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Summary
Summary
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., bestselling author of The Mongrel Mage, has a brand new gaslamp political fantasy Isolate .
Book Bub-- The 24 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of Fall 2021
Industrialization. Social unrest. Underground movements. Government corruption and surveillance.
Something is about to give.
Steffan Dekkard is an isolate, one of the small percentage of people who are immune to the projections of empaths. As an isolate, he has been trained as a security specialist and he and his security partner Avraal Ysella, a highly trained empath are employed by Axel Obreduur, a senior Craft Minister and the de facto political strategist of his party.
When a respected Landor Councilor dies of "heart failure" at a social event, because of his political friendship with Obreduur, Dekkard and Ysella find that not only is their employer a target, but so are they, in a covert and deadly struggle for control of the government and economy.
Steffan is about to understand that everything he believed is an illusion.
The Grand Illusion
Isolate
Councilor
Contrarian
Other Series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
The Imager Portfolio
The Corean Chronicles
The Spellsong Cycle
The Ghost Books
The Ecolitan Matter
Author Notes
Leland Exton Modesitt, Jr., was born on October 19, 1943 in Denver to Leland Exton and Nancy Lila Modesitt. He was educated at Williams College and earned a graduate degree from the University of Denver. Modesitt's career has included stints as a navy lieutenant, a market research analyst, and a real estate sales associate. He has also held various positions within the U.S. government as a legislative assistant and as director of several agencies. In the early 1980s, he was a lecturer in science fiction writing at Georgetown University.
After graduation, Modesitt began to write, but he did not have a novel published until he was 39 years old. He believes that a writer must "simultaneously entertain, educate and inspire... [failing any one of these goals], the book will fall flat." A part-time writer, he produces an average of one book per year, but he would eventually like to write full-time. The underlying themes of many of his science fiction novels are drawn from his work in government work and involve the various aspects of power and how it changes the people and the structure of government. Usually, his protagonist is an average individual with hero potential. Much of his "Forever Hero Trilogy"--Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight--is based on his experiences working with the Environmental Protection Agency. He made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2012 with his title Princeps.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Modesitt (the Saga of Recluce series) impresses with the debut volume of his Grand Illusion political fantasy series, which skillfully melds mystery and supernatural elements. In the vividly drawn world of Guldor, empaths--those with the ability to project strong emotions unto others--serve a variety of functions, including acting as muscle and sex workers. Coal is Guldor's main energy source, so the suspected corruption in the awarding of lucrative mining leases to Eastern Ironway causes a major scandal implicating the official responsible, Jhared Kraffeist, Minister of Public Resources. After the director of logistics for Eastern Ironway disappears, a member of Guldor's ruling council dies from a supposed heart attack, and another councilor, Axel Obreduur, is targeted by an empathic attack, Obreduur's security aide, Steffan Dekkard, investigates possible connections between the three events. Dekkard is an isolate, one of the few immune to empathic projections, and his inquiries enable Modesitt to present the intricacies of Guldor's economic and political systems without devolving into heavy exposition. The detailed politics could make for a dry opening salvo, but in Modesitt's capable hands the setup becomes a taut thriller. This superior book only whets the appetite for a sequel. (Oct.)
Booklist Review
Masterfully blending gas lamp fantasy, mystery, and political thriller, Modesitt's latest is vast in scope and rich in detail, proving a captivating start to his Grand Illusion series. In Guldor, where coal is the primary source of energy and trained empaths can influence those around them for personal or professional gain, three opposing political parties vie for control of the Council-led government. Steffan Dekkard, an isolate whose feelings and emotions cannot be sensed or controlled, and Avraal Ysella, a talented empath, are the two-person security team hired to protect a high-ranking minister, Councilor Axel Obreduur. After the pair saves the Councilor from a would-be empathic assassination, a scandal is uncovered that ties government officials to a powerful corporation, exposing entrenched corruption at all levels. This acts as the catalyst for swiftly changing political alliances, rising factions, the flexing of corporate and political muscle, and deadly civil unrest. Much of the novel's focus is on Dekkard's investigations into the interconnected machinations at play around him, Ysella, and Councilor Obreduur, and as Dekkard digs deeper into Guldor's political underbelly, his interactions with all levels of Guldoran society highlight Modesitt's superlative world building skills. The book's conclusion is satisfying, if a little frustrating, as it provides closure for some but not all of the remaining plot threads and leaves readers with much to look forward to in the next installment.
Library Journal Review
Modesitt's ("Saga of Recluce" series) gas-lamp fantasy, the first in a planned series, is a story about a political coup staged from the inside. The fascinating multiracial cast of characters includes bodyguard Steffan Dekkard, an isolate (a person unaffected by empaths); fellow bodyguard Avraal Ysella, an empath of great skill; and councilman Axel Obreduur, whom Steffan and Avraal have been hired to protect. At its heart the novel is an examination of the power with which politicians and governments can wreck the lives of citizens, and it soon becomes clear that Steffan, Avraal, and Axel are targets in a deep political, and murderous, plot. Steffan steps up to keep his boss alive and falls in love with Avraal, all the while reaching for a brighter and more dangerous future than he ever expected, with the knowledge that if he fails, the entire country will ultimately suffer. VERDICT Readers will be caught up in Modesitt's world, which is just close enough to reality to make the lessons feel real, and just fantastic enough to provide distance and interest. The gas lamp setting will draw in plenty of steampunk readers, while anyone who likes to delve into the way worlds work will be riveted.--Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA
