Outcasts of Order is the follow-up book to The Mongrel Mage in the Saga of Recluce. The previous one showed Beltur fighting for his new home city of Elparta against the white mages of his former home of Fenard. Despite his significant contribution the traders who run Elparta are not grateful and team up with evil order mages to try and force him into economic slavery. He takes his girlfriend Jessyla and flees for the wintry realm of Axalt. Modesitt's slow style takes you day by day through the ordinary life of the hero and is more about character than adventure, though there are a few feats of Derring-Do. There's also plenty of conversation about ethics and the role of the state. This is a thoughtful fantasy for the intelligent reader. For full review see https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/outcasts-of-order-saga-of-recluce-by-l-e-modesitt-j...
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A good solid, very solid, middle book in [The Mongrel Mage] sub-series of of the Recluse saga. A middle book, it is about trying to establish a place and not being free to do so and moving on, with more or less difficulty and damage. I would have been happy with ⅔ to ½ the length, as the day to day format seemed to draw the story out quite beyond it's contents. It is never painful and not quite dull enough for me to just abandon it as I did the whole Recluse series in the late 90s. I started again with Cyador's Heirs, and this is the slowest since then. ( )

Modesitt's "Recluse" continues to dazzle!

The story of Beltur, a black order Mage with healing powers, and the companion of his heart, the healer Jessyla continues. Their path is hazadous. As always the on going balance between chaos (white magic) and order (black magic) is reflected throughout the situations that Beltur finds himself in. (The humble yet noble hero, who will make the hard decisions when faced with them, is a recurring theme in Modesitt's works and Beltur is no exception).
Is Beltur being guided by the ways of the universe of Recluse, the natural laws surrounding chaos and order as it were, or are random happenings encouraging non random outcomes? (I am always fascinated that somewhere writings that expound on order and chaos or principles and understandings of the universe appears for the main protagonist to ponder on, which we in turn are privy to. For Beltur such a work is the book, Considerations on the Nature of Man).
Beltur has become a challenge to those in power, not by any threatening actions on his part, but just by being. Beltur works for the city as a Patrol Mage--very effectively, and always with compassion. But the fact that he and the smith Jorhan, are producing cupridium blades and everyday objects by Beltur infusing order/chaos patterns into them, might have something to do with the disquiet of those in charge. It may just be a simple matter of tariffs and economics--other people's, or possibly because another Mage further up in the city"s hierarchy has his eyes on the healer Jessyla. Or perhaps all three. To maintain his freedom it seems Beltur must leave Elparta. The decision is not easy but other's choices leave Beltur very little alternative.
This is Modesitt's twentieth novel in the Recluse series (and yes like others, I read them from the very beginning when "The Magic of Recluse" burst upon the Fantasy/Sci fi world stage). His writings continue to dazzle me, even as I greet them like well known and loved friends, interesting companions on my decades old fantasy reading journey, continually and satisfyingly familiar, yet injecting some new aspect and situation into my understandings of Recluse the place.
This new novel and the formidable characters capture me. Echoes of previous Recluse novels ring faintly through the pages. I know this place! The philosophies embedded in the writing are thought provoking. I am always left satisfied yet wanting more of this fascinating world and the characters Modesitt creates.
Another absorbing read!

A NetGalley ARC ( )