Imager's Challenge: The Second Book of the Imager Portfolio (original 2009; edition 2009)

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As with the first book in the series, LE Modesitt has become too verbose for his own good. Why do I need to know every time the main character eats what he is eating, and what fictitious wine is best paired with it?

Things take far too long to develop and in a cliched way as well. At this stage, you want to finish the series but desperately wish that Modesitt would write tight and forget the BS that he has laced the tale with.

Now his works are becoming all rather the same. Meet Hero. He has failed (remember in Recluce almost every hero is cast out to go find themselves) He must choose a new path that he will master and become the best at. This journey is slow and sure, steady, but in the end rewarding.

It is what we are seeing here. Perhaps it is time to think of a new formula.

Slightly better than average. It would be much better if it was 2/3rds the length which would have been easily done. More Action. Less BS.

This series will be a never again because of all the pages that you rush over, that have little value to the tale, the plot, the theme. ( )

2.75 stars

This new series by Modesitt is just not striking a chord with me, not like the Recluse Saga or the Spellsong Cycle did. I kept reading because I wanted to discover what happened, but not because I cared about Rhenn or any of the other characters. In that respect, it read more like a mystery rather than a character driven fantasy novel. And I still don't care for the magic system, which masquerades as psychic powers rather than something wondrous.

If Modesitt set out to make a social or political statement with this series, I'm not sure he's succeeding. Since the story is told in the first person (through Rhenn's eyes only), I'm only getting Rhenn's perception of the world and how his life is affected (negatively as far as he's concerned according to his monologues). Of course, he relates his conversations and debates with his peers, colleagues and mentors (often didactically for the latter). Some of the paradigms I can agree with or at least relate to.

I'm not feeling compelled to continue this series after reading this second installment. ( )

Whilst I enjoyed this book I found too many echoes of previous Modesitt novels and the pace rather slow. ( )

Rhenn ( )