Natural Ordermage

The Saga of Recluce #14

by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. begins a new Recluce story in The Natural Ordermage , the first of two volumes set mostly on the continent of Hamor, far across the sea from Recluce where the story begins, a new setting for this series that fans will be eager to explore. Rahl, a young apprentice scrivener on the island of Recluce, likes life to work out in his favor. To make sure things go his way, he uses a small amount of order magic in opportunistic moments, but his abilities are starting to get the attention of the Council magisters. He's not like other ordermages, the same rules don't seem to apply to his magic. And he has a bad attitude too. It gets him sent to the mages' training school for testing, and then banishment to Hamor, where his learning continues under dangerous circumstances. During Rahl's exile in Hamor, working in the Ordermage Council's import and export business, his powers increase--and so does the amount of trouble he can get into. Welcome the the fantasy world of L. E. Modesitt, where the adventure is just beginning.

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

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rahl, a young scribe eventually ousted from Recluse by being an untrainable natural Order Mage, a danger to everyone around him simply because the magic comes too easily, too uncontrollably, is the main focus of this tale.

So much of the kinds of storytelling that Modesitt tells follows a very specific pattern: there are lots of gentle, mundane details in these everyday lives. And excellence where we least expect it. And a calm, curious, and balanced mind even when the rest of the world might be downright evil or cruel.

In almost every instance, there is a requisite humble character who rises steadily to the top of his profession/trade/legend.

It's a common, well-worn path. But there's something more about this that I must bring up: Is it a time-saver for the storyteller? Or is it a fundamental aspect that is unique and required for every great mage or mage-engineer on this planet? Does the personality create great mages, or is it just a winning strategy for the author?

I just can't tell. For one, I ENJOY each and every one of these stories. It's comforting, balancing, and fills my heart with hope and calm. That isn't to say that there aren't really exciting and interesting stories. It that the main characters behave logically and with balanced hearts even when they're abused, mind-wiped, or generally trodden upon. It's quite nice to experience.

So what about Rahl and his story?

We're in a society/later time from most of the novels, in a large society that has learned to incorporate both chaos AND order mages in something resembling harmony. It's quite interesting to see the pitfalls and the intrigue and the injustices from this angle. And it's also fun to see how he gets around them. Or how he's completely unable to.

This is both very familiar territory and utterly delightful. I can't recommend this series enough, especially if the reader needs this kind of internal balancing act in their lives. It's just so ... healthy. :)

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in chronological order, this is great. Recluce has developed from a place of refuge to a hidebound society that is afraid of change & difference, as Rahl finds out. He's not a perfect young man, but a pretty typical one & he faces a lot of tough questions in a stifling society.

It's great to get a better look a Hamor & see how some of the early policies Lerial put into place have developed. At first, they don't seem so good, but they grew on me. Twisty action & tough choices show the different side of being a natural Order mage.

This book takes place starting in 1500, about 300 years after the beginning of Colors of Chaos. It is 12th chronologically, 14th in the published order. It is the first of a duology, so Mage-Guard of Hamor (13C, 15P) should be read immediately afterward in either case. For a list of the current chronology of this series, see my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous Recluse books l've read simply because I couldn't stand the main character. He's got an exceptionally high opinion of himself and doesn't take any responsibility for his own actions.

Rahl is something called a natural Ordermage, who cannot learn his abilities through lectures or reading. He gets frustrated with the Magisters for not "teaching him right".

Because of those actions he winds up going from Land's End to Nylin to Hamor, where he gets caught up in something that actually is not of his own doing.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

another first volume duology in the Recluce universe, taking place mostly in a unified Hamor ~1500 in the chronology (the first Cyador books with Lorn start the chronology, while the Lerial books take place in Hamor in ~425); same structure as usual, this time following Rahl (slightly unfortunate name as fantasy names go though and one that annoyed me intermittently) who is a natural (doesn't respond well to learning magic, needs to do it intuitively on his own) ordermage from Recluce and since at this time a stagnant Recluce doesn't want to bother dealing with such, Rahl is exiled to Hamor as a lowly clerk to the Recluce trading association

Later his ability is noted by a powerful Hamorian ordermage Taryl who rescues Rahl from his misadventures and takes him under his wing

and so it goes

fascinating look at how the Hamor culture has evolved since Lerial's time and the book reads well after reading the recent duology, though it was published seven years ago

very good stuff with the usual slower start to set up the story and the cultures of the time but when the main action starts, one cannot put the book down

[Bryan Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the series in internal chronological order this book is set some 300 years after the events of the last sorta-trilogy of books. We follow a young black mage named Rahl from the island of recluse. This introduces a new kind of mage a "natural" mage. This means one who can do order/chaos skills without having to learn them, he just does.

With his enhanced abilities Rahl is highly arrogant and unwilling to let any of the rules of his society apply to him. He uses his order skills sneakily to get his way. He knows that he is supposed to report his abilities to the council for training but consistently rationalizes to himself to allow him to disobey any rules that may apply to him. His use of order skills causes great damage to his family and neighbors when the results of his actions begin to catch up to him.

This makes the character initially very unlikable I ended up rooting for the authorities he was rebelling against. In fact during the first part of the story the only really likeable characteristic about Rahl is that he can't sleep without a cover over his feet even in the hottest weather just like me.

Eventually Rahl is caught up in commercial intrigues after he is exiled from Recluse and through the course of events looses all of his order abilities and even his memory. This is when the story becomes interesting. As he is forced to relearn about himself and the choices he made and to actually struggle to get things that once came so easily to him he grows into a much more likeable character. He is still plagued with anger issues by the end of the book but like most adults has learned to control them, at least most of the time.

Looking forward a bit the next story continues with the same character. He has much more growing since he believes on a fundamental level that he can regain all that was lost. I find this very doubtful since he has changed quite a bit from what he once was, and as a character in the story points out, the past has very little hold over him in spite of the hero's constant insistence that it does. We will see in the next story.

[Yune · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up just when it fit the mood I needed: in Modesitt's trademark style, it's full of reassuring mundane detail -- but when I say mundane, I don't mean boring. It's all part of the natural rhythm of the characters' lives, from what they eat to how much they have to practice their fighting skills, or even their magical ones. I appreciate that about Modesitt's heroes, as they may have amazing talents, but they have to work to refine them, and it's actually enjoyable to watch this progression. The characters put in real effort, not just a few pages of desultory description, and I get caught up in that struggle even if it's not a flash-bang-world-in-balance sorta conflict. Also, I like it when authors think through logical consequences and show evidence of actual systems in place instead of waving a magic wand to explain how things work.

Rahl may indeed be the titular natural ordermage who picks up magical abilities without much thought, but this actually comes back to bite him, as he can't reliably produce the effects he desires. This makes him rather dangerous, and the nervous elders of his homeland exile him across the ocean to a place where using his magic would be illegal. His consolation prize is placement at a clerkship at a trading station, but between filling out forms in triplicate, he starts hearing about some cargo that doesn't quite add up. And then someone notices him noticing. Matters snowball from there.

I was amused at Modesitt's attempts to make Rahl a less-than-likable fellow at first; usually the protagonist is an organized, polite young man who does his best to follow the rules but finds himself chafing at a few. Rahl follows the pattern outwardly, but is rather more adolescent in his emotions -- sometimes a little heavy-handedly, but I thought Modesitt did a good job of showing him in less-than-shining moments while still showing how from Rahl's perspective, he'd done nothing wrong. Redemption for suffering through this stage, of course, is the pleasure in watching Rahl mature.

I'd say that if you liked The Magic of Recluce, the first in this series, you can expect a similar read here. Fully satisfying as long as you know what you're expecting.

[Luci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book fourteen in the Recluce saga, Natural Ordermage begins as most of this series does, with an intelligent young man gifted with extraordinary abilities that set him apart from the normal population.

In this case, it's Rahl, son of a scrivener, tasked with hand-copying books on topics ranging from the sciences and mathematics through mythology and Recluce world history. He's obedient to his parents, a very quick learner, highly educated through the numerous books he's transcribing and yet, something is “off”. He's a teenager, on the brink of manhood with hormones raging, very handsome and charismatic; the women adore him but he's a threat to most males in Land's End, his hometown on the island of Recluce. His manners are impeccable, he's friendly but shunned and is confused and angry as to why. Recluce itself, being highly orderly, he just does not fit in, try as he might and consequentially is constantly being watched and monitored. One patroller in particular has it out for him, sets him up in a sting after getting a local gal pregnant who he has no intention of consorting-marrying, brings him before the magistrar tribunal and of course, has him shipped out to the harshest land possible as soon as possible.. no goodbyes to mom or dad, healers or anyone.

Before he goes, as with all other outcasts, he's housed in Nylan and trained in the use of weaponry, taught the basic customs of Hamor to which he will be shipped, and educated in the use and control of his abilities, although the efforts to teach him control of his Order-Chaos abilities are beyond the scope of his teachers, never having dealt with a natural before, so of course, get rid of him quick! He doesn't fit in so out he goes before being properly prepared. No one explains anything to him because they can't; poor kid. No wonder he's angry and confused!

So this new biography-adventure in the saga of Recluce begins. It's the first book in a duology, and a fine introduction to the workings of Hamor, that most rumored dreaded place that produces fleets of iron clad ships bent on conquering the seas from which very few outcasts sent ever return.

Out of all the books I've read so far in this series (which I'm reading in written order as the author recommends), this one is my absolute favorite. Modesitt Jr's style has evolved just as the story has. There's much more detail, the minutiae is just as important as the bigger stuff, everything ties in; even the food! Not one mention of quill, thank you very much, we've gone beyond that.

And it's not a fast read. There's not a lot of wham-bam action. We get deep insights into how a controlled society functions and why, which takes effort to explain. This is part of the author's writing style, slow and steady. It's surprising at the conclusion of this novel that all the events occur in just one year.

I highly highly recommend this novel in the Recluce series even as a standalone but do read them in written order, not chronologically, to get the full picture then go back and reread chronologically as I plan to eventually.

The Recluce saga, btw would make an excellent film series similar to Star Wars, Harry Potter or Dune. I sincerely wish the film media folks get a hold of this and make it real.

5 Stars all the way!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Rahl starts out as one of the more obnoxious adolescent protagonists that Modesitt has created for the Recluce series, which is saying something. he is exiled in due course to Hamor to work as a certified mage and accountant.

He does windup in prison under the influence of a drug that blocks out memory and magical abilities. It's a nasty place, basically a giant iron foundry that uses prisoners for the stoop labor work. I have visited old school casting rolling mills when I was a kid, the descriptions in the book are pretty spot on.

A decent read if you like Recluce.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rahl, an apprentice scrivener in the island of Recluce's hinterland, is a self-centered teenager who glides through life, enjoying himself while avoiding responsibility and expending the least possible effort. By using small amounts of order magic to smooth his way, he attracts the attention of a Council magister. Sent to the Nylan mageschool, he finds their instruction incomprehensible, for Rahl learns by doing and not by reading and reasoning. This makes him dangerous in the eyes of the Recluce mages, who exile him to Hamor. While clerking for the Nylan Merchant Association in Swartheld, he becomes suspicious of his supervisor's dealings. Attacked, memory erased, he is sold to the mines. Selected as a clerk for the mage-guard, Rahl is aided by a teacher who understands his learning style and becomes a mage-guard himself. Assigned to Swartheld, where he survives another attack, Rahl uncovers a coup against the Hamoran emperor In this 14th novel of the Saga of Recluse, Modesitt's subtext is how order serves commerce and how the desire for a peaceful, pleasant life can limit one's worldview. As the newly matured Rahl develops awareness of his society's historic underpinnings and present operation, so does the reader. Modesitt once more gives the reader a hero who must conform to survive, but does so without surrendering his own inner truth.

