The Elysium Commission - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Although much of his output is fantasy, L.E. Modesitt, Jr. delivers a science fiction novel every other year or so. The Elysium Commission is the most recent of these I own and it is already eight years old. It's been on the to read stack for over six years now. I came across it while digging for Terry Pratchett's Small Gods that suffered a similar faith. Like many of Modesitt's science fiction novels, The Elysium Commission is a standalone, although it does have many links with his other works. The novel will not surprise readers familiar with Modesitt's work. It is, as always, solidly written, well plotted and fairly fast paced but it does rely on views Modesitt expressed in many other novels as well.

Blaine Donne has settled into a career as private investigator after serving in the military. He does moderately well and manages to get enough clients to pay for the considerable expenses of his job and his more altruistic side activities. One day, he gets a request to look into the connection between a wealthy entertainment mogul and a scientist. It seems straightforward but is soon becomes clear that Donne looking into the matter is not appreciated by the object of his investigation. After the first attempt on his life, he is caught up in a series of events that unveils a conspiracy large enough to threaten the very existence of the planet.

The novel is set in a fairly distant future on a planet colonized by humans. The city most of the action takes place in is modeled after Paris and many of the names of places, institutions and people have a French flavour, often referring to some of the French literary greats. I couldn't help wondering how much of this novel was inspired by Hugo's Les Misérables for instance. The dynamic between Donne and a police officer named Javerr reminded me of Valjean and Javert and the name seems obvious. Names are big thing in this novel. Modesitt refers to a lot of science fiction and fantasy writers in the novel as well. There are references to Robert Jordan, David Harwell (Modesitt's editor at Tor), Gene Wolfe and Paula Volsky, among others.

The planet appears to be unified but there are several factions in human occupied space with different outlooks on society. One of them is a faction based on the Mormons that shows up in a number of other books. Although the balance of power between these factions is only vaguely discussed, it does limit the effectiveness of the  planetary government and it's space to maneuver. Something that has far-reaching consequences for the plot of the novel.

Modesitt's approach to the novel is familiar. Donne's career path is similar to that of Daryn Alwyn in The Octagonal Raven (2001) and Jonat DeVrai in Flash (2004) for instance. He strikes out for himself after a career in the military. He keeps in shape, keeps up his piloting skills and has a more or less similar outlook on society. Much of what Donne thinks of society, and what other characters contribute over the course of the novel can be linked back to the Paradigms of Power, a set of principles that govern society in his novel Adiamante (1996). One of the factions mentioned in the book may also refer to a faction in his novel The Parafaith War (1996). I haven't read that one myself and he changed the spelling a bit bit so I might be wrong there. The Parafaith War and it's 2003 sequel The Ethos Effect (which I have read) do share the same outlook on society, ethics and the use of power though. Although none of these novels appear to be set in the same future, Modesitt's vision of socety is very consistent across these novels and often voiced by Exton Land, the philosopher Modesitt named after himself.

Where Donne does deviate from other characters is his activities as knight of the shadows. He walks the streets of the city exposing criminals after their intent is clear but before they can do physical harm. In a high-tech society is true identity cannot remain hidden of course and in the later stages it becomes a fact used to put pressure on him. So a dark knight looking to foil a plot by a super rich megalomaniac. If you put it that way, the plot sound downright simplistic. Entertaining perhaps, but not something that you'd remember long after finishing it. Modesitt once stated that he thinks a book should first entertain the reader or whatever else you try to do with it will not matter as the reader will abandon it. This plot creates opportunities for entertainment but it is the deeper layer that makes of breaks the novel in my opinion.

What I liked about it, is that the dark night can't just take a gadget out of his pocket and neutralize the villain. He is hemmed in on all sides by the need to comply with laws and regulations, by public appearance and by his own moral standards. These limitations don't just work for him, it is something everyone, from the highest level of government to the lowest level in law enforcement have to deal with. Not everything they do is legal, but is has to appear legal. Not even the villain, who is not above assassination, bribing or mass murder if it suits his purpose, escapes these restrictions. It is one of the examples of the internal logic of Modesitt's worlds that can be found throughput his novels. As a result, no actions without consequence, excellence cannot be achieved without hard work and no victory is without a price. It's this rigorous consistency that allows the plot to attain more depth than my dark knight versus megalomaniac villain comment suggests.

