Rating: 
Summary: Excellent New Modesitt
Review: This book continues to explore the humanity of both camps--the Rationalists and the Angels. When I first read the Magic of Recluce, it seemed that there was a clear demarkation of "good" versus "evil". What Modesitt has continued to explore is the complexity of "what is good? what is evil?" His books such as Colors of Chaos and the new Magi'i of Cyador present the position that the whites are not more or less "evil" than the blacks--they are two sides of the same coin--humanity. I look forward with a great deal of anticipation to the follow-on for which he has prepared us in this newest book. Lorn is an engaging character whose development and advancement are due to a combination of circumstance and deliberation. His choices are like those faced by most of humanity--what can he do that creates the least destructive result for both himself and those he loves.
Rating: 
Summary: The worst book in the series.
Review: This book was just barely good enough to keep me from setting it aside, which is sad, considering I've read all the other books in the series. The most annoying aspect is that the entire book is written in the passive voice. It isn't "Lorn walked to the door" - it's "Lorn walks to the door". I ended up feeling very detached from whatever little action there was in the book. Its a big investment of time to read that many pages, and you get very little return.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, nothing special.
Review: This book would best be considered filler. As always it is well written and hints of things to come. I would recommend reading this only to those who enjoy the writing style of L.E. Modesitt Jr., or specifically the Recluce novels. I find no indication that this is anything other than a stand alone novel. Maybe I would be more excited if this was the first novel in a new trilogy but there is indication that it is.
Rating:
Summary: Good, nothing special.
Review: This book would best be considered filler. As always it is well written and hints of things to come. I would recommend reading this only to those who enjoy the writing style of L.E. Modesitt Jr., or specifically the Recluce novels. I find no indication that this is anything other than a stand alone novel. Maybe I would be more excited if this was the first novel in a new trilogy but there is indication that it is.
Rating:
Summary: More from the Master
Review: This is clearly another of the origins of Cyador and the Order-Chaos magic world. Very excellent effort and now I have one more of Modesitt's series that I am on pins and needles awaiting the next installment. Which I will gladly purchase. If you have enjoyed the others of the Order-Chaos series this is a must have.
Rating: 
Summary: Magi'I of Cyador
Review: This novel started out very strong, however the entire center consisted of a series of events that were just repeated over and over again. When things finally start to happen, and you get excited the book simply ends. The reader is left hanging with no explanation. For a 444 page book, it has relatively very little in it. If this is the beginning of a series, then it seems that it was forced into two books when it should have been one. All in all it was very disapointing.
Rating:
Summary: More of the same
Review: While I cannot say that I will stop reading Modesitt's books, since the background settings are often very interesting, I will stop buying them until he can think up another plot. The plot of this book is identical to that of "The White Order" except for background differences that are not crucial. Each of the thirteen or so "Recluce" books make the point that growing up is difficult--I believe we've all got the message by now. It would also help if the elaborate maps at the front of the book contained the locations of the story. The Cyador stories are set at a far earlier series time than the ones for which these maps were drawn.
Rating:
Summary: More of the same
Review: While I cannot say that I will stop reading Modesitt's books, since the background settings are often very interesting, I will stop buying them until he can think up another plot. The plot of this book is identical to that of "The White Order" except for background differences that are not crucial. Each of the thirteen or so "Recluce" books make the point that growing up is difficult--I believe we've all got the message by now. It would also help if the elaborate maps at the front of the book contained the locations of the story. The Cyador stories are set at a far earlier series time than the ones for which these maps were drawn.
Rating:
Summary: Dissapointing. The begining of the end for Cyador.
Review: While much of this book was pretty entertaining, the characters are cool, and the basic plot worked up to be decent, this is still a pretty boring book. It gets really repetetive and is somewhat predictable. I guess the main point of this book is just to set the reader up for the next one (at least I hope that's what's going on..) The Magi'i of Cyador is basically just the story of Lorn growing up and getting himself into position to do some great things in the upcoming troubles for his land. Lorn is a Mage, a Lancer officer, and a trader (basically a member of all three powerful classes of his culture) by the time this book ends and it seems to me at least (remember I havn't read the next book) that he is in pretty good shape to muve up quickly in the world, maybe even to the VERY top. I think that I didn't really enjoy this book too much because it tended to get bogged down in the daily routines of Lorn and didn't explain all of the secret plottings and moves of his enemies. I just hope that the next book will be really good because this one just felt like it was setting you up for another story.
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