Fairhaven Rising

The Saga of Recluce #22

by L.E. Modesitt Jr., Kirby Heyborne (Narrator)

Modesitt continues his bestselling Saga of Recluce with his twenty-second book in the long-running series. Fairhaven Rising is the first book in a new character arc, and follows The Mage-Fire War.

Sixteen years have passed since the mage Beltur helped to found the town of Fairhaven, and Taelya, Beltur's adopted niece, is now a white mage undercaptain in the Road Guards of Fairhaven.

Fairhaven's success under the Council has become an impediment to the ambition of several rulers, and the mages protecting the town are seen as a threat.

Taelya, a young and untried mage, will find herself at the heart of a conspiracy to destroy her home and the people she loves, and she may not be powerful enough to stop it in time.

Saga of Recluce

#1 The Magic of Recluce / #2 The Towers of the Sunset / #3 The Order War / #4 The Magic Engineer / #5 The Death of Chaos / #6 Fall of Angels / #7 The Chaos Balance / #8 The White Order / #9 Colors of Chaos / #10 Magi'i of Cyador / #11 Scion of Cyador / #12 Wellspring of Chaos / #13 Ordermaster / #14 Natural Order Mage / #15 Mage-Guard of Hamor / #16 Arms-Commander / #17 Cyador's Heirs / #18 Heritage of Cyador / #19 The Mongrel Mage / #20 Outcasts of Order / #21 The Mage-Fire War / #22 Fairhaven Rising

Story Collection: Recluce Tales

Other Series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
The Imager Portfolio
The Corean Chronicles
The Spellsong Cycle
The Ghost Books
The Ecolitan Matter

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

22 pages, Audiobook

First published February 16, 2021

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]

Fascinating! It looks like L.E. Modesitt Jr. is breaking out of his mold. Some of these novels are standalone but the majority are duos. So when we get to Beltur and he gets THREE books for himself and the founding of Fairhaven, I'm pretty impressed.

More than that, we get to this book, with Beltur again, but from the PoV and action of the young mage he trains, now 16 years older, when she's required to help out the greater official ruler of this kingdom.

Suffice to say, her adventure is fraught with betrayal, extremely difficult positions, and a war she wants nothing to do with, let alone be the spear of a freaking invasion.

Quite enjoyable. I like the more traditional feel of chronological development. It's unusual to arrive here after so many books that jumped back and forward through the timeline and across the map.

And, as always, the core balance is delightful.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Younger Mages to the fore!

Modisett just keeps dishing it out. A whole new group of young mages rising in Fairhaven—Black and White. Both the daughter and niece of the original founders, Beltur, Black Mage and Head Councilor of Fairhaven and Jessyla, Black Mage, Councilor and chief healer of Fairhaven, are coming into their own, just in time. Their daughter Kaeryla  is an apprentice healer and Black Mage. Their niece Taelya, is a White Mage, and guard undercaptain. We see most of the story through Taelya’s eyes.
The Prefect of Gallos and Koralya the acting Duchess of Montgren seem to have joined forces, and ultimately Fairhaven just might be the target. The town is being tested. The very foundation of the soul of Fairhaven is once again under attack. The political deceit is convoluted. Fairhaven troops and mages are sent to support Montgren action against Hydlen. Taelya and Kaeryla are part of that cohort, that levy of troops sent. And here things become very interesting. Taelya and Kaeryla learn to work together and encourage two other less powerful mages to do the same. Order and Chaos working together. As they discover their strengths Taelya comes to understand that, “too much order in the wrong places isn’t good for whites [and] too much chaos in the wrong places isn’t good for blacks.”
In many ways it’s the same old story of greed, corruption and power and those who are different being targeted. All the tricks of magery that makes this series so fascinating are employed, and some newer variants.
Equally as absorbing is the treatment of the female mages in a male dominated military organisation.
In the consideration of moves and countermoves as battle plans are made I enjoyed seeing Taelya’s thoughtfulness being balanced by Kaeryla’s softer healer side, although neither flinches from doing what they have to.
I was alive to Modisett’s descriptive prose of the scenery. Like at Middle Pass, “ both sides of the [pass] still glistened white, albeit with a greenish-purple tinge in the last glimmers of light.” I am so seeing paintings by Canadian painter Lawrence Harris in my mind’s eye.
Once again the attention to food is a welcome addition to the rounding out of the societies depicted.
Finally, I must say I love the cover by Marc Simonetti which starkly interprets the Montgren Gorge Bridge.
Another stellar contribution to the Recluce arc.

