For example: 'what people will pay for has no relation to its true value' 'hope is always an expectation beyond anticipated reality' 'be careful of any situation that you have to reason through logically, because if you have to work to reason it out, your probably missing something.' 'lack of praise and recognition can turn them into twisted souls' 'life is always about power. There are dozens of heavy-weight statements in most chapters. The book is all about Rhenn's education, which gives Modesitt time to indulge in his favourite literary pastime of philosophizing to his captive reader. 'Imager' is the story of Rhennthyl, a young man who displays a powerful magical ability after a false dawn as a portraitist he is taken under the wing of a harsh mentor, Master Dichartyn, at the Imager Isle where he spends his time either training physically or in the Imager arts, learning about the geopolitics of both his position and the country of Solidar, or wooing the exotic Seliora (vaguely possessed of farsight). The magical theme of 'Imager' draws on the 'natural ability to create magic' like his other worlds but this one manifests through images - the creation of and skill in portraying such images. Indeed it was, but somehow the lead character of Rhennthyl just doesn't match the likeability of Recluce's Lerris or Cerryl nor is he as strong as Corus' Alucius. I expected more of the same picking up this new series (albeit nearly a decade after this first book was penned). They are heavy on characters with a strong sense of morality each book is ponderous with action, onerous on observation, careful on justification. The Recluce Saga, The Spellsong Saga, and The Corean Chronicles have always stood out as unique in their style of fantasy writing compared to contemporary authors like Feist, Eddings, Wurts, Donaldson etc.… The reason for this is that each book has been strongly imbued with social and political philosophy.

Le modesitt imager series