The Magic of Recluce

The Magic of Recluce
by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
501 pages

Lerris is a teenager struggling with boredom and unanswered questions.  He lives in a land of order, known as Recluce, where these faults are considered unacceptable.  Lerris is sent to the outside world on a "dangergeld" in order to determine who he really is and what he really wants.  If he can prove himself, he may return to the ordered world of Recluce.  If he can't, then he will never be allowed to return to his home, and will be forced to live out his days in the chaotic world outside of Recluce.  Of course, there's a strong possibility he will be killed before he's even ready to make that decision.  Will chaos or order win in the end?

Overall, this is a good coming of age story, and Lerris is a very relatable protagonist.  The battle between chaos and order and their extremes is a good overall theme for this novel; however, this is a book that you almost have to read multiple times to fully understand.