A MacMillan-Tor Forge ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairhaven Rising by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Another homerun! Modesitt never fails to capture me with is writing. I would link to my reviews of his books but the number of links would be overwhelming. The Saga Of Recluce may be my favorite of his series if I had to choose. This is, I believe, number 22 in the series. Beltur, the main protagonist of the last book is now a secondary character with his deceased, closest friend’s daughter, Taelya, as the current protagonist. Once again, Fairhaven, is beset by the plots of its larger, totalitarian neighbors.
I liked the way Modesitt includes subtle criticism of societal ills, showcasing greed and the need for power by less than capable rulers.
Taelya and Kaeryla learn the strength of cooperation between diverse talents, a perfect object lesson to accept diversity. The fact that the main characters are female in a male dominated world and not, in the least, intimidated by that fact is refreshing. I love strong female protagonists!
At my age, I find myself less prone to being captivated by an author. It takes extraordinary talent to craft a book that I won’t willing put down. Modesitt has that talent.
I strongly recommend the book and the series.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great end to this set of storylines and the founding of Fairhaven. I am always a little more hesitant when the MC of these books is female but I thought this one was pretty well done. I liked how the difficulties of being a female in a male dominated army was portrayed and how Taelya had to deal with these issues.
Taelya, the white mage of the family is the MC of this book and she must travel to help the Certan's fight in Gallos while keeping an eye out for betrayals and the real targets. There is so much deceit, which is impressive when you consider these mages can tell if you are lying or not.
I loved seeing Taelya and Kaeryla work together and how powerful magery can be with both sides of the spectrum working in tandem.
As always I loved the imagery and talks of food even if there was a bit more of the food repeated than was really necessary.
I am still curious how Fairhaven becomes as white mage heavy as it does in the future. Love this series, one day I will reread in chronological order.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is a continuation of the trilogy before it, it's set 16 years afterward & stars the youngsters. If I have to name everyone, then you haven't read the other trilogy & should do that first. This book is a step up from them, though. They were pretty long & drawn out. This one starts the same way, but keeps getting better & faster paced. The end was great.

Here's the chronological &, in this case, published order of the 4 books:
8 - The Mongrel Mage - Year 675 - Beltur is raised as a White wizard, but learns what he really is in Alparata, Spidlar as the Prefect of Gallos is dissatisfied with the status quo.
9 - Outcasts of Order - Year 677 - Beltur discovers he's a frighteningly powerful Order mage & everyone fears or wants to use him.
10 - The Mage-Fire War From Modesitt's website: I’ve finished the sequel to Outcasts of Order, which will be the third and final book about Beltur [yes, I know it’s the first time I’ve ever written three books about a character in the Saga of Recluce]. It’s entitled The Mage-Fire War, and it’s scheduled for publication and release in July of next year.... 9July2018 book released Aug2019

11 - Fairhaven Rising Year 704(? Takes place 16 years after The Mage-Fire War Taelya, Beltur’s adopted niece, is now a white mage undercaptain in the Road Guards of Fairhaven.

For the full chronology including the short stories, see my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

15 years have passed since the previous book in Haven. The community is now known as Fairhaven and Tailya is pretty much the main character of the book.

There is a very good story covering about a third of the book, unfortunately tucked into two thirds of it taken up with days of the drudgery of troop travel and waiting around for something to happen in extreme detail.

[Patrick St-Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between 2017 and 2019, L. E. Modesitt, jr. released Beltur's story arc in three installments; The Mongrel Mage, Outcasts of Order, and The Mage-Fire War. And though I enjoyed the novels, there's no denying that the plot was padded with a lot of filler material. Beltur's tale and the creation of Fairhaven were worthy additions to the Recluce canon, yet I felt that it would have worked better as the habitual two-installment Recluce project.

Splitting this arc into three separate volumes probably explained why The Mongrel Mage did not stand as well on its own compared to previous entries in the Recluce saga. As expected, given that the manuscript was never meant to be split into two books, Outcasts of Order did suffer from middle book syndrome and it felt a bit incongruous compared to its predecessors.

Still, The Mage-Fire War brought this latest Recluce arc to a satisfying end. One that raised as many questions as the answers it provided. The enormous price paid for Beltur's unforgiving response in the hope to end this war and engender long-term peace to allow Haven to grow would undoubtedly have profound repercussions on the young man and those he cared for. And it was obvious that Taelya's own storyline had barely begun, with a lot more in store for her in the coming years. Back then, I wondered if she'd be the main protagonist in Modesitt's next Recluce offering. Looks like the author wasted no time writing what came next!

Here's the blurb:

Modesitt continues his bestselling Saga of Recluce with his twenty-second book in the long-running series. Fairhaven Rising follows The Mage-Fire War.

