"Exciting action adventure in the Recluce Universe"

After saving the life and the throne of Lord Ghrant of Austra, former cooper and sailor Kharl is made a Lord and given an estate. He barely settles in when Kharl's friend lord- Chancellor Hagen whisks him to the capital. Lord Ghrant needs his help in quelling rebellious lords, abetted by the Hamorian Empire who wants to make Austra a part of their dominion. After Kharl defeats the mages and the rebellious lords he returns home but once again his rest is short-lived.

Hagen tells him that Lord Ghrant wants him to be the envoy to Nordla, Kharl's former homeland, the place he fled because Lord West and his son Egen wanted to kill him. He accepts the job realizing that he has changed so much his enemies will never recognize him. He is to report on the activities of Hamorians reputed to be there in large numbers. In Nordla, Kharl realizes that Egen is allied with the Hamorians who want to overthrow his father and place the son Egan on the throne. Kharl refuses to let this happen because Egan is so evil he will destroy Nordla. In the upcoming battle Kharl must destroy four powerful white wizard masters of chaos magic before they try to kill him.

ORDERMASTER, the sequel to WELLSPRING OF CHAOS returns the reader to the further adventures in store for Kharl, a powerful mage, a reluctant Lord and a champion of justice. He is a character so likeable and endearing readers will root for him to prevail in battle and in Nordla win the hand of the woman he loves. There is plenty of action in the book though not at the expense of character development as L.E. Modesitt, Jr. has written another exciting action adventure in his Recluce Universe.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted December 20, 2004

Summary

Ordermaster is the 13th book in the Saga of Recluce and the direct sequel to Wellspring of Chaos. The cooper Kharl has no sooner taken possession of the estate bestowed upon him by Lord Ghrant of Austra for his aid in quelling the revolt of Ghrant's dispossessed brother, when he is summoned back to the capital. Hagen, his friend the lord-chancellor, needs help in dealing with rebellious nobles. After a bloody campaign, in which Kharl discovers and is forced to use even more deadly order magery, civil order is restored and Ghrant's throne firmly secured. But Kharl is now a famous and feared public figure, the Lord's Mage, and his notoriety makes him uncomfortable. To his surprise, Kharl is soon called upon again by Lords Ghrant and Hagen, this time to return to his homeland of Nordla as envoy, because Nordla has become the next target of Hamorian expansion. Back in his hometown of Brysta, he discovers that his old enemy Egen is engaged in a plot with the Hamorians to take the throne from his father and open Nordla to the enemy. Kharl has to find a solution, for the sake of both the land of his birth and his adopted new country.