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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Mary Soon LeeTop Contributor: Fantasy Books
4.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I craved: diverting, satisfying, and, at times, moving.
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2017
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This is the thirteenth book in Modesitt's fantasy series "The Saga of Recluce." I read the first book seven months ago, and thought it entertaining, standard fantasy fare, with a likable young protagonist. Seven months and a dozen books later, I can report that the series has grown on me considerably. It's been hard to stop myself from gobbling the books up, one after another, with no breaks for other reading material.

I like the way the books collectively create a detailed, convincing, immersive world. I like the way they show craftworkers and tradespeople, as well as soldiers and mighty mages. I like the consideration of economics, politics, law, ethics. With one exception, I very much like the main characters.

This particular book continues the adventures of Kharl, once a cooper. It comes complete with battles, wizardry, and a struggle against injustice. I read much of the book when I was in a somewhat frazzled state, and it was exactly what I craved: diverting, satisfying, and, at times, unexpectedly moving.
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Moosebite
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best duologies in the Recluce saga!
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2018
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Whilst still a very familiar style of book, this and it’s prequel, ‘Wellspring of Chaos’, feel somehow different to the others in the series. The two books together (and you really can’t just read this one on its own) are also two of the best, and possibly my favorite of the whole lot.

I found myself, more than any of the other Recluce books, shaking with frustration at the injustices, laughing at the awkward moments between characters, and tearing up at more than a few emotional scenes.

As with all the Recluce books, if you’ve enjoyed the previous volumes, don’t hesitate to grab this one.
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Jack
4.0 out of 5 stars Diplomatic Magery
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019
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Kharl finishes becoming an extremely strong order mage, but finds this less arduous than becoming an envoy. But more importantly, he gets to return to his previous homeland, to try to right at least some of the many wrongs that drove him out.
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Chip Hunter
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars A solid addition to the Recluce Saga.
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2005
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Modesitt delivers what his readers expect in this new eddition to the Recluce Saga. While following the same basic story outline as his past books, of a humble man discovering his talent for magery and then being forced to use it to influence world events in huge ways, L.E. is also able to continue adding much detail to his rich world of Recluce.

In this sequel to The Wellspring of Chaos, Kharl the cooper/beggar/sailor/carpenter/mage/lord continues his adventures on the island nations of Nordla and Austra. Fighting (and killing) mage after mage throughout the book makes for an exciting read and having the story take place in another part of the world besides Candar and Recluce helps in expanding the reader's understanding of the lands and their people. By some accounts, Kharl could be the most powerful order mage we've encountered up till now, able to withstand the effects of death and chaos better than other powerful mages. He surely faced and defeated more white wizards in one on one combat than any yet written about. Even if he isn't the most powerful per se, he has undoubtably discovered one of the most powerful uses of order in unlinking bound order and thus creating a chaos explosion. Regardless, Kharl is one of my favorite characters of the entire series. Powerful and imposing, he stands up to every challenge boldly (no matter how uncomfortable or unfamiliar) and prevails.

If you've become tired of Modesitt's world of Recluce, stop reading these books for a while. I find that if I space them out by a couple of months or more I am not turned off by the seemingly repetitive story lines. Each character and story is different in large and small ways and all are enjoyable.
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B. Capossere
VINE VOICE
3.0 out of 5 stars decent read but same old same old
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2005
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If Ordermaster and its prequel Wellspring of Chaos had come out as the first two books in the Recluse series, I'd have given them a slightly stronger review. Ordermaster is decently paced, has a good strong main character, some interestingly complex politics as its background, and is overall pretty well-written. But after reading a dozen Recluse books before these, one has to wonder how many times can Modesitt tell this same story. The problem in Ordermaster, besides the fact that we've seen this story so many times before, is that the plot begins to feel repetitive even within the book itself, a problem that has already affected his shorter series, the Corean Chronicles.
To recap the general formula: reluctant man of great but unpolished power gradually learns to use said power through a series of increasingly difficult tasks/battles in which he overcomes great odds at the cost of greater personal injury, much to the awe of those around him. He grows more powerful and more reluctant each time, often due to an increasing distaste for the death he's caused. In the end, he returns triumphant but battered to his humble abode where he'll humbly do some humble craft until humbly forced to humbly pick up yet again his hero mantle in the next book.
In this case, the humble hero is Kharl, the cooper turned mage/lord from the Wellspring of Chaos, where he helped Lord Ghrant of Austra overcome a rebellion led by his brother. In this book, Kharl must first help Lord Ghrant of Austra overcome a rebellion (helped in large part by the greedy Hamorian empire) and then in the second half return to his home of Brysta to help put down a rebellion led by one brother against another (helped in large part by the greedy Hamorian empire). The manner in which he puts down both rebellions is as strikingly similar as the overall plot, use of the "sight shield" to slip unnoticed into enemy areas, use of "hardened air" to kill enemies, turning back of "chaos fire" against the wizards who wield it, and so on. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that if one simply copied fifty pages and then changed a few names, one would have the next fifty pages, and could continue to do so until all 400 pages were done.
What helps Ordermaster somewhat is the characterization, which though familiar is also nicely done for the most part. And a few of the side-stories are well-done as well. And if you haven't read other Modesitt books, it's a decent enough story, though too repetitive.
With each "new" book of Recluse, I hope more and more for an actual original story and I grow more and more disenchanted. I've moved Modesitt from the "buy the book" category to the "get at the library" one because of the repetition of story and character, and he's on the edge of being added to the "don't bother reading because you've seen it all before" category. Ordermaster doesn't do anything to change that.
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Top reviews from other countries

Rob C
3.0 out of 5 stars An Average tale, not bad, but not stand out
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2014
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I love Mr Modesitt's work. He has created several colourful and rich worlds for us to discover and he can often show us that our perceptions are mistaken by showing us the other side of things (The Magic Engineer/The Colours of Chaos being the prime and best example of this). The World of Recluce and particulalry the continent of Candar have been mined deeply for stories, so Modesitt opens up the world and tells us a tale from another, smaller land, Austra, an Island in the north west.

This novel is part 2 of Kharl, former Cooper (Barrel maker) and now a minor lord, given his service in the previous novel, Wellspring of Chaos. Unfortunately all is not wellin his new homeland and soon Kharl is back in service, supporting the ruler of the island in a civil war. Once that is dealt with Kharl goes back to his former home, in part to look for his son who he left there with family when he was forced to flee and in part to let matters calm down at home and to do another service as all is not well there.

Usually with Modesitt's novel's we get the tale from a young man (or occassionally, a young woman), this time however we have the tale from an older man, approaching middle age. While this is a different touch, something about the novel fails to sparkle. All the usual elements are there, but for once it just doesn't jump of the page. I enjoyed the read, but i'll not likely go back to this as I have with others of Mr Modesitt's work.
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Chaddy
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Recluse Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2014
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This (book 13 of series) continues the tale started in Wellspring of Chaos, another classic Recluse Saga book, its no good me outlining story, you either love fantasy books & should read all of these Recluse ones & discover what happens in this wonderful, interesting world the writer has imagined yourself (i don`t want to spoil it) or you dislike fantasy & are reading a review of this book by mistake .. For the former, start reading these classic fantasy books from the beginning (The Magic of Recluse) right now, these are among some of the best fantasy ever written! .. For the latter, has your mouse broken? i`m sure you can buy a new one from Amazon.
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Haywain
5.0 out of 5 stars Ordermaster (Saga of Recluce)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2014
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Ordermaster (Saga of Recluce)
Karl is now part of the gentry not bad for an ex cooper, but he is not totally happy with what he has got.
then trouble is brewing in his old home and he is sent as an Envoy to the ruler. not only saves old friends but new loves, and ofcourse saves the day killing the baddies -quite forcefully- to make all safe
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Dave W
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2018
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As described & good delivery. A very good story from Modesitt
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2018
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A OK THANKS
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