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

Finished Arms-Commander (the 16th and latest book in the Recluce Saga)... and it definitely lived up to my expectations. It was also really nice to have a book from a woman's perspective, given the prominence of Westwind in the history of Candar.

 

Unlocking/upping because Modesitt is awesome (and EKW is reading Imager)

I've got a complete Modesitt reread coming up on my schedule, though it'll be a bit before I get to it.

 

I will read thses one day I PROMISE!

 

Please tell me that the other two books in the Imager Portfolio are at least a good as the first.

Evil.

 

I think they are, at least

 

That's enough for me!

Evil.

 

What kind of world setting is Recluse set in, Medievil, Modern, Future or all(2,000yrs timespan)? Are there maps in the books?

 

Medieval, mostly. There's one book that has a decided sci-fi twist on the fantasy setting, but for good (and well explained) reasons. By the end of the timeline there's some tech advancement such as guns, iron/steel ships, etc... but overall its still pretty Medieval.

The first books didn't have maps in them (though new copies of them might, I haven't checked) but the later books definitely do. There are three principle maps, two of which are in most and one that doesn't appear until later: the overall world map, the Candar/Recluce map, and the Hamor map (which is the one that doesn't come in until the most recent books, but its not really necessary until then). The trouble with the maps is that they're political maps... but the nations change over time. (In no particular order) Cyador falls, Recluce is founded, Fairhaven is founded and falls, other nations split, cities are destroyed and built... yeah. Its not too hard to figure out, but some variance in the political lines of the maps would have been nice

 

Hmmm thanks alot...I just got a wild hair up ass to go get the first book tonight and try it. What is the title of book 1 that link isnt working for me.

 

Book 1 is The Magic of Recluce. 2 is Towers of Sunset; 3 is Magic Engineer.

 

Well that was one of my all time backfires. I get in BAM and the only copy they have is all torn up with a bent spine. I cant stand bent spines!!!!! So instead I got The Black Prism(heard GREAT things about it, even from yhe clerk) so I ll just order Recluse off Amazon.

 

Ugh, I hate it when bookstores try to sell "new" books that look worse than 95% of the used books I've seen. Saw one of those a couple weeks ago or so myself... don't remember what book it was, but it was something I was considering buying until I saw the condition it was in (cover half ripped off, pages bent, etc). Hopefully Amazon will be nice and prompt, though

 

Me too - I never got around to going past #5. IIRC I raelly enjoyed 2 and 3, especially.

Ug, I hate that. I once got a book as a gift from the parents and there were page errors (repeated about 50 pages and then skipped 50) so I returned it - and later saw it back on the shelf (and I checked, since I was waiting for a good copy to come in - they put the screwy one on the shelf).

 

That reminds me of my copy of The Eye of the World. Half of two chapters in the middle were printed out of order.

Still loving imager though. Will probably finish it tonight.

Evil.

 

I have most of these. Maybe I should read them. Might start when I finish the books I'm reading on now.

 

You definitely should. I highly recommend anything Modesitt has out there, especially his fantasy series. His SF works are good, but his fantasy series are great - Saga of Recluce, Corean Chronicles, Imager Portfolio especially. Spellsong Cycle is good too, but I've only read it once, and that a few years ago, and I remember it being a bit below the others. Still worth reading, though, and when I get back to rereading Modesitt (on my schedule but a ways off yet) that's where I'm going to start.

 

Did he write the soprano sorceress? I have that book and a few after it I think? Is that the spellsong cycle?
I buy way more books than I can read.

 

Finished book one, and the other two should be here in the morning.

The ending was pretty anti-climatic, but it didn't really need anything bigger.

Evil.

 

Soprano Sorceress is the first of the Spellsong Cycle, yes.

 

Finished Imager's Intrigue a few days back. I can't wait to see further possibilities with drawing energy from the environment.

Evil.

 

He's actually finished writing a fourth Imager book, though with a different main character (surprise, surprise - that's very common for Modesitt). Looks like its going to be the first of another trilogy in that world (taking place a bit earlier, I believe).

He's got a new SF book out, Empress of Eternity. Looks pretty interesting but its still in hardback, so it'll be either library or wait for PB for me.

Was at a used bookstore this afternoon and happened to find Hammer of Darkness, one of relatively few Modesitt books I haven't yet read, so needless to say I got it. It'll have to wait until I've finished the Malazan series (or what I have of it), but I'm already looking forward to it. Its another SF book, one that's out of print I believe.

I'm still looking forward to the promised 8th book of the Corean Chronicles, the sequel to Lord-Protector's Daughter. No idea what the timetable is on that one, though.

EDIT: a bit of research turns up a March 15, 2011 release date for Lady Protector. Nice! (even though that is hardcover)

 

How much earlier are we talking with this fourth book?

Evil.

 

This was Modesitt's comment from back in July:

I?ve just sent my editor the manuscript of the fourth book in the Imager Portfolio, tentatively entitled Scholar, which will be the first book of a trilogy taking place in the time before the continent of Solidar is unified into a single land. Needless to say, I?ve just started work on the fifth book...

 

Apparently Modesitt has already written the fifth Imager book, though it'll be a while before that one gets out. The fourth is still scheduled for late fall, so maybe summer 2012 or so for the fifth?

Lady-Protector comes out in less than two weeks, though it'll be a little longer before I get to it. Still haven't decided whether or not I'm buying it in hardback.

 

Quoted for emphasis. Just reread Lord-Protector's Daughter last night... and it is still awesome, and Mykella is a great character, but its certainly a whirlwind finish. I have my library copy of Lady-Protector to start tonight... really looking forward to it. The way LPD finished, I see a whole slew of troubles in Mykella's future, some of which were just hinted at in LPD but now she's going to have to deal with in full. And being a woman ruling in a world where women normally don't hold any power to speak of may just be the least of all her worries.

Any of you who haven't read Modesitt's books, go start Magic of Recluce now!