From Publishers Weekly
The prolific Modesitt (The Saga of Recluce; The Spellsong Cycle) delivers a solid, well-paced sequel to Legacies (2002), set in the fantasy world of Corus, home to humans and a variety of odd creatures. After a slow opening that may perplex new readers, the action soon picks up. The soldier Alucius, one of the few to possess the magical Talent, is trying to keep himself and his men of the Iron Valley Militia alive until he's discharged and can return to the wife he loves. The Council, however, sells them out to the Protector of Lanachrona, whom they must serve as the Northern Guard. Sent by the Protector to help the Landarch of Deforya fight the grassland nomads, Alucius must call on all his Talent powers and military skill to combat Pteridons, mythical flying beasts, summoned by the nomads' leader, Aellyan Edyss. Later, after an audience with the Protector, Alucius learns that he must battle the greatest evil where he least expects to find it. Convincing dialogue, exciting military action and a neat conclusion that leaves the door open for subsequent adventures will find fans satisfied. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The sequel to Legacies [BKL O 15 02] continues the experiences of Alcius, the nightsheep herder who is Talented (magically, that is). At the end of Legacies he escaped from being a controlled prisoner (of war) and freed his homeland from the threat of one invader by destroying the source of the mechanisms of control. But the world of Corus broke into a squabble of states after its magic, high-tech culture collapsed, and those states are still fighting, betimes with magical weapons, betimes with military and economic coercion. The ruling council of the Iron Valleys, Alcius' homeland, refuses to raise enough revenue to support an effective militia, and Alcius, now a militia captain, must struggle with insufficient resources. Faster paced than Legacies, Darknesses is, since it concerns multiple states and their political ambitions, much more intricately plotted. Reading Legacies before tackling it is advisable, but because Alcius is like many other Modesitt protagonists, turning the pages to see what the author's current quiet, competent hero will do next is always a pleasure. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Darknesses, the sequel to Legacies, is the second volume of L. E Modesitt, Jr. 's new fantasy sequence, the Corean Chronicles.

Corus is a world of humans, but also of strange animals and supernatural creatures. It is a world of magical powers and of a few people who are Talented enough to use them. Alucius, the hero of the story, is one such person. In Legacies we saw how he grew from a Talented child on a lonely Nightsheep ranch in the Iron Valleys to a proficient soldier who used his wits and his Talent to become the first to escape military enslavement in the neighboring country of Madrien. Now captain of the Twenty-first Company, the youngest officer of his rank in the Militia, he must face new challenges, both military and magical.

Corus has been fragmented since the collapse of its ancient magic-powered civilization. A would-be conqueror has somehow revived sorcerous creatures of legend to assist in his crusade to reunite the continent under his rule. The Iron Valleys are forced into an alliance with the Lord-Protector of Lanachrona and the Twenty-first is dispatched to stand against the invaders. Neither the officers above him nor the men under him know it, but Alucius's Talent is their only hope for victory, or even survival.

In Darknesses, Alucius learns more about his magical Talent, meets many more supernatural creatures, and discovers the sinister forces vying for power behind the scenes across Corus. This volume resolves many questions raised in the first book, but it is not the end of Corean Chronicles.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Darknesses, the sequel to L. E. Modesitt Jr.'s Legacies, continues the adventures of his epic fantasy series the Corean Chronicles. Reminiscent of Modesitt's popular Recluse saga in scope and ambiance, this sequence also deals with the themes of order and chaos as well as the dualities that exist in nature and humankind.

In a supernatural realm of feuding countries where magic exists in an elite few, those with Talent are highly prized pawns in a ruthless game of world domination. Alucius is a simple sheep herder -- with a powerful, virtually untapped Talent -- serving his time in the military. Try as he might to stay out of danger until he can return home to his wife, Wendra, he winds up being used by the Lord-Protector of Lanachrona in an attempt to try and squash a powerful nomad war leader named Aellyan Edyss. Edyss has managed to open an ancient vault with magical weapons and legendary beasts from a time long before the Cataclysm, and with the arsenal all he wants to do is unify and rule the entire realm of Corus. Alucius is put in a no-win situation. If he defeats the powerful warlord, he will have to draw unwanted attention to his Talent, if the warlord triumphs, Alucius dies.

Modesitt has succeeded in creating a unique, complex world with fascinating supernatural creatures and mysterious histories, prophecies, and folklore. With compelling characters like Alucius, Wendra, and the Lord-Protector, it will be interesting to see where the author takes this story in future installments. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Corus is a world of humans, but also of strange animals and supernatural creatures. It is a world of magical powers and of a few people who are Talented enough to use them. Alucius, the hero of the story, is one such person. In Legacies we saw how he grew from a Talented child on a lonely Nightsheep ranch in the Iron Valleys to a proficient soldier who used his wits and his Talent to become the first to escape military enslavement in the neighboring country of Madrien. Now captain of the Twenty-first Company, the youngest officer of his rank in the Militia, he must face new challenges, both military and magical.

Corus has been fragmented since the collapse of its ancient magic-powered civilization. A would-be conqueror has somehow revived sorcerous creatures of legend to assist in his crusade to reunite the continent under his rule. The Iron Valleys are forced into an alliance with the Lord-Protector of Lanachrona, and the Twenty-first is dispatched to stand against the invaders. Neither the officers above him nor the men under him know it, but Alucius's Talent is their only hope for victory, or even survival.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly