Outcasts of Order

Saga of Recluce Series, Book 20

By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 28 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

L. E. Modesitt, Jr., continues his best-selling Saga of Recluce with his 20th book in the long-running series. Beltur began his journey in The Mongrel Mage and continues with Outcasts of Order, the next book of his story arc in the Saga of Recluce.

Beltur, an Order mage, discovers he possesses frightening powers not seen for hundreds of years. With his new abilities, he survives the war in Elparta and saves the lives of all. However, victory comes with a price. His fellow mages now see him as a threat to be destroyed, and the local merchants want to exploit his power.

There's only one way he can remain free and survive - he's going to have to run.

©2018 L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (P)2018 Tantor

Part 2 of 3

Solid Modesitt. Black raised as white finds place for himself and his evolving powers to control his own life. Opposes corrupt prefects, counsels and their mages

The continuation of the story didn't disappoint.

Since this is really a continuation of book 19, it becomes another subset in the Modesitt Recluse Series. And while the listener may at times "anticipate" what is going to happen next, Modesitt does it without insulting ones intelligence. The only thing that bothered me at the end of the story is that for some reason, I feel like I have read somewhere in another book where it appears that the next book in this series should be picking up. Darned if I can find it, or why, but it keeps rattling around in my mind that I know I seen a part of this story before.

Another great book

Like the other books in this series, this is another great book. someday I will have to go back and read them in chronological order of the series. Rather than release date.

Outcasts of Order

I love the way Modesitt writes books for adults that do not have sex in them. And the way the main character feels guilt for violence that he must do.

Ignore the "nothing happens" reviews ...

That said, the pace is slow because Modesitt was doing something in this novel that authors rarely if ever do in fantasy novels: exploring the economic, social, and cultural implications of his world of Recluce, and particularly how cruel and dangerous they can be for the poor or "different" members of that society. Winter is coming to the city after the repulse of an invasion, so Beltur and his friends give us an unvarnished view of what that means in an essentially medieval/renaissance level society, magic or no magic -- to include starvation, draconian prison sentences that might make Victor Hugo blanch, and even child abuse.

Modesitt never shied away from moral themes in his fiction, but they are rarely as prominent as they are here. If you are in the right mood, they will make you think. If you only ever read fantasy to avoid having to think, you should probably pass it up and gi for the next part where there's actually a war.

It is definitely not my favorite Recluce book (that distinction probably goes to "Fall of Angels," or "Magice Engineer," but it is a solid later entry in the series, and Kirby Heyborne does his usual credible job on the narration.

Solid Modesitt - characters you can care about

As other reviewers have noted, this book is building up to sequel. But, rather than being disappointing, I rather enjoyed the long, twisted journey and look forward to the next book. In vintage Modesitt fashion, the world and characters are painted in vivid detail. The story rises and falls and the characters stay true to their natures. Modesitt always makes me feel a part of the world and makes me care about the characters - this book is no exception. I hope the next book will come soon.

I love all these books

I like the simple ‘physics’ behind chaos and order. I also like the chronological evolution behind the references to other books.

Surprisingly slow book for this author

There was maybe 3 hours of good content that wasn’t talking about going to work, coming home, or finding a new home. I’ve been reading these decades and this is the first time I was disappointed. Any other author I would have stopped but I kept hoping. Finally, I saw hope for a good story and....the book was at its end.

Boring...28 hours of nothing happening.

I have listened to this entire series and usually they are pretty exciting and contain a good bit of action. This one is mostly guy goes to work, guy does his job, guy goes home. Little bits of action but not enough to make this long book entertaining.

In the end, it was less a book and more like a 28 hour prologue /set up for the next volume. I own 20 in this series but I will seriously question whether to get the 21ST.

I typically thoroughly enjoy all of his books

in reading this author for like 20 years this is the least enjoyable book it's nice and long which I typically enjoy but nothing happens of interest in my opinion for nearly 20 hours and then when I think the books going to get finally interesting he drags it out to just stop at the end of the book and doesn't proceed to what would be a really interesting and climactic part of this man's Tale I still recommend it as an additional part to the world of recluce but it lacks the grabbing epicness in the story arcs that I come accustomed to in his previous works maybe he's got another book in the way and this will be a three-part but I don't think so it's not his style