Shaykitteh's World of Books

I've always been a fan of L.E. Modesitt, Jr.'s recluse novels, because he writes many of them as duologies or individual books within the larger series, so you don't necessarily have to read all eight million or however many books (17 currently - soon to be 18) are actually in the Recluse Series.

Magi'i of Cyador is the beginning of the series chronologically, and about halfway through the series if you read them in the order published. One important thing to know about the Recluse Series is that throughout the series (in the published order) you learn that Order (represented by black) and Chaos (represented by white) are complete opposites and can't live peacefully together, and an emphasis is made that Order = Good and Chaos = Bad.

Magi'i of Cyador takes place hundreds of years before the first novel published novel of the Recluse Saga (The Magic of Recluse) and it shows a completely different viewpoint. In this society, the people of Cyador were originally part of the colonization of the planet, though other primitive people were already living there. There are three classes in Cyador: the Magi'i, the Lancers, and the Merchants. Within the Magi'i class, the men generally become Magi'i, wielding the power of chaos by transferring the magic from the Chaos Towers to weapons, horseless carriages, and ships. Most Magi'i cannot use the natural Chaos from the world around them, and are in fact discouraged from using it if they can. The woman from the Magi'i class wield order and become healers, showing that chaos and order CAN in fact live peacefully side by side.

This story starts near the end of the glory days of Cyador. The Chaos Towers are starting to fail. Politics end up killing possible heirs to the throne, because high officials in the different classes all want their own people as the heir.  And in the middle of this is Lorn, a man raised in a Magi'i family who becomes a Lancer - not because he was incompetent or unable to use Chaos forces, but because he lacked the passion to put Chaos above all else, and who loves a woman from the Merchant Class. With forces against him from all classes and people who would rather see him die than succeed, this novel treads a very careful path through the lies and treachery that are an every day part of Cyador.

This book is the first in a two part story of Lorn'alt, so be prepared to read the second book, Scion of Cyador, immediately afterward... if you enjoy the first book, the second is even better and you won't want to put it down.  Out of all of the Recluse Stories, the Cyador duology are probably my favorite two.

NOTE: If you enjoyed my review, I would appreciate if you could mark it as being helpful on Amazon as well. I have included the link to the Amazon review in the Source section at the bottom of this review. You can also download the kindle edition of Magi'i of Cyador by going to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003J5UJ8Q/?tag=shasworofboo-20.