 "Moderately unremarkable fantasy start from a stalwart author." | 2008-07-13 |
| - Reviewed By jvstin |
Stop me if you have heard this story before.
Moderately capable young man from humble beginnings in an agrarian society slowly grows into strange and unusual abilities. Circumstances force him away from his pastoral home, forcing him to grow up. His benevolent land is under threat from lands both greedy and outright evil, and our hero is instrumental in dealing with these large threats to his small society.
Yeah, it sounds like, for those who have read it, a lot like Modesitt's Recluce novels. The magic system here is different, and this is a post-apocalypse world, where there are few people who can wield "Talent" for good or evil, and the technology is higher, but its very similar to Recluce. The writing is better than the early novels in that series, but the basic ur-text of the story is the same.
That said, we get some strange creatures, decently interesting politics, and hints of what this world lost when its fell. The battle scenes are all right, there is a fair amount in this novel devoted to battle tactics, since the hero is first conscripted, and then turned into a janissary.
Relationships...well, Modesitt still doesn't write romance. I guess he is better living a happy marriage and relationship than actually writing one. So Alucius, our hero, has a girl promising to wait for him, but the relationship's development really doesn't happen with any complexity.
Still, if you have read him before, and are tempted to read him again, you know what you are reading for, virtue wise. Complex worlds, competent heroes who might have doubt--but don't spend half the book doing nothing or moping about it. They get on, they progress, they are catalysts and protagonists.
If you wanted to try his fantasy for the first time, this is probably a good example of a book to do it, so you can get a feel for his writing style, his proclivities and peculiarities (Modesitt loves to write about food, for example...).
I am of the opinion that his SF is much better than his fantasy, even if, especially given our economic times, he writes much more fantasy. So while I am not especially interested in continuing to read this series, it didn't offend me and I don't regret the time I took to do so. I mostly read it on my trip to and from The Black Road, and to kill time in an airport and an airplane, it served its purpose very well. I don't especially recommend it.
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| "a strong sense of Recluse" | 2006-05-01 |
| - Reviewed By sldreams |
Having read every Recluse novel which L.E. Modesitt, Jr has written I can say with complete confidence that after two or three novels it becomes quickly apparent that Modesitt tells the same story over and over again. That's fine. I happen to enjoy the story that Modesitt tells. He tells the story of a young man from humble beginnings. This young man typically has a hidden "Talent" or magical skill which would set him apart from the rest of the world. His family tells him to not reveal this talent because he will never be safe when people know. The young man is moral. He always chooses to do the right thing, the proper thing, and the difficult thing if the difficult and dangerous thing will lead to a greater good. Eventually the young man becomes a target but rises to a level of power and authority because he is highly skilled.
I just described The Magic of Recluse, The Towers of the Sunset, a variation of Ordermaster, and pretty much every other Recluse novel.
This is also a very accurate description of Legacies, the first novel in Modesitt's Corean Chronicles.
Alucius is from a herder family. Herders typically have some measure of Talent. Alucius has Talent in full measure. Where do we think his story is going to go from here? What sort of novel is this? Who is the author?
Ah, yes. It is a fantasy novel written by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. The basic outline of the plot fits the outline given above. Add in the matriarchy vs patriarchy which also fills out Recluse and it makes me wonder if there isn't some way that the Corean Chronicles isn't set thousands of years after The Death of Chaos. Likely, it isn't. But there is a fit.
The book is workmanlike and decently crafted. Modesitt knows how to tell his story and if you space out his novels enough there isn't the full sense of retread.
-Joe Sherry |
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 "For those frustrated with Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time)" | 2006-03-27 |
| - Reviewed By chriswoodut |
I'm fairly new to fantasy books, but I found this book wonderfully paced and read the book in 5 days -- it kept me hooked. I started the Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time series and got 4 books into and gave up as people told me the books after that were really hit and miss and nothing was really happening with the plot anyway (several books could be skipped without losing the plot line). I don't mean to harp on Robert Jordan, but being new to fantasy, I was quite disillusioned by the fact that it never really ended and the characters went flat. This book doesn't suffer from those problems.
I originally started with Modesitt's sci-fi book Archform: Beauty. It was a good book that I enjoyed, but this was a book I really got into and am now eager to read Darkness. |
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| "Legacies... an intriguing beginning" | 2005-09-25 |
| - Reviewed By ran5 |
I liked this book.
