Amph The Saga of Recluce and other series: the L.E. Modesitt, Jr Thread

Didn't see one for this in the index or scanning the first few pages worth of threads, but if there is one already, please lock.

I started reading the Saga of Recluce sometime back in middle school (so, a decade-plus ago), and it was actually one of the first non-SW sci-fi/fantasy series I got into. The series is up to 15 books now, though I haven't read Mage-Guard of Hamor yet - should get it when it comes out in PB in March. Very interesting series that is based on the interaction of order (black) and chaos (white) and various black, white, or gray mages, with a timespan covering close to 2000 years. The books aren't in chronological order (though its easy enough to put them in such an order) but really do have a significance to the order their in, and Modesitt has stated that they should be read in order of publication and not occurrence in-universe, though I like both ways.

I've also read the Spellsong Cycle, which was also quite good, and have a couple other of his books waiting to be read.

One of the best things about Modesitt, though, is that he has his own forum on IBDoF and is usually quite prompt in answering questions - I've posted a few times there and he's responded within days, and he's always willing to discuss aspects of his books with fans on there.

Anyone else read his works?

 

I'm so glad you started this (And I don't believe there is one already.) I read the first five published books. They were a bit hard to get through at first (especially the first) because of the style of his writing (a lot of non-attributing lines, characters have similar names, Order vs Chaos and the maneuvering of power was a bit complex) though I really enjoyed them. I stopped because and this is a silly reason, but because I was sad that Justin and his brother and lover and etc. died, and I really loved them. Dopey, yes. But I've thuoght about starting the series up again. I'd be really interested in knowing if there are books about the fall of the angels.

I think my favorites so far have been the second and third (Crestin and Dorrin, I think - I read them in publishing order). I'm not exactly sure why I liked those best, especially since I've adored Justin since he appeared in the first one.

 

I'd be really interested in knowing if there are books about the fall of the angels.

Book 6: Fall of Angels Its a really interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy, the only one of the series like that. Actually, after the first five, they all come in pairs.

6&7: Fall of Angels and Chaos Balance: Nylan, the founding of Westwind (FoA) and the (implied) founding of Naclos (CB)

8&9: The White Order and Colors of Chaos: set at approximately the same time as Magic Engineer, these follow the career of Cerryl, who is a minor character in ME, and the first white (though really gray, just not in the same sense as Justen) wizard we see in depth.

10&11: Magi'i of Cyador and Scion of Cyador: set during ancient Cyador, the home of the Whites before the founding of Fairhaven, following the career of Lorn, who was born into the Magi'i (the mage-caste) but whose career takes him into the Mirror Lancers, the military of Cyador. Also interesting because Cyad, at least up to this point and for a while beyond it, maintain a notably higher level of technology than is seen elsewhere in the world. Like Cerryl, Lorn is a white/gray.

12&13: Wellspring of Chaos and Ordermaster: Kharl, a cooper in Nordla, is forced to flee his homeland; this duology is mostly split between Nordla and Austra, and gives the first look at the lands beyond Recluce and Candar. Also, Justen and Dayala make a brief cameo, which I like

14&15: Natural Ordermage and Mage-Guard of Hamor: The first real look at Hamor; I really like the first one here and look forward to reading the second.

I have a hard time picking my favorite. The Towers of the Sunset is probably my least favorite, actually, though I still like it. Magic Engineer is definitely one of my favorites, along with the Cerryl and Lorn duologies.

 

Sounds like I should resume my reading Do any of them deal with Crestin's father?

 

Creslin, but no. There's a good timeline of the series here. Theres not much overlap between them except for the Cerryl duology with Magic Engineer. He's still writing, though. I'm hoping for the founding of Cyad, founding of Fairhaven, or even the founding of Sarron (which is referenced in one of the later books and would deal with Saryn, one of the angels in Fall of Angels, but one about whom little is really said.

 

Shame How many is he planning to write?

 

He's also basically said he'll keep writing until that point, so it could be several more, if we're lucky.

 

Awesome

 

I always used to look at these books when I was a Manager at BAM but I never got them as they looked way to jumpy and unconnected with each other.

 

They're actually pretty self-contained stories as either solo books or duologies, so the jumping never bothered me (but you do have to read them in order of publication, because sometimes they refer to character in other books). But the jumping part never bothered me because it's fairly easy to get acclimated to the changes that have happened and what the time peroid of each is like.

 

Also, they're quite interconnected despite occurring in different periods, usually centuries apart.

 

What is the pub order? Yall might have just changed my mind.

 

The first one is The Magic of Recluse. It's worth the read, even if it takes a while to get going. Then The Towers of the Sunset (my personal favorite), The Magic Engineer, The Order War,, The Death of Chaos, and RJ posted the rest above

 

The page I linked to above (here again, anyways) has publication order listed on the left and chronology of events on the right, along with brief summaries (w/o spoilers - along the lines of something you'd see on the back cover) for each book.

 

Well, I finally read Mage-Guard of Hamor, and enjoyed it very much. Its different in a number of ways from the earlier books, not the least of which is that its set in Hamor, which until this duology was mentioned often and seen pretty much never (except for Kharl visiting very briefly in Ordermaster). There's also clearly a connection between the Empire of Hamor and the older Cyador, a connection which I hope is one day later explained. It's been added to my list of "I hope Modesitt someday writes this story" topics, which is not short

 

I'd like to see the story or Crestin's father.

When is his next book due out?

 

I believe his next book is a standalone science fiction work (like The Eternity Artifact, another work of his which I read recently that was quite good), but I'm not sure about that. I don't believe he's announced another Recluce-series novel after Mage-Guard, though its certainly possible (likely, even?) that there will be another (probably another duology, if indeed there is more).

 

Didn't he say he wanted to keep writing thehm forever?

 

As long as each has "something new, interesting, and different."

So probably, yes, there will be more, but what and when are yet unknown. Or if its been announced, I haven't seen anything about it.

 

Arms-Commander, the 16th book in the Recluce Saga, is due out in early January and covers exactly this

Needless to say, I'm excited. Even though it looks like it's going to be a stand-alone rather than a duology.

 

Finished reading the Corean Chronicles a couple days ago... very, very good series. I still prefer the Recluce books, but the Corean ones are quite good. Especially Soarer's Choice and Lord-Protector's daughter (Mykella, the heroine of the latter, is now one of my favorite Modesitt characters, and I like most of his quite a lot). My only problem with Lord-Protector's daughter was that it felt really short (only about 290; Modesitt probably averages about 600). He has said he's working on an 8th Corean Chronicles book though, and that its about Mykella, though that's about all he's said on that topic so far.

 

Geez, that is short for him. I intend to eventually finish both

 

Have you read any of the Corean books?

 

No, just the first 5 Recluse books.

 

Suffice to say the Corean Chronicles are well worth reading as well

So are most of his works that I've read, frankly, though the Recluce series remains the best and Corean second to that. Spellsong Cycle is good but not quite up to the level of those two series.

He also has some good SF, mostly standalones.