Scan barcode
ngreads's review against another edition
4.0
I find it difficult to explain how I felt about this one.
The Magic Engineer is one of the books that I kind of just wanted to get out of the way, since the premise didn't exactly excite me. I didn't go into it feeling like I would love it, basically.
This is not a bad book. In fact, it's still very good. There are a lot of things to love and appreciate about it. However, this was extremely slow.
Holy crap. I never thought I could learn so much about smithing and engineering from a fantasy novel. The research was done. I could feel the hours of research that went into this book.
Anyway, here's what I liked:
- Dorrin is a really unique protagonist. Something I appreciate about the Recluce books is how unconventional the protagonists are among epic fantasy leads, where they tend to be peaceful tradesmen or traders rather than travelling warriors. We still get more combat focused characters in this (like Brede and Kadara), but for most of the book we just spend time with Dorrin as he lives his life as an order-bound smith and healer. It felt more like a slice-of-life story set in a fantasy world. I found that I really cared about his struggles and his dreams, even though he wasn't exactly in an action plot line. He's just a sweet character trying his best to help people and live his life in peace.
- As always, this was another exploration of the magic system and world of Recluce, and the magic system remains solid and interesting.
- This is the first book to have Cerryl appear, the protagonist of one of the later entries in the series, and I am VERY excited to read his story now.
- Once again, the research that must have gone into this book is incredible. The details about smithing and healing and such go much farther than most stories would ever take them, which was quite the surprise.
- This book was one that was hard to put down. I was surprised how engaged I was when I was in the process of reading it.
What I didn't like:
- The other Recluce books I've read have been slow, but this is the first time that I could really feel how slow the pace was. Even though it all paid off in the end, there were a lot of scenes that I felt could have been trimmed or removed. A lot of repeated information happened, where I felt like I was just being told the same information all over again, especially in the beginning and some areas of the middle. It really slowed down the read for me.
Overall, this was another good Recluce read. Not my favourite, but I'm still glad I read it, and look forward to continuing with this hefty saga.
The Magic Engineer is one of the books that I kind of just wanted to get out of the way, since the premise didn't exactly excite me. I didn't go into it feeling like I would love it, basically.
This is not a bad book. In fact, it's still very good. There are a lot of things to love and appreciate about it. However, this was extremely slow.
Holy crap. I never thought I could learn so much about smithing and engineering from a fantasy novel. The research was done. I could feel the hours of research that went into this book.
Anyway, here's what I liked:
- Dorrin is a really unique protagonist. Something I appreciate about the Recluce books is how unconventional the protagonists are among epic fantasy leads, where they tend to be peaceful tradesmen or traders rather than travelling warriors. We still get more combat focused characters in this (like Brede and Kadara), but for most of the book we just spend time with Dorrin as he lives his life as an order-bound smith and healer. It felt more like a slice-of-life story set in a fantasy world. I found that I really cared about his struggles and his dreams, even though he wasn't exactly in an action plot line. He's just a sweet character trying his best to help people and live his life in peace.
- As always, this was another exploration of the magic system and world of Recluce, and the magic system remains solid and interesting.
- This is the first book to have Cerryl appear, the protagonist of one of the later entries in the series, and I am VERY excited to read his story now.
- Once again, the research that must have gone into this book is incredible. The details about smithing and healing and such go much farther than most stories would ever take them, which was quite the surprise.
- This book was one that was hard to put down. I was surprised how engaged I was when I was in the process of reading it.
What I didn't like:
- The other Recluce books I've read have been slow, but this is the first time that I could really feel how slow the pace was. Even though it all paid off in the end, there were a lot of scenes that I felt could have been trimmed or removed. A lot of repeated information happened, where I felt like I was just being told the same information all over again, especially in the beginning and some areas of the middle. It really slowed down the read for me.
