The Mongrel Mage

Saga of Recluce, Book 19

By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 24 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The Saga of Recluce chronicles the history of this world with world-building detail and an ingenious and disciplined magic system. L. E. Modesitt Jr. returns to his longest and best-selling fantasy series with volume 19, The Mongrel Mage, which marks the beginning of a new story arc.

In the world of Recluce, powerful mages can wield two kinds of magic - the white of Chaos or the black of Order. Beltur, however, has talents no one dreamed of, talents not seen in hundreds of years that blend both magics.

On the run from a power-hungry white mage, Beltur is taken in by Order mages who set him on the path to discover and hone his own unique gifts and in the process find a home.

However, when the white mage he fled attempts to invade his new home, Beltur must hope his newfound power will be enough to save them all.

©2017 L .E. Modesitt Jr. (P)2017 Tantor

Vintage Modesitt -- loved it

If you love Modesitt for the long, winding stroll with interesting characters and a hero that you can like - you will love this latest installment.

Another good one

Great performance as usual. However I think it would be an improvement if somebody would go back through and apply volume leveling to this book and all of the others. Some of the quiet scenes require you to turn the volume up to hear the words, then there's shouting!!

Maybe if the volume was louder in the quiet scenes and quieter during the loud scenes... especially in some of the previous audiobooks where he does the baby cries... So annoying.

Good book.

I liked the book butit felt a little unfinished. other than that perfect as always. I like the fact that I can read or listen to any of his stories without having had to read every book before and yet they all fit together.

great story

made me cry. great story line. I love l.e.modesitt stories. they seem like they are so real in feelings.

Awesome book

Back to the Basics with this one. Learning to control power. Adventure with realism.

Remains one of my favorite authors and rarely disappoints

Re

Nice. Novel audio enjoyed it very much. Can’t wait to recommend it to my family

Jars strongly with recluse series thus far

The general plot is reminiscent of the rest of the series with the exception of the author introducing a homosexual couple in this book. While this may appeal to some listeners, I think it at least fair that this review point this out for those listeners to whom it doesn’t appeal. I personally felt it departed from the entire series.

Superb as always

L. E. Modesitt is the best. Already have the next book qued up to listen to.

Another new and great story line

Once again Modesitt starts us on another journey that is riveting and enjoyable. It does slow down at times, but overall, it keeps the listener entertained and looking forward to the continuation of the story.

Ignore reviews wanting LGBTQ+ "trigger" warnings

One of my absolute favorite "late" period Recluce books that follows Modesitt's standard winning formula of watching a strong mage grow into his own power. Nothing particularly new here, but well-crafted and enjoyable -- possibly the best individual character development on his part since "The Magic Engineer."

Two mages in the book (who are main supporting characters) are LGBTQ+ in a long-term relationship (Modesitt would have called it "consorting" in the Recluce terminology), and at least one reviewer complained that there should have been some sort of trigger warning for this.

That's patently ridiculous for several reasons

1 -- Modesitt has often use utilized LGBTQ+ characters in strong supporting roles, so this should not come as a surprise to anybody who reads his work

2 -- Modesitt novels, when it comes to romance and sex, are the precise opposite of graphic. They are mild to the point that they wouldn't even hit Regency Romance standards. In this book the two men live together, hug once or twice, and never so much as kiss on stage. There is one -- exactly one -- reference to them going upstairs together in midafternoon "for a nap," to which two of their friends say, "If they want to call it that, that's fine." And that's it.

The only way you could need a trigger warning for this is you're just completely opposed to the existence of LGBTQ+ people in both literature and real life.