L.E. Modesitt Jr. discussion

I've decided to expound upon this post. The Recluse series is why I started this group after all.

I began reading the Recluce series in college. I read every book I could find by L.E. Modesitt Jr. These were the first "new" books I ever purchased. I just couldn't stop reading them.

In his Recluce series Modesitt writes a complete story for a set of characters, drawing you into their lives and crafting a magical world in books that are only 300-500 pages. Then he begins a new novel with new characters. Deep within the pages are ties to the last book, but the story is new, fresh, and each book reveals a little more about Recluse.

Now I am an author, myself. People are sometimes impressed that I am in the middle of a 5 book series. Let me tell you, I'm not sure I have the brain power necessary to write a 16 book series like this one!

The last Recluce book I read was #10. It was... awesome. It took the entire series, turned it on it's head and wrapped it into a neat little ball. I honestly thought that was the climatic conclusion of a wonderful series.

I had my first child that year. I couldn't stay away to read for the next 5 years while I raised my two girls.

At a conference last year, I did some panels with Mr. Modesitt, thrilled to be on the same side of the table as he was. Imagine my shock to find out that #10 was just the beginning of a wonderful new revelation. (Cheeks burning...)

I haven't yet dived back into the series: I got side tracked with Patricia Briggs (more of a country singer if you know what I mean) who does brilliant dialogue in her books.

Oh, where was I... back to Lee and Recluce. I'll continue the story of our meeting in "Have you met Lee?"

What is your favorite Recluce book? I hope it's one I haven't read: that means the best is yet to come!

I have not, in fact, read any of them yet. However, I plan to do so now that I am in this group. I have a feeling I will read one soon. I hope it is good.
What was your favorite book?

My husband is an engineer, even before I met him I loved # 3 The Magic Engineer. But when you get to book 6 Modesitt turns the world on it's head with the book about how it all began. So I'm torn between the two.

Good answer. I'll make sure to read both of those really well. :)

Pick a favorite Recluse book? I'm not sure that's possible. Maybe Magi'i of Cyador, although I have a real fondness for The Magic of Recluce since it started me on the journey.

This is one of the few series that I like to re-read. I originally read them all in published order since I started reading them from the start. I'd been keeping my eyes on L.E. Modesitt Jr. for years, ever since I read "The Fires of Paratime" which was later re-released by Tor as The Timegod. I think that was back in the 70's. Then I read The Silent Warrior, second in his "Forever Hero" trilogy. It took me years to find the other two books. I hate it when publishers do that - print a ton of one book in the trilogy & not of the rest. I had the same problem with Var the Stick. Very frustrating.

What would be a good book to start with as a new reader??

Suzanne wrote: "What would be a good book to start with as a new reader??"

The recluse is great fantasy. The way L.E. weaves all the stories together is a true masterpiece. I'd really start with #1.

None of my girls like his SF as much as his fantasies. His SF books tend to be spy thrillers set into an SF background. His fantasies are more complete worlds with a number of good plots. I'd suggest the Recluse books. I thought the first of the Soprano Sorceress books was good, but didn't like the last one all that much. I've only read the first of the Imager series. The third is due out in July, I think.

I'd suggest starting with The Magic of Recluce. Read the books in published order. That's not chronological, but the world develops better & is the author's suggested reading order. On a re-read, I like reading them in chronological order, though. Yes, they're worth a re-read.

Magic of Recluse was the first novel of the series and a very easy book to start on, its just funny that it turns out being the 2nd to the last book in chronological order by the end :P

Posthums wrote: "Magic of Recluse was the first novel of the series and a very easy book to start on, its just funny that it turns out being the 2nd to the last book in chronological order by the end :P"

That was one of the things about this series that made it so masterful. All those stores, not chronological, yet revealing bits and pieces of Recluce that made perfect sense. Organizing a set of writing like that... brilliant.

If you really want books that screw with the timeline, read the Vlad Taltos novels by Steven Brust...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_B...

The Magic of Recluce is my favourite because it was the first one I read - although I haven't read all his work yet. 11 Recluce books plus a few of the others and still going.

