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

Finally, available on audiobook!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Magic of Recluce to be better than the print version?

I was a little disappointed with the audio version of this book because of the verbal sound effects made by the narrator. Things like a horse whinnying, explosions and such were a bit distracting. It's been a long time since I read the print book, but more than likely I paid little attention to those sentences when reading. The narrator's voice seemed too soft and quiet at first, but I got used to it, especially when realizing the character of Lerris is still in his teens.

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

The most memorable part of the book was when Lerris was fighting the White wizard.

What about Kirby Heyborne’s performance did you like?

Kirby Heyborne did a good job of distinguishing characters vocally. His voice is pleasant to listen to for a long story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book didn't spark any extreme reactions, but it is one I've read often and really enjoyed because of the characters and the well defined magic system.

Any additional comments?

I am so glad this series is finally available on audiobook. I've read through almost the whole series, and often wished I could listen to it, as I've listened to The Wheel of Time series, The Song of Ice and Fire, and many other sci-fi series. Thanks to audible for making this happen!

Start Here

This is the first in the series of the Recluce novels and it is a solid introduction to the series as a whole while engaging you thoroughly in the story telling.

perhaps his best

multilayer and fun. easy listening or a little deep. You can take your choice. well done.

Starts off slow but picks up

It starts off a little slow but it eventually picks up. I really enjoy the magic system. It's more physics based than Harry Potter wand waving.

Excellent reading and great story

I read this book shortly after it came out and lost track of the series in the 90s. Now with an audiobook it's great to be able to get the story without being glued to the chair. I found the reading to be entertaining, since he is reading what was written, and the story better than I remembered. Moving on to the rest of the series.

One of my favorite epic fantasy books!

Great story. Fascinating magic system. Interesting plot and character development. Mysterious subplot only partially revealed. Main character grows up. Narrator has excellent style, voice, and range. The vocalized sound effects mostly enhanced but some were not recognizable and some were distracting. Colloquial accents were European or Hispanic. They helped make characters recognizable but seemed oddly out of place in the world of Recluse. Criticism aside, the narration was excellent.

Overall Good Story

Any additional comments?

I have enjoyed the Saga of Recluce series since I fist discovered them years ago. I was thrilled to see that they are finally coming available in audio format. These stories take a while to develop and the series gets better with each book as the overall plot develops. Kirby Heyborne is ok as a narrator but not the best I've heard. The Magic of Recluce is worth the chance as the series continues to build on previous books. Not the best of the series but enjoyable if you have the patience to let it develop.

Good story, but

Enjoyed the story although a bit too young adult for me.
The biggest problem is the comic book "sound effects ".
It greatly detracted from the story, but maybe it was intentional?

Excellent production of a great story!

Where does The Magic of Recluce rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to. I love the different voices and sounds the reader gives us as part of the performance.

What did you like best about this story?

This is a very well done coming of age story with the addition of magic and interesting family dynamics. It is basically good against evil.

Love the book

Where does The Magic of Recluce rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

30th

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

wish i could list some the book was good

How could the performance have been better?

The reader had a very dead pan voice was all i could do to finish the audio book i've read the book many times it just the mono- tone of the reader just hard to stand

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

at first yes but after it started not so much