now married with a daughter, he would like nothing better than to focus his efforts on improving Imager Isle and making it more self-sufficient.

However, the rise in fortune of the merchant classes in Solidar over the years does not sit well with the High Holders, who see the erosion of their long-enjoyed privileges. Bad harvests and worse weather spark acts of violence and murder. In the midst of the crisis, some High Holders call for repeals of the Codis Legis, taking authority away from the Rex.

Once again, Alastar must maintain a careful political balance, but he cannot avoid the involvement of the Collegium when someone begins killing students. Trying to protect his imagers and hold Solidar together for the good of all, Alastar stumbles on to a plot by the High Holders involving illegal weapons, insurrection, and conspiracy.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction, Audiobook

511 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2016

About the author

L. 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

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽]

I just opened a package with a very nice hardback copy of the ARC of this book from the publisher. The only problem is I haven't read any of the books in this series, and I don't recall ever requesting this book. So, thanks, I guess?

Can anyone tell me a little about this series and its world? :D

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sequel to Madness in Solidar which needs to be read first & well remembered since Modesitt dumped me into a flurry of names & political intrigue. I liked it. As usual, he really delves into the economic basis for power struggles as a world is changing from a feudal society into an industrial one. There is plenty of action as the High Holders (feudal lords) try to keep their power against the rising merchant (factors) class with a weak king (Rex) dithering at the top. It's a matter of survival for the imagers to keep the country together, but doing so within the law or, at least, public view of the law, is a thorny problem.

Very well done! Plenty of action, intrigue, & interesting puzzles, as usual. All the characters are well done & many are believable strong women. No one is perfect, even the best make mistakes. Perhaps a touch too much self recrimination in Alastar's case. I really like Alastar's issues with aging since I'm facing many of the same. He captured that well. The characters also change in their relationships to each other, growing naturally through the events in the book. Alastar's deference to Lorien erodes quite naturally & wonderfully.

A note on Modesitt's series: I recommend reading these in published order on the first read, although the series is broken into 3 different times & main characters that aren't in chronological order.
- The first 3 books are the story of Rhennthyl. I think this story is last chronologically, so far. They introduce the concept of imaging which is quite interesting & subtle, though. Later books will provide further explanations & some differences.
- Books 4 thru 8 follow Quaeryt's rise from obscurity to founding father. We've read a few myths about him in the previous books, but they don't convey the true breadth of his talents as he raises imagers from hunted freaks & useful, but dangerous slaves, to true members of society. He helps build a large nation (small empire?) at the same time, the one the others live in centuries later.
- Book 9, Madness in Solidar, & this book will be followed next summer by Assassin’s Price. They definitely come after Quaeryt's time.

I need to read these all again some time. I think I'll wait until the series is finished & then read them in chronological order one after the other. All of Modesitt's books are worth reading at least a couple of times. He packs a lot of thought into them. Highly recommended.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid continuation of a later Solidar in the middle of a social/political decline. Pretty interesting when it comes to the history, especially since we already read the founding and the other time directly preceding this.

If you read Modesitt, you know his quality is pretty solid across all his books. It's always comfortable and predictable, but it's still COMFORTING for all that.

Even if it seems like most of these plots are reused, it's still enjoyable. Facts.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

a follow-up to Madness in Solidar and a middle book in the sequence to be continued (and maybe concluded) in Assassin's Price - if one follows the series, one knows where this arc goes as it is the middle in the historical timeline between the unification of Solidar by Quaeryt under Rex Regis's rule (in an almost late medieval time of wars, bad roads, feudal relationships, with the beggining of cannon, muskets and gunpowder technology) in the 5 books of that sequence and the modern Solidar of Rhenn and early 20th century technology on the brink of a full industrial revolution and with the usual accoutrements of the modern state (press, steam engines, worker tenements, centralized police force, highly developed weapons), which also describes the decline of magic - from Quaeryt who could single-handed destroy cities and had lots of other strong imagers with him, to Rhenn who has powerful abilities but is one of very few such, and his abilities are already stretched when destroying a house or stopping a cannon shell - the main heroes here, Alastar, Alyna and the other imagers are somewhere in-between, still strong enough to fight and destroy a regiment by themselves, but far from Quaeryt abilities