One of my favourite things about the series is that you can read the books in any order and it doesn't matter - I can't say that about many other fantasy series! I also love the fact that when you re-read the books, you pick up little references to other books which you don't always see on first read-through.

Sarah wrote: "The Magic of Recluce is my favourite because it was the first one I read - although I haven't read all his work yet. 11 Recluce books plus a few of the others and still going.

One of my favouri..."

That is one of the reasons I am in awe of Lee Modesitt Jr. He is able to keep all those little fact in-line and coherent. I could see doing it with a 7-10 book series, but it must take major brain power to coordinate all those little facts!

I wonder how he does keep all the facts straight, especially since he keeps adding depth to the world with each book, but they're not written in a linear chronology. The world view we get with "The Magic of Recluse" is nothing compared to "The Death of Chaos" which is (I think) the next book chronologically, but the fifth book published. He skips all over time, people & places, but manages to make the books readable in both order (chronological & published order). It's very cool.

My favorite book is "Fall of Angels" because it gives a glimpse of the history of Recluce and its magic.

I think my favorites of his Recluse books are the Cyador two - the beginning of the white wizards.

I always liked the Order Mages the best, so usually anything about them makes me happy. I remember the Magic Engineer the best probably.

Erin wrote: "My favorite book is "Fall of Angels" because it gives a glimpse of the history of Recluce and its magic."

I enjoyed the mix of SF and Fantasy in that one as well as the glimps of the origin.

Jim wrote: "I think my favorites of his Recluse books are the Cyador two - the beginning of the white wizards."

What makes these two your favorite?

I haven't read any of his books in a very long time - I started them in high school and I've kept buying them all along, but fell behind during college when I didn't have a whole lot of time to read. I moved further out from the city (after working in the city for 2.5 years) and now I have a nice quiet commute on the train that gives me plenty of time for reading, so I'm hoping to jump back into his books soon.

As far as I can remember my favorites for sure involved Lerris. Also Fall of Angels is one that I started off unsure of but ended up REALLY liking. I'm not sure if I read book 8 or not (I own it... somewhere) but I definitely read through 7. Probably will get started with him again with the Soprano Sorceress books :)

I think I just liked Lorn & his wife the best. Most of the order wizards are too good. Lorn seemed a more balanced, real person.

Hi all. I'm a bit of a newbie, but I had to add I've been a Modesitt fan for years, back when there were only six books in this series. My favorite of all is The Order War. Something about that book just made my imagination explode with ideas. I started writing my own works of fiction because of this book.

Modesitt is the only author that I've seen make the every day activities of a crafter into something eloquently fascinating. Even sexy. At least, in my humble opinion.

I recently moved to Texas. That move required "downsizing," if you know what I mean, and books had to go. I kept only a few that I cherish. The Order War was one of them. I'm currently working to build my Modesitt library again, but only in electronic format to fit in my Nook.

God I love technology. But that is for another post.

Louisa, I'll answer you here about Arms-Commander. It was OK, but not my favorite in the series. I don't know why, but I'm just not as keen on that period or set of characters. I think my favorite is the Cyador period.

I've updated my review of The Magic of Recluce to include a chronological reading list for the Recluce series. I know that's not the way to read it the first time, but it's great on subsequent reads. You can find it here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here is the published order of the 'Saga of Recluce' novels, the recommended reading order. This is the chronological order list again only for novels. Note, this list is subject to change since Modesitt is constantly adding to the series.

The author gave me the chronology for the short stories & has checked the following list which contains all the short stories & novels.

Current Recluce Chronology (22Nov2017)
Books are whole numbers, short stories are fractional.
Recluce Tales: Stories from the World of Recluce are all the Recluce short stories, although some can be found elsewhere, too. I'll note that if I know it. In the book, they're in chronological order save for one & I've inserted them here in their proper places in the list here. Books are grouped by characters/story arcs. (Many thanks to Modesitt for placating my obsessive need.)

