From Publishers Weekly
In this fourth tale set in Modesitt's universe, where good and evil, chaos and order, are in perpetual conflict, a young wizard reluctantly finds that his destiny is to strike a balance, but at considerable personal cost. Sometime well after the events in The Magic Engineer and before The Magic of Recluce, order engineer Justen, a junior in his guild, volunteers for a force sent by Recluce to aid the matriarchy of Sarronnyn, under attack by the White Wizards of Fairhaven in their move to extend the rule of chaos. The vastly outnumbered armies of order nearly succeed in holding back the conquerors, mostly due to Justen's development of chaos-destroying weapons and the efforts of his brother Gunnar, a powerful Air Wizard who marshals the weather as a formidable weapon and unleashes flash floods. But treason fells the defenders, and Justen is separated from his cohorts and ends up wandering in the deserts of Candar. Rescued by the druid Dayala, he is taken to her people in Naclos, where he learns about living in perfect harmony with nature, and about his fearsome destiny to curtail the savage war between order and chaos. Although at times his villains seem a touch unsophisticated and even simpleminded for the evil they perpetrate, Modesitt creates a deeper and more intricate world with each volume. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
When the White Wizards of Fairhaven unleash their chaos-borne powers against the forces of order while laying siege to the land of Sarronyn, the order-bound Black Wizards of Recluce enter the battle on the side of the defenders. Justen, a young Black Engineer, discovers that the only sure road to victory over chaos involves breaching the gap between chaos and order-an action both forbidden and dangerous. In this latest addition to the Recluce saga, Modesitt (The Magic Engineer, LJ 3/15/94) fills another gap in this history of a world's ongoing struggle to balance opposing forces. The author's ability to concentrate on the personal lives of the characters as well as their involvement in world-shaking decisions gives depth and believability to a unique fantasy environment. A strong choice for most fantasy collections.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The fourth volume of Modesitt's saga about the fantasy world of Recluce falls chronologically between The Magic Engineer and The Magic of Recluce (1991) and most closely resembles the former. In it, a young Black Engineer is called on to oppose a formidable coalition of White Wizards that is threatening to overrun the last bastion of order in Recluce. Defeated and driven into exile, he has to call on all available magic as well as appropriate technology to ensure even his own survival, let alone the remotest chance of the victory of order. Modesitt's elaborate and intelligent working out of a system of magic and a system of technology parallel to it is becoming more the life-blood of the Recluce books with every new volume. Pacing continues to be slow, but as before, Modesitt gives us a new twist on the theme of chaos versus order, which is one of the reasons his saga continues to gain in popularity. Roland Green


Review
"In this fourth tale set in Modesitt's universe, where good and evil, chaos and order, are in perpetual conflict, a young wizard finds that his destiny is to strike a balance, but at considerable personal cost." --Publishers Weekly



Review
"In this fourth tale set in Modesitt's universe, where good and evil, chaos and order, are in perpetual conflict, a young wizard finds that his destiny is to strike a balance, but at considerable personal cost." --Publishers Weekly



Book Description
The saga of Recluce, launched in The Magic of Recluce and continuing in The Towers of the Sunset and The Magic Engineer reaches a new climax in The Order War. "Modesitt has created an exceptionally vivid world," says L. Sprague de Camp, "so concretely visualized as to give the impression that Modesitt himself must have dwelt there." Publishers Weekly says, "Modesitt creates a complex world bgased on a plausible system of magic and peopled with engaging and realistic characters."

Set after the events of The Magic Engineer (and prior to The Magic of Recluce) The Order War illuminates great figures and major events in the historic war between order and chaos that is the central focus of the saga of Recluce.

The deadly White Wizards of Fairhaven, wielding the forces of chaos, have completed their great highway through the Westhorns and now threatened the ancient matriarchy of Sarronnyn, the last bastion of order in Candar. The ruler of Sarronnyn appeals to the Black order wizards of Recluce for help.

Justen - a young Black Engineer in the city of Nylan - joins the relief force. Despite their success in destroying more than half the White armies, Sarronnyn falls to the White Wizards, and Justen is chased into the most inhospitable desert in Candar. These trials are but the beginning, for the White Wizards have all Candar in their grasp. Justen must fight both Recluce and Fairhaven, as well as the highest powers of order and the forbidden technology to harness chaos itself in his efforts to halt the conquest of the chaos wizards.

The Order War is the fourth book of the saga of Recluce.