Coming back at the book, if you read Madness in Solidar, this is very similar in structure (tense buildup, main phase of the action and then the second and more dramatic phase), with more actual fighting, regiment against regiment a la Quaeryt times (though again on a much smaller scale than the large battles there), less intrigue and subtlety; a great ending (and again knowing where the arc goes, the ending can be seen differently than say the main surviving characters see it);

Madness in Solidar felt a bit different than the other two series - a bit more distant maybe - but here I got used to the style which is very similar obviously, so I really enjoyed it to the full and will be a top 5-10 of the year

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treachery's Tools by L.E. Modesitt, jr

This is the newest book in the excellent Imager series. I had lamented recently at the infrequency of Modesitt books and then just weeks after getting Recluce Tales, this book appeared at my door inciting a WhooHoo on my part. The previous sentences should leave no doubt in your mind that I really enjoy Modesitt's work. This book takes up 13 years after the Madness in Solidar. The Collegium, home of the imagers. Times are a changing and High Holders and Factors are butting heads with the weak Rex, Lorien doing nothing to alleviate the growing friction.

Modesitt seems to have a philosophic leaning that is uniquely his own. He imbues his lead characters with soul searching, depreciating humor and pragmatic consciences. Sometimes good people need to do bad things and bad things do happen to good people. Modesitt doesn't hesitate to knock off characters that you like and that provides a realism that fuels the plot.

I've tried to read everything L. E. Modesitt, Jr. has written. His books are entertaining and thought provoking.

I highly recommend.

Site: http://www.lemodesittjr.com/

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There’s not much difference between arrogance and stupidity. Arrogance, though, is the brother of treachery.”

This is weird. Ten novels deep into the series, and this story is the best of the bunch. Good world building and plot development, despite Modesitt constraining himself (and the reader) to a single protagonist’s point of view. What set this story apart is redemption. Yes, in every previous story the good guys were good and the baddies bad and no one ever changes. Here, someone does. With a side of self-sacrifice.

“I don’t want you to think I was that stupid.” “At age ten, we were all stupid.” “You weren’t.” “I was stupid when I was far older than ten.”

Good foreshadowing, misdirection by supporting characters. Modesitt shows his hand by not allowing the protagonist to make a mistake--other than the expected ones which threaten life as they know it.

“Worth is not measured by what one has or does not have, but by what one does with what one has.”

Thankfully, no hand puppet, and less preaching. A good lesson in the workings of the mercantile system blended both plot and world building.

“They need to learn that you don’t really understand something until you can prove it--or explain it clearly--to others.” Several times the reader is knocked out of the spell of the tale by inept editing, such as, “…were all thoroughly soaked all the way through by …”

“There are always people who think that killing people they don’t like will make their lives better. Over the long run, it never does.”

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

They say that “age and treachery beat youth and skill”. In this book, the formula is more likely, “age and skill beat youth and treachery”. That’s not quite there either, but it’s a lot closer to the mark.

This is also a story about change, and the resistance to it. And because of that, Treachery’s Tools is primarily a political story. By that I mean politics as war conducted by other means, at least until war becomes necessary as a way of either cementing victory or preventing defeat.

Because the story is so steeped in politics, it is also a story about power corrupting. In this particular case, it is not much about absolute power corrupting absolutely, because no one in the story has that kind of power. They may want it, they may be fighting for it, but they don’t actually have it.

Instead, we have a story that has a lot of resonances with contemporary history. In the Solidar of Maitre Alastar’s time, the High Holders are slowly but surely losing their power. Not because they have done anything particularly wrong, although some individuals certainly have. But because they were on top in society as it was, and too many of them have hung on to their old ways as society has changed around them.

