Rating: 
Summary: Read between the lines
Review: Ahhh! OrderMastery. And the Hero loses his paunch. A fine work on combining light/dark or Yin/Yang for forward motion. reminds me of an old definition of Mercy: Cold mind, warm heart and fiery spirit.This is not a fast read; more like a necessity to savour every page and mine the gold within. Perhaps there is also a topical warning for humanity to read between the lines. Justicer Modesitt, please write on.
Rating: 
Summary: A side trip in the Recluse saga
Review: As others have noted, this follows the familiar formula of so many of the books by Modesitt. But is a well functioning formula and is only familiar if you have read many of the others.This entry in the saga is different in that the protagonist is an older man with ordinary problems of just getting along with his wife and directing a couple of children who are giving a father the usual problems along with a depressed business economy and in-laws who don't like him. Then fate smacks him around and he learns to exist on the margins of society as a beggar and outlaw and finally as a ship carpenter's helper. An enjoyable read that holds together well, without reference to other books in the saga. Interestingly, the geography of the action takes place mostly in areas that have been neglected in the other works in this series. That is why it is a disappointment that the maps at the beginning of the book identify almost none of the places in the book. Clearly this one needs a direct sequel to reunite the protagonist with his older son and rescue the homeland from the corrupt government.
Rating:
Summary: A side trip in the Recluse saga
Review: As others have noted, this follows the familiar formula of so many of the books by Modesitt. But is a well functioning formula and is only familiar if you have read many of the others. This entry in the saga is different in that the protagonist is an older man with ordinary problems of just getting along with his wife and directing a couple of children who are giving a father the usual problems along with a depressed business economy and in-laws who don't like him. Then fate smacks him around and he learns to exist on the margins of society as a beggar and outlaw and finally as a ship carpenter's helper. An enjoyable read that holds together well, without reference to other books in the saga. Interestingly, the geography of the action takes place mostly in areas that have been neglected in the other works in this series. That is why it is a disappointment that the maps at the beginning of the book identify almost none of the places in the book. Clearly this one needs a direct sequel to reunite the protagonist with his older son and rescue the homeland from the corrupt government.
Rating:
Summary: A good book exploring the World of Recluce
Review: I am a big fan of Modesitt and this book did not disappoint me. If you have not read any Modesitt books he brings a different perspective to fantasy writing and fantasy heros. His heros are mostly every day men and women who make extraordinary effort and decisions. The almost anti-hero. They do not look for glory, or power, but strive and search for self and self worth. Kharl, the main character in the Wellspring of Chaos, is such a hero. But this is where Modesitt deviates from previous books. Kharl is a middle aged family man, content, hard working, and satisfied. This all changes when his world turns upside down and he is forced to reinvent himself. He needs to travel to find out who he really is and his growing order power. That is where the book becomes interesting. Pros- explores other cities and countries previously mentioned not limited to fairhaven and recluce.
Kharl, maybe because he's more mature, does not stubbornly fight his order senses like other Modesitt heros.
Really gets into the philosophy of order and order powers. Con- for those not familar with the recluce books his philosophies of order and chaos may make the book move slowly in between action sequences
Kharl's exploration of different countries/cities might seem too brief and the allusion to previous books might be missed. While this is a stand alone read, it was definitely more interesting knowing the history of Recluce and order/chaos. I hope Modesitt continues the next book with Kharl as he learns more about his powers and confronts his past. A good, unique addition to the Recluce series.
Rating:
Summary: A good book exploring the World of Recluce
Review: I am a big fan of Modesitt and this book did not disappoint me. If you have not read any Modesitt books he brings a different perspective to fantasy writing and fantasy heros. His heros are mostly every day men and women who make extraordinary effort and decisions. The almost anti-hero. They do not look for glory, or power, but strive and search for self and self worth. Kharl, the main character in the Wellspring of Chaos, is such a hero. But this is where Modesitt deviates from previous books. Kharl is a middle aged family man, content, hard working, and satisfied. This all changes when his world turns upside down and he is forced to reinvent himself. He needs to travel to find out who he really is and his growing order power. That is where the book becomes interesting. Pros- explores other cities and countries previously mentioned not limited to fairhaven and recluce.
Kharl, maybe because he's more mature, does not stubbornly fight his order senses like other Modesitt heros.
Really gets into the philosophy of order and order powers. Con- for those not familar with the recluce books his philosophies of order and chaos may make the book move slowly in between action sequences
Kharl's exploration of different countries/cities might seem too brief and the allusion to previous books might be missed. While this is a stand alone read, it was definitely more interesting knowing the history of Recluce and order/chaos. I hope Modesitt continues the next book with Kharl as he learns more about his powers and confronts his past. A good, unique addition to the Recluce series.
Rating:
Summary: Another outstanding novel by L.E. Modesitt, jr.
Review: I enjoyed reading this book very much. I have read every book in the Saga of Recluce. Hope there will be more coming. The Wellspring of Chaos seems well suited for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable, but True to Form
Review: I'm a big fan of L.E. Modesitt and have read every book in the Recluse series. This book introducing a new protagonist is very similar to many of the other books in the series. This is a good thing and a bad thing. I hate to say this but Modesitt's writing is a bit fomulaic. The Recluse books and Corean chronicles have very similar plots. Despite that I still rate this book as 5 stars. Why? Even though I know where the story is going, it is just so much fun to read. Modesitt's characters are always very interesting and likable. We should all be so lucky to have a friend as good as Kharl (the protagonist). Kharl is unique from many of the other protagonists in the Recluse series in that he's a grown man with a consort and children. Evil people and his good nature conspire to cause Kharl to lose everything. Although Kharl is an adult he's a complete novice in terms of order mastery. His unthinking passion for order (the craftsmanship in imbues in his barrels - he's a cooper and his determination to always do what's right) creates a tremendous amount of chaos in his own life. By the end of the first third of the book, Kharl has lost his wife and children and has begun his voyage of self discovery and training to become an order mage. In Kharl's case, it literally is a voyage as he takes a berth on a ship as the ship's carpenter. As I mentioned, this novel is true to form, but its a great story and is very interesting to read about the development of Kharl as he learns about the power of order. Long time fans of Recluse will not be disappointed, but this is a good place to start for someone who hasn't read any of the Recluse novels as well.
