Colors of Chaos by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

This was the most beautiful book I personally have ever read. The depth and involvement in it is overwhelming.
I was feeling very tied to this book even after I finished it. I would think back and want to read it over and over again. This book IS kind of slow-paced, but I don't mind that at all, and it gets the reader very involved into the world that it creates. Discussing politics, balance, people's every-day lives, and history. There is actually a book written inside this book and the previous (The White Order). It's called The Manual at The Guild of Fairhaven. It gives brief overviews of what happened thousands of years back. I would advise that one start with The White Order, but either stand alone as beautiful work. I also believe that once you read The White Order you will want to go out and get The Colors of Chaos.

A new breed of fantasy. Where most authors of the genre have taken the idea of fantasy to the aspects of monsters and wizards who can do anything, Modesitt has gone the other direction, delving into a world based on a balance of forces, order and chaos, he ignites (in a different aspect), the theory of "Without evil, there can be no good".

If you are searching for an action-packed novel full of all-out battles, with one on one combat on every other page, this is not the book for you. (Go read something by Salvatore instead!) But if you are a fan of fantasy in a realistic aspect (if that can be said about fantasy) this entire series is for you.

Colours of Chaos I recommend, if you are one of those people who questions "how" something happens. Actually, I suggest you read the entire saga if you are one of those people. That is what makes the books appealing, the fact that why and how everything happens are explained. For those of you who like having to read between the lines, you shall not be dissappointed. While the major plot is made obvious, the methods in which the main character uses to achieve his goals are very subtle and will keep one guessing "why" did he do that until the end.

All and all, I recommend Colours of Chaos to anyone who wants a book of believable characters and magic and who doesn't mind thinking about what they are reading.

This book was captivating. I have never encountered such a brilliant piece of work. L. E. Modesitt's books in the Saga of Recluse keeps on getting better and better. Each book seems to overshadow the previous. Yet this book stands out among the rest. In this book Modesitt switches to focus on a mage from the opposite side of his others. Chaos. Chaos was seen as "evil" when viewed through the eyes of order. In this book we see that it is not true. Cerryl is a complex character who values morals more than power. The action in this book does not allow one to put it down for an instant and the characters are intriguing. To watch Cerryl grow and conquer the evil that seemed to give chaos the appearance of being evil was invigorating. The balance between order and chaos is not like the fantasy in other books. Modesitt brings a new twist with different characters discovering this balance and their powers for themselves. This book (and the White Order) show Cerryl's life from a youth and how he moved on toward his destiny. The Colors of Chaos is a classic that will be perpetually praised by and inspire countless fantasy fans and writers.