I do think that Modesitt leans on what he has done before a bit too much in this novel. Not so much in terms of characters (an often heard criticism of his work) but thematically. Over the course of many novels he's laid out a structure of ethics, views on society and human nature that is so central to his work that it is almost misleading to consider The Elysium Commission a standalone story. The author builds on the foundations he has laid in earlier books. They are so interlinked in a way that you will get more out of this novel if you have read more of his work. If you like Modesitt's writing you can't really go wrong with this one, but if you are looking for a good entry point into his oeuvre I'd look elsewhere. 

Book Details
Title: The Elysium Commission
Author: L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 356
Year: 2008
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-7653-5654-3
First published: 2007

The Magic of Recluce - L.E. Modesitt Jr.

In May 1991 the first novel in the Recluce series appeared. Almost twenty years later, the series is still going strong. A sixteenth novel, Arms-Commander, appeared in January of this year. I don't think even the author himself suspected that the series would grow to such epic proportions. Although the series totals sixteen books at the moment, there are never more than two on any one main character and the entire series spans more than eighteen centuries. The Magic of Recluce may be the first book published, it is the second to last in chronological order. I've reread this novel a number of times now and every time I do, I wonder how on earth I missed so much on the previous reading. For first time readers it is probably not an easy book. Well worth the effort though.

The main character in the novel is Lerris, a young man from the island nation of Recluce. The nation is bases on the principles of order magic and has mostly sealed itself off from the outside world. Very few outsiders ever get to see the interior of the island, nor do many people from Recluce venture abroad. Life is ordered, moderately prosperous and generally peaceful in Recluce. According to Lerris, it is also dreadfully boring. His parents try to convince Lerris of the need for this, to Lerris, stifling level of order but despite their best efforts and a valiant attempt by his uncle Sardit, who tries to teach Lerris the basics of woodcraft, he can't make himself apply to anything with the expected level of dedication. He is simply not interested. To the people running Recluce, the bored and magically talented Lerris represents a threat to their ordered society.

Recluce has a tidy solution for such people. They are exiled from the island. After minimal training in the ways of the wider world, instruction in handling weapons and learning the basics of foreign languages, Lerris and a number of other men and women are sent to the continent of Candar, the most chaotic continent on the world of Recluce. There, Lerris starts the search for the reasons for his exile and the answers that he feels have been withheld from him. Time is pressing however, a strong White wizard is plotting the gain influence in Candar and an inexperienced but order/chaos talented youngster could be a useful tool or a formidable threat.

As epic fantasy goes, The Magic of Recluce is an unusual book. It does not posses some of the elements that draw large numbers of readers to fantasy. It's not a very fast paced novel, Modesitt takes his time to build his world and the character of Lerris before he is set loose on Candar to find his own way. It doesn't include too many action scenes, grand acts of heroism, fantastic sentient creatures or military action either. It does feature a complex system of magic, but one where the consequences of using magic have to be carefully considered to avoid catastrophe later on and where the magic used by the 'bad guy' is not inherently wicked. It's mostly a bildungsroman, I guess we don't escape fantasy tropes altogether, with Lerris gaining a deeper understanding of the world, himself en the consequences of his actions. Despite being bored, Lerris is not given to rash actions. He's a rather thoughtful man, taking his time to consider a problem unless forced into action.

For me, the system of magic, relying on a balance between order and chaos, is one of the major attractions of this novel. Modesitt explores it in more detail in later books but the basics of his order/chaos based system are laid down in this book. There are plenty hints in this book of what happens when the effect on the balance is not considered by wielders of order or chaos magic. Many of such failure to heed the balance have shaped the past of Recluce will show up in other novels in the series. The second book featuring Lerris, the Death of Chaos (the fifth book in publication order and the last chronologically) is perhaps the ultimate example of what irresponsible use of order/chaos magic can lead to. The author is clearly showing the reader that we see things to the order-oriented characters and that they present only part of the story.

