Rex Regis

2.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Having conquered Antiago on behalf of Lord Bhayar (though without his knowledge), Commander and imager Quaeryt sets off to investigate potential trouble in the north of previously conquered Bovaria.

Review
Despite a break of several months from this series, I returned with my enthusiasm ... rapidly diminished on contact with the actual text. Almost every problem of the previous books recurs here – magic is a black box, Quaeryt almost-quarrels with his wife in non-charming ways, we hear about profession color-coding, we get a review of every lager Quaeryt drinks – seriously, I thought about making a color-coded map of lager quality in Solidar, with hundreds of data points – and we hear in detail and with repetition about every decision Quaeryt makes. In chapter 3, for example, he determines to ride out toward the capital three days after his wife feels well enough, which may be Vendrei or Samedi. He repeats this information to every subordinate and acquaintance he happens across. And because Modesitt details each day, we hear it pretty much every day until – thank goodness! – they finally leave, at which point we can revert to the standard repetitions about how Quaeryt looks like a child of Erion, colored clothing, lager quality, etc. That and endless repetitions of “This reminds me of something [mythical figure] Rholan said”, and a vague quote from an in-story book.

The one saving grace of the book is that we do, at last, learn a little something about the legendary Erion. Not much, but by the time you get there, you'll be grateful for anything. That and Quaeryt continues to resolve complex problems by a) whining that none of this would have happened if people were only good, and then b) using magic to kill everyone. There is almost no problem that Quaeryt has ever encountered that can't be solved with deadly magic and the belief that people bring it on themselves. And no one gives him any credit for it!

Lord Bhayar, meanwhile, seems to do less and less lording, restricting himself to a) being critical of Quaeryt's every action, and b) asking Quaeryt for advice and then taking it while complaining that Quaeryt gives him no choice, since his advice is always right.

I suppose you could also count new magic powers as a novelty in this book, but since Modesitt is using magic as a black box anyway, it's hard to say anything is really new. He does manage to forget some earlier uses of magic, though. There are new names introduced, but unfortunately, I put almost all of them in the ‘boring trivia and politics' category. If they're good, they'll be kind, generous, disciplined, and efficient. If they're bad, they'll be venal and lazy – and probably end up killed by Quaeryt with magic at some point. But it's important to remember that Quaeryt should never hold serious power. And it's almost impossible to forget, since we're reminded at least once per chapter – occasionally backed up with quotes from Rholan. We do also learn one little tidbit about the mysterious book about Rholan. So that's two pieces of minor mystery address in only 450 pages.

My spouse asks me why I don't give up on a series I clearly find deadly dull. And it's the same answer as for the last book (and for the next three) – I bought the books, and I'm going to read them. But if I had been buying them one by one? I'd have stopped a long time ago.