The writing of this fantasy is plain and simple, no complicated words or phrases: but the story is told with the skill of a master taleteller and (just as important) with an easy readability. I found myself eager to get back to it whenever I found a spare moment.
I found I liked the central figure (Alucius) and his special "talent". Also, there seemed to be just the right balance of magic, suspense, love, friendship and battles to make this work a pleasure to read for any fantasy/adventure fan. Recommended! |
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 "If you liked Recluce you'll like this" | 2004-09-08 |
| - Reviewed By nessiemonster |
L.E. Modesitt Jr's opener in his latest series, The Corean Chronicles is an utter gem, but entirely expected. I confess I didn't find the Spellsong quartet as good as the Recluce novels, but with Legacies, Modesitt is back to his flowing best. The novel is written in that style so unique to Modesitt, where the pace of life seems more languid but inexorable as he grow with our primary character and follow him as he matures into a model citizen with that little extra.
The story concerns a herdsman named Alucius, who lives on the Iron Valleys on his stead with his mother, Lucendra and his grandparents, Royalt and Veryl. From an early age he shows great promise in what is called `Talent' with his healing of his ailing grandmother and uncanny ability to communicate directly with the nightram flock (who supply the wool that become harder than steel under pressure). After learning how to become a crack shot from his grandfather and fighting off the alien sandwolves (and forming a relationship with Wendra, daughter of Kyrial the cooper) he is conscripted into the militia where the next three months form the bulk of the story.
Various military rites of passage and a burgeoning Talent (which he must keep hidden) means a swift recognition in the milita and he is promoted through to First Squad Leader and spends considerable time as a scout. It is soon recognised that not only is Alucius a crack shot but has a gift for a cool head under pressure and tactical acumen. His rise to military stardom seems inevitable until, that is he is captured, unconscious, during a battle with the Matrial forces.
Ever since the cataclysm the Matrial has ended four hundred years of anarchy, but has imposed her own matriarchal society where everyone is collared and linked to her own massive Talent giving her power of life and death over all her peoples. They are better off under her but it comes at the price of freedom. Alucius is conscripted into her army and demonstrates the same acumen fighting the Southerners as he did in his own militia. During his time his Talent powers grow ever more and one day a meeting with the ethereal soarers gives a greater sense of destiny until he walks into the Matrial's palace, locates the source of her `chains' and frees the land of the collar before escaping with nearly a hundred men and returning to the Iron Valleys to become a captain in charge of his own company.
Throughout the book the reader grows alongside Alucius as this perfectly good, easy natured yet inexorable force grows physically, mentally and in Talent to become a formidable warrior. Any reader of Modesitt will recognise this style prevalent in all his lead characters. You know nothing can stop them and they plod slowly through all obstacles to reach the conclusion. There is no moralising as Modesitt makes it clear that whatever our hero decides to do is unequivically right and brooks no argument. Alucius' eventual ability to kill with a single thought actually makes him a very dangerous man and given his professed ambition is simply to learn then there is a keen sense that Alucius' actions, at times, just happen to coincide with the perceived correct moral choice rather than due to careful consideration on his part. Indeed, in the world of Corus he seems almost omnipotent.