0.5 - "The Vice Marshal's Trial" Year -300, takes place roughly 300 years before the beginning of Magi'i of Cyador & is about one aspect of the founding of Cyador.
0.6 - "Madness" Year -200, is set about a hundred years after the above. It takes place on the opposite side of Candor, a bit of the early history of Lydiar.
0.7 - "The Forest Girl" slightly after the above, back in Cyador, a glimpse into the life of Alyiakal & the Great Forest.

0.8"The Choice" - Year -50, takes place about 50 years before the start of Magi'i of Cyador, a glimpse into the history of Toziel & his consort, the emperor of Cyador in Lorn's time.
1 - Magi'i of Cyador - Year 0 - Lorn must become a Mirror Lancer officer of the White Empire of Cyador, hiding his talents as a magus, while fighting barbarians and the Accursed Forest, and falling in love with the merchanter Ryalth.
2 - Scion of Cyador - Year 8 - Now an overcaptain, Lorn - and Ryalth - must discover how to keep Lorn from falling prey to plots from ambitious senior officers, merchanters, and Magi'i who plot various coups to take over the Malachite Throne, and stop a barbarian invasion.
2.1 - "The Most Successful Merchant" starts before the two Lorn books, is contemporaneous with them, but ends later.

3 - Fall of Angels - Year 401 - Ryba's and Nylan's ship Winterlance breaks the order-chaos barrier into new universe; they and 24 female marines planetfall to the Roof of World, survive local attacks, build Tower Black and Westwind, and begin the Westwind guards.
4 - The Chaos Balance - Year 403 - Nylan and Ayrlyn leave Westwind. They seek refuge in Lornth, which comes under attack by Cyador, the first white empire. Nylan must discover the secret of the accursed forest to save Lornth and his son.
4.3 - "Heritage" takes place immediately after The Chaos Balance with the Empress leaving Cyador for new lands.
4.5 - The Stranger - begins early in Fall of Angels, but ends several years after The Chaos Balance. It adds to the story of a character who wandered off. Also found in Speculative Horizons.
5 - Arms-Commander - Year 415 - Saryn and Ryba face invasion of Westwind by Gallos, Suthyan treachery, and a lords' rebellion in Lornth that threatens peace between the Regency and Westwind, and only Saryn can make the difference and pay the price.

6 - Cyador's Heirs - Year 425 - Lephi and Lerial, grandsons of the fallen Emperor of Cyador struggle to help their father, Kiedron, maintain the Duchy of Cigoerne, established in Hamor after the fall of Cyad.
7 - Heritage of Cyador - Year 433 - Lerial, now a full captain in the Mirror Lancers of Cigoerne, is dispatched to neighboring Afrit to to help repel a possible invasion that threatens not only Afrit, but Cigoerne as well.

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.

9.7 - "Songs Past, Songs for Those to Come" - Year 880 - is a bit about a bard who is often referred to, but rarely shown.
10 - The Towers of the Sunset - Year 900 - Creslin, son of the Marshall of Westwind, flees an arranged marriage; is enslaved by the White Wizards, escapes, and enters a marriage of convenience to Maegara, the white witch; they escape Candar to a desert isle where they create the island nation of Recluce.
10.1 - "Sisters of Sarronnyn, Sisters of Westwind" is contemporaneous with above. Also in Viewpoints Critical: Selected Stories.

11 - The White Order - Year 1190 - Cerryl, orphan son of a renegade white mage, works his way toward the heritage which fate - and the Guild of the White Order - have denied him. He becomes an apprentice scrivener in Fairhaven, only to discover the white wizards are observing his every move... and may take his life.
12 - The Magic Engineer - Year 1200 - Dorrin is exiled from Recluce because of his love of forbidden machines; he, Kadara, and Brede travel through Candar and settle in Spidlar; the White Wizards of Fairhaven raise mountains and build roads through them to unite Candar under chaos-rule; Dorrin tries to build machines, many turned to war uses by Brede, as the three fend off chaos.
12.5 - "Artisan" begins in the early part ofThe Magic Engineer and ends roughly eighteen years after the book ends. Fills in Dorrin's story a bit.
13 - Colors of Chaos - Year 1205 - Cerryl finds that he had only begun to discover the problems facing Fairhaven and the White Order and now must cope with dangers from all over Candar, from Recluce, and from within Fairhaven itself, including the jealousy and instability of the High Wizard himself.
13.3 - "Armsman's Odds" takes place near the end of the above, but the motivation for the story takes place before The White Order.