They liked the status quo, and don’t want to lose it. The problem is that the world is changing whether they like it or not, and more Factors (read businessmen), are amassing power and money even faster than the High Holders are losing it. Policy follows the money. The Factors have more money, and therefor more power. No one is doing anything evil per se, but time and tides are moving away from the large landholders and towards the manufacturers and businessmen.

Any parallels between the situation in the book and contemporary America, where the population is shifting to a majority minority population, and policies and attitudes are moving away from what the people who benefited from being in the old majority want to label as traditional, are in the eye of the beholder. But I think that they are there, right alongside a parallel to post-Industrial Revolution England.

In the story, the balance between all of the various factions is kept by the Imagers. Led by Alastar, they keep the balance because the strength of Solidar, and enforcement of its laws, keeps them safe. In turn, they try to keep the power balanced between the Rex, the High Holders, and the Factors because that provides the most stability for Solidar as a whole.

Alastar was first introduced in Madness in Solidar, when he came from Westisle to the capital to deal with several crises, including a crazy Rex and a powerless Imager College. As much death and destruction as rained down on the capital in the process of setting things back on track, and as many deaths as could be laid directly at Alastar’s door, it’s been thirteen years since those events. People forget, especially when the events that they need to remember seem impossible.

So again, Alastar is forced to find a balance between an unworthy Rex, overreaching High Holders, recalcitrant Factors, traitorous colleagues and an Army that has divided upon itself. His only choice is to shore up as much as he can, because the alternatives all lead to darkness.

Escape Rating A: As I write this review, it is still May. I received the ARC two days ago, and I’ve already finished, knowing that I can’t post the review until October. And that I have a year to wait before the next book in the series, Assassin’s Price. It’s going to be a very long wait.

At the top, I used the saying about age and treachery beating youth and skill, because one of the underlying concepts that imbues this story is Alastar’s, and others’ perceptions of themselves, as getting older and not being as strong as they used to be. Alastar, now in his 50s, notices that he needs more time to recover from heavy imaging than he used to, and that he feels the aches of a day in the saddle or a serious beating on his shields a lot longer than he used to.

Alastar’s internal dilemma harkens back to the old Scandinavian saying, “We grow too soon old and too late smart.” He is so concerned that he is not the man he used to be, that he forgets that there is a value in the knowledge and wisdom he has accrued over the years, and that his worth to the Collegium is in that very wisdom. The Collegium and Solidar need him for his intellect, his wisdom, and sometimes his patience. (Not that he has much of the last, even now!) In some cases, they even give their lives to make sure that he is the one who will be leading, because they know that no one else is nearly as capable of keeping their country from going to hell in a handcart.

Alastar’s case contrasts sharply with that of the old general Wilkorn. Both men were a bit shortsighted, and that shortsightedness contributed to the civil war they face. But Wilkorn’s sin was in letting too many things slide, where Alastar’s was in not seeing all the dangers quickly enough and far enough in advance. There’s a big difference between sheer complacency and not being wise enough to see all ends, but still continuing to try.

Treachery’s Tools has a bit of a feeling of “middle book”. Not that the action all trends down into the dark, but in that the situation we face was set up in Madness in Solidar. And even though Alastar manages to resolve this crisis, it is all too obvious that his work is not done. He has bought a respite, but the forces that gathered are merely defeated and not destroyed. He will clearly face another crisis in the books yet to come, whether Assassin’s Price closes this chapter of Solidar history or whether it takes a bit longer.

In other words, if the Imager Portfolio sounds like your cup of epic fantasy, Treachery’s Tools is not the place to start. Start with either Imager, the first book in the series as published, or Scholar, the first book in the Solidar chronological order. But if you enjoy epic fantasy with a political bent, the Imager Portfolio is utterly awesome.

