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Imager: The First Book of the Imager Portfolio
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Review
Praise for "Imager
""Meticulous worldbuilding . . . . The world is fascinating, and the Imagers themselves are extraordinary."
"--Romantic Times BOOKreviews
""Modesitt has drawn a world intriguing enough by itself and thoroughly integrated the magic of imaging into it. The characters are real people, learning and struggling and dealing with their families. Rivetingly beginning a new series, the Imager Portfolio, this is thoroughly absorbing, whetting the appetite for the next installment."
"--Booklist
""The prolific Modesitt kicks off a new fantasy series that boasts an early modern setting--think Victorian times without the pollution. . . . Modesitt's capacity to wring new surprises from stock ideas remains undiminished."
"--Kirkus Reviews
""Excelling in his characterizations and the verisimilitude of his world building, the author of the long-standing "Recluce" novels and the "Spellsong Cycle" crafts an intriguing series opener about the magic of creation and perception."
--"Library Journal
""Readers will look to future installments for the derring-do promised by Rhenn's martial studies and frequent mentions of stormy international politics."
"--Publishers Weekly"
Product Description
Although Rhennthyl is the son of a leading wool merchant in L'Excelsis, the capital of Solidar, the most powerful nation on Terahnar, he has spent years becoming a journeyman artist and is skilled and diligent enough to be considered for the status of master artisan - in another two years. Then, in a single moment, his entire life is transformed when his master patron is killed in a flash fire, and Rhenn discovers he is an imager - one of the few in the entire world of Terahnar who can visualize things and make them real. He must leave his family and join the Collegium of Imagisle. Imagers live separately from the rest of society because of their abilities (they can do accidental magic even while asleep), and because they are both feared and vulnerable. In this new life, Rhenn discovers that all too many of the 'truths' he knew were nothing of the sort. Every day brings a new threat to his life. He makes a powerful enemy while righting a wrong, and begins to learn to do magic in secret. "Imager" is the innovative and enchanting opening of an involving new fantasy story.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book - the writing style, without being too simple, is easy to read and as a result, the book (plot and characters) are easy to get into, remember and have thoughts/feelings about.
There are some times when I wonder if the Author really wanted to write food reviews as, if one thing has been done to death here, it's the over the top descriptions of meals (over the top both descriptively and numerically).
That aside, I think plot wise, the book is paced pretty well and, whilst it's not a heart-pounding thriller style, there is enough intrigue and enough sub-plots to maintain interest.
Perhaps the main character is a little bit too infallible at times, his girlfriend (i won't name for sake of spoilage) a little too perfect and the politicking is a little too simple, but I really don't think these things have detracted from the book at all.
There is enough detail in lives of different characters without being overly detailed, a well imagined [sorry] world and a slightly different take on the wizards/wands style of fantasy writing.
I have ordered the second book which is usually a recommendation in itself - i'm sure you won't be disappointed!
There are some times when I wonder if the Author really wanted to write food reviews as, if one thing has been done to death here, it's the over the top descriptions of meals (over the top both descriptively and numerically).
That aside, I think plot wise, the book is paced pretty well and, whilst it's not a heart-pounding thriller style, there is enough intrigue and enough sub-plots to maintain interest.
Perhaps the main character is a little bit too infallible at times, his girlfriend (i won't name for sake of spoilage) a little too perfect and the politicking is a little too simple, but I really don't think these things have detracted from the book at all.
There is enough detail in lives of different characters without being overly detailed, a well imagined [sorry] world and a slightly different take on the wizards/wands style of fantasy writing.
I have ordered the second book which is usually a recommendation in itself - i'm sure you won't be disappointed!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
A new fantasy series by an author as established and prolific as Modesitt is always worth checking out - and this one is certainly worth the effort.
This is an intriguing, layered world that closely resembles the Renaissance period in its technology and cut-throat attitude to other states and religions. Politically, Solidar is powerful but isolated by its religious belief that Naming a deity is well on the way to blasphemy - but the dealbreaker is Solidar's tolerance of imagers. As Rhenn learns more during his highly specialised training, he discovers that Solidar's supremacy comes at a very high price...
Modesitt's strength is establishing textured, believable worlds where his characters can discuss and critique their experiences of different forms of governance. This is grown up fantasy - where notions of tolerance versus enlightened dictatorship, colliding religious views, and the consequences of power and its abuse can all be examined.
However this book isn't a philosophical musing on politics and religion - it's a fantasy adventure about a powerful magic-user who is coming to terms with what he is capable of doing. And once more, Modesitt gives us a demonstration of how to construct a magical system. Imagers don't live in the city of L'Excelsis - it's too dangerous. They cannot even have a normal married life, because when they fall asleep, they cannot control their dreams... I love the world. I love the way that Modesitt builds the layers and complexity throughout the book without compromising the pace and narrative tension.