13.6 - "Brass and Lacquer" takes place a hundred-fifty years after the end of Colors of Chaos. Set in Recluce with a junior engineer named Talysen.

13.9 - "Ice and Fire" is set in the same general time frame as the next book & seems like a good way to segue into it, although it is set in Austra.
14 - Natural Ordermage - Year 1500 - Rahl is an apprentice scrivener in Land's End who refuses to believe he has order skills - until he finds himself facing charges of misuse of order and possible exile - or even death - before he is trained and sent to Hamor, where the dangers and challenges he faces are far greater than he realized could be possible.
15 - Mage-Guard of Hamor - Year 1503 - As a junior mage-guard, Rahl must return to Recluce with his mentor to tell the magisters of the destruction of their trading center in Swartheld... and then go back to Hamor where he is transferred to the army charged with putting down a rebellion against the Emperor... in a conflict where nothing is what it seems.

15.7 - "A Game of Capture" Year 1648 - set in Recluce.
16 - The Order War - Year 1650 - Justen, a Black engineer, and his brother Gunnar volunteer to help Sarronnyn fight off the White Wizards of Fairhaven; Justen is driven into the Stone Hills, then rescued by a druid to face greater trials. He defies the Council of Recluce and builds a weapon horrifying both the Council and the White Wizards in his efforts to destroy Fairhaven.
16.1 "The Price of Perfect Order" is the exception in terms of the chronological order in "Recluce Tales". It takes place around the time of the above, but appears in the book after 'The Assistant Envoy' (17.1).

17 - Wellspring of Chaos - Year 1710 - Kharl, a cooper in Brysta, rescues a young woman Blackstaffer, only to find that he has earned the wrath of the heir to one of the Lords of the Quadrant who rule Nordla. With a black staff he does not understand and white wizards opposing him he must find a way to leave Brysta or die - yet what of his family and his cooperage?
18 - Ordermaster - Year 1712 - Kharl has become the Lord's Mage of Austra, only to find himself facing a rebellion by nobles dissatisfied with Lord Ghrant's efforts to curtail their excesses and corruption. And if he succeeds in keeping the young ruler on the throne, he will face an even greater challenge back in Nordla.
17.1 - "The Assistant Envoy's Problem" takes place immediately after the above & features some of the same characters.

18.7 - "Black Ordermage" - Year 1810 - Cassius' origins. Also in Viewpoints Critical: Selected Stories.
19 - The Magic of Recluce - Year 1850 - Young, bored, woodworker Lerris leaves Recluce on his dangergeld exile; he travels Candar and finds the gray wizard Justen; he escapes danger and becomes a woodworker again; he fights the great white wizard Antonin; then finds love and understanding with Krystal, subcommander of Kyphros.
20 - The Death of Chaos - Year 1855 - Lerris, Krystal, and all of Candar are threatened by both the growing power of the Emperor of Hamor and the growth of Chaos; Hamor attacks Candar, and then Recluce; in the end Lerris must attempt to destroy Hamor's power and the power of Chaos, or face the proverbial fate worse than death.
20.2 - "Burning Duty" is told some twenty years after The Death of Chaos, but the events take place during the last part of The Magic of Recluce. Those chairs that were too well made.
20.4 - "Worth" is set just after the end of The Death of Chaos & cleans up Wrynn's story a bit.
20.6 - "Fame" is set about eighty years after The Death of Chaos about how great people are remembered.

Outcasts of Order by L.E. Modesitt Jr. was another great addition to the Recluce series. The bad news is that instead of finishing up Beltur's story, it's going to take another book & year to do that. I gave this one, like the last, a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...