Book Reviews > Fiction > Fantasy

Scion of Cyador by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Several reviewers at Amazon.com think Scion of Cyador by L.E. Modesitt Jr. is nothing more than a retelling of every other story in Modesitt's Saga of Recluce series. I've read the other books in the saga, and though I've loved them all, there is a thread of sameness running through many of the books. However, I've enjoyed the series regardless, and I've always found something exciting and new in each book to keep me hooked.

Scion of Cyador picks up where Magi'i of Cyador left off. Lorn is still on leave in Cyad, visiting his family and his consort Ryalth. Not long after the story starts, Lorn is sent to an outpost in Biehl where he has to deal with a corrupt enumerator and many barbarian raids. He manages to cope with the problems he faces in his usual straightforward manner and is soon sent on to another post where he is under the command of the devious Majer Dettaur (from Magi'i of Cyador).

Magi'i of Cyador set the tone, but Scion of Cyador takes the story of Lorn and Ryalth to another level. With political intrigue, deeper emotion, and plenty of action sequences, this book brought me into Lorn's world, where I was certain he was being tested for a destiny I could feel coming but never quite figured out until the end. Unlike a few of the previous books