The Mongrel Mage is a typical Modesitt title. Beltur is a young man raised by his uncle as a White Mage in Fernard in Gallos. An encounter with a young female healer begins his journey to the Black side of the Mage continuum. As in a normal Modesitt novel, the young person learns about the world thorough hard experience, travel and exposure to new folks leading to more insights in how the world works. The fun in reading a Modesitt novel lies in the details of the journey and Beltur's tale is no exception.

"The Mongrel Mage" eBook was published in 2017 and was written by L. E. Modesitt Jr. (http://www.lemodesittjr.com). Mr. Modesitt has published more than 75 novels. This is the 19th novel in the "Saga of Recluse" series.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in another world where magic is possible. The primary character is the young White Mage Beltur.

Beltur was orphaned young and raised by his uncle, a powerful White Mage. On this world of Recluce there are White and Black Mages. They respectively have power with order and chaos. Beltur has been trained as a White Mage, but he is not very powerful.

As events unfold he finds himself on the run. White Mages are after him and surprisingly, he finds that he has far more skill with the order of a Black Mage. When the White Mages from his former home threaten his new home, he must apply all that he has learned to defeat their attack.

This is the first "Recluse" novel I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed the 21+ hours I spent reading this 554 page fantasy novel. I thought that the world of Recluse as well as the characters were very well developed. Having read this novel makes me want to go back and read the 18 that preceded it in the series. I also like the cover art for the novel. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

It’s almost hard to believe that The Mongrel Mage is L.E. Modessitt Jr.’s nineteenth book in the Saga of Recluce. I can still remember stumbling across a random book in this series at my local library almost 15 years ago and falling in love with it. They have always been some of my favorite books and Mongrel Mage has been no different than the rest of the books. I made the mistake of starting to read this book after I got home from work and figured I would read a few chapters and then go to bed for the night. I ended up being completely sucked in by it and only realized what time it was when my alarm for work started going off next to me.

There are a lot of things I loved about The Mongrel Mage but I would have to say that my two favorite things about the book are, like every other book in the series, the characters themselves and the amount of thought and planning that has gone in the Order and Chaos magic system. Beltur is a fantastic character and I really enjoyed watching him discover that he’s much more than the weak Chaos mage everyone assumes him to be and watching how that discovery not only changes his life but the lives of everyone he comes in contact with as he flees his hometown.

I think the one thing that surprised me the most about The Mongrel Mage is how much Modesitt seemed to have improved on the series, at least in my opinion. There was much less discussion on the workings of Order and Chaos which, while interesting in the first book, have always made me want to sleep in the last few. We also didn’t hear about what the characters were eating or how many times they chewed anywhere near as much as we used to. It’s a nice change of pace.

Though the issues that I’ve always had with the series that were fixed in this book were just replaced with new and annoying ones. We don’t get a really good idea (or at least I didn’t!) on just where this story takes place in the Saga of Recluce timeline. Very few recognizable names or landmarks really showed up to give me an idea where to place it and that really bothered me for most of the book. I also thought the love story of Beltur and his love interest felt like it was a little shoehorned into the story. I only hope that things happen and flow more naturally int he sequel!

I am a fan of Modesitt. At his best, his writing is amazing – chec out Ghosts of Columbia - but I haven’t read all the Recluce novels and when I was reading them, back in the Dawn of Time, it was way before I was writing reviews. So I was interested to see this one on Netgalley and give it whirl. I’m so glad I did.

Modesitt is a master at crafting a solid world. While there is mayhem and chaos unleashed in abundance, we generally also spend a fair amount of time alongside his protagonist as he goes about his daily life. We learn what he wears, who he chats to and his impressions about them and above all – we learn what he eats. Modesitt always tells you in some detail about what his character is eating. It’s a neat trick. Because you immediately learn how wealthy the food provider is, how effective they are at food preparation and at what level technically and culturally they are operating at.

