Subject: _The Magic Engineer_, by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

From: [email-masked] (Sean Eric Fagan)
Date: 19 Mar 94 20:20:35 GMT

_Engineer_ is the third book by Modesitt about the isle of Recluce, a haven
of black (Order) magicians.  As with the previous two books (_The Magic
of Recluce_ and _The Towers of Sunset_), it is a very enjoyable book --
better in many ways, in fact, because Modesitt is becoming a better writer.

_Recluce_ concerned a young Order magician being forced to go out on
a dangergeld -- a temporary exile from Recluce while he learned who and what
he was.  _Towers_ concerned the founding of Recluce.  _Engineer_ takes place
several centuries (around five, I think) after _Towers_ ends, and concerns
a young Order magician (not very strong, in his own opinion) who wants to
*build* things.  *Machines*, which run on steam, or other forms of power.
The problem is that any machine, being complex, invites Chaos, which is
exactly what the founders of Recluce didn't want.  More, engines, such as
steam engines, *must* use Chaos (the burning of wood or coal to heat the
steam if a form of Chaos), and, again, the masters of Recluce cannot have
that.

So our hero, and two companions, are sent off on what is obviously a
dangergeld, even if it is not called that (apparantly, that term does not
come into play for a couple more centuries), while they discover who and
what they are, and whether or not they can fit into Recluce.

For a lot of reasons, I kept being reminded of Card's _Prentice Alvin_
while I was reading this -- our hero becomes a smith, and is a magician;
those are two obvious examples.  But where Card has been taking many books,
and telling a religious story, Modesitt is just telling a story, and tells
it very well (although, like _Towers_, it is told in the present tense,
which takes some getting used to).

The book also took me somewhat by surprise, in that it didn't cover
something I thought it would.  Happilly, this means that Modesitt probably
has at least one moe Recluce story to tell, which would be between this
one and _Recluce_.  I hope so, and I am almost too impatient to wait.

I recently read _Five Hundred Years After_, and my comment about it was that,
although it was a good story, it was not one I was likely to read agin.
_Engineer_ is, however.  I enjoyed reading it, and time just flew by
(well, it probably helped that I was at home, sick :)).  I have absolutely
no qualms about having bought it in hardcover, and can easily recommend it.
Even if you've never read any of the other Recluce books by Modesitt, it
would be a worthwhile read (although I do strongly recommend getting the
other two books, as well; _Recluce_ is a "funner" story than _Towers_,
but they're both quite good).

If I were to rate the book on a -5 to +5 scale, I'd give it a +4.  Go
get it.

%T _The Magic Engineer_
%A L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
%G ISBN 0-312-85570-2
%O Hardcover, $23.95 US
%P 510 pp