[Lupine Smile · Rating 4 out of 5]

As time plays its ever diminishing song, there are choruses that repeat, some joyful, and some painful. This work continues in the Imager world as a direct sequel to Madness in Solidar, and deals with the choices that have to be made that can either fix, or just postpone future paths and their impact on society. Most importantly, this book deals with the consequences of constantly looking to the past and choosing ignorance as the simple and least painful choice of the moment. The problem is that the tally of ignorance increases exponentially and time is a brutal practitioner of usury. This is another solid book in the series and deals with the heroic decisions that a few have to make so that the many can survive, even if the many choose to sit on the sidelines.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but worth it.

[Kennethkiffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, another good one from Mr Modesitt. The beginning quarter was rather slow, with the usual "Day 1: he did this, ate that, went to see this person; Day 2: it was raining, went to see that and then ate this and said that". Was a bit of a tedium at first but I braved onward, knowing that there'd be a payoff as there usually is in these books. And true enough, all the daily grind painted a clear background of what's happening, and the impact of the changes that you can really see escalating. Then slightly before mid-book, things literally explode, and it's all back to back, satisfying and detailed action.
One can also feel for the current imagers (and the protagonist) after having read the previous series, and knowing that they can't solve problems like the previous protagonist could (because he was REALLY powerful), and the book shows these strength and skill limitations very well. You know they are not powerful enough, they know they are not powerful enough... now how are they going to solve these problems? To me, that's basically the main gist of the story.
A good read for a slow October. Looking forward to the next instalment.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved this series.Well, actually I have loved all of Modesitt's books. I love the intricacy, the storyline, the religious reflections and the human drama played out. As always we are reminded that history repeats itself. The battles thought left behind, solved in the past often have to be re-fought by successive generations. So it is with the struggles of the Imagers. If you hadn't read previous stories the religious reference to the 'Nameless' one could easily be passed over. This, a central concept to the series. Once started, I found it hard to stop for the normal everyday things a day presents. Time reading well spent.

[Pocosnoopy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the tenth book in the Imager series. But really this is the second book of the third Imager series. The first Imager series (the first three Imager books) was very, very good. The second Imager series (the next five books) was uniformly outstanding. This series, not so much. It is slow; almost plodding along without much action or intrigue. Compared to the first eight books it is a snooze. Now Modesitt is a very good author. I just don't feel this third series of Imager books is as good as the previous two.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Treachery’s Tools’ continues L.E. Modesitt Jr’s ‘Imager Portfolio’ series set on the continent of Solidar, on the world of Terahnar, though the planet’s name is seldom mentioned and if there are any other continents on it they haven’t come up yet. In previous books, the land has been united under a Rex Regis, thanks largely to the work of Imagers. These talented fellows can create things from the materials around them and even make them appear over a distance. For example, one can image an iron dart into your head as long as there is iron nearby for use. More usefully, they can image raw materials into manufactured products like jewellery or paper. The power is rare and there are very few Imagers as a percentage of the population. Formerly outcasts who were hunted down and killed, the Imagers are now organised into a Collegium and form a key power group in the state, supporting the Rex and generally trying to keep society stable. Things change, however, and now the factors and merchants are growing wealthier and beginning to challenge the authority of the High Holders, a land-owning aristocracy used to having their own way in days of yore. Bad harvests and tough times bring these conflicts to a head.

The cast list takes up the first three pages of the book and the map the next two. That’s how it is with epic fantasy nowadays. Both, to be fair, are useful as the book is long and the plot gets complicated. Our hero is Alastar, leader of the Collegium of Imagers, who is desperately trying to make the conflicting groups see reason. Merchants don’t want to pay taxes. High Holders don’t want to pay taxes or the loans some of them owe the merchant bankers. The Rex is weak and incompetent. The first part of the book has Alastar diligently holding meetings with various important persons to hold things together. When they fall apart, the Imagers have to join the fight.

