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Summary
Summary
Arms-Commander takes place ten years after the end of The Chaos Balance and tells the story of the legendary Saryn. The keep of Westwind, in the cold mountainous heights called the Roof of the World, is facing attack by the adjoining land of Gallos. Arthanos, son and heir to the ailing Prefect of Gallos, wishes to destroy Westwind because the idea of a land where women rule is total anathema to him.Saryn, Arms-Commander of Westwind, is dispatched to a neighboring land, Lornth, to seek support against the Gallosians. In the background, the trading council of Suthya is secretly and informally allied with Gallos against Westwind and begins to bribe lord-holders in Lornth to foment rebellion and civil war. They hope to create such turmoil in Lornth that the weakened land will fall to Suthya. But Zeldyan, regent of Lornth, has problems in her family. To secure Zeldyan's aid, Saryn must pledge her personal support-and any Westwind guard forces she can raise-to the defense of Zeldyan and her son. The fate of four lands, including Westwind, rests on Saryn's actions.
Author Notes
Leland Exton Modesitt, Jr., was born on October 19, 1943 in Denver to Leland Exton and Nancy Lila Modesitt. He was educated at Williams College and earned a graduate degree from the University of Denver. Modesitt's career has included stints as a navy lieutenant, a market research analyst, and a real estate sales associate. He has also held various positions within the U.S. government as a legislative assistant and as director of several agencies. In the early 1980s, he was a lecturer in science fiction writing at Georgetown University.
After graduation, Modesitt began to write, but he did not have a novel published until he was 39 years old. He believes that a writer must "simultaneously entertain, educate and inspire... [failing any one of these goals], the book will fall flat." A part-time writer, he produces an average of one book per year, but he would eventually like to write full-time. The underlying themes of many of his science fiction novels are drawn from his work in government work and involve the various aspects of power and how it changes the people and the structure of government. Usually, his protagonist is an average individual with hero potential. Much of his "Forever Hero Trilogy"--Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight--is based on his experiences working with the Environmental Protection Agency. He made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2012 with his title Princeps.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Modesitt's 16th Recluce novel (after 2008's Mage-Guard of Hamor) continues the story of Westwind, an all-female enclave in a feudalistic world. Westwind's chauvinistic, abusive neighbors were soundly defeated 10 years earlier (as detailed in 1997's The Chaos Balance), but the community attracts so many refugees that the nearby men invade again. The women's fighting ability and talent for psi-magic lead to the quick annihilation of the men's army, after which the Marshal of Westwind sends her Arms-Commander, Saryn, into a nearby country to prevent civil war. Saryn soon becomes bolder, developing new skills with political maneuvering as she ponders the social roles of men and women. The novel moves slowly but develops considerable momentum as Saryn works through her dilemmas in conversations and on the battlefield. Despite many protestations of emotion, there's little personal passion, but the complex plot will keep readers engaged. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
The sixteenth Recluce novel tells the story of Saryn, last of the original Winterlance crew to leave the Roof of the World and founder of what became the tyranny of Sarronyn. The heir of Gallos is threatening Westwind, the women's keep on the Roof of the World. Saryn, Westwind's arms-commander, goes to former Westwind enemy Lornth to negotiate assistance. But the council of Suthya, Gallos' secret ally, is fomenting rebellion against Lornth's regency, so the price of aid is Saryn's personal pledge to support regent Zeldyan against the rebels. Furnishing more information about the history of Candar, Arms-Commander will gratify series followers and please series newcomers, too.--Murray, Frieda Copyright 2009 Booklist
Library Journal Review
When Arthanos, heir to the ailing Prefect of Gallos, leads an army against the land of Westwind seeking to destroy the woman-ruled realm at the Roof of the World, Saryn, Westwind's Arms-Commander, travels to the neighboring country of Lornth to seek aid. Set ten years after The Chaos Balance, the latest entry in Modesitt's popular Recluce series (Mage-Guard of Hamor) lets politics and magic take the forefront. Modesitt brings to life the everyday details of his characters even as he immerses them in large-scale actions that demand heroic decisions. VERDICT The world of the Recluce novels presents a novel approach to magic and power while its inhabitants project a comfortable familiarity. For series fans. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.