I used to read L.E. Modesitt's books and my favorite series is still the "Spellsinger Cycle", but I got tired of Recluse after the seventh or eighth book. Now I have come full circle and I loved NATURAL ORDERMAGE and MAGE-GUARD OF HAMOR. His ability to draw you into a story and keep you reading page after page is wonderful. I did not get bored. I was always looking for what happens next. This is a wonderful read and I am going to order a few of the one's I missed. My biggest peeve is long series, but he seems to have been able to solve this problem by telling the stories of numerous characters from different ages of Recluse.

Rahl is still in Hamor, but his heart is in Recluse with Deybri, although he knows he will never fit in Nylan again. He and Taryl, a former Triad, are in the middle of the fighting between the Emperor and his brother. There are traitors in their midst and Rahl is still trying to learn to use his powers as a natural Ordermage. The story moves quickly and gives you a sense of the horror of war.

The building relationships that Rahl has with Taryl and Drakeyt, the Captain of the third company, are wonderful and the growth of Rahl from a youngster with potential, but no experience, is great to watch.

Modesitt is one of the few writers who can keep you interested and entertained for 600 pages. I really enjoyed this book, it can stand alone, but I encourage you to read NATURAL ORDERMAGE first. This is one of the reasons I like his books so much, they are stand alone good. I really hate a book that leaves you hanging out there for another year. Do not miss this one.

This book is a great addition to the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion to the natural ordermage. We'll worth the price of purchase. $20AUD dollars cheaper than nearest competitor - in Australia, as of August 2008, it would cost $50AUD to ship to me. Great keep up the wonderful service.

Great..

Mage-Guard of Hamor is ok as a sequel to Natural Ordermage, but Modesitt falls into the habit of revisiting plot from pre-exisiting novels. If you haven't read any Recluce novels, it would be best to start with the Colors series and Cyador series. Mage-Guard is an ok read but a little too recycled for my taste.

Mage-Guard of Hamor (2008) is the fifteenth fantasy novel in the Recluce Saga, following Natural Ordermage. In the previous volume, Rahl finally put together his observations within Swartheld and deduced the plot by the Jeranyi pirates. He initiated an explosion and fire to take out the pirates at the Nylan warehouses and then returned to the station looking for his captain. The undercaptain found him first and tried to kill him, but Rahl outfought the officer and left his ashes in an alley.

Rahl headed for the piers. He used the undercaptain's name to initiate countermeasures and then headed off to the Jeranyi vessels tied along the piers. He used a light shield to board one ship and arranged an explosion in a gun room. He barely survived the results.

In this novel, Rahl returns to Recluce as a junior mage-guard and envoy for the Emperor of Hamor. He is to bear witness for the events in Swartheld. He also hopes to see Deybri again.

Naturally, Taryl is the senior envoy. As a former Triad, he has the prestige and experience to head a diplomatic mission. But Rahl is the crucial person since he witnessed the whole thing and is also known to the magistrates in Nylan.

Deybri is a mage healer in Nylan. Rahl just can't get her off his mind. They manage to meet after the magistrates finish interrogating him. She still doesn't want to go to Hamor, but his presence seems to satisfy some deep feelings.

In this story, after the voyage to Nylan, Taryl and Rahl are assigned to the land forces going to Merowey to put down the rebellion. Taryl is given the rank of Mage-guard Overcommander, the equivalent of a junior Marshall. Rahl has the equivalent rank of Captain in the Imperial land forces.

Taryl and Rahl journey to Cigoerne, the Hamor capital. There Rahl meets the Emperor and his Empress and is very impressed, especially by the Empress. Rahl knows that there is some history between Taryl and the Empress, but doesn't know anything else about the relationship.

Rahl also meets the Triads and the senior commanders within the High Command. He is not greatly impressed with these personages. Only Jubyl -- the Emperor's Triad -- seems not to be overly ambitious.

The supreme commander of the Imperial expedition going to Merowey was supposed to have been Marshall Charynat, but he had an untimely and unfortunate death. Now the High Command has appointed Marshall Bryna as commander of the expedition. Rahl meets Bryna in Cigoerne and is not impressed with his competence or attitude.

In fact, none of the senior commanders in the land forces are very impressive. Apparently the sea forces are more important to Hamor and the land forces are not as attractive a career for those who want to rise to the top. Marshall Charynat had been one of the better of the land force commanders and probably had been assassinated because of his competence.

When they join the main camp in Kysha, Rahl is attached to the Third Mounted Heavy Infantry company. Rahl meets the company commander -- Captain Drakeyt -- in Kysha and grows to like him in their subsequent maneuvers. The Third company scouts ahead of the army as they travel toward Nubyat.

Overcommander Taryl imposes a difficult training schedule on Rahl. He is expected to excel in both arms and magery while others are wasting time and having fun. Rahl is still experiencing self-pity and Taryl warns him to get over it.

This tale shows Rahl growing out of his self-centered attitude and becoming more mature. Gradually he sees the faults in others and thereby realizes that he shares such faults. Part of this process is the exchange of letters between Deybri and himself. Expressing his thoughts and feelings helps him understand himself and others. Of course, Overcommander Taryl also helps him comprehend his shortcomings.

