/lit/ - Literature

>>19723974
Imager, Imager Portfolio #1 - L.E. Modesitt (2009)

This is a social science fantasy magic school spy thriller. That isn't entirely accurate, though it's close enough to get a general idea. Modesitt has a contentious writing style and there are many valid criticisms about what he does with his books and series, but I don't have any interest in arguing the matter. This is the sort of book, as his are in general, where you read it for how it makes you feel. If that doesn't work for you, then I advise against reading his works. There isn't really much of a plot, yet it isn't literary in any way. Imager is written in first person, but there's minimal inner life explored and emotional experiences are put aside for a cool, reasoned, rationality. The characters are exemplified by a couple personal traits at best. So what is there then? The first 15% covers the protagonist's life from 12-24 years old. The other 85% covers his daily life over a relatively small span of time.

The setting is something like a Florentine Republic government with French cultural references that has early Victorian Era technology set on an Australia-like continent, at least in terms of size. They have steam powered trains, various sorts of guns, warships, but not automobiles or electricity. For the most part terms are altered as to not be the same as their real world counterparts, which depending on your preferences regarding neologisms, may be annoying, but I didn't mind. Each chapter starts with an epigraph, usually a sentence long. I found them to generally be moderately amusing. There's a romance subplot, but it doesn't progress beyond kissing, of which there's a lot. She doesn't state that pre-marital sex is unacceptable, but it's very close to that. The school has a lot of lecturing about various subjects, which range from comparative religion and government, to economics, sociology, medicine, philosophy, and much else.

The magic system is inherent, compensatory, not quite equivalent exchange, and at will. The imagers imagine stuff and it happens, within the limitations of their personal power and the vague rules that govern reality. By the end of the book it remains relatively limited in practice, but its theoretical usage is almost unlimited. The briefly mentioned stories of the past, which are apparently covered by later books in this series, note its previous genocidal and unrestrained usage. It's stated that a full third of the imagers die during the course of their training. The more talented they are, the more likely they're to die early. Imagination can be a very dangerous power in the wrong minds. This is all treated rather matter-of-factly. The institution itself is like a cross between an university, an intelligence agency, and a government official protection service.

Does this book deserve its rating?
I don't know and I don't care.
Overly questioning it may ruin my enjoyment.
I'd rather not do that.
Rating: 4/5