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

L. E. Modesitt, Jr., takes world-building seriously. In this, the 14th book in the Saga of Recluce, he gets to the nation of Hamor, the last major player he hasn't covered.

The twist, though, is that the protagonist is actually from Recluce, the island of Order, who winds up being sent to Hamor to try to figure out his untrained and untapped powers.

Rham, the protagonist, is somewhat different than the usual Modesitt main characters in that he's handsome, self-centered and tends to blame others rather than himself for his problems. He's a hard worker, though, and intelligent, so he makes slow progress through the book, which appears to be the first of at least two.

Modesitt is not shy about digging deeper into politics and society than most fantasy authors, and this book's take on Hamor and Recluce reinforce his common theme that no system is perfect, and what can seem well done from one perspective can fall well short from another.

One other comment: I always like to read books in order, but this series jumps around chronologically, sometimes dramatically. So instead of reading the Saga in order of publication, it might well make more sense to read them in the order of their occurrence A.F. (which I presume means "After Founding" (of Cyador)).

[John Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this book five stars because I enjoyed it immensely. I actually only intended to dip into the book to research a question I'd been asked about it, but the book sucked me in!

L. E. Modessit is never going to win a Nobel prize for literature. His books are routine action stories set in his magical world. But he has a knack for writing characters that you immediately sympathise with, and he is very good at pacing the action to keep you gripped. Offhand I cannot think of any of his books that I haven't enjoyed, though admittedly some take a greater suspension of disbelief than others.

I did at one point attempt to read the entire Recluce series in sequence, but gave up because it was getting repetitive, and this is the weak point in Modessit's writing. Read a few of his books and you'll quickly spot his favourite plot devices. But if you dip into his oeuvre only occasionally I'm sure you'll enjoy a compelling read.

[TK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very different take on the magic of the Recluce saga, and I enjoyed the closer look at Hamor, as the empire is often portrayed as some formless evil empire throughout the books overall. It was nice to see how things appear from the inside.

Rahl sees some character growth in this book, and I hope it continues in the next. He seems to be getting his anger issues under control, but he's still quite whiny and at times irritatingly petulant, more so than any other character in the series. As a protagonist he's rather unlikeable and has zero redeeming traits initially. While this improves later in the novel, he's still got a long way to go before I'll remotely believe he's a half decent human being. I've no idea how someone like this has the capacity to become an order mage, but then, that's kind of the draw of this one, I suppose.

[Mellas Westerby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading this series since I was a kid and I still find it entertaining and enjoyable. I still remember why I picked it up for the first time. It was because the cover art looked just like The Wheel of Time!

I think that for those who are new to the fantasy genre it may seem dated or "old-school" but the traits that make it seem this way are the very ones I like. Traits like a single POV, no Grim Dark settings, and the theme of the common kid discovering some latent power that allows them to accomplish great things.

Good Stuff and definitely recommended for fans of the series and/or those who remember this cover art from the early Robert Jordan books

[Vroom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've come to a sudden understanding: Modesitt books are nothing but litrpg, complete with bodies getting dusted and dropping loot.

As always, the prose is awkward, the dialog ridiculous, and exposition dumps the standard narrative. But what can I say? I liked it.

Hero is even less intelligent than most Modesitt protagonists. The bad guys are sooooo mean. The "love interest", which develops out of, what, two hours together, is vanilla forgettable, and the overpowered martystuing is full-on powered.

I'm ashamed for liking it, but I liked it.

Will read #15, which has been sitting around with #14 for ages, and complete the duology.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new character in the same universe and by the 14th book very familiar setup. I don't care, at this point these books write themselves and I'm into it. It always starts out with a reluctant hero who doesn't understand why the universe works the way it does. The story always puts the hero through the ringer and then the hero comes up on top. I'm a sucker for this and this series is very good at not boring me somehow with this formula.