Sixteen years have passed since the mage Beltur helped to found the town of Fairhaven, and Taelya, Beltur's adopted niece, is now a white mage undercaptain in the Road Guards of Fairhaven.

Fairhaven's success under the Council has become an impediment to the ambition of several rulers, and the mages protecting the town are seen as a threat.

Taelya, a young and untried mage, will find herself at the heart of a conspiracy to destroy her home and the people she loves, and she may not be powerful enough to stop it in time.

As always, the worldbuilding is one of the most fascinating aspects of any new Recluce offering. Like many other historical figures, though his tale has yet to be told in full, Beltur has already left his own indelible mark upon the Recluce timeline. Modesitt continues to explore the relationship between Order and Chaos. As Beltur and Jessyla did more than a decade before, Taelya trains to become a battlefield healer as well as a warrior, and we learn more about Chaos, Order, and the manners in which they can both be used for healing and for fighting. Speaking of Taelya, it's evident that, like Beltur and Jessyla, she will have her own part to play as Fairhaven grows and welcomes more mages. And given the foreshadowing Modesitt provided in the previous three novels, it appears that the future may not be all that bright for the woman she'll become. It will also be interesting to see how her future storyline will shine some light on how a city founded by Black Mages will some day become a bastion held by the Whites. But Fairhaven Rising focuses on the early years of that city, as Beltur, Taelya, and every other citizen must come together to thwart a conspiracy that would see Fairhaven destroyed by outside forces which have come to envy its growth with each passing year.

Beltur was never an easy protagonist to root for. He probably always knew that the price to pay would be higher than they ever envisioned, but refused to accept that fact. In The Mage-Fire War, it dawned upon him that they would never be left alone as long as the duke of Hydlen could send troopers and wizards against them. And though it went against everything he was and believed in, Beltur had no choice but to be utterly ruthless if Fairhaven stood a chance of ever establishing itself. The ending, in particular, was as surprising as it was uncompromising. Given her difficult upbringing and the death of her father when she was just a child, Taelya, though she doesn't realize it yet, is made of stronger stuff than her uncle and shows a more unbending nature. A do-gooder at heart, the sacrifices she is forced to make in Fairhaven Rising will indubitably change her and I'm curious to see what comes next for her and Fairhaven itself. In many ways, her tale follows Beltur's footsteps, and as such may not have been as original as it could have been. With many returning familiar faces, the supporting cast is engaging, chief among them Tulya, Jessyla, Beltur, and their children, Kaeryla, Althaal, and Dorylt. There is also Gustaan, a captain of the Fairhaven Guard, and Varais, a former Westwind guard. I understand that these books are about emancipation and female empowerment, but I found Valchar and Sheralt to be petulant and lacking backbones when dealing with the Taelya and Kaeryla. They acted more like sullen teenagers than young men training for war. Then again, maturity in younger men, especially when dealing with the fairer sex, is never a given.

L. E. Modesitt's works are never fast-paced affairs and this is true for Fairhaven Rising as well. With the groundwork laid out by the last three books, the author needed less time to establish the various storylines and protagonists. But again, you then have to follow the main character as he or she must learn, experiment, and puzzle out ways to escape a number of predicaments before the endgame can take place. In that respect, this new novel followed the classic Recluce recipe that long-time fans know so well. Hence, not surprisingly, Fairhaven Rising suffers from pacing issues. And sadly, as was the case with the three Beltur installments, there was not enough material to warrant a full novel and Modesitt's latest is padded with lots of extraneous and often superfluous scenes that are totally unnecessary. There are so many scenes featuring characters currying their horses, cleaning the stables, preparing and then eating countless meals, etc. It's obvious that Fairhaven Rising is just the first chapter in Taelya's tale, but in and of itself couldn't fill an entire book.

In the end, Fairhaven Rising is far from perfect. But regardless of its shortcomings, Taelya's story arc should please most Recluce fans out there. I just wish that the novel had been more self-contained. That's four Recluce offerings in a row that don't quite live up to the standards established by past standalone titles and two-volume sequences. Here's to hoping that subsequent installments will be a return to form.

For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

starting 16 years after Mage-Fire War and with Taelya - now about 23 and a strong white (chaos) mage, only known woman white mage in East Candar and possibly in all of Candar (largest continent of Recluce) for that matter, and under captain in the Fairhaven guard commanded by Majer/Chief Councillor Beltur (possibly strongest black or order mage in Candar/the world at the time) - as POV the novel is a welcome coda to the Beltur/Fairhaven founding series; while the book starts slow and somewhat repetitive (also a lot of secondary characters from the earlier books like Meldryn, Jorhan, Johlana etc moved to Fairhaven, but their appearances are quite perfunctory, so while it is nice to hear about them, it would have been even nicer for them to have some part in the novel), at about the middle point 300+/600+ pages, it starts to pick up when Taelya and a few other junior mages are sent on a conquest expedition for an alliance of necessity negotiated by Beltur and Korsaen (the de facto aging leader of the Duchy of Montgren of which Fairhaven is at least nominally still a part); nothing though is as it seems...