The Magic of Recluce contains a lot of details that Modesitt would explore in later books. The character Justen, whom Lerris meets in Candar, will be the main character in The Order War. Cassius, one of Lerris' teachers will star in one of the three short stories in the Recluce setting Modesitt wrote to date. The author of the book The Basis of Order, which guides Lerris for part of his journey, will appear in The Magic Engineer and Rahl, the hero in Natural Ordermage and Mage-Guard of Hamor is mentioned briefly (if not by name). It makes this novel a great book to reread when you have a few more novels in this series under your belt. Worldbuilding is definitely another strength of the book and the series as a whole.

The book does require an unusual amount of patience form the reader. As I mentioned before the story takes of slowly and a lot of the time, Lerris is involved in fairly mundane activities such as woodworking, having a meal, travelling etc. Modesitt uses these activities to outline what is going on in the world around Lerris but the relevance of much of what he sees is not always apparent right away. Some readers will consider these scenes repetitive or unnecessary. As a result the moments when Lerris is forced into action can seem sudden and out of the blue, even if they make sense upon reflection. Personally the supposed repetitiveness of certain scenes in these books never bothered me in any individual book in the series. Do remember that there is sixteen of them however, reading them all back to back is probably not a good idea.

The Magic of Recluce is not the most accessible of novels, especially considering the fact that it is the start of a large fantasy series. Modesitt probably didn't expect to write this many books in the series, but in this first novel he is clearly building something larger than this first novel. The magic system and geopolitical situation in the world of Recluce is still a bit underdeveloped in this novel and a lot of hints the author drops make more sense when the reader has read a few more books in the series. I liked it better the second time I read it. Patience is the word. Give it a go, consider your initial response to what you are reading carefully and in the end The Magic of Recluce will prove a rewarding read.

Book Details
Title: The Magic of Recluce
Author: L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 501
Year: 2002
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1-85723-201-1
First published: 1991

Arms-Commander - L.E. Modesitt Jr.

I've been taking chances on quite a few books I have read recently, authors I wasn't familiar with, a couple of books outside what I consider my comfort zone and one of two I got on impulse. The results weren't bad but once in a while you have to allow yourself some comfort food and Arms-Commander seemed a good choice for that. It is the sixteenth Recluce book and I have read and reread the previous fifteen so I more or less knew what I was getting into. On the other hand Arms-Commander is the first book in the series where the main character is female and it is the third book in that particular era of the world of Recluce, something he has only done once before, so there was some reason to believe this might not be a very typical Recluce book. For those of you who like their fantasy familiar there is no need to worry. Arms-Commander is a solid entry in the series but will not surprise those who have read the other Recluce books.

The story is set about a decade after Nylan and Ayrlyn left Westwind and toppled Cyador for the nation of Lorth as described in The Chaos Balance, making it the fifth book in the Recluce chronology at the moment. Things have not changed all that much for Westwind in the mean time. It has grown, preparations are well under way to build the keep that is described in The Towers of the Sunset, but it is still a nation surrounded by hostility and constantly bordering on the edge of starvation. Only Marshal Ryba's foresight and their superior military skills keep Westwind from being overrun. Not that past experiences have stopped the neighbouring nations from trying of course. Ryba has foreseen a new attempt by the nation of Gallos to try and conquer them. Preventing them from succeeding will be costly and it also stresses the need for better relations with their neighbours.

Westwind Arms-Commander Saryn will be instrumental in in defeating the Galosians as well as removing the constant treat of invasion by their neighbours. An uneasy peace between the regency of Lornth and Westwind has lasted ever since the defeat of their Overlord in Fall of Angels but now it looks like the regency is about to be replaced by a group of lords in favour of continuing hostilities. It is time for another angel of darkness to descend from the Roof of the World. Saryn is sent to support the Regency with a small force of Westwind guards. A task that seems hopeless from the start.

The first thing I noticed about the book is that Tor has chosen another artist to do the cover. All of the previous Recluce covers have been done by Darrell K. Sweet. Sweet has done a number of decent covers but more than a few of them are crappy and the Recluce books have not escaped those. The covers of The Death of Chaos and The Order War are high on my list of worst fantasy covers ever. I like this one, having people on the cover with anatomically correct proportions is refreshing.