Looking forward to the next book to continue this story arc which begins here and ends in the next book.

[Kathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

5/10
Another dissatisfied, whiny main character with lessons to learn about order, mages, and himself. Rahl really grated on me. The explanation of why he had so much trouble learning to use order on Recluce and needed to be exiled--that he is a natural ordermage--made sense but came too late to rescue my opinion of the character and the book.

The best section was when he was at Luba without his memories and then his training with Taryl as those memories started to return.

[Aaron Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After some sci-fi to get the taste of like 14 straight Recluce books out of my mouth, I went back to this series for a couple books in my chronological reread.

I liked this and the next book a lot, overall. The main character in it is a whiny, egotistical, total dick for a hell of a lot of the first book, but he grows into someone that isn't horrible over time, and the insight into Hamor in the 15th century is interesting.

[Paul Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Recluce book where the hero didn't figure out things on his own. In this case, a Hamor Mage-Guard had to basically push Rahl into partially growing up and discovering some of his powers - the rest to be in the 2nd book.

To be fair, there were a number of slow points and parts of the book could have been cut out, but nothing's perfect. Generally, I love most of what Modesitt writes and they're almost always 5 stars.

[Michael Baggott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in another mini-series, Natural Ordermage had a bizarre beginning. As usual, another young male starting out in his adult life. Without spoiling, this youngster had thought his life was heading in one direction, on his terms, and that well and truly did not happen.

The story was a bit long winded, and put me to sleep most sessions, but i perked back up for the final half dozen chapters. Hope the next instalment is a bit more well told.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my rereading of the Recluce series. I found out that while I had purchased a copy a while back, I had never read it. I found the story of Rahl and his struggles a bit of a slog at the beginning, but the character became a more agreeable later in the tale when he started realizing that he had to take resposibility for his actions, and not just blame others or life.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of those ones that seemed to be written by someone else, less one page chapters and sound effects. It wasn't bad a bit too much filler but better then the last ones. I'm reading this in chronological order an the repeat of scenarios has me double checking and I hate that.

[David Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Modesitt writes is worth reading.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid Modest story, but I agree he came across as a bit whiny. I expect book 2 to really develop and be astounding.

[Larry Teague Jr · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite Recluse book so far. The main character is intentionally unlikeable and the story has little resolution.

[coolwind · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first part of the story. A bit flat.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling read.

[Chip Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts out with the familiar setting of a young man of Recluce discovering his order-talents and being exiled to another land to master his abilities on his own, or die trying. 'Natural Ordermage' takes place some time in the far-distant future of when Nylan was founded, during a time in which Recluce is bound by tradition and change is feared. A strong and unschooled natural ordermage (such as Rhal) is a threat to society and cannot be permitted to stay. So, as in previous books, Rhal must find his way in a strange world without much idea of his powers or his goals. Throughout the book, it seems that invisible forces are guiding Rhal towards some mysterious destiny, and Rhal really has no good idea about what his role will be or who the puppet-masters might be. This book is the first in a multi-book installment, so you're left with a definite incomplete feeling at the end of it, but the next book should be extremely fun.

The character of Rhal is only slightly different than Modesiitt's classic heroes, in that he may be a little less benevolent and a little more bitter about his conditions. His tendency to be slightly more self-absorbed creates some interesting situations and his willingness to use his powers for his own gain is pleasing.

The nation of Hamor is finally explored, after years and years of hints and teasing descriptions of the place. From previous novels you'd expect a barbaric land where slavery and robbery flourish, but the Hamor presented here is much different than that. Both chaos- and order-mages patrol city streets as 'mage-guards' and maintain strict but fair discipline in the name of the Emperor. The land is driven by worldwide commerce and advanced technological feats such as the ironworks of Luba. Hamor actually comes off as being one of the most successful and fair of the all the lands. Just by exploring this land, this book jumps to near the best of the Recluce novels.