The ending is fairly definite and marks this as the last book in the series

Overall I highly enjoyed it (much more than Mage Fire war although it has many similarities to that one, but the new POV helped here) and I thought it a fitting ending to this Recluce chapter

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast Pace

This book was an aberration - seemingly having a faster pace then normal when it came to Recluse Books. There was steady action, and not so much eating. This was also one of the few Recluse Books that showed what working Jointly with Order and Chaos Mages could produce. An effective White Mage is a scary sight.

Rating: 4/5
Cover: 3/5
Narration: n/a
Favorite Line: n/a

[Christian Freed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, first this was over 600 pages, not 464 like Goodreads says. Second, I enjoy the storytelling but they are all starting to sound the same. Endless pages describing meals, conversations about going to war, etc. Might be time to put this one to bed after 22 books. But I still enjoy the style and seeing what happens next.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devour Recluce books and have read every one and this is no exception. If you like the series you will like this one, if not than this will not change your mind. This is the 22nd in the series and the 3rd of this chapter in it. I can't emphasis enough that if you are interested in the world and series this is not the place to start.

A fun fun book for Recluce fans.

[Dave Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the series.

[MARTIN MCVEIGH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big Modesitt fan, and have read every Saga of Recluce book out so far. "Fairhaven Rising" gets 3 stars because I find it goes on too long too many times with nothing much happening. However, it still has a lot of what I like about Modesitt's writing: the good guys (or gals, as in this book where the main characters are two young women) are very likable and ethical... or as ethical as you can be where war is concerned; the use of magic is evolving and giving you new twists; the bad guys/gals really deserve to get it in the end, and they do! So if you read a lot of Modesitt, I'd say you'll enjoy the novel. If you're new to his writing, maybe try something else, as he has better stories out there.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This finishes the story arc that began in The Mongrel Mage #19, I recommend reading that book and others in this arc, before reading this book.

Is assassinating bad rulers a valid technique in furtherance of world peace in a feudal society?

A decent read.

[Alain · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025:
Still enjoyed the epilogue!

=======
I'll say this - never a dull moment in Candar.
Can't wait for another "order" of Team Taelya!

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Fairhaven Rising is the 22nd book in the ‘Saga Of Recluce’, set in a fantasy world where magic is a matter of controlling order and chaos. White mages control chaos, which is basically energy, useful for war as they can fire blasts of power at opposing troops. Black mages control order and can form invisible shields of force, conceal themselves by making the shields impenetrable to light and bind chaos, to a degree, which is handy for healing. It’s a clever and logical system, almost Science Fiction. You don’t need to read twenty-one novels before starting ‘Fairhaven Rising’ as L.E. Modesitt writes mini-series of three or four books set at different eras in the vast saga. The three that precede this one are ‘The Mongrel Mage’, ‘Outcasts Of Order’ and ‘The Mage-Fire War’ which tell the story of Beltur and his growth from callow youth to powerful mage and leader of Fairhaven.
However, you don’t even need to read those three first because Beltur is not the protagonist here. Instead, the point of view switches to Taelya, who has been part of the cast for the previous books but only as a child with much latent power as a white mage. Now she is twenty-three years old and a guard in the road patrols that keep watch on the borders of Fairhaven, which is a town, not a country. Her best friend and fellow undercaptain is Kaeryla, Beltur’s daughter, and there’s a feminist theme here. The setting is mediaeval and a woman’s place, in most lands, is in the home. Taelya and Kaeryla meet many male chauvinists but it works to their advantage as the men underestimate them.

The story starts fifteen years after the event of ‘The Mage-Fire War’ with Fairhaven as a thriving town albeit still a part of Montgren and paying tariffs to the duchess of that land. Montgren is a small, relatively poor country surrounded by large powerful states and seems to exist independently only because none of them wants anyone else to control its trade routes. That doesn’t stop ambitious, greedy, tyrannical rulers having a go occasionally and both the Viscount of Certis and the Prefect of Gallos are threatening invasion, as is the Duke of Hydlen. The Duchess of Montgren has to make an alliance with one of these to stand any chance of keeping her country safe, but which one and will the mages of Fairhaven have any say in the matter?

No, it turns out. They just get sent off to war when the choice is made but that’s almost halfway into the story. Meanwhile, as is Modesitt’s wont, the reader gets to follow Taelya in her day-to-day life as she rides patrol, gets along with her buddies, dines with her family and trains constantly to improve her skills for the war that she knows is inevitable. Hard work and training are key parts of the Protestant work ethic with which Modesitt’s books are infused. They are the key to achievement. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Work! How do you become a super-powered mage able to fight off evildoers and defend your friends, your family and your country against bad guys? Work! How do you become a successful fantasy novelist, bash out two big fat novels every year and get them on New York Times Bestseller lists? Work! It’s not a bad philosophy.

Modesitt is no stylist but, like Isaac Asimov or Anthony Trollope, has substance instead. You won’t find witty similes or glorious metaphors in his prose but the meat of it is good, clear storytelling with solid, likeable characters and some lessons in how to live life. (Work!) Because of his background in politics and the military, he has deep-rooted knowledge of how governments function, international Realpolitik, army life and how battles are fought, with particular attention to geography. His books fall into the sub-genre of military fantasy and he’s good at it. Modesitt’s common sense is enjoyably applied to real-life politics in the blog entries on his website.

Like previous volumes, this one sags a bit in the middle. Following Taelya’s daily life is good for a while but it goes on too long and you start to pine for some serious action. As usual, when the big events begin, the reader is glad he stuck around, even though the conclusion is predictable, especially if you have read other books by Modesitt. I found the heroine a bit self-righteous and that’s an ongoing problem too but, all in all, it’s a satisfying read: comfortable, steady and the recipe as before. I guess that’s the whole point of big fantasy sagas.

[Shane Jardine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at www.archeddoorway.com

Well, here we are, it’s another new year and another new Saga of Recluce book by L.E. Modesitt, Jr and as a fan, I could not have been more excited to receive my review copy a few weeks ago. I can’t help but feel that one of the signs that Modesitt is such a fantastic author is the fact that over the last 15 years I’ve read nearly 50 of his books and I still get ridiculously excited every time there is a new release — Though, to be honest, I often have the same excited reaction every time I receive any new book. Fairhaven Rising by L.E. Modesitt, Jr was full of everything I’ve come to love and expect from a Recluce novel. There was enough action, magic, and political intrigue to keep me reading much later into the night than I should have on a work night.

I don’t want to touch too much on the plot of this book for fear of spoilers, but I will say that I think part of what made me so excited to read Fairahaven Rising was the fact that I thought The Mage-Fire War was the last book we were going to get about Beltur and his allies. So I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw the title of this book. I’ve always found Fairhaven to be one of the more interesting cities over the course of this series. I loved the idea of a city like Fairhaven that tried to find the balance between Order and Chaos, only to be slowly pushed more and more towards Chaos by the founding of Recluce and the rise of its powerful Order mages. So I love that we get to see what it was like for this city in the very begging as it starts its rise to power and prominence.

While I loved Beltur as a protagonist in the previous three books, I’m honestly glad to see that Fairhaven Rising shifts the focus to another character altogether. In the previous three books Taelya was a minor character just learning that she was a Chaos mage who needed training and I think Modesitt was smart to bring her to the forefront with this book. Some of my favorite books and scenes in the entire Saga of Recluce have been those that give us a deeper insight into the minds and lives of Chaos mages, so I loved that we get to see one who is still young and in training. Taelya is a fantastic character in this book and I can’t wait to see what comes next for her as she continues to train and come into her own as a powerful Chaos mage.

All in all, I thought this was a great addition to the Saga of Recluce and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for something new to read. I also think that while it does follow up on the events of the previous trilogy, it acts as a great starting off point for the series! I can’t wait to see what Modesitt has in store for the Saga of Recluce in the near future!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[John Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (https://www.lemodesittjr.com) published the novel “Fairhaven Rising” in 2021. This is the 22 volume in his ‘Saga of Recluce’ series. Mr. Modesitt has published more than 80 novels.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence. The story continues the saga of Recluse. The primary character in this volume is White mage Taelya.

Taelya is now 23 and is the adopted niece of Baltur. He was the main character in the previous three novels (The Mongrel Mage, Outcasts of Order, & The Mage-Fire War). Taelya has matured in the 16 years that elapsed since the story in the last volume. She is now an Undercaptain with the Fairhaven city guard. Under Baltur's tutelage, she has also become a skilled mage. While not yet as strong as Baltur, she is powerful and is growing stronger. She is also developing as a leader.

The Duchess of Montgren has agreed to ally with Certan. Fairhaven is part of Montgren. The agreement means that troops and mages must travel from Fairhaven. Taelya is one of the mages chosen to travel with the troops as a war mage.

The trip takes several weeks on horseback through rugged country. They join with troops supplied by Montgren, then with those of Certan. Taelya practices her magic on the long journey. She also encourages the other three Fairhaven war mages to practice as well. Baltur has given the mages a specific mission. They are to support the Montgren troops but not put themselves in danger. As is so often the case the plans for battle do not survive first contact. The Fairhaven forces must survive a military confrontation. They must also deal with deceit and treachery. Will they be able to survive to return home? If they get home will it still be standing?

I thoroughly enjoyed the 19.5+ hours I spent reading this 455-page fantasy novel. This is the fifth novel by Modesitt that I have read. I found all to be very enjoyable. I like that he has moved the focus in this novel to a new generation of mages. You have the familiarity of continuing characters but also a fresh set of characters. The story includes excitement, conflict, and battle. It also includes political intrigue and a touch of romance. I like the chosen cover art. The scene is important to the plot. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I found the last Saga of Recluce arc to be a little dry and sluggish, the standoff in Haven and establishment of Fairhaven were high points, and the development of Taelya left me excited for Fairhaven Rising. Much to my delight, L.E. Modesitt Jr. has doubled down on the female-fronted action, pairing white mage Taelya with black mage Kaeryla in leading the charge against duplicitous rulers and misogynistic armies.

It takes a while for this, the twenty-second book of the series, to get started, but the recapping of history and reintroduction of characters makes for an easy entry for new readers. There's a lot of time invested in exploring Order and Chaos, particularly how the two of them can be paired and separated to provide mages with greater diversity, and there are some fantastic ideas for weaponizing defensive magics like containments and shields. From a world-building perspective, it makes for a fascinating read, and it really explores Taelya's role as a natural leader.

Modesitt has always played with gender roles, particularly with the female-dominated realm of Westwind, but here he makes it more personal. Taelya and Kaeryla are underestimated, dismissed, and sexualized, constantly surprising the men they come up against. Over the course of the story they prove themselves stronger and smarter, constantly upping the drama until the story becomes one of two women mages against a world of soldiers.

There are some huge implications to the story, political developments that promise to rewrite the map of Candar and bring Fairhaven into its own as a power to be reckoned with. It's not a victory that comes easy, however, with so many powers playing off one another, hiding treachery and conflicting motives behind opportunistic alliances. It's not a simple good-vs-evil story, or even a straightforward tale of conquest or rebellion, but one of shifting powers and fluid borders.

The world-building, the progression of magic, the advancement of Fairhaven and its ideals, and the leadership of Taelya all make Fairhaven Rising a fantastic addition to the saga.


https://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/...

[Mary Soon Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the newest volume in Modesitt's long-running fantasy series, The Saga of Recluce. It includes Beltur, who was the hero of the previous trilogy, but is firmly centered on Taelya, a young woman mage, who was a young child in the previous volume. As with most of Modesitt's fantasy, the story is detailed and carefully thought out; the prose is clear but plain; the main character's emotions are mostly restrained.

I can understand why readers might want a more lyrical, flamboyant, heated narrative (which I often also enjoy). But, for me, there is something immersive and satisfying about this more understated approach. The worldbuilding is convincing and grounded. I love the way that the Recluce books, taken together, provide a variety of perspectives, showing how different nations and city states rise and fall. They also offer detailed portrayals of a variety of jobs, including fantasy standards (soldiers, mages, healers) as well as less commonly highlighted trades (blacksmiths, carpenters, bakers, coopers, scriveners). In the early books, black mages are the heroes and white mages the enemy, but later books include white mages as the heroes/heroines, such as Taelya in this book.

Returning to this book in particular -- mild spoilers ahead -- I especially liked how Taelya collaborates with others, rather than tackling each crisis alone. Plus I enjoyed her interactions with Sheralt, and wished that thread had been a little more prominent. Overall: thoroughly enjoyable. 3.5 out of 5 chaos-wielding stars.

About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

[Frode · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.E. is one of my favorite authors; this book is #22 in the Recluse series, and I have read and enjoyed them all. Typically two or three books are linked together through a single character. In this book, the major character is a white mage, Taelya. Although she appeared in the three previous books, she was a child then; now she is her early twenties and is developing into a very strong chaos mage. The author sets us up for Taelya to take the place of Beltur in the future. Beltur is the head mage of Fairhaven and was the major character in the three previous books.

Beltur’s daughter, Kaeryla, also develops her mage skills in this book; she is a black/order mage. She and Taelya work together and become a strong force that blends chaos and order together in a superior and unique fashion. I expect a future book will have these two leading the town and handling the difficulties that come with it, particularly with the neighboring rulers who don’t like the way Fairhaven is rising in importance. Both girls have a younger brother, and both brothers are mages, albeit still in training.

