Autumn Adventures

More of a 3.5-3.75 stars then 4.0Arms-Commander is the sixteenth Recluce saga installment and takes us back to the time following The Fall of Angels, about ten or twelve years after the arrival of the Winterlance's crew to the Roof of the World. Ryba is the Marshall of Westwind and Saryn is her Arms-Commander. The first half of the book deals with an incursion from Gallos intent on destroying Westwind. Saryn pushes gently but firmly for Ryba to allow some men into Westwind, for progeny and for comfort and support of the women warriors. Saryn also develops her skills with order-chaos flows. After the defeat of the Gallosian invasion force, Saryn suggests and Ryba sends (depends on whose perspective) Saryn and a couple of squads to Lornth in support of the Regency. This endeavor is detailed in the second half of the book, with Saryn continually presented with no good choices and the use of deadly force left as her only viable option. I don't necessarily agree with Modesitt's portrayal of strong and weak women nor with the thick headed over-the-top male egos, but it all makes for a good adventure. I've also never been overly fond of Modesitt's battle scenes. I don't get the sense of danger or immediacy that I prefer when reading close combat scenes. Still, a good return to Recluce, especially to the early history of the angels shipwrecked from the UFA's Winterlance starship.