Overall, this was another good Recluce read. Not my favourite, but I'm still glad I read it, and look forward to continuing with this hefty saga.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
4.0
This is the third book in L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s fantasy series "The Saga of Recluce," and my favorite thus far. The hero, Dorrin, shares certain commonalities with the protagonists of other Modesitt books that I've read: he tries very hard to do what is right; he possesses great ability; and he wrestles with causing destruction even when he feels that destruction is called for. Dorrin, however, is also an engineer and inventor. Indeed, he is a rather science-fictional character in a fantasy setting. I liked this aspect of Dorrin, and liked, even more, his readiness to help others, from an injured old dog (in a particularly effective and moving scene), to goats, horses, and the people he meets. A fine book.
Spoiler
The book contains a nicely done romance thread. Both characters trust each other and care for each other. The major obstacle that comes between them is admittedly contrived, but their responses to it ring true.... On the negative side, I found the book's villains rather one-dimensional.ryodragon20's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kenlaan's review against another edition
3.0
I finally finished this!
Based on the three Recluce books that I've read, these fit into a niche that will appeal for me on a pretty regular basis. They're akin to those placid "slice of life" books I see occasionally, but with more plot and forward movement, but still not something I'd read were I looking for epic adventure fantasy.
Modesitt has a tendency to fully describe things: more than once, the characters visited an inn, sat down at the table, were visited by the waitress, who described what was available and then asked what they wanted... they replied, each character saying what they wanted, the waitress told them the total price, they fished out the necessary coins, and received change. Or we'll get a string of paragraphs describing a blacksmith working on creating a metal rod for a larger project he's working on.
This might sound agonizing. For some I'm sure it is, and it might even be for me if I tried to read these in the wrong mood. But I'll doubtlessly continue reading Recluce books, albeit at a slow and sporadic pace.
Based on the three Recluce books that I've read, these fit into a niche that will appeal for me on a pretty regular basis. They're akin to those placid "slice of life" books I see occasionally, but with more plot and forward movement, but still not something I'd read were I looking for epic adventure fantasy.
Modesitt has a tendency to fully describe things: more than once, the characters visited an inn, sat down at the table, were visited by the waitress, who described what was available and then asked what they wanted... they replied, each character saying what they wanted, the waitress told them the total price, they fished out the necessary coins, and received change. Or we'll get a string of paragraphs describing a blacksmith working on creating a metal rod for a larger project he's working on.
This might sound agonizing. For some I'm sure it is, and it might even be for me if I tried to read these in the wrong mood. But I'll doubtlessly continue reading Recluce books, albeit at a slow and sporadic pace.
mikehex's review against another edition
3.0
Great ending but a looooong slog through mundane days to get there. I know that's Modesitt's style but a big chunk removed from the middle would have made this a great book.
codyroberts541's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
skwolcott's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
craftingrama's review against another edition
3.0
When I first started this I thought it was screwed up with the first book I listened to and then checked online and found out I wasn't the only one that noticed it. I'm not sure why the author didn't put this and the past book together and got rid of the repeats and the fluff and made a better book. I've a few times that its like the author took an original and then ripped it apart and added waste in attempt to make more books or at least its how I would have wrote it. Too many short chapters, too much filler and too much flopping around as if there was more then one writer for this series. Can't tell the amount of times I've gotten confused with what was written previously. The damn thing is it does have potential to be a good series but I'd put em together and cut it in half
heyt's review against another edition
3.0
Dorrin's tale is somewhat familiar to the tales before his and yet wonderfully different. In this we see the traditional coming-of-age-in-exile but also Dorrin's forging of a new path for Order.
Admittedly, this one took me a bit longer to get into but once it got going it was just as hard to put down as the tales before it.
Admittedly, this one took me a bit longer to get into but once it got going it was just as hard to put down as the tales before it.
nikolawannabe's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book just as much as the first two, but the first half of the book had a lot of the same story elements as the first book, which felt weird. I might have read this book first, actually.