As I've come to expect from books in this series the worldbuilding is very good. The arrival of the Angels some twelve years before this story opens is truly a pivotal moment in the history of Recluce. As a direct result the nations of Westwind and Saronnyn rise and the empire of Cyador falls. It also seems to have had an impact on Hamor, although we only get hints about that. It establishes the legend and attempts to alleviate the effects of centuries of male dominance and repression of women. In a way, Nylan's actions even lead to the founding of the nation of Recluce. There are lots of ties between the stories set in this era and the rest of the series and Modesitt adds a few in Arms-Commander. He hints at the deeds of Kerial, Lorn's son, sometime after the end of Scion of Cyador for instance. Although one might wonder if the author does not tire of this particular creation he certainly creates enough openings for new books. I haven't seen any hints that there are plans for another Recluce book but I would not be surprised if Modesitt wrote a couple in the next few years. *spoiler* Probably not on Saryn though. He tends to end the story once someone attains the throne. *spoiler*

On top of the various links to other books the author creates a very detailed picture of the nation of Lornth, its complex politics and the reasons for its current political instability. The unforeseen consequences of Nylan's actions set the stage for this novel for a large part. It puts Saryn in a position where her intervention can only make matters worse. Saryn is not a politician but she learns a thing or two along the way. The circumstances force her to grow where she would not have sought out such development herself.

The main theme, perhaps even more so than in the Nylan books, is sexism. Much of Saryn's actions and frustrations are driven by her encounters with a culture that restricts women to being housewives and mothers and frequently turns a blind eye to abuse. Often Saryn is faces with a refusal of her opponents to belief her prowess in battle, even in face of clear evidence, which generally leads to crushing defeats at her hands. Personally I thought this aspect of the book was a bit overdone. Given the devastating consequences of opposing the Angels I can see people get more devious but keeping up the direct assaults is madness.

Saryn's opinions and actions do not differ that greatly from any of the other, male, Order-oriented characters. I was a bit disappointed in that aspect of the story. Being female, she needs to prove herself even more that Nylan had to do to establish is authority in Lornth but other than that you probably could have wrote he where is says she. Saryn does use her order/chaos abilities differently from other main characters. I go the impression she seems to think of them more in terms of electromagnetic currents. She never develops her talents as far as some the the other main characters but her approach leads to some nasty tricks on the battle field.

I was looking for comfort food and that is pretty much what I got. Arms-Commander contains most of the elements that makes Recluce books enjoyable in my opinion. The change to a female point of view does not really alter the way Modesitt goes about telling his story. For those of you who think Recluce books are repetitive there is probably no point in reading Arms-Commander, for fans of the series this book is a solid entry in the Recluce saga. I thought it was neither the best nor the worst Recluce book. Perhaps the female point of view did not quite make the difference I'd hoped it would but I enjoyed it anyway.

Edit 20-01-2010: A blog entry by the author relating to this review can be found here.

Book Details
Title: Arms-Commander
Author: L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 527
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2381-1
First published: 2010

Scion of Cyador - L.E. Modesitt Jr.

The second part of my recent random Recluce reread. Scion of Cyador is the direct sequel to Magi'i of Cyador and chronologically the earliest books in the series. I read Magi'i of Cyador a while ago and I couldn't suppress the urge to read the sequel any longer. This book is a little less focused on battles and a bit more on politics, especially the second half anyway. Modesitt is very good at letting the reader see all the little signs of change and what they add up to. It's one of the longer Recluce books but well worth the read.

After his excretions containing the Accursed Forest Lorn is sent to the port city of Biehl. Generally considered a quiet outpost where chances of getting involved in skirmishes with the barbarians are minimal. By now Lorn is an accomplished battlefield commander but this assignment requires a completely new set of skills. Soon after he arrives the corruption of the local enumerators becomes clear and Lorn is forced to act. As it turns out, this is but the first of a series of pre-emptive strikes necessary for Lorn to survive. Corruption and barbarians are not Lorn's only enemies though, what is happening on the home front may have an even greater impact.