The story is built around deceit. Three neighboring countries pressure the Montgren leader into a bad arrangement which sends four junior Fairhaven mages and some troopers to assist a false invasion. The truth comes out slowly although suspicions arise early on. The whole idea by the neighbors is to crush Fairhaven. To do that, the Fairhaven forces have to be split up and destroyed. The deception works for a while, but the scheme blows up in the end due to some military actions and a stealthy withdrawal of the Montgren/Fairhaven forces.

Taelya becomes a pretty tough cookie in the process, and toward the end she shows great strength in magery and character. She also develops some affection toward another mage who obviously is interested in her. Then two young twins, both undeveloped mages, are inherited by Fairhaven as a result of one battle. More mages mean a stronger and stronger Fairhaven. I look forward to what is coming next.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Magic of Recluse book, I’ve loved this series from the beginning and Fairhaven Rising did not disappoint. This book starts up 16 years after The Mage-Fire War with Taelya being the main character of this book along with Kaeryle, Dorylt, and Arthaal the next generation from Beltur, Jessyla, Tulya and Lhadoraak. I really enjoy reading books that follow characters we already know.

Like the rest of the Magic of Recluse books you do not need to read the others before reading this one to really understand this book. Though you will get more out of this one if you’ve read the previous books with Beltur The Mongrel Mage, Outcasts of Order and The Mage-Fire War.

With this story Fairhaven just wants to be left alone, to allow Black and White mages to co-exist peacefully. But as usual the rulers around them just won’t let them, so the Fairhaven council must make the hard decision of who to support. With that decision the 4 youngest mages from Fairhaven are sent to war while the rest stay to keep Fairhaven safe.

The political intrigue between the rulers and the military leadership keeps everyone on their toes as they are working to figure out what is really the truth behind the rulers actions. Even after figuring things out it still takes work to make sure Fairhaven survives to live another day.

This makes a great story with likable characters who you see grow in their own power and in maturity.

As with the other books by L.E. Modesitt Jr I have read once I started this book I could not put it down until I finished it, they just suck me in.

[Dan Lunghofer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished a marathon session of reading the entire Saga of Recluce, in published order. Wow. Modesitt knows how to build a world. The world is very rich, although some of the minor characters are just a little flat.

This book follows the three-book Beltur arc, and focuses on his niece Taeyla. It was good to have another female POV story in the series, and someone who learns from their experiences and grows over time.

In earlier published books, Fairhaven is basically the antagonist capital of the world. We had two books with Cerryl trying to show the "other" side of the city, but generally Fairhaven was a.monolithic antagonist.

I for one did see the beginnings of that in this book, which was appropriately named. Yes, our characters in the last three books looked for a.ppave to just plain exist, and came to Haven. Now, they've renamed it Fairhaven and are turning it into a city where all mages are welcome. Except, of course, nobody wants a city of mages to become powerful. So, the leaders of Fairhaven (counting Taeyla in this book) basically wipe out hosts of armies with magic, and then take out leaders of other territories, even going so far as to leave a calling card this time around. This to me is the beginnings of the monolithic and antagonistic Fairhaven we all love to hate in other books.

I'm a little sad that, as of right now, I have run out of these books. It will be sometime next year before the next book comes out.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may have started long-running The Saga of Recluce with book 19 Mongrel Mage but book 22 Fairhaven Rising has brought it to a magnificent conclusion!

Someday, if I have a tremendous amount of time on my hands (like that is going to happen!) I plan to read books 1-18 in this series but let us just say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the Beltur books (the final four books).

Sixteen years have passed since the original Beltur trilogy (Mongrel Mage, Outcasts of Order, Mage-Fire War) and Taelya is now both 23 years old and a white mage Fairhaven Road Guard undercaptain in her own right.

Taelya was a precocious child in the original trilogy and I am delighted to read about her coming-of-age adventures. Fairhaven is apparently to suffer for being too successful, as neighboring rulers would just as soon see it destroyed.

Thanks for great storytelling and the thoroughly entertaining Saga of Recluce books!

Come October 2021, the first book in the Grand Illusion series will be published as part of "a brand-new fantasy series with an entirely different magic system in an entirely new world." [according to the author's Web site].

Fairhaven Rising is highly recommended for character-driven action and lots of order & chaos magery!

[Emilye · Rating 4 out of 5]

RecluceSaga22

The Grey Mage Beltur - as one able to use the energies of Chaos and Order - has found a way to shape the powers of other mages to their maximum effect, no matter their primary energy.

