Saturday, November 5, 2011

Scholar-L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Scholar


L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Tor, Nov 8 2011, $27.99

ISBN: 9780765329554



Three of the five nations compete for control of the Lydar continent. The only land abutting all the other countries, Bovaria is considered the most feral. Antiago and Telaryn remain on alert expecting their bellicose neighbor to attack while Khel feels the mountains protect it from invasion. Ironically a decade ago Telaryn annexed its northern neighbor Tilbor.



Telaryn ruler Bhayar wants to bring home some of the occupied force from Tilbor to deeply on the western border against Bovaria. His prime advisor Quaeryt the scholar says they lack information as to the situation to the north. He persuades his liege to let him go to Tilbor to learn on the ground how safe it would be to do a partial withdrawal. The trek proves dangerous on land and at sea but the imager survives. In Tilbor, he is stunned to find out that Governor Rescalyn has deployed a highly trained army to allegedly put down the rebellion of High Holders. Having doubts about the veracity of the governor, Quaeryt investigates only to find his life in peril.



The fourth Imager Portfolio political fantasy (see Imager, Imager's Challenge and Imager's Intrigue) is an enjoyable tale that takes place centuries before the previous trilogy. The hero is a terrific complex individual as he takes his scholarly pursuits seriously and is a do-gooder but when he believes necessary he can be a cold blooded assassin. Although at times overwritten with details that add realism to nation building but slows down the pace, series fans will appreciate what happened before.



Harriet Klausner

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