In the capital Cyad in the mean time, the situation is slowly becoming unstable. The ageing emperor has still not appointed an heir, the Magi are loosing the the chaos driven tools that are their basis of power (and that of the entire nation) one after another, the merchants are clamouring for change and lower taxes and the military is worried about the prospect of facing increasing numbers of barbarians without the Chaos charged firelances the Magi'i will no longer be able to provide. Change is coming to Cyad and everybody is manoeuvring to be in the best position to take advantage of it.

The loss of irreplaceable technology brought from the stars by the Demons of Light is a major driving force in the novel. Modesitt employed this idea before in Fall of Angels (before in publication order, Fall of Angels is set some four centuries after Lorn's story), where the crew of a crashed spaceship has to survive in a hostile environment with less and less hi-tech resources. This time the technology supports an empire however. The course of an empire is harder to change than that of a handful of marines. Modesitt describes all the forces that have a hand in this turning point in Recluce history in detail. It's a change that has the seeds of the empire's eventual demise in it but on the other hand prolongs it's life by centuries. I think these two books have the most intricate plot of all the Recluce novels.

While I enjoyed the intricate plot of this novel a lot, Lorn's character development seems to stagnate a bit. In the previous book he changes from a talented but slightly rebellious boy to a noted battlefield commander, in this book Lorn learns a thing or two but his basic view on Cyador doesn't change. Based on his experiences he thinks that Cyador is the only state that has been able provide the consistent level of prosperity for it's citizens he is used to. He is not blind to his nation's flaws, but likes the alternative less. This strikes me as bit short-sighted of him, his experiences outside Cyador are very limited and most of his reasoning is still done from his position in the upper classes of society. The order of society is something he does not really question in this book, only the relative strengths of the dominating parties.

Scion of Cyador is the last of four books from the Chaos perspective. Modesitt definitely gave the series a new start by this change in perspective and it resulted in four of the best books in the series. He has since returned to the Order perspective for the next four books, five after the publication of Arms-Commander in January 2010. While I am curious about Arms-Commander, I would very much like the see the author try his hand at another Chaos oriented book. I think we have seen enough of the young, or in the case of Kharl, not so young, exile and budding Ordermage for now. It will be interesting to see if he can steer the series in a new direction in the next book.

The concluding volume in Lorn's story may be a bit too heavy on political intrigue to please some. On the other hand, it is not short on military action and Cyad is just a wonderful setting. The feeling of an ageing and decaying empire permeates the entire story. With both intricate plotting and clever manoeuvring as well as decisive action Modesitt has written a well balanced book. I like the Cerryl books (The White Order and Colors of Chaos) a shade better but this book is among the best in the series.

Book Details
Title: Scion of Cyador
Author: L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 720
Year: 2001
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 0-812-579126-2
First published: 2000

Magi'i of Cyador - L.E. Modesitt Jr.

The nice things about Modesitt's long-running Recluce series is that once you are familiar with the time line you can reread them in pretty much any order you like. There are never more than two book with the same main character. Mind you, for the first read publication order is still the best order to read them as Modesitt refines his order/chaos based system of magic over time. Once in a while I reread one of these book. I call them random Recluce rereads. All of the early Recluce books are written from the Black, Ordermage side of things. Starting from the 8th book onwards (The White Order) Modesitt changes the series around on the reader and writes four books with a focus on White/Chaos oriented characters. These are some of the most interesting books in my experience. The Magi'i of Cyador is the third book seen from the Chaos perspective, the tenth in publication order and the first in the Recluce chronology.

The main character of Magi'i of Cyador and it's sequel Scion of Cyador is Lorn. When we first meet him Lorn is a young man with a talent for Chaos magic he inherited form his father. Lorn has even more potential than his well-respected father but magic is not his passion. His teachers and his father note this, and while his results are impressive it becomes clear a future with the Magi'i is not going to happen. Lorn has quite a few activities outside the closed Magi'i caste. One of them involves Ryalth a pretty, young, and ambitious woman of Merchanter heritage. Lorn intervenes when she is assaulted and is instantly attracted to her. Gradually he learns there is more to Ryalth than just good looks.

