‘Treachery’s Tools’ continues L.E. Modesitt Jr’s ‘Imager Portfolio’ series set on the continent of Solidar, on the world of Terahnar, though the planet’s name is seldom mentioned and if there are any other continents on it they haven’t come up yet. In previous books, the land has been united under a Rex Regis, thanks largely to the work of Imagers. These talented fellows can create things from the materials around them and even make them appear over a distance. For example, one can image an iron dart into your head as long as there is iron nearby for use. More usefully, they can image raw materials into manufactured products like jewellery or paper. The power is rare and there are very few Imagers as a percentage of the population. Formerly outcasts who were hunted down and killed, the Imagers are now organised into a Collegium and form a key power group in the state, supporting the Rex and generally trying to keep society stable. Things change, however, and now the factors and merchants are growing wealthier and beginning to challenge the authority of the High Holders, a land-owning aristocracy used to having their own way in days of yore. Bad harvests and tough times bring these conflicts to a head.

The cast list takes up the first three pages of the book and the map the next two. That’s how it is with epic fantasy nowadays. Both, to be fair, are useful as the book is long and the plot gets complicated. Our hero is Alastar, leader of the Collegium of Imagers, who is desperately trying to make the conflicting groups see reason. Merchants don’t want to pay taxes. High Holders don’t want to pay taxes or the loans some of them owe the merchant bankers. The Rex is weak and incompetent. The first part of the book has Alastar diligently holding meetings with various important persons to hold things together. When they fall apart, the Imagers have to join the fight.

I usually shun multi-volume fantasy epics on the grounds that they are basically a publisher’s way of selling lots of books and take up too much life, each tome normally stretching to 500 or so pages. Somehow I have been seduced into reading Modesitt, partly because a reviewer for SFCrowsnest who does one book is expected to do its successors. There is no compulsion, however, and I could refuse but I rather like these works. The industrious Modesitt turns them out at a rapid clip to keep his bank balance healthy and when the ‘Imager’ and ‘Recluce’ series gang up on one, it amounts to rather a lot of books. Never mind. My habitual reading is short stories, a series of brief slaps or kisses, in which one is plunged into a brand new world every 5000 words or so. Reading a big, familiar fantasy epic is more cosy, like putting on a favourite pair of old slippers. This is particularly so with Modesitt, whose style is distinctly sedate and not to everyone‘s taste. There is action, especially when war breaks out, but no sex or gore. His heroes are steady fellows who love one good, true woman and walk the path of righteousness, apart from killing all their enemies. Alastar is typical of the breed.

This story follows the pattern of all the other Modesitt fantasies with a slow build-up leading to a large battle and a satisfying denouement. That might be a flaw but more probably it is what fantasy readers want. More of the same. Anyone who got pleasure from the previous books in ‘The Imager Portfolio’ will enjoy this one, too. Not to enjoy like a night of wild, crazy love with some irresponsible slut but rather like a nice three-course meal in a good restaurant with a surprisingly tasty red to wash it down. Then off to bed in good time because you must be up early to get on with the chores, like a decent Modesitt hero.

Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/ ( )

Mechanical, which is sort of usual, but not much fun going day to day of this crisis, but it is different having a protagonist aging past his prime, and clearly making mistakes/misjudgments. ( )

I listened to the Audiobook Narrated by William Dufris. He has done some great books and I think he is underrated, His work on Old Man’s War by John Scalzi was one of my favorite audio books, and once again he did a great job.

Let me start by saying I love this series but the time line is confusing. The first few books are about Rhentyll a young artist that learns he is a Imager and has to go to the Imager school.. Then book 4 goes back in time 700 years to see Quaeryt help with the founding of Solidar, the most powerful nation on Terahnar and the imager school. Quaeryt annoyed me at first but by the end of book 4 I liked him a lot. By the end of Rex Regis (Imager Portfolio, #8) he was one of my favorite characters ever. Then this book was 400 years in the future but still 300 years before the first book… . I think

Anyway I was disappointed when Madness in Solidar (Imager Portfolio #9) started a few hundred years after book 8 with the school already falling apart from bad leadership and Quaeryt all but forgotten. Books 9 and 10 are more about political intrigue than all out battle. While I like both types of books I prefer the dagger you see in front kind of action to the invisible dagger in the back that you see with politics. Metaphorically speaking of course. Literally speaking I would prefer if no one tried to stab me with anything anywhere.. OK now that we have that cleared up let us move on to other things.

The magic system is one of my favorites. I think of it as 3D mind printing. Need a mug of Ale? Image one in to your hand. Need a shield to protect you from those daggers we just talked about? Image one on your arm. Cool right? Well it’s not that simple obviously. Just like a 3D printer uses plastic, Imaging uses materials around you. If you tried to make that shield and there was no Iron in the ground near you the best you could hope for is that nothing would happen. But it is possible that you might pull all the iron out of your own blood and die instantly. Oops! Now If you tried to Image the Ale into your cup the bartender would get pretty pissed off when he sees he is out of Ale and you bought one cup last week and have been drunk ever since. Not near a tavern but you have water and hops and stuff? Well unless you actually know how to make Ale it will still taste like … ummm… something that tastes bad. I could go on about this magic system for hours but I know you have things to do so let’s get to my actual review of Treachery’s Tools:



This book starts only 13 years after Madness in Solidar. Alastar has settled in as head of the School and is now married with a daughter. The daughter was a great character and it was a nice change to have children in the story more. I know Quaeryt had kids but they were never more than names on a page really. Like I said before this one has more political wrangling but there was plenty of action in the last half or so..The only problem I had was the same problem I have with many fantasy books. That is the bad guys are SO STUPID. I mean think about it for a second. Does “let me start killing kids at the magic school so the king thinks they are weak and will stop listening to the guy that can image my heart into his hand if he gets pissed” sound like a good plan? If it does I have a evil hideout for sale that I know you will just love..



Final thoughts

The character development and interaction was great. There was plenty of humor throughout the book and some serious feels at the end. Even with a weak plot line it was still a fun listen. Great narration and good characters kept me going through the slower parts. All in all it was one good book that is in a great series. . I am going to give it 3.75 out of 5 stars. ( )