Any niggles? Well, we access the whole book in Rhenn's first person viewpoint, and while he is a well defined character, I would have preferred to have seen a bit more angst when he finally walks away from the ashes of his career as an artist. His initial time at the Collegium seemed a bit too smooth. I also feel that he deals with some of the events with great coolness and resourcefulness - and I'd like to see him flounder, showing more vulnerability and horror at the situations with which he is having to cope. Having said that, set against the overall quality of this first book in the series, it isn't a major flaw - and I'm sure Modesitt has plenty of nasty experiences in store for Rhenn in future. One thing I do know - I'll be hunting down the next book in the series to find out exactly what happened, next. If you enjoy intelligent, well written high fantasy with interesting things to say about the human condition in amongst all the mayhem and magic, then I'd advise you to look out a copy of Imager - you're in for a treat.
9/10
This is an intriguing, layered world that closely resembles the Renaissance period in its technology and cut-throat attitude to other states and religions. Politically, Solidar is powerful but isolated by its religious belief that Naming a deity is well on the way to blasphemy - but the dealbreaker is Solidar's tolerance of imagers. As Rhenn learns more during his highly specialised training, he discovers that Solidar's supremacy comes at a very high price...
Modesitt's strength is establishing textured, believable worlds where his characters can discuss and critique their experiences of different forms of governance. This is grown up fantasy - where notions of tolerance versus enlightened dictatorship, colliding religious views, and the consequences of power and its abuse can all be examined.
However this book isn't a philosophical musing on politics and religion - it's a fantasy adventure about a powerful magic-user who is coming to terms with what he is capable of doing. And once more, Modesitt gives us a demonstration of how to construct a magical system. Imagers don't live in the city of L'Excelsis - it's too dangerous. They cannot even have a normal married life, because when they fall asleep, they cannot control their dreams... I love the world. I love the way that Modesitt builds the layers and complexity throughout the book without compromising the pace and narrative tension.
Any niggles? Well, we access the whole book in Rhenn's first person viewpoint, and while he is a well defined character, I would have preferred to have seen a bit more angst when he finally walks away from the ashes of his career as an artist. His initial time at the Collegium seemed a bit too smooth. I also feel that he deals with some of the events with great coolness and resourcefulness - and I'd like to see him flounder, showing more vulnerability and horror at the situations with which he is having to cope. Having said that, set against the overall quality of this first book in the series, it isn't a major flaw - and I'm sure Modesitt has plenty of nasty experiences in store for Rhenn in future. One thing I do know - I'll be hunting down the next book in the series to find out exactly what happened, next. If you enjoy intelligent, well written high fantasy with interesting things to say about the human condition in amongst all the mayhem and magic, then I'd advise you to look out a copy of Imager - you're in for a treat.
9/10
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The first 50 pages/10 chapters left me thinking that I was reading something cobbled together from chapter outlines. It was bad. There was no flow. I am happy to say though that by the end of the book I bought the next two. That was a surprise to me.
I still think the author is short-changing the reader at the beginning though - that bit was dire.
I still think the author is short-changing the reader at the beginning though - that bit was dire.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Imager
This was up to Modesitt usual standard.The start of a new series and I can not wait for the second in the series.
Published 18 months ago by Ruth
Victorian Recluse?
This is set in a Victorian technology world dominated by guilds and tradition. Rhennthyl is the son of a wool merchant and reluctant to enter the family business is apprenticed to... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Derek Nash
Another Modesitt epic
"Imager" has many of the elements of typical Modesitt sagas - a hero who has some self-doubt, a strong female character with her own special attributes . . . Read more
Published on 10 April 2010 by D. A. Bailes
David Gemmell
To the other reviewer: I'd imagine Gemmell's work has indeed fallen in quality, considering he doesn't write anymore on account of him being dead since last year.
Published on 11 July 2009 by Mr. Patrick J. Ward
An other masterpiece
After writing the Recluce series, the corean chonicles and several others, both Fantasy and Science Fiction, LE Modesitt shows with Imager once more the briliance and intelligence... Read more
Published on 6 July 2009 by J. J. Ten Wolde
Ornate portrait of nothing
It sounds like the ultimate deus ex machina: hey, look at me, I can make and teleport stuff with the power of my mind!
Fortunately, L.E. Modesitt Jr. Read more
Fortunately, L.E. Modesitt Jr. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by E. A Solinas
Yay, new series by my favourite author
Wonderful and almost reminiscent of the barbed coil. However, the magical method is still similar to the Recluse series albeit with no order/chaos relevance in it. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2009 by Ahmad Abas
wonderfull
I must first admit to being a fan of the Author,how he maintains such a high level of writing is beyond me. Read more
Published on 21 April 2009 by Conan the Librarian
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