When his father has finally had enough Lorn is sent to officer training with Cyador's Lancers, bringing involvement in Ryalth's mercantile ventures to an abrupt end. It also puts him in a very dangerous position. Several generations earlier a Lancer with Chaos-talent took Cyador's malachite throne and the establishment does not look kindly upon that period in their nation's history. Lancers with magely talents are supposed to die bravely and preferably early on the field of battle. Lorn is faced with the impossible task of surviving assignments with high mortality rates as well as keeping his relationship with Ryalth alive.

As usual the worldbuilding is excellent in this book. Magi'i of Cyador is the first book in the Recluce chronology but it refers to an even earlier, very important event. In Fall of Angels we get to see how the Black Angels, the champions of Order magic, crash on the world of Recluce and found the nation of Westwind. In following book, The Chaos Balance, a book which has close ties to this book, we then learn that their arch-enemies the Rationalists have already visited the place and that the nation of Cyador is a remnant of that. Magi'i of Cyador puts the founding of the nation by the 'firstborn' approximately two centuries before the opening of the book. Many readers have asked for that particular story but as far as I can tell Modesitt has no plans to write it.

I also very much liked the way Cyador and it's politics are described. The nation is run by three powerful groups, the Mages, the Lancers and the Merchants, each indicating their own heritage by a different suffix. This small elite is overseen by the emperor and rules over a large population in what at this time is the most powerful and advanced nation of the world. Much of this power is based on the technology of the first born. It is uses for Chaos powered transport, weapons and above all wards to keep the great forest in check (again a link with The Chaos Balance). This technology is failing and can't be replaced, giving the whole society something of the feel of an empire in decline. This feeling is reinforced by many of the powerful characters clinging to past glory and technological achievements that can no longer be matched or maintained. It's a very well realized setting.

Lorn is not the first military man Modesitt has created in his books and I doubt he will be the last. There are a number of parallels with the story of Alucius, the main character of the first three Corean Chronicles book for instance. Modesitt has been accused of being repetitive on more than one occasion and I must admit, I find the differences in the protagonist's characters minimal at times. I like what Modesitt did with Lorn though. Especially early in the book Lorn is not a nice guy. In fact, he is something of a sneaky bastard most of the time, not shying away from violence or even murder when it suits him. It is a trait he never entirely looses even as the stakes rise throughout the book. Even if Modesitt's characters think of ethics a lot, some of their actions are questionable. The author is always carefully inserts various shades of grey into his stories and in this particular instance he succeeds very well.

Modesitt gave the series a good shake up with the White/Chaos oriented books, something the series needed, I don't think he could have gone on as long as he did by just writing from the Order side of things. In fact, I would not mind if he wrote another White story. This book is among the best in the series and I very much enjoyed this reread. So much so in fact, that I was temped to pick of Scion of Cyador right away. I'll leave that for sometime next month though, there's some other books I'd like to read first. A sixteenth Recluce novel, Arms-Commander, will be published in January next year. It will be set a number of years after The Chaos Balance and feature a female main character. A first for the Recluce series. Some people think the series has gone on long enough but I think I could handle another one.

Book Details
Title: Magi'i of Cyador
Author: L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 544
Year: 2001
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 0-812-57948-8
First published: 2000

The Octagonal Raven - L.E. Modesitt Jr.

His fantasy, in particular the Recluse saga, is a lot more popular but L.E. Modesitt Jr. has also written quite a few science fiction novels. I've read a number of these now and they are usually an all or nothing read for me. Some I enjoyed tremendously (Flash, Adiamante, The Forever Hero), others I will never read again (The Ethos Effect, Archfrom: Beauty). The Octagonal Raven has the unusual distinction of combining these two feelings in one book. I have never come across a book that is so much in need of some serious editing in the first part of the story, yet managing such a thrilling climax that I read the second part of the novel in one sitting.

The main character in The Octagonal Raven is Daryn Alwyn, a man from a privileged family on a far future earth. His father is the future equivalent of a media tycoon and controls one of the largest businesses in the sector. He would like his sons to take an interest in the company. Daryn has other things in mind however. He wants to make his own way in the world, not using the family connections to gain wealth and status. Just about the only place where he can be free of the ties of his family is the Federal interstellar fleet. Daryn signs up for the very though training to become a pilot and passes all tests. After a twenty five year career in the military he retires and sets up his own consultant business.