I usually shun multi-volume fantasy epics on the grounds that they are basically a publisher’s way of selling lots of books and take up too much life, each tome normally stretching to 500 or so pages. Somehow I have been seduced into reading Modesitt, partly because a reviewer for SFCrowsnest who does one book is expected to do its successors. There is no compulsion, however, and I could refuse but I rather like these works. The industrious Modesitt turns them out at a rapid clip to keep his bank balance healthy and when the ‘Imager’ and ‘Recluce’ series gang up on one, it amounts to rather a lot of books. Never mind. My habitual reading is short stories, a series of brief slaps or kisses, in which one is plunged into a brand new world every 5000 words or so. Reading a big, familiar fantasy epic is more cosy, like putting on a favourite pair of old slippers. This is particularly so with Modesitt, whose style is distinctly sedate and not to everyone‘s taste. There is action, especially when war breaks out, but no sex or gore. His heroes are steady fellows who love one good, true woman and walk the path of righteousness, apart from killing all their enemies. Alastar is typical of the breed.

This story follows the pattern of all the other Modesitt fantasies with a slow build-up leading to a large battle and a satisfying denouement. That might be a flaw but more probably it is what fantasy readers want. More of the same. Anyone who got pleasure from the previous books in ‘The Imager Portfolio’ will enjoy this one, too. Not to enjoy like a night of wild, crazy love with some irresponsible slut but rather like a nice three-course meal in a good restaurant with a surprisingly tasty red to wash it down. Then off to bed in good time because you must be up early to get on with the chores, like a decent Modesitt hero.

Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/

[Barbara Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in the Imager's Portfolio, which I recommend to anyone who loves a good story in a fascinating world with strong characters who wrestle with political realities. That said, if you don't know the series, (about a world where a select few have the power to create or remove matter in all it's forms at will) this is probably not the place to start. The beginning of this arc,Madness in Solidar, is a possible place, but even better is either Imager, which features a young man learning to use his power, and thus having everything explained, or Scholar, which is set much further back in this world's history and whose main character is not being taught, but figuring everything out from scratch. This arc features a mature leader, Alastar, who had all his tools at his disposal already, and who just has to figure out how to apply them to the political chaos before him.
As always, Modessitt's writing is assured and interesting; his political ruminations are convincing in the context of the stories (though I suspect that in the real world his views are rather to the right of mine), the action is exciting, and the characters are believably complex, and for the most part not frustratingly naive prone to stupid actions. In this book I particularly liked the young girls growing up with great power, and chafing at restrictions; and also the character from the previous book who surprises everyone.

[Frode · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun read with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the interplay between Alyna and Alastar as husband and wife. Some things I can imagine my wife saying to me. While the characters don't show a lot of growth, they are still interesting to watch as they interact. The Rex is a jerk, but he is the Rex after all, so it is needful for Alastar to deal with him and ultimately protect him. That's an interesting dynamic.

The latter part of the book is about the skirmishes and final battle in a war between the forces loyal to the Rex and those of the rebel High Holders, so there are some descriptions of clashes. Modesitt does a good job on these. I am reminded of Tolkein's descriptions of battles. There is lots of carnage and death, but it is not graphic; it just is. A squad gets wiped out; a company loses two thirds of its men, an entire regiment is destroyed, that sort of thing.

Alastar and Wilkhorn, the army commander, talk about their age being a limiting factor. That is new, but Alastar is getting on in years, which slows him down some and causes him to reflect on changes in life as well as in society. The comments between Alastar and Wilkhorn on the causes of war surely reflect the author's view, namely, that greed, pride, arrogance, and money drive most wars and that the people in power care none at all for the poor common folk who spill their blood.

The book has some mystery as to who is behind all the rebellion, and Alastar frets about what he doesn't know or has missed that might cause more problems. Altogether, I found it to be enjoyable. Reading the earlier books in the series is not necessary, but they do provide some background, especially when references are made to past actions or behavior.