The first mage shaped by his training, was the young Chaos mage, Tealya, who is twenty-three in this story. Part of Beltur’s goal in training Tealya was to to improve her life expectancy by helping her shape her magic in sustaining ways. It has made her uniquely powerful.

But the biggest change was in the language of referencing how power was approached and applied, with palpable results, no matter the age or prior experience of the mage.

All four of these stories look at the opposition to a peaceful life by those hungering for more power, more golds, more land, in ways that belt their responsibilities to those they already govern.

The Fairhaven mages are leaders not because they desire authority, but rather autonomy; and they will fight to keep it. As we look to the next generation of mages, and their interactions with authority, we see that their fuse of patience is short, and the solutions they value “cut to the chase” around diplomacy.

It makes them refreshing.

[Paul Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is the honing of what began with the Heirs of Cyador and the latter Imager books; the combination of military action and slice-of-life. There have always been food stops and personal relationships in Modesitt books, but now it's becoming more and more about the daily lives of people who are building a legacy. We know what Fairhaven will become, and we're seeing how it got there. People trying to live their lives and being forced to occasionally fight for that lifestyle. This book recaptures some of what had begun to flag by Mage-Fire War, and it's good to see Modesitt getting comfortable with his new style. No big revelations or enormous feats of magic; just doing what needs to be done.

It's just a shame that Candar seems to suffer from crab-bucket civilizations. It doesn't matter how far they go, how high they fly, one day the whole tower's going to crumble and no one will remember how they did it, so someone else will have to build it all up again by rediscovery. Cyador, Fairhaven, Recluce, Westwind. Nothing endures, even the stories.

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book with Beltur as a central character, and the beginning of Fairhaven as the narrative -- so you would think that maybe the publishers could have spent a little extra and put a third map at the front of the book? Or replace the one of the whole planet with one of the area from Elparta to Hydolar?

No, too cheap. And so much of the flavor of this L.E. Modesitt, Jr. book is lost because the reader basically has no idea what the local geopraphy is. And in all of these books, the local geography is crucial. Hasn't everybody already made enough money yet?

OK, I feel better now.

"Fairhaven Rising" shares many of the traits of previous books, and as with any book in this series, adds a little depth and texture to the long narrative. Modesitt insists on building the fictional dream with detailed discussions of meals, terrain, clothing and the other aspects of ordinary life, while at the same delivering a high-level plot with plenty of politics complemented with in-the-moment action.

I'd say more, but I need to get to book 23.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

L. E. Modesitt, Jr., continues to explore the early history of Fairhaven in this volume. However, the viewpoint character has moved from Beltur to Taelya. Sixteen years have passed since Fairhaven survived the Hydlen attack that cost Taelya's father his life. Taelya is now an undercaptain in the Road Guard who is tasked to go on a military expedition to Certes to prevent Montgren and Fairhaven from being attacked by all sides. However, the four "weaker" mages Fairhaven sends prove more resilient than Cretes or Gallos expected. Taelya has taken Beltur's training and advice to heart and plots their way back home in time to help end the threats to Fairhaven. But she is sure to reward treachery on the way. The ending leaves open the possibility of more in this story arc or this could just be a single volume that completes the early Fairhaven story line. Only time will tell.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title!

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. has spread his fantasy series about the world of Recluse over centuries of its history. Fairhaven eventually will be destroyed in The Order War (paper). At the time of Fairhaven Rising (hard from Tor) however it’s filled with the hopes of Chaos and Order mages working together, and it’s just a small, but growing town. Taelya, a chaos mage, is an undercaptain in the Royal Guards when Fairhaven is asked to provide troops in a war between two nation states. They’ve been fighting over a river, and politics has led one leader to demand help from his weaker neighbor. The problem to these leaders is the dangerous potential of Fairhaven. It may not have many troops, but it has too many mages for their comfort. Taelya and her friends soon find themself buried in political trickery that will take all their talents and magical abilities. This is a bit slow, but very enjoyable. I love this series.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press

[The Reading Ruru (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading L E Modesitt Jr books is like getting home from wearing stilettos and putting on a comfy pair of jandals. They have always been comfort books where you know what to expect and very rarely you are surprised by any plot twists.
Fairhaven Rising is the 4th book in the latest offerings by Modesitt Jnr and follows the next generation of mages who have escaped persecution to start up Fairhaven. This book continues the story of Taelya; a rare female white Mage who has to deal with the Male dominated world of Candar where women are more often than not seen as inferior and useless except as consorts.
More females breaking down this construct by going against every norm. While Modesitt does have strong female characters his books do have a undercurrent social critique about how women are perceived and subjugated whether it in a social setting, marriage or religion; Candar is an imagined world but certainly and sadly a reflection of our own.