Daryn makes a decent living that way but suddenly an attempt on his life changes everything. It is soon followed by a second attempt and a successful attempt to kill Daryn's older sister. Daryn inherits her shares in their father's company and is now one of the largest shareholders. Events force him to take an active role in the family business but why anyone would want to kill him is still a mystery. With the sophisticated tools used by his would be assassins there is not much evidence the authorities can use. If Daryn wants to get out of this mess alive, he is going to have to take action himself.

Some people say science fiction novels are not about the future but about the present. There is certainly some truth in that for Modesitt's science fiction. It is always filled with social criticism on US society (although one could argue a lot of it is applicable to other places too). I'm not going to list every item of social criticism Modesitt put in this novel, there is simply too much of it, but in The Octagonal Raven the emphasis is on education. Daryn's society is a deeply divided one. Technology exist to give your children pre-selected genes and thus influence not only health but also physical attributes and intelligence. This procedure is costly and while it is entirely possible for a pair with a modest income to loan the necessary funds, it will put them in severe debt for many years to come. For the rich, the is of course not much of an obstacle. Since more intelligent people tend to be more successful, an elite has developed of 'pre-selects'. A small group of rich people, buying these societal benefits for their children, thus ensuring their family's wealth and standing. It is almost impossible for an 'norm', even an exceptionally gifted one, a person who has not benefited from pre-selection, to penetrate this circle. It's an elite based on ability, but a tyranny none the less.

To make matters worse, society is very much geared to a single type of intelligence referred to as perceptual integrative ability. To get a top education or good position in a company a good score on a test designed to test for this type of intelligence is a necessity. At the opening of the book there are even proposals to make the test mandatory for access to certain levels of education. This again widens the gap between the pre-selected elite and the norm bulk of the population. Tensions are mounting and protests against this move soon turn violent as the norms see their chances of joining the elite dwindle even further. I think the parallel with the current situation in the US educational system is clear. Keep an eye on Modesitt's blog and entries on education, tests and what and how we are teaching students will show up sooner probably than later.

Although the connection is not immediately obvious the situation I described above is at the centre of the problems Daryn encounters when he trying to keep himself alive. It takes him a while to figure this out however. Early on in the book we see Daryn musing over events in the world that don't make sense to him, as well as discuss them with his old history teacher. Exton Land, Modesitt's alter ego (L.E. = Leland Exton) and commentator present in several of his science fiction novel, also makes a brief appearance to add his bit. Modesitt lays a very thorough foundation for his story. Unfortunately this slows down the first of the two parts of the book is divided in considerably. The first part of the novel follows two main story lines. Daryn's earlier years (chapters named fledgling) and more recent events (raven chapters). While the fledgeling chapters give us some insight in Daryn's past and motivation to make his own way in the world, I wonder if we really needed all this attention to his early years. His motivation would have been clear enough without them and when you get right down to it, he has a rather uneventful career as a pilot.

The Raven story line is equally puzzling. Modesitt carefully presents some of the pieces of the puzzle but Daryn clearly doesn't see the whole picture. By the time the attempts on Daryn's life start to make sense we're some 270 pages into the book (out of the 460 in this edition of the novel). Modesitt is taking too long to get his point across here. It may be a point worth listening to, by the time it becomes clear he will have lost a lot of readers. If you make it to the second part of the novel though, the story explodes into action as Daryn uses all his resources to defeat his enemies. As usual in Modesitt's novels the actions of his hero are ethically debatable. I was so impressed with the strong finale of the novel that I stayed up way too late to finish it.

The Octagonal Raven is a book with two faces and a slightly unbalanced feel to it. If you hang in long enough to give the story a read chance it is a very rewarding read. It does have some severe pacing issues however. It is not his best SF novel I have read so far, but it is definitely not in the one read only category either. I guess whether or not you'll enjoy this book depends on how much patience you possess. In the end, I am glad my store of patience sufficed.

Book Details
Title: The Octagonal Raven
Author: L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 460
Year: 2002
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-8125-7008-3
First published: 2001