Rating: 
Summary: Good, but....
Review: The more I read Modesitt's work, the more I fight with the thought, "Do I get the next?" They have gone from great to good. The editorials and comments on the next couple of books don't look promising.I have to agree, that Modesitt's sometimes just gives too many details about his character's professions. There's only so much I want to read about blacksmithing, engineering, and carpentry. He spends a lot of time telling you what a blacksmith does and thinks about, but doesn't put it into user friendly terms. Lastly, there is only so much bread and cheese people can eat without MAJOR CONSTIPATION! Sounds like his characters would hae some serious "order" problems since every meal is BREAD and CHEESE. I think laxatives need to be introduced by a gray mage. It is, after all, a form of order which produces chaos .... Do I get the next???
Rating: 
Summary: Another good book, but a step down from the previous two
Review: This book brings the Rucluce Saga full circle with the introduction of Justen the Gray and the destruction of Fairhaven. I was really excited about this story because I thought that those two topics could be really great. However, I was somewhat dissapointed in many aspects of this book. I don't really know what it was, but I just wasn't able to get into this book as much as I did the last couple. Much of the book seemed to drag on with very little being accomplished, and while the action was thrilling (with Justen and Gunnar whipping the Whites, and the Whites whipping innocent people in turn) it was few and far between. I think more could have been done with the druids (I don't feel like the reader really learns much about them) and with the Black Devil (which just supplied transport for Justen to get to Fairhaven) and what was with the metal rods that Justen used to kill those last Whites?? Look, this is a good book that fits nicely into the saga, but it just didn't live up to what I was expecting. I still look forward to the next book, in which the story returns to Lerris.
Rating:
Summary: Another good book, but a step down from the previous two
Review: This book brings the Rucluce Saga full circle with the introduction of Justen the Gray and the destruction of Fairhaven. I was really excited about this story because I thought that those two topics could be really great. However, I was somewhat dissapointed in many aspects of this book. I don't really know what it was, but I just wasn't able to get into this book as much as I did the last couple. Much of the book seemed to drag on with very little being accomplished, and while the action was thrilling (with Justen and Gunnar whipping the Whites, and the Whites whipping innocent people in turn) it was few and far between. I think more could have been done with the druids (I don't feel like the reader really learns much about them) and with the Black Devil (which just supplied transport for Justen to get to Fairhaven) and what was with the metal rods that Justen used to kill those last Whites?? Look, this is a good book that fits nicely into the saga, but it just didn't live up to what I was expecting. I still look forward to the next book, in which the story returns to Lerris.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect sequel!
Review: This was an excellent sequel to the Reculce saga. I love the way this book has continued Creslin's line and also cleared up some questions from the first book The Magic of Recluse. I can't wait to get to the next one. I would like to read more about Justin though.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect sequel!
Review: This was an excellent sequel to the Reculce saga. I love the way this book has continued Creslin's line and also cleared up some questions from the first book The Magic of Recluse. I can't wait to get to the next one. I would like to read more about Justin though.
Rating:
Summary: Much better!
Review: This, the fourth book in the series (after THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE, TOWERS OF THE SUNSET, and THE MAGIC ENGINEER), is a vast improvement over the others. The pacing in this book was so much better. The other three had large sections in the middle where nothing really happened, at least in terms of plot progression. This book has slow areas, but they were the slow areas of mostly any other good book out there. They were used for character development rather than for philosophy, as in the first three books. In addition to the better pacing, Modesitt has cut down on the utterly confusing leaps of intuition that were a glaring mark throughout the first three books. Modesitt's characterizations continue to be very strong here. All of the characters in his books are believable and the villains are not just some two dimensional cardboard cutout. I think the characterizations are the strongest part of Modesitt's writing. Since there's not always a lot of action, the growth of the characters is what keeps my attention in these books. Modesitt continues to build a vivid, interesting world. I can't wait to find out what this "Legend" he keeps talking about really is. The only real shortcoming of this book is the lack of maps so I can figure out where the heck the characters are in relation to places they've been!
Rating:
Summary: Much better!
Review: This, the fourth book in the series (after THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE, TOWERS OF THE SUNSET, and THE MAGIC ENGINEER), is a vast improvement over the others. The pacing in this book was so much better. The other three had large sections in the middle where nothing really happened, at least in terms of plot progression. This book has slow areas, but they were the slow areas of mostly any other good book out there. They were used for character development rather than for philosophy, as in the first three books. In addition to the better pacing, Modesitt has cut down on the utterly confusing leaps of intuition that were a glaring mark throughout the first three books. Modesitt's characterizations continue to be very strong here. All of the characters in his books are believable and the villains are not just some two dimensional cardboard cutout. I think the characterizations are the strongest part of Modesitt's writing. Since there's not always a lot of action, the growth of the characters is what keeps my attention in these books. Modesitt continues to build a vivid, interesting world. I can't wait to find out what this "Legend" he keeps talking about really is. The only real shortcoming of this book is the lack of maps so I can figure out where the heck the characters are in relation to places they've been!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Blend of Magic, Technology and Warfare
Review: While I am a great fan of Modesitt's writing style and excellent characterization, in this novel he also supplies the reader with a well-developed, completely unique magic system that might almost be considered a science in its complexity and realism. A must-read for fans and newcomers alike!
Rating:
Summary: Basically more of the same
Review: While this book is an excellent example of Mr. Modesitt's ability to create the "world" of Recluce by lavish convincing detail, it has the major drawback of having practically the same plot as "The Magic of Recluce" and "The Magic Engineer". I bought it in paperback and don't consider the money wasted but I would have been irritated if I'd paid the hardback price.
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