The story arrives at a satisfactory conclusion, but hopefully we will hear more about Rahl and his career. At the finale, Rahl has been exposed to the highest levels of Hamor society, but many other problems remain. He will surely undergo more difficulties as a Mage-guard of Hamor.

Highly recommended for Modesitt fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of various magics, political intrigue, and a touch of romance. For those who have not read any of the previous works, the initial volume in this series is The Magic of Recluce.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The book is the second in the life of Rahl, a natural ordermage. It takes up where the book by that name leaves off, with Rahl and his mentor returning to Recluce. I would say more, but it is difficult to without going deep into the story line.

The entire book is very well written, with excellent characterization of the diffferent actors on the stage. Characters that you wish would grow-up, do... Some that you wish to cut untimely from the book, are not. The story drew me in and captivated my attention for 2-3 hours, then gently set me back down reality.

An uncommon bit of enjoyment I am glad to recommend to anyone.

Did you ever want to know what it is like to be packed off and sent to a far off land to fight? Will this book will give you a flavor of that.

It covers a whole range of issues that are commonly found in such a situation:

- The loneliness of being in a strange culture
- The sepration from a loved one and the difficulty of communication
- Corrupt officialdom
- Uncaring superior officers who are more concerned about CYA than anything else.
- The sacrifice and heroics that are never praised, never rewarded
- Always being found lacking your in performace no matter how good you are
- Local villagers who never know anythiong about the enemy or where they are located
- The constant casualties of minor ambushes and traps by an elusive enemy
- Constant political machinations by the executive branch of government who may have other motives than winning the war
- Facing an uber draft board that will make a life changing decision for you regardless of what you have to say about it

Does any of this sound familiar? Well it should because the author flew a a US Navy H2 helicopter during the Vietnam war.
http://wapedia.mobi/en/SH-2_Seasprite

What makes it good is the fantasy setting where you can suspend your disbelief and go with the flow for the entertainment of a good story instead of having to deal with politically correct (or incorrect per your viewpoint as the case may be) views of Vietnam, Iraq or even Afghanistan.

I also appreciate the author's outlook on craftsmanship, something I find sadly lacking in the real word. Anyway, it's fantasy, enjoy!

The second of a three book series, this volume continues the story of a mage expelled from Recluce because he does not learn in the usual way. While there are some answers to questions raised in the first book, there are enough unanswered to make sure there is a third volume. While "good" overcomes its opposite, as with many of his books Modesit does not truly take sides. Love conquers all, magic is unbeatable, and back stories are hinted at throughout this edition. It is a satisfying read but leaves you wondering at main unanswered questions about power and position in the universe of Recluce.

L. E. Modesitt just gets better with every book he writes. Great action scenes, and likable characters make for great reading. Read it in one sitting, because I could not put it down.

Mage-Guard of Hamor is one of Modesitt's best works to date. He continues Rahl's story in a believable and enthralling fashion & his supporting characters have great depth and their own enticing backstories and intriguing motivations. The exact nature of the final conflict and its resolution were reasonably difficult to predict until just before the events. Even then, the resolution had a few interesting surprises and the epilogue offers its own little twist.

The main character Rahl is believably flawed and slowly matures over the course of the book. Rahl's maturation is done in a great variety of ways that are gradual enough to feel realistic yet quick enough to keep pacing steady and lend urgency to the plot. While there are certainly surface similarities between Rahl and Lorn from Modesitt's Cyador duology, I found that the vastly different political structure, Rahl's status as an immigrant, the nature of the campaign and the presence of a guiding mentor lead to a completely different story.

Rahl's mentor Taryl is one of my favorite supporting characters in any Recluse book. I found his backstory to be fascinating and the way he keeps Rahl (and the reader) somewhat in the dark will make you want to keep turning pages very late into the night! Partially because of the greater attention and detail on a mentor than other Recluce books, Mage-Guard is longer than typical of Modesitt, but I found that the pages were well filled.

Modesitt also reveals much about Hamorian customs, food, and general life in the book. He depicts a variety of cities and rural areas within Hamor as well as the seat of government itself. He blends this quite well with the military campaign, never stopping the flow of things to gush Hamorian history but doling out enough to give a lush backdrop to the events of Mage-Guard.

It amazes me that this series keeps going. And we are still learning more about the world of Recluce. I enjoyed the detail and planning evident in how the Hamor Empire runs and the political implications to every decision made by powerful people.

Reading "Natural Ordermage" before this book is advisable, but not necessary as the characters refer to the events of the previous book frequently and with enough detail to keep you up to speed.

I like books by L.E. Modesitt, but after having read 25+ of his novels there really is a lot of plot repetition. A brief synopsis (spoiler alert). Picking up where Natural Ordermage leaves off, Rahl and his mentor Taryl head off on a diplomatic mission to Recluce, deliver their message, Rahl has dinner with his love interest, and then Rahl and Taryl return to Hamor. Back in Hamor Rahl and Taryl head to the capitol, meet the emperor, various powers that be, and head out to Meronwy to join the military campaign against the Emperor's rebellious brother. Rahl is assigned to a mounted infantry company to scout the path of the army. Many skirmishes and battles ensue leading to a final confrontation.

So, for most of the 600 pages we get Rahl growing up, trying to understand the machinations of other characters before it's too late, and fighting in a war. Typical plot line for modesitt done by him many times. Entertaining read, lots of action, light and frothy.