All in all, this book is very pleasing and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natural Ordermage is one of the newer books from Modesitt, and I had fun with it. What I like about his books are their wholesome feel. They're almost always about a person with skills in a certain profession, and although the adventures of that person are somewhat fantastical, you learn about something simple, like in this case the copying of books and records, throughout the book. There's a logic to all the magic and supernatural content of his books, and it fits in very good with the natural (unintended pun) feel of his books.

This book in particular was a little different then what I expected though. Most of Modesitt's characters are very stable, straight forward people, but in this case the book was a little different. The main character, Rahl, constantly makes excuses for his problems. It's always someone else's fault when something goes wrong for Rahl, and this theme carries through the book a fair amount. It was a nice change, though somewhat see through. I still enjoyed the character in the way I always like Modesitt's characters, and enjoyed a new twist.

I found the direction this book was going was interesting, and didn't mind it, but I found when the book ended, I felt like I had missed out on a full ending. A lot of the dominating motifs in the book never concluded (Rahl's affection for Deybri, the full reason for the plot he stopped, etc.). I *assume* this will be picked up in Mage-Guard of Hamor (the next book), and if so, I take it all back.

Overall, it's another good book from Modesitt, and a good addition to his series. He took a little bit of a new direction with his characters, and I didn't mind it, though it felt as if the idea was trying a little hard. I enjoyed it, and if you like any of the other books in this series, go for it.

[Jeremy Preacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing with my at-random rereading of the Recluse books, Natural Ordermage is an interesting counterpoint to The Magic of Recluse. There are definite similarities - both feature somewhat self-obsessed young men who can't grasp the nature and responsibilities of their power, and get sent into exile to grow as people. But as novels, they're vastly different.

Natural Ordermage is a mature examination of some of the assumptions that underly the original social setup, using a new time period to explore some of the ways a society that values order above all else can go wrong - or right. Hamor, thus far the perpetual terrifying alien enemy, is now the sensibly-run, if far from democratic, society in contrast to the deeply corrupt Recluse.

Rahl (and no, I have no idea if that's a nod to Terry Goodkind's work or not) starts off as a smug, whiny juvenile, and goes through some real transformation. I particularly enjoyed the idea that not everyone approached the system of magic from a highly intellectual place, and that people require pretty different pedagogical strategies in order to learn. (The contrast reminded me of the way people learn karate - some people scour the manual and keep a journal and think everything to death, and some people close their eyes and wave their arms around and eventually it just goes. And both strategies lead to the same place.)

I'm not rating it any more highly than Magic, although the writing is tremendously tighter and the plot of the novel is clearer and much more engaging. It lacks some of the wonder of the first book in a new world, and so they're fairly balanced. But I do like this one better.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look into Hamorian culture and politics (and one which made me as torn between liking and hating Hamor as I had been sure in hating it beforehand), there were still a few things that irked me about this book. The main thing was the main character, Rahl. He is perhaps the only main character of a Recluce book to date that I have instinctively disliked upon meeting.

Still, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It certainly shows how Modesitt has grown in the development of his characters, from Lerris (who was the quintessential good kid who had to find his destiny) to Cerryl and Lorn (both complex characters from very different backgrounds, who may not have started off as sympathetic characters but who grew into greatness) and finally to Rahl. Rahl is an interesting case because 1. he is a return to the "young adult exiled from Recluce" theme that began in the first book and 2. he shows a different side to Recluce's politics and the way in which ordermasters are made. His anger problems, wooing of girls, and general lack of responsibility paint him as a young man made to get into trouble, one who it was hard (for me, at least) to understand. However, by halfway into the book it became more bearable, after learning how his particular brand of magic works.

I won't spoil anything, but if you like Recluce, this is a great book to read, for the new takes on Recluce and Hamor, if nothing else.