"The fabulous fourth Corean Chronicle is an exciting complex work"

Limited talent though highly ranked, Alector Colonel Dainyl travels to Dramur to learn what is going on in this outpost where recent troubles have occurred. At the same time Cadmian Captain Mykel leads a force sent to Dramur to stop a local rebellion before unrest leads to fighting.

Their missions converge as decisions by superiors lead to war. When Mykel, a native, shows indications that he has talent perhaps more than Dainyl, the Alector has a new concern. On Corus, only the Alector, a race from a dead planet, is allowed to have the talent and live. Does he kill the captain whom he needs to stop the rebellion that has exploded because of incompetence on the part of Dainyl's leaders?

The fabulous fourth Corean Chronicle is an exciting complex (and at times convoluted) fantasy that fans of the series will relish; newcomers should start at book one (see LEGACIES, DARKNESSES, and SCEPTERS) to fully appreciate the intricacies of the multiple story lines. The magic seems real due to the fully developed key two players and a strong support cast. The epic fantasy focuses on the potential implosion of a civilization though it might simply metaphases into wider civil rights. Read the saga to learn which way talented L.E. Modesitt, Jr. takes his audience.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 17, 2005