A review by mary_soon_lee
The Towers of the Sunset by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

4.0

This is the second book in [a:L.E. Modesitt Jr.|1301649|L.E. Modesitt Jr.|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207333645p2/1301649.jpg]'s fantasy series "The Saga of Recluce." I found the opening pages the weakest: confusing, rather than intriguing. Beyond the opening pages, the first half of the book proved to be a mostly-standard fantasy adventure, with a young, mostly-likable hero facing hardship and danger. I like standard fantasy adventures, and I enjoyed it. In the second half the book turned, hooking me more deeply, both on an emotional level and in the challenges the characters confronted. I would give the first half a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, the second half 4 out of 5 stars, and will round up to 4 out of 5 stars overall, as I've liked other books by Modesitt.

SpoilerMild spoiler alert: the hero of the book grows up in a culture where the women are the warriors and the men are viewed as the weaker sex. While this does not have the groundbreaking feel of a work like [b:The Left Hand of Darkness|18423|The Left Hand of Darkness|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388229638s/18423.jpg|817527], it is still worth noting.