Still amazingly formulaic, but both compelling and comfortable nonetheless ( )

Younger Mages to the fore!

Modisett just keeps dishing it out. A whole new group of young mages rising in Fairhaven—Black and White. Both the daughter and niece of the original founders, Beltur, Black Mage and Head Councilor of Fairhaven and Jessyla, Black Mage, Councilor and chief healer of Fairhaven, are coming into their own, just in time. Their daughter Kaeryla  is an apprentice healer and Black Mage. Their niece Taelya, is a White Mage, and guard undercaptain. We see most of the story through Taelya’s eyes.
The Prefect of Gallos and Koralya the acting Duchess of Montgren seem to have joined forces, and ultimately Fairhaven just might be the target. The town is being tested. The very foundation of the soul of Fairhaven is once again under attack. The political deceit is convoluted. Fairhaven troops and mages are sent to support Montgren action against Hydlen. Taelya and Kaeryla are part of that cohort, that levy of troops sent. And here things become very interesting. Taelya and Kaeryla learn to work together and encourage two other less powerful mages to do the same. Order and Chaos working together. As they discover their strengths Taelya comes to understand that, “too much order in the wrong places isn’t good for whites [and] too much chaos in the wrong places isn’t good for blacks.”
In many ways it’s the same old story of greed, corruption and power and those who are different being targeted. All the tricks of magery that makes this series so fascinating are employed, and some newer variants.
Equally as absorbing is the treatment of the female mages in a male dominated military organisation.
In the consideration of moves and countermoves as battle plans are made I enjoyed seeing Taelya’s thoughtfulness being balanced by Kaeryla’s softer healer side, although neither flinches from doing what they have to.
I was alive to Modisett’s descriptive prose of the scenery. Like at Middle Pass, “ both sides of the [pass] still glistened white, albeit with a greenish-purple tinge in the last glimmers of light.” I am so seeing paintings by Canadian painter Lawrence Harris in my mind’s eye.
Once again the attention to food is a welcome addition to the rounding out of the societies depicted.
Finally, I must say I love the cover by Marc Simonetti which starkly interprets the Montgren Gorge Bridge.
Another stellar contribution to the Recluce arc.

A MacMillan-Tor Forge ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change ( )