[Dennis (nee) Hearon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh ! It is so unfortunate when a talented writer rests on his laurels and writes a book with the only evident purpose to cash a paycheck. The Imager series has been Modesitt's best, new series since he started the Recluse books, outshining his Corean Chronicles and the Spellsong series. But even this series has some striking similarities to all of its predecessors. Each new series involves some new system of magic. Then, in a series of two or three book arcs, we get snapshots in time from the history of the new universe. The first arc typically involves a young character who discovers his newly awakened magical powers and is eventually enrolled in some school/organization created to protect, control and govern the practice of that magic and its practitioners. The next arc typically goes back in time to the creation of the school/organization telling the story of the founder who is referenced in the first arc. The next successive arc fills in the gap between the two. This book falls into the third category. The new system of magic has already been fully explored in the previous books and there is nothing new here. This makes for a mildly diverting book, but nothing out of the ordinary. Pleasing to fans of the series but not much to recommend it to new readers. Too bad, I expect better from this author.

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale is mired in politics and conspiracy where some wish to gain power over Solidar on the planet of Terahnar. Solidar has been at peace for many years but weather and change plunges it into conflict. Following poor harvests caused by bad weather, two groups: the High Holders and the factors are in fueding leading to violent interactions.

Once at the peak of society, High Holders are losing power. Too many cling to old ways and refuse to deal with change even as society changes. Meanwhile, the factors are gathering power and money. Because factors have money many High Holders find themselves borrowing. At this point they are refusing to pay debts or taxes. The Rex who is to enforce laws is weak and indecisive creating more problems. The conflict intensifies and Solidar is poised on civil war.

Balance between groups is monitored by the Imagers, led by Alastar, who with his wife, Alyna, see a perilous future unless problems are solved and compromise reached. The strength of Solidar, and enforcement of the laws, keeps all safe and ensuries stability. Unfortunately, this is not to be and Solidar is wracked by war as the factions collide.

Even as the story evolves we see characters exhiiting fears. Alastar thinks that he may not make decisions as quickly as he once did because of age and tells followers what should be if he does not return. However, he is so respected that several imagers give their lives to save him, including one who is believed to be a traitor.

The story is fast moving, dramatic and complex. I found it hard to put this one aside because I kept wanting to see what happens next. It's a wonderful read written by a talented, talented author. If you haven't discovered his work, do so soon. He's great.

[Yev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen years had passed by and problems that were thought to have been resolved by drastic actions turned out not have to have been. If anything, everything had become worse. Having solely treated a few obvious surface-level symptoms of societal upheaval led to greater fundamental problems later on.

Tax policy was still important, but it wasn't the central issue this time. Instead, the land-rich cash-poor aristocracy wanted to regain the authority they had over four hundred years ago to wipe out the upstart merchant class and anyone else who wouldn't obey them. The merchants were ascendant, what with their shares, futures, exchanges, banks, and general profit-seeking above all else.

Alastar remained relatively static, unless you count being married and having a daughter as character development. His reformation of the collegium was well underway and many practices seen in the first few books were shown to
have started at this critical time.

Various parts of the story were somewhat a rehash of earlier books and there was a quote about history not quite repeating itself. The latter half was battlefield conflict, which was alright but not that particularly interesting or enjoyable.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Denae Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reader thoughts: The MC was much older in this book, 52. That made it harder to relate to him, but his daughter and niece were 10 and 13. So, they were more interesting to me.

There were more threats with more danger and explosions in this book than the previous, and that is the main reason I gave it a higher rating. We had rogue imagers and a new power (sensing concealed imagers), but otherwise it was pretty much just like the previous book with the maitre trying to get the Rex and High Holders and factors to all work together. Some laws were changed, a coup was foiled, and imagers were in the army again.

Writer thoughts: In this book and the previous, Alastar had moments where he left his wife or underlings and told them what to do in case he died. This raised the stakes for me because it showed the MC knew there was a possibility that he would die. It showed that the side characters now knew how serious the stakes were, too. An author can have characters talk about the possibility of death, and that alone can make the conflict feel more dangerous.

[Mary Soon Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tenth and currently the last book in Modesitt's fantasy series, "The Imager Portfolio." It takes place thirteen years after the preceding book and centers on the same main character, Alastar, now in his early fifties. I appreciated the choice of an older protagonist, and I enjoyed the book thoroughly, if a little less than most of the Imager books.

Over the past nine months, I have read Modesitt's two longest fantasy series in their entirety, "The Saga of Recluce" and "The Imager Portfolio." I have enjoyed both series very, very much. "The Saga of Recluce" seems perhaps more ambitious, covering many countries and widely varying perspectives, but I slightly prefer the Imager books overall. I am somewhere between sad and distraught to have run out of books in both series. Argh! Thankfully, the eleventh Imager book is due out in a mere two and a half months....

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solidar, 400 years after Queyrt and Velora, we have Alastar and Alyna, Maitres at the Imagisle. Alastar must navigate history repeating itself between High Holders, Factors and the Rex in order to keep the Collegium safe. Imagers are not so many, not so strong and somewhat isolated from the general public which allows each of the sides to view changes in the land from polarizing positions. Alastar and his wife stand strong. Great storytelling as usual from L.E. Modesitt, Jr. Love all the worlds he creates. Morality stands strong. Can't wait to read the next book in the series as this one is obviously either a middle or one of additional stories in the world.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still got it

As others have pointed out, Modesitt really is an acquired taste kind of author. He has a very specific style and there are those who don’t care for it and others who find his writing just fits his novels perfectly. I’m one of the latter.

Treachery’s Tools is classic Modesitt - great world building, lived-in details, that specific cadence of action. Still, there seems to be something lacking in this outing hence the 3-star rating. The other books in the Imager series are more 3.5-4 stars.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This is a typical good book by LEM. I like the plot and characters. It had a few surprises at the end. It posed an interesting set of enemies i.e. Factors vs high holders. It took a complex revolt like the French Revolution and complimented the revolt with imaging and more practical conclusion. I really liked it. To bad inept king of France did not has a squad away spy/imperial guard to keep him in power and give wise advise. Wasn't Rex just an idiot?

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 13 years as Maitre of the Collegium, Alastar has managed to revamp the training at the Collegium. But actions on the part of High Holders and factors threaten the stability of Solidar and the rule of the current Rex. Especially when certain High Holders take to armed rebellion and subvert imagers to aid them. Plenty of typical Modesitt detail and action before the situation is resolved.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modesitt, L. E., Jr. Treachery’s Tools. Imager Portfolio No. 10. Tor, 2016.
Thirteen years after Madness in Solidar, Alastar is established as leader of the Collegium. He is doing what he can to keep it afloat and mediate among the interests of the palace, the manufacturing guilds, and the landed gentry. These efforts are threatened when unknown parties begin assassinating young imagers. This series maintains its quality and readability.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is okay. Basically the same one told again with slightly different people. Just be warned the book is kinda preachy and repetitive. The author makes repeated and awkward statements and scenes about women being superior to men. It's unnecessary and awkward. About half way through the book anytime there was any interaction between the MC and his mate I just started skipped it. How many times can you repeat the same scene of the female dominating the man in private. Got old.

[Steve Pillinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this slow in places, with a lot of 'telling' of the political situation and occasionally tedious descriptions of military tactics. The overall crisis, also, was not as compelling as in other books. However the Modesitt magic did kick in, so it was far from a total write-off. Just not quite as gripping as other books in the series.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Civil war once again raises its ugly head in Solidar as the High Holders want the return of their privileges that were removed by the Codex established by the first Rex Regis. Maitre of the Collegium must battle to save the imagers and Solidar itself. This is an action packed story well worth reading by fans of Modesitt, Asimov, Norton, and Heinlein as well as other science fiction masters.

[Pedro Marroquín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hacia mucho tiempo que no leía esta serie, y me ha costado algo recordar que había pasado en el anterior. Pero cómo el argumento es pausado, y te cuentan las cosas un par de veces, al final me he metido bastante, y la batalla final está bastante bien. Sólo decir que el poder del protagonista da pavor. Menos mal que es un tipo normal. B+

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy Modesitt's Imager series. A very detailed world, with strong characters and an interesting magic system. This book picks up ~10 years after the previous, and does a good job of revisiting characters and themes from that book while allowing for some realistic changes with time.