Though none of this would matter if I didn’t care about Beltur. However, I do. His careful, wary attitude speaks of early loss and pain – and the fact he doesn’t take anything for granted. It doesn’t help that he is something of a failure and despite his uncle’s painstaking training, his mastery of white magic is rather poor, leading his uncle’s official apprentice, Sydon, to look down on him and bully him when his uncle isn’t there.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sortie into the countryside, when we learn a lot about the politics as the Prefect sends out Kaerylt with his two young charges to look into the matter of women fleeing from local towns and villages and making their way to Westwind. If you are looking for foot-to-the-floor constant action, then this isn’t the story for you. But it does mean that when the action suddenly roars in – it matters and is a shock. This pacing is particularly effective if said action comes out of apparently nowhere when treachery is involved – and my jaw dropped at a specific incident and I couldn’t then put the book down to save my life.

All in all, this is Modesitt doing what he does best – painstakingly constructing a world through the eyes of a sympathetic, slightly distanced protagonist and letting him loose in a politically complex world where a huge power struggle is going on. I loved it – it’s a worthy addition to the Saga of Recluce series and a very nifty introductory book for those who haven’t yet had the pleasure. Highly recommended for fans of epic fantasy.
9/10

Mongrel Mage is the nineteenth in L.E. Modesitt Jr.’s ‘Saga of Recluce’ fantasy series. Yes, nineteenth. I think I picked up the first one in the mid-nineties, and since then, Recluce has always delivered. Modesitt is known for top-notch world building and solid, convincing characterisation wrapped in an interesting and entertaining plot – so I was looking forward to his latest entry in the series.

Recluce has developed a rich world history over the course of preceding books, looking at the rise and fall of kingdoms, empires and nation-states. We’ve seen the declining high technology of Cyador, the brutal mines of Hamor, and the city of chaos, Fairhaven, amongst others. This time we’re looking at a conflict between Spidlar and Gallos. The Spidlarians are mercantile, pragmatic, and if prone to bouts of greed, also somewhat socially progressive. The Prefect of Gallos, by contrast, seems calculatingly brutal – prepared to take control of as much of the continent as he can get away with. The conflict between them evokes some of the later wars of the medieval period – groups of professionals, backed by the general population, crawling through mud and fire in an effort to make their lords holdings a few feet larger.

Of course, in this case, the wars are backed by magic. Recluce has a highly systematised system of magic, or ‘Chaos and Order’. Order mages tend toward healing, invisibility and subtler, defensive arts, whilst Chaos mages lean more toward fireballs. There’s a balance between the forces – the more unused Chaos there is in the world, the more Order is available, and vice versa. Modesitt has put some serious thought into the way that the two types of magic work with each other, and if you’re a fan of logical systems for your magery, this one is for you.

Our protagonist here is Beltur, a young man being brought up as a user of Chaos. Beltur is thoughtful and has a talent for self-reflection, whilst also demonstrating a lack of practical experience. He lives under the shadow of his uncle, a powerful user of Chaos magic, His uncle clearly loves Beltur, but also clearly knows more than he’s saying, and feels convincingly disappointed by Beltur’s weak talents in the area of Chaos magic. The relationship between them is clearly a complex one, with mixed obligations, expectations and emotional freight; the prose works hard to make this initil conflict between Beltur and his uncle have meaning, and largely succeeds – the conflicts in their relationship feel genuine, as well as familiar.

Beltur isn’t defined by that conflict, though it does help shape him. Instead, he’s the portrait of a young man trying to work out who he is, and what he wants to do. Modesitt has always had a gift for putting us inside his character’s heads, and exercises it to the fullest here. Beltur’s inner voice is compassionate, occasionally mystified, and self-aware enough that the reader can go along for the ride, sharing and empathising with his trials and tribulations. Beltur’s journey of the self is convincingly portrayed - and works as a coming of age tale, even without the addition of magic.

