Cyador's Heirs

Cyador's Heirs -- the new novel in L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s New York Times bestselling Saga of Recluce.

Decades after the fall of Cyador, its survivors have reestablished themselves in Cigoerne, a fertile country coveted by hostile neighbors in less hospitable lands. Young Lerial, the second son of Duke Kiedron, lives in the shadow of his older brother Lephi, the heir to their father's realm. Lerial’s future seems preordained: He will one day command his brother’s forces in defense of Cigoerne, serving at his older sibling’s pleasure, and no more.

But when Lerial is sent abroad to be fostered by Major Altyrn to learn the skills and wisdom he will need to fulfill his future duties, he begins a journey into a much larger world that brings out his true potential. Lerial has talents that few, as yet, suspect: He is one of those rare beings who can harness both Order and Chaos, the competing natural forces that shape the world and define the magic that exists within it. And as war finally engulfs the fringes of Cigoerne, Lerial’s growing mastery of Order and Chaos is tested to its limits, and his own. 

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The seventeenth novel in the saga of Recluce is set about a generation after the fall of Cyador. We learn that the last empress of Cyador got the surviving lancers and magi on the last fireship just before Cyad was destroyed. They settled in Hamor, and, using Cyadoran technology, have established the fertile enclave of Cigoerne, which is greatly coveted by their less fortunate neighbors. The story is told from the point of view of Lerial, the second son of the ruler of Cigoerne. Lerial is expected to lead his brother’s forces one day, and this story is his coming-of-age as he works to strengthen his skills in arms, command, and the handling of order and chaos, and faces his first battle. This is not one of Modesitt’s best novels in the saga, but it does show us a time and place about which not much has been written. It is certainly an encouragement to read Heritage of Cyador, the next book in the series. --Frieda Murray

L. E. MODESITT, JR., is the bestselling author of more than sixty novels encompassing two science fiction series and three fantasy series, including the Saga of Recluce. He lives in Cedar City, Utah.