The Magic of Recluce

Saga of Recluce, Book 1

By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Lerris is dissatisfied with his life and trade, and yearns to find a place in the world better suited to his skills and temperament. But in Recluce a change in circumstances means taking one of two options: permanent exile from Recluce or braving the dangergeld, a complex, rule-laden wanderjahr in the lands beyond Recluce, with the aim of learning how the world works and what his place in it might be. Many do not survive. Lerris chooses the dangergeld.

When Lerris is sent into intensive training for his quest, it soon becomes clear that he has a natural talent for magic. And he will need magic in the lands beyond, where the power of the Chaos Wizards reigns unchecked. Though it goes against all of his instincts, Lerris must learn to use his powers in an orderly way before his wanderjahr, or fall prey to Chaos.

©1992 L. E. Modesitt (P)2013 Tantor

Sound Effects

Seriously, the sound effects were ridiculous. It made it very hard to follow what was actually happening in the book and especially the fight scenes. Also, the author never really explained what the "solutions" to the problems in the book were... or maybe they did and I missed it because of the sound effects. If your main character can't explain the "realizations" he has about the magic system and has to stop in the middle of every explanation - that's massively annoying. Just when you thought you'd get somewhere the main character would start an explanation and then just stop because it was "too hard to explain." The magic system sounded interesting but I never learned enough to actually understand it. Tons of stuff happened without a rational explanation of why.

They should have left the sound effects out - it ruins the audio.

Magic Fiction can be so Fun

If you could sum up The Magic of Recluce in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, Refreshing, Enjoyable

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Magic of Recluce?

I don't have just one moment, I did however enjoy as Modesitt built each character so well.

Have you listened to any of Kirby Heyborne’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not at this time.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Recluce is only the Beginning

Any additional comments?

I loved the narrator so much I have looked for other books narrated by Heyborne. This story totally slayed me and I had to listen to all the rest of the series!

A well made recording.

Audio recordings often use sound effects to cover the descriptions of sounds. Since this is unabridged the actor did them himself and though he did them well it took away from the expierence overall. No fault to anyone and I would reccommend this.

Better in memory, irritating narration

I read the series almost a quarter century ago and devoured it. I was therefore happy to find the series included in my membership, well the older volumes at least.
L.E.Modesitt Jr is a very good story teller and most of his stories a very interesting and this is one of those. It is a child of its time, some innate biases that one sees better now than 20-30 years ago, but mostly it is a very enjoyable story to listen to or read.

The narrator is very good with his voices but has to act every clippedy-clop or thunk or squeek of every horse, mug or door and it gets really old really fast. I wish he’d not done so and just read it or skipped the sounds (if they were in the original text) rather than squeaking, creaking, and generally making irritating annoying sounds all the time, especially as these sound effects of his were much louder than the prose.

This is the book that got me onto LEMJr’s books and I have fond memories of it. I recommend almost all of his series.

Fine Story; Ok Narration

My Mom is a huge Modesitt fan and owns and has read almost all of his works. Therefore it helped a lot when she told this isn't the first series in Recluce world. It did explain why the opening 4 hours nobody is really explaining anything. If unlike Lerris you hold on and think for yourself some it does start to clear up. If you have heard the Imager books then the first Imager set of 3 explain stuff which isn't re-explained in the Scholar but Scholar shows you different rules. Same problem here without the advantage of just buying the other books.

Background:
Neither Order or Chaos is inherent good or evil. In the 13 or 14th books some are set on each side. The black staff Lerris is issued is the mark of low level learner Order Mage.
Black = Order (later explain the absence of light)
White = Choas (mix of all light and therefore not orded)
Recluse wasn't always the prudish place depicted.

It's a story of a young man growing up. Apparently in the series written before this one was about the founding of the island of Recluce a few hundred years prev. and therefore the rather dull first couple of hours are a contract between society that the reader last saw and what it became. I'm ensured the effect was very good. Finally (~4hr) Lerris get off Recluce and things pick up as the meat of the story get going.

My problem with Kirby is rather simple: he can't do an onomatopoeia and not jar me out of the story. Modesitt work at exciting moments seems full of Howlling, Naaaing of the horses etc. I don't believe Kirb Heyborne is a bad reader just not one who should ever try to make howling wind sounds.

I REALLY hope that Tor release the rest of the Recluce books.

Annoying sound effects by narrator

Would you try another book from L. E. Modesitt Jr. and/or Kirby Heyborne?

The story is good but the sound effects the narrator makes are very annoying. The sound effects should've been left on the editors floor when the book was written or left out in narration. Other than that the book is good and I will probably give the next book a try.

What aspect of Kirby Heyborne’s performance would you have changed?

NO SOUND EFFECTS!!!

Great Story and Storing Telling, Bad Sound Effects

If you liked Imager, you'll like this and whilst I am waiting on the 8th Imager book, I will continue with this series. Just as good and just as compelling, in a quiet sophisticated style rather than grandiose and pretentious. Great character and development, excellent story, good basis for Magic Chaos and Order.

As alluded in the headline, the narrators 'sound effects' really work against the story telling. If they want 'Sound Effects' do REAL Sound Effects. At times, especially in one of the final scenes the amount of irritating 'sound effect' really almost spoilt the final chapters.

Yet...... I am purchasing books 2 and 3 right after this review is posted!!

Narrator should be NEVER DO SOUND EFFECTS

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Story was great
Only problem is every 2 min the narrator decides to make sound effects THAT TOTALLY RUINS THE BOOK

What didn’t you like about Kirby Heyborne’s performance?

He was hired to READ JUST READ why must narrators try to do more then what is needed.
It has been proven time and time again if you want to have sounds effects in an audio book get a damn sound board PLEASE STOP LETTING NARRATORS make god awful noises that TEAR YOU FROM ENJOYING the story.

Any additional comments?

THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK THAT DROVE ME INTO A RAGE FROM CRAPPY SOUND EFFECTS.

Lack of production quality worked against

Any additional comments?

Lack of production quality worked against what is excellent narration. I read these books and the sound effects that worked in print had to be duplicated with special effects. Whoosh bap, and clop clop are not lines of dialog. A good producer would have made that call. All that said, a great story, and a must listen.

Okay book.

It takes 1/3 of book to get into it. But it is worth the money.