About the Author
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., is the author of the popular fantasies of the Recluce, Spellsinger and Corean series as well as numerous science fiction novels. He lives with his wife, a lyric soprano, in Cedar City, Utah.

ANNOTATION

In this new tale in the bestselling Recluce saga, Justen, a young Black engineer, is chased into the most inhospitable desert after battling the White Wizards. Now Justen must fight both Recluce and Fairhaven, as well as the highest powers of order and forbidden technology. "Engaging and realistic characters."--Publishers Weekly.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The saga of Recluce, launched in The Magic of Recluce and continuing in The Towers of the Sunset and The Magic Engineer reaches a new climax in The Order War. "Modesitt has created an exceptionally vivid world," says L. Sprague de Camp, "so concretely visualized as to give the impression that Modesitt himself must have dwelt there." Publishers Weekly says, "Modesitt creates a complex world bgased on a plausible system of magic and peopled with engaging and realistic characters."

Set after the events of The Magic Engineer (and prior to The Magic of Recluce) The Order War illuminates great figures and major events in the historic war between order and chaos that is the central focus of the saga of Recluce.

The deadly White Wizards of Fairhaven, wielding the forces of chaos, have completed their great highway through the Westhorns and now threatened the ancient matriarchy of Sarronnyn, the last bastion of order in Candar. The ruler of Sarronnyn appeals to the Black order wizards of Recluce for help.

Justen - a young Black Engineer in the city of Nylan - joins the relief force. Despite their success in destroying more than half the White armies, Sarronnyn falls to the White Wizards, and Justen is chased into the most inhospitable desert in Candar. These trials are but the beginning, for the White Wizards have all Candar in their grasp. Justen must fight both Recluce and Fairhaven, as well as the highest powers of order and the forbidden technology to harness chaos itself in his efforts to halt the conquest of the chaos wizards.

The Order War is the fourth book of the saga of Recluce.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this fourth tale set in Modesitt's universe, where good and evil, chaos and order, are in perpetual conflict, a young wizard reluctantly finds that his destiny is to strike a balance, but at considerable personal cost. Sometime well after the events in The Magic Engineer and before The Magic of Recluce, order engineer Justen, a junior in his guild, volunteers for a force sent by Recluce to aid the matriarchy of Sarronnyn, under attack by the White Wizards of Fairhaven in their move to extend the rule of chaos. The vastly outnumbered armies of order nearly succeed in holding back the conquerors, mostly due to Justen's development of chaos-destroying weapons and the efforts of his brother Gunnar, a powerful Air Wizard who marshals the weather as a formidable weapon and unleashes flash floods. But treason fells the defenders, and Justen is separated from his cohorts and ends up wandering in the deserts of Candar. Rescued by the druid Dayala, he is taken to her people in Naclos, where he learns about living in perfect harmony with nature, and about his fearsome destiny to curtail the savage war between order and chaos. Although at times his villains seem a touch unsophisticated and even simpleminded for the evil they perpetrate, Modesitt creates a deeper and more intricate world with each volume. (Jan.)

Library Journal

When the White Wizards of Fairhaven unleash their chaos-borne powers against the forces of order while laying siege to the land of Sarronyn, the order-bound Black Wizards of Recluce enter the battle on the side of the defenders. Justen, a young Black Engineer, discovers that the only sure road to victory over chaos involves breaching the gap between chaos and order-an action both forbidden and dangerous. In this latest addition to the Recluce saga, Modesitt (The Magic Engineer, LJ 3/15/94) fills another gap in this history of a world's ongoing struggle to balance opposing forces. The author's ability to concentrate on the personal lives of the characters as well as their involvement in world-shaking decisions gives depth and believability to a unique fantasy environment. A strong choice for most fantasy collections.

BookList - Roland Green

The fourth volume of Modesitt's saga about the fantasy world of Recluce falls chronologically between "The Magic Engineer" and "The Magic of Recluce" (1991) and most closely resembles the former. In it, a young Black Engineer is called on to oppose a formidable coalition of White Wizards that is threatening to overrun the last bastion of order in Recluce. Defeated and driven into exile, he has to call on all available magic as well as appropriate technology to ensure even his own survival, let alone the remotest chance of the victory of order. Modesitt's elaborate and intelligent working out of a system of magic and a system of technology parallel to it is becoming more the life-blood of the Recluce books with every new volume. Pacing continues to be slow, but as before, Modesitt gives us a new twist on the theme of chaos versus order, which is one of the reasons his saga continues to gain in popularity.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING