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kiraly's review
3.0
I'll admit, I picked this book up for only one reason: I'm writing a story that involves a group of people called "Imagers", and lo and behold someone else has already used that name. I wanted to find out if Modesitt's "Imagers" were anything like mine, and if so how I could make mine different before I get too far in the writing process. (As it turns out, there are similarities, but the story is very different from mine. Jury's still out on whether I keep the name.)
Anyway, the story started off a little slow, but it picked up as I read on. I appreciate the extensive world-building, though there were parts that were maybe too detailed for my taste. It feels like Solidar is a real place full of real people.
Anyway, the story started off a little slow, but it picked up as I read on. I appreciate the extensive world-building, though there were parts that were maybe too detailed for my taste. It feels like Solidar is a real place full of real people.
wardenred's review
About 10 chapters in, and the pacing manages to be both incredibly slow and choppy, making it hard for me to maintain focus. Also, I just can't connect with the main character.
wealhtheow's review
1.0
Modesitt's writing is like clockwork: predictable, dependable, unexciting. He creates boring, detailed fantasy worlds and peoples them with walking shadows. The “characters” aren’t even caricatures—that would require Modesitt to give them some sort of personality. The main character, Rhen, exists in this book only to lecture and be lectured about government, and to eat very detailed meals. I do not need to know what fictional wine each and every character has each and every meal, and yet Modesitt seems to think that sort of detail is far more important than, say, a plot.
Speaking of plots, there really isn’t one. I forced my way through this book, but at some point put it down and just couldn’t bear to pick it up again, even though I was only ~50 pages from the end. Because I just didn’t care about the thin veneer of intrigue that Modesitt periodically remembered to include, and I found the main character so incredibly despicable (not in an authorially intended way, alas) that I hoped the “mysterious assassin” killed him. This is a terrible book. I recommend it to no one.
Speaking of plots, there really isn’t one. I forced my way through this book, but at some point put it down and just couldn’t bear to pick it up again, even though I was only ~50 pages from the end. Because I just didn’t care about the thin veneer of intrigue that Modesitt periodically remembered to include, and I found the main character so incredibly despicable (not in an authorially intended way, alas) that I hoped the “mysterious assassin” killed him. This is a terrible book. I recommend it to no one.
improbability_engine's review
1.0
Seemed to keep dragging on. Couldn't quite care about characters or what was going to happen anymore.
elly29's review
3.0
This was a fun and engaging read, but in the end it failed to deliver. The intrigue was thrilling (I read few novels with political intrigue), but I found Modesitt's writing a little too cryptic. The intrigue involves grand plots between countries, which we never see or hear it feel, so they end up being unfamiliar names on pages, which get confusing. The grander political scheme sometimes left me concerned as to how it related to the character's smaller plot. The action at the end of the plot introduced new characters that ended up being the villains -- I felt let down that it wasn't a character thought to be trustworthy.
But, it was fun. The world he built -- inspired by 19th-century France -- was engaging enough. I really liked Rhenn and Seliora, and Dichartyn, too.
But, it was fun. The world he built -- inspired by 19th-century France -- was engaging enough. I really liked Rhenn and Seliora, and Dichartyn, too.
marktimmony's review
4.0
I originally read this book when it first came out. I recall liking it, as I do most of Modesitt's work, but didn't recall a lot about it so it was re-read time.
I highly recommend it for any fans of Modesitt's Recluce series or for fantasy lovers who want something different to the regular epic fantasy fare.
I highly recommend it for any fans of Modesitt's Recluce series or for fantasy lovers who want something different to the regular epic fantasy fare.
cassianlynne's review
3.0
3.5*
Enjoyable story, I really liked the concept of Imaging A LOT, and the characters were nice to listen to but needed some more interesting growth arcs. I liked being in a school setting, but I felt like it should have been more challenging for him to get better and stronger. I did really enjoy it though and I’ll probably continue with the series in the future!
Enjoyable story, I really liked the concept of Imaging A LOT, and the characters were nice to listen to but needed some more interesting growth arcs. I liked being in a school setting, but I felt like it should have been more challenging for him to get better and stronger. I did really enjoy it though and I’ll probably continue with the series in the future!
conalo's review
3.0
I received this book in a GoodReads first reads giveaway.
This novel had quite a few things I liked about it, detailed characters, an interesting magic system and fully formed city location that was well described but it fell somewhat short of my expectations being I am a fan of the author. The story just did not have enough going on to keep my interest for long periods of time and it took a long time to make it through the whole story.
3.5 stars for an interesting premise.
This novel had quite a few things I liked about it, detailed characters, an interesting magic system and fully formed city location that was well described but it fell somewhat short of my expectations being I am a fan of the author. The story just did not have enough going on to keep my interest for long periods of time and it took a long time to make it through the whole story.
3.5 stars for an interesting premise.