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Darknesses (The Corean Chronicles, Book 2)

Darknesses (The Corean Chronicles, Book 2)

List Price: $27.95
Your Price: $19.01
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quality Comment Without Recapitulation
Review: I will not redescribe or resummarize the story, as this has been done excellently by the editorial reviews and the other customer reviews.

"Darknesses" is an excellent sequel, as it takes the original story and expands it in both depth and breadth. The depth comes in character development of Alucius and in various expansive complications of the story that nevertheless remain coherent. The breadth comes in the form of broadening the story to cover characters and factions across the entire unicontinental world of Corus.

"Darknesses" also ties up many loose ends from the first book of the series, "Legacies", starts new story-lines and finishes them, and starts other new story-lines that are left to be resolved in later books of the series. Some sequels just add more complexity to the story without finishing anything. "Darknesses" finds a wonderful balance of creating ends and new beginnings.

As I stated in my review of "Legacies", Modesitt does a lot of work on developing characters and setting. His books thus require patience. Your patience will pay off though, in this rich story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quality Comment Without Recapitulation
Review: I will not redescribe or resummarize the story, as this has been done excellently by the editorial reviews and the other customer reviews.

"Darknesses" is an excellent sequel, as it takes the original story and expands it in both depth and breadth. The depth comes in character development of Alucius and in various expansive complications of the story that nevertheless remain coherent. The breadth comes in the form of broadening the story to cover characters and factions across the entire unicontinental world of Corus.

"Darknesses" also ties up many loose ends from the first book of the series, "Legacies", starts new story-lines and finishes them, and starts other new story-lines that are left to be resolved in later books of the series. Some sequels just add more complexity to the story without finishing anything. "Darknesses" finds a wonderful balance of creating ends and new beginnings.

As I stated in my review of "Legacies", Modesitt does a lot of work on developing characters and setting. His books thus require patience. Your patience will pay off though, in this rich story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: strong epic fantasy
Review: On Corus, sheepherder Alucius possesses a powerful, untapped Talent that he tries to hide while serving his mandatory military time. Alucius just wants to go home to his wife Wendra so though he is a captain in the 21st Company he avoids trouble as much as possible in order to avoid becoming noticed.

Warlord Aellyan Edyss finds and opens an ancient vault containing magical weapons and legendary beasts from a time long before the Cataclysm. Aellyan plans to use his weaponry to conquer and then rule Corus. Alucius realizes his dilemma once he understands the threat posed by Aellyan. If he displays his prowess and succeeds in defeating the warlord and his magical army and arsenal Alucius will become visible to his superiors and a pawn of individuals like the Lord-Protector of Lanachrona. If he hides his Talent by doing nothing, he will probably die.

DARKNESSES, the second book of the Corean Chronicles (see LEGACIES), is a superb fantasy due to the abilities of L.E. Modesitt, Jr. to make a world of magic and mystical beasts seem real. The story line combines plenty of action with strong characters and even a sense of history. Alucius is a delightful reluctant hero and his opponent is more than just a vile villain as he is a complete character too. The support cast such as Wendra and the magically created beasts add depth to a strong epic fantasy that will have the audience wondering where the author will take them next.

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Answers and More Questions
Review: The Corean Chronicles, "Legacies" and now "Darknesses," are set in a maturely conceived world. These stories are set on the continent of Corus, about 1,000 years after the Cataclysm. Corus has forgotten most of its technology, and even a millennium later the pre-Cataclysm empire of the Duarchy is remembered as an idyllic time.

In Corus, a few rare individuals, including Alucius, the hero, have Talent, the ability to do magic. In "Legacies" Alucius started to come to terms with his Talent. In "Darknesses" he must save both his family and his world. In "Legacies," Alucius, literally "from light," is a Soarer's child, and there is more than a hint here that some or all of his Talent may have been bred into him. The uses and abuses of power and technology are one of Modesitt's recurring themes, and those themes are developed more thoroughly and more subtlely here than in any of his earlier works.

Modesitt's writing continues to improve. His plotting is more intricate and complex, his characterization is three dimensional, and his pacing, always his best skill, is now impeccable. Unlike many of his recent works, you will not be able to predict the good guys, the bad guys or even the flow of the story. The surprises keep coming.

"Legacies" mostly raised questions. Some are answered by "Darknesses," and while Modesitt reportedly said this closes the Corean Chronicles, there are many, many loose plot thread and mysteries. This is a richer, deeper world than the setting for the Recluce stories. I look forward to the next installment.

This is a good yarn, well told.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Engrossing
Review: This author rarely disappoint.
One of the few consistant authors on the market, although I find his style to be somewhat colorless - All modesittian heroes think/behave the same way - it suits him, and his books are always great read, weither sci-fi or fantasy. Darknesses is no exception a satisfying thick sequel, full of what we liked in legacies. If anything, it ended too soon.


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