Modesitt's world of Corus returns us brilliantly to the tour de force that is Recluce both in characterisation, style and plot. It is three attributes that are unique to the author within the fantasy genre. No other author writes quite like Modesitt and, as ever, his novels are a delight to read. This opener is no exception. |
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| "A new hero and world" | 2004-05-17 |
| - Reviewed By jl3bears |
| The author has given us a new world and a new hero to combat evil. While there are many themes running through this book, the predominant one is good versus evil and the author's conflict of hurting some for the greater good going awry. Our hero must overcome slavery and battle while protecting his secret talent. In the end he manages to win his freedom over the obstructionism of arrogant men. This one, the first in a series is a definite keeper! |
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| "Modesitt finally gets the fantasy coming of age story right." | 2004-03-24 |
| - Reviewed By dparv |
| Throughout his plethoric catalog (42 going on 44 as of this writing), the majority of Modesitt's work repeatedly returns to the good-old-teenager-coming-of-age novel. Sometimes it works. Several of the Recluce novels, the two Timegod books, the first Parafaith War book, the first book of the Forever Hero are all good novels. Other times they're awful. Unless you are filling out a collection, several of the later Recluce novels, Spellsong III, and a couple of his other stand alones are just not good work. However, in Legacies he comes up with his best fantasy coming of age novel, period. The plot revolves around a simple country boy with the ubiquitous gifts you'd expect in a world-saving hero - in this case, Talent to use nature's magic. Essentially, the plot has him get drafted, get captured, and figure out how to escape. Nothing terribly extraordinary; in fact, Recluce and the world revolving around concepts of order and chaos is probably a more original creation. Where Modesitt gets it right is his exploration of how this character, Alucius, really starts thinking about what makes right and wrong in his world and taking consequences for his actions and leadership. As usual, Modesitt isn't afraid to preach a bit, but unlike say the Ethos Effect it works. Rural versus urban, women versus men, slavery versus freedom all get a fairly balanced treatment. What makes this different is usually Modesitt will touch on one or the other but not to the degree that any real teen in that situation would have to deal with; here, this kid has to confront them all. As usual, unfortunately Modesitt has a few plot and worldbuilding holes. I found the former to be annoying - the motivation of his characters, especially the development of romance, often makes no sense. Unlike other reviewers, I actually found the worldbuilding holes to be intriguing; perhaps it was a book-selling trick (the second book, Darknesses, contains many of the answers) but you really get a sense that while Modesitt may know, Alucius doesn't and shouldn't yet. By now, you either hate Modesitt's style or love it; if you hate it, this won't change things. Still, Modesitt's best fantasy novel in years, and probably his best coming of age story ever. Recommended especially for teens given the topics. |
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| "Modesitt's best yet" | 2003-05-06 |
| - Reviewed By straightener |
| I read a few of his Recluse books, and they are very light, formulaic, and highly predictable. This one is wonderfully written. You really grow to care about the main character, Alucius. I can't wait to read the next one. |
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| "Wild West Hero" | 2002-11-10 |
| - Reviewed By dadew |
| L. E. Modesitt, Jr. first explored the fantasy worlds of Recluse and Spellsong. Now, Modesitt has opened another world with his new series The Corean Chronicles. In the distant past, the land of Corus suffered a mysterious magical catastrophe of apocryphal proportions. Unfortunately, what has replaced political and social nirvana is a collage of minor nation-states that are constantly seeking to expand their ways of life through war. Caught in the middle is the territory of the Iron Valleys. Enter into the fray a young man called Alucius, heralded by mysterious beings known as Soarers. Alucius is a herder of nightsheep. As a character, Alucius is an interesting cross between Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fame and Stephen King's Roland. The first part of the book deals with Alucius's development and his growth into manhood. As with most herders, Alucius has Talent, magical abilities that are largely used to defend nightsheep from Iron Valley predators. Because of threatening rogue nation-states, Alucius finds himself conscripted into the Iron Valley militia. He evolves into an competent scout, able to use his Talent to locate the invading enemy and escape detection. Unfortunately, disaster strikes and Alucius finds himself a prisoner of war forced to serve in the enemy army. The world of Corus is fascinating with a wild west flavor tainted by magic and intrigue. Modesitt does not fully explore his new world, obviously leaving that for future volumes. He does, however, leave enough intriguing concepts dangling to whet one's appetite for future adventures. Legacies is an excellent book filled with well-developed characters that wonder through a tightly wielded plot. Anyone who has enjoyed past Modesitt fantasy works will find Legacies a marvelous read. |
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| "A New Series" | |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Legacies: The first book in the new "Corean Chronicles" series by LE Modesitt is similar in some aspects to his other books. However, there are many differences to the older chaos/order balance series: most important the world: instead of many magic users there are only a few. In fact, Legacies is similar to the first Time God book; there are rifles instead of the arrows and swords of his Recluse series, and the magic use is confined to a very few individuals. The magic use is a cross between the order magic and chaos magic of the recluse novels. To a first time reader of LE Modesitt, this is one of his best, and contains many of the characteristics that make up his books: a hero who starts off weak, and gets stronger, but is still limited in power, and a war into which he is thrown. In this case a war between a Matriarchal nation, where all men are enslaved, and a small nation, to which the hero belongs. Because of the war conscription is introduced, and the hero becomes a cavalryman. While the size of the book may be daunting, it is a very easy read, and a very enjoyable one. If you are a fantasy fan, this is a must read, and even gets a recommendation from Waterstone as a Christmas "must read" in their stores. |
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