Kharl is the best cooper
in Brysta, one of the major cities in Nordla, and his life has been as
ordered and dependable as his barrels. His trouble begins when he saves
a neighbor's daughter from the violent advances of two upper-class men.
Then he rescues an actual rape victim he finds unconscious in an alley,
a blackstaffer -- a young expatriate mage -- from Recluce, and that
makes his wife very uneasy. The culprit in both cases turns out to have
been Egen, the cruel and corrupt son of the local ruler. When the
blackstaffer is mysteriously murdered in Kharl's cooperage, Kharl is
jailed, tried, and flogged, and in a shocking turnaround released--and
his consort executed for the murder, which she did not commit. Egen
again. Kharl ends up on the run, with just a handful of coins and a few
clothes, but he also takes the slain woman's black staff and her book,
The Basis of Order, which explains the principles of its power.
The diligent cooper is about to learn a new, very different skill.
Wellspring of Chaos is the twelfth book in the Recluce Saga and
takes place roughly 60 years after the close of The Order War (Recluce
#4). It is Modesitt at the top of his form, returning to his most famous
fantasy world, yet does not require previous knowledge of Recluce to be
enjoyed. It's publication is sure to be one of the fantasy milestones of
the year. |