Scan barcode
vaderbird's review
4.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
readlovegrow's review
4.0
This is definitely a "slow-build" fantasy novel, and the magic is pretty under-stated. There are many pages of dialogue between characters discussing styles of government, philosophy, and economics with most of the exciting action/events taking place towards the end of the novel. I wasn't immersed or "drawn-in" as well as I could have been (political spy/assassin not really being "my thing"), but I wasn't bored or repulsed either. I decided to move forward with the second book in the Imager trilogy (within the bigger Portfolio series) just to see where the character will go, but I probably won't be counting it among my favorites.
emmylou5's review
3.0
Yes, the philosophical and political discussions take up a lot of the book (so if you don't like that sort of thing, this book is definitely not for your), but I found them absolutely fascinating. Modesitt is also very good at taking us through the mundane aspects of a characters life (eating, sleeping, essays, exercise, friendly chats).
On the downside, the emotional aspects of people's lives are clear as black paint. The only clear emotions Modesitt can write are exhaustion (more of a state of being) and frustration. Main Character: "I think she's the girl for me!" Me: "Who? Oh, that girl. When and why did this happen?" And there was one scene where a poor flower girl takes a bullet because she reluctantly gives the main character some information, and little to no thought is given to her death. It kind of took all of the philosophy they'd been discussing and rendered it null.
On the downside, the emotional aspects of people's lives are clear as black paint. The only clear emotions Modesitt can write are exhaustion (more of a state of being) and frustration. Main Character: "I think she's the girl for me!" Me: "Who? Oh, that girl. When and why did this happen?" And there was one scene where a poor flower girl takes a bullet because she reluctantly gives the main character some information, and little to no thought is given to her death. It kind of took all of the philosophy they'd been discussing and rendered it null.
tuv's review
4.0
Once you get over how annoying and petty the main character is the book is not bad.
vailynst's review
4.0
3/21/2021 Notes:
Yay for libraries!
I own books #1-3 of the series but only read the first two. My library has the whole series on audio. =)
The re-read was fun, and I'm curious to see how the series will unfold.
Yay for libraries!
I own books #1-3 of the series but only read the first two. My library has the whole series on audio. =)
The re-read was fun, and I'm curious to see how the series will unfold.
captainjaq's review
3.0
This is the first book of a trilogy and as such, it has a LOT of world building... and I mean a lot! It also falls prey to the trap a number of big fantasy books fall into - namely that we're in a fantasy world, things are different than on earth and yet, there are still eponymous things from our timeline. In this case, there's reference to a jacquard loom but why would jacquard ever have existed?
slipybeans's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
kristendv's review
3.0
When I picked this up I was excited about starting a new series. When I finished I was relieved that it was finally done. While there were parts of the story that were interesting and kept me reading, the rest was rather uninteresting and too philosophical for my taste.
tome15's review
4.0
Modesitt, L. E., Jr. Imager: The First Book of the Imager Portfolio. Tor, 2009.
Neil Gaimon once commented that Terry Pratchett thought like a science fiction writer even when he was writing fantasy, because he was always interested in how his worlds worked. One might say the same about L. E. Modesitt. In Imager, the first book of a currently 12-book series, he is setting up a world whose guild-based steam-age economy is at least partially controlled by a secretive guild of “imagers” with telekinetic powers. Modesitt is careful to explain the politics and limitations of the those with these powers. One of the interesting limitations is that the imagers cannot safely spend the night with spouses and lovers, because their dreams might transform their lovers in injurious ways. They are encouraged to live in lead-lined rooms to block their psi transmissions. Our hero, a journeyman portrait painter, does not discover his imaging powers until he is in his late teens. He is quickly drafted into an imager’s college for training in the techniques and politics of his abilities. This makes for a character-driven first-person narrative as we learn about the world along with our narrator. Entertaining.
Neil Gaimon once commented that Terry Pratchett thought like a science fiction writer even when he was writing fantasy, because he was always interested in how his worlds worked. One might say the same about L. E. Modesitt. In Imager, the first book of a currently 12-book series, he is setting up a world whose guild-based steam-age economy is at least partially controlled by a secretive guild of “imagers” with telekinetic powers. Modesitt is careful to explain the politics and limitations of the those with these powers. One of the interesting limitations is that the imagers cannot safely spend the night with spouses and lovers, because their dreams might transform their lovers in injurious ways. They are encouraged to live in lead-lined rooms to block their psi transmissions. Our hero, a journeyman portrait painter, does not discover his imaging powers until he is in his late teens. He is quickly drafted into an imager’s college for training in the techniques and politics of his abilities. This makes for a character-driven first-person narrative as we learn about the world along with our narrator. Entertaining.
jhnvnvgt's review
1.0
Politics, wine, courtship, food/desert - all handled with boring detail and a pretentiousness that annoyed me. There was also little to no character development and the protagonist was dull. Just not interesting enough to read the next book, I'm actually surprised I finished it at all.