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining
Review: In the city of Brysta in the realm of Nordla, Kharl is contented with his work as a highly regarded cooper, loves his wife and two sons. When Kharl hears a cry he comes to the rescue of a neighbor's daughter who is being attacked by two men. He finds out that one of the attackers is nobleman Captain Egen of the City Guard. Egen considers Kharl an enemy so when a young woman is murdered, the captain arranges for Kharl to be arrested for the crime. Testimony proves that Kharl couldn't have murdered anyone but his wife is convicted of the crime and he has to helplessly watch her execution. His sons flee because they know Egen is waiting to kill them. Kharl leaves the country and begins to realize that he has the powers of a mage. He learns how to harness that power which comes in handy when battling pirates or being involved in a civil war. WELLSPRING OF CHAOS takes place in the Recluse universe but that country is hardly involved in the storyline so this is a book that can be read by people who haven't perused the other novels of L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (though they come highly recommended).. The protagonist is a hero in the true sense of the word because he does what is right no matter the personal cost and does not seek revenge for the crimes against him. Kharl grows into his powers slowly as an outgrowth of his profession so the audience believes that his mage power is real. The author once again writes a fantasy novel that is simply superb. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Another outstanding novel by L.E. Modesitt, jr.
Review: Set some sixty years after the events of "The Order War", "Wellspring of Chaos" is the new entry in the world of Recluse. Rather than setting the events on Candar or Recluse, we are brought to a new location: the island of Nordla. Kharl is a cooper (he makes barrels) in the city of Brysta. Kharl is a man of honor and he is compelled to do the right thing. He does not consider the cost of doing the right thing; he just acts because it is the right thing to do. Kharl first stops the assault of his neighbor's daughter. He next rescues a young blackstaffer (an exile from Recluse, they are generally unpopular) and takes her into his home to give her time to rest and heal. This is over the objections of his wife. She insists that this will bring them to ruin. She is right. These two good deeds set in motion that which will change Kharl's life. When the blackstaffer is found murdered, Kharl is blamed by the authorities. They know quite well that he had nothing to do with it, but Kharl's earlier good deeds puts him at odds with them. He is falsely imprisoned and he loses his wife and his children (how he loses his wife and children I will up to the reader to discover). Kharl must escape Brysta before he loses his life. He ends up taking a berth on a ship owned by one of his former customers and works as a carpenter for a time. Kharl also begins learning about his inclination towards Order (which will make sense if you have read other Recluse novels), and who he may really be. "Wellspring of Chaos" was a good Recluse novel. For one of the few times (or maybe first) in the series, the main character is a middle aged man rather than a kid going out on his quest. This changes how Kharl reacts to things and how he thinks, though he still is a bit naïve at times. As always, "Wellspring of Chaos" is not substantially different from the other Recluse novels. They have a similar feel and if I wasn't told that Brysta is in Nordla rather than Candar, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. The good thing is that if you do not try to read the whole series one right after another, this is a good story with a fairly likeable protagonist and is a nice addition to the series. Similar series of events happen to Kharl that might have happened to any number of protagonists in Recluse, but Modesitt is a solid enough writer that it is easy to get engaged in the story and it doesn't matter what other novels have come before (even if there are 11 previous novels).
Rating:
Summary: a solid offering by Modesitt
Review: Set some sixty years after the events of "The Order War", "Wellspring of Chaos" is the new entry in the world of Recluse. Rather than setting the events on Candar or Recluse, we are brought to a new location: the island of Nordla. Kharl is a cooper (he makes barrels) in the city of Brysta. Kharl is a man of honor and he is compelled to do the right thing. He does not consider the cost of doing the right thing; he just acts because it is the right thing to do. Kharl first stops the assault of his neighbor's daughter. He next rescues a young blackstaffer (an exile from Recluse, they are generally unpopular) and takes her into his home to give her time to rest and heal. This is over the objections of his wife. She insists that this will bring them to ruin. She is right. These two good deeds set in motion that which will change Kharl's life. When the blackstaffer is found murdered, Kharl is blamed by the authorities. They know quite well that he had nothing to do with it, but Kharl's earlier good deeds puts him at odds with them. He is falsely imprisoned and he loses his wife and his children (how he loses his wife and children I will up to the reader to discover). Kharl must escape Brysta before he loses his life. He ends up taking a berth on a ship owned by one of his former customers and works as a carpenter for a time. Kharl also begins learning about his inclination towards Order (which will make sense if you have read other Recluse novels), and who he may really be. "Wellspring of Chaos" was a good Recluse novel. For one of the few times (or maybe first) in the series, the main character is a middle aged man rather than a kid going out on his quest. This changes how Kharl reacts to things and how he thinks, though he still is a bit naïve at times. As always, "Wellspring of Chaos" is not substantially different from the other Recluse novels. They have a similar feel and if I wasn't told that Brysta is in Nordla rather than Candar, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. The good thing is that if you do not try to read the whole series one right after another, this is a good story with a fairly likeable protagonist and is a nice addition to the series. Similar series of events happen to Kharl that might have happened to any number of protagonists in Recluse, but Modesitt is a solid enough writer that it is easy to get engaged in the story and it doesn't matter what other novels have come before (even if there are 11 previous novels).
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