I read and enjoyed the first two books in the second Imager series, Scholar and Princeps, both of which had Scholar Quaeryt working to build a world where imagers could survive and prosper.  Both books were fun to read, Quaeryt was interesting and ruler Bhayer’s problems in building a prosperous country were a worthy backdrop.

The book after Princeps, Imager’s Battalion, was a bit boring with pages upon pages of Quaeryt marching with the army, Quaeryt uncovering more about Rholyn, Quaeryt finding treachery within and without Bhayer’s army, Quaeryt helping other imagers develop their skills, Quaeryt proving over and over how important, skilled and humble a hero can be.

The series starts to fall apart in Antiagon Fire, which follows Imager’s Battalion, with the same problems of slow plot, endless army marches, hard-to-visualize terrain and setting, and our over-the-top hero bringing one more country under Bhayer’s governance.  Antiagon Fire includes a semi-supernatural sequence that adds little and feels out of place.

Rex Regis, the last book featuring Quaeryt (thank heavens), is more of the same, except even less action, no character development, and pages upon pages of humble head shaking as he sees his imagers rebuilding the city, pages of platitudes about force, power and greed’s corruption and endless comments about the lack of sexual equality in Modesitt’s quasi-medieval cultures.

The plot centers around army leaders Myskyl and Deucalon, both of whom Quaeryt distrusts and fears are treacherous.  Neither has reported to Bhayer and Quaeryt hears that Myskyl has collected and withheld tarrifs.

Sure enough, Myskyl is plotting with one of the High Holders to either take over from Bhayer or to carve out an independent realm in the north.  Bhayer sends Quaeryt to find out the facts.  Typical of the prior books, Quaeryt does more than investigate, he resolves the problem.  Several plotters and imagers die.

Just for grins I opened Rex Regis at random and pulled these comments:

“The land is everything to the High Holders and golds are everything to the factors…”
“…there’s more there than meets the eye in a first reading.  Just as there is with you, dearest.”
“There is always treachery, especially by those who are powerful, but for whom no amount of wealth and position will suffice…and seek forgetfulness in the elixir of power.”

Modesitt had used these same themes of greed, power, force, gender discrimination in most of his books.  His books are more effective and much more enjoyable when he uses a lighter touch, letting us readers see the problems vs. shoving them at us every single page.

Rex Regis is spoiled by the sheer length relative to anything actually happening or to character development, the vision sequence with Erion and the fact that Quaeryt is much less likeable as he gets ever more certain yet humble.   The book is at least twice as long as it needs to be.

On the good side Modesitt wraps up Quaeryt’s and Vaelora’s story and shows how the early imagers worked with Bhayer and the others to forge a new country.  Madness in Solidar, picks up the imager story a couple hundred years later, with all new characters (and a few less platitudes).

I’ve read every book Modesitt wrote and own many, but the deterioration in this Imager series and the similar plodding in his latest Recluce novels, decided me against purchasing any of his future books.  I’ll get them from the library.