Beltur is joined by a very strong supporting cast. It’s difficult to get a handle on the antagonists; as-is, they seem to exist mostly to drive the plot. I would have liked to spend a little more time on their side of the fence, to give them a bit more depth. However, they serve perfectly well as insidious adversaries, and the more positive characters are complex, charming, and entirely believable as individuals. Modesitt has often produced strong characters, and I have to admit he’s done well here. All of Beltur’s acquaintances feel like they have lives of their own, which we happen to be casting an eye over. In some ways, they lack a passionate intensity, but the subtle, quiet moments fof emotional resonance which are scattered throughout the narrative make them compelling characters.

The plot…well, it’s one part coming-of-age, one part war story. There’s some romance, and it’s plausibly portrayed and not overwrought. There’s magical battles, with fireballs, cavalry charges, and cast-iron consequences. There’s also the story of Beltur, trying to work out who he is, and what he wants, in the crucible of war. It’s good stuff. Certain elements may seem familiar to readers of Modesitt’s other work, but the story is compelling enough that it probably won’t matter.

In the end, Mongrel Mage works as a way in to the larger Recluce series, as a stand-alone novel, and as a part of the series as a whole. Its well-crafted plot, convincing characters and imaginative world make it a firm recommendation from me.

Recluce! Order and chaos! Addictive!

I continue to find Modesitt's thesis on chaos and order absolutely fascinating. I have been a devotee of all of the Recluce series right from the very first release and I have never grown tired of them. Indeed I enjoy every fiction novel Modesitt has written. Truly talented, I am continually enthralled by, and addicted to, his work.
As a supposedly White Mage and practitioner of the chaotic arts, and apprentice to his uncle, the White Mage Kaerylt, Beltur struggles to be a good enough magician. It seems he looks at things slightly differently from others. There is an order to his use of chaos, which is contrary to what is the norm. That use of order is hinted to him by the red-haired healer Margrena, a young healer he finds himself attracted to.
When Kaerylt and Beltur are called to report before Denardre, Prefect of Gallos, they are attacked as they leave the Prefect's presence by the Prefect's Arms Mage, Wyath. Beltur is forced to flee Gallos. He seeks shelter in the City of Elparta, Spidlar, a place where Black Mages, those committed to the practice of Order, reside. Here Beltur is able to extend his perspectives and understandings. He has the ability to detect chaos and order and use both, and with a master smith pursues the long lost art of casting cupridium.
As Beltur's education continues he struggles with what sort of Mage he is.
I know looking for chaos in sheep, and rotten parts of piers might seem mundane but as the process of Belthurs learning continues so does our understanding of chaos and order, the cornerstones of the Recluce novels.
A trade war is forced upon Spidlar, by the arrogant, despotic Prefect of Gallos. Beltur becomes part of the armed forces where he is forced under fire to develop his powers in new ways. It seems Beltur has enemies amongst the Black Mages, who see his powers as impure, 'mongrel' in heritage.
Whilst initially not as stunning as some in the series, Mongrel Mage is a solid contribution to furthering our understanding of this amazing world that Modesitt continues to grow. It earns its five stars status because of its intricate exploration of chaos and order alongside an equalling compelling human interest story of self-realization, struggle, intrigue and love.
I am so looking forward to more in this splinter series, with Beltur taking center place.

A NetGalley ARC
(October 2017)

L.E. Modessitt opens another chapter in his Recluce saga with Beltur, a young mage who wields both black order and white chaos magic. Beltur flees from white wizards who have killed his white mage uncle and failed to murder him. In his new community Elparta he discovers his new black powers and joins the army defending the city from his old enemies. Eltur finds that his new home has magicians jealous of his talents and new friends to protect him. Great plot and interesting characters.

Part of the reason I found this book more difficult is that my standards for great fantasy has went up so much in the last few years. I got tired of the sale style of characters as well as a similar storyline.

This book was long and while thst gives you the chance of more detail it can also make it more difficult for the readers

Just as you thought the saga of recluce might be becoming formulaic, modesitt produces a master piece with a character you can relate to and a plot that keeps you reading. I can't wait to get the hard copy to sit with my favourite fantasy novels.