Isolate

A Novel in the Grand Illusion

By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Narrated by: Michael Bower

L. E. Modesitt, Jr., best-selling author of The Mongrel Mage, has a brand-new gaslamp political fantasy: Isolate.

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.

©2021 L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Delicious with intrigue and artful revelations, Modesitt’s Isolate comes at you with top-drawer worldbuilding and compelling characters. Here we have a hot new gaslamp world fraught with political machinations that will keep you up reading into the night. Modesitt has always been great, so how does he keep getting better? Read Isolate and find out.” (Peter Orullian, author of The Unremembered)

Hooray

Truly delightful story so different from his other books but have read, re-read and re-read again to absorb so many new ideas presented by this author. Can hardly wait for volume 2 in august that I will pre-order as soon as available.

Low magic, Low steampunk, High politics.

For me, one of the most important things in a fantasy universe is the system of magic. I like when we have a system that we can understand and that plays by its own rules. There are times in this novel when you forget that there is even magic going on it's very subtle it's very intriguing, and even though it's low-key, the way it influences the world is fascinating.
This book is before anything else before it's a fantasy book before its steam punk noire it is a political thriller. They did a great job of making the issues of industrialization parallel to our modern-day issues of autotimization. They also approach Issues of crony capitalism in a way that feels like it could have been happening in the senate in the antibellum days all the way up to the present.

Who the hell is speaking?

the readers voice is ok but his males and females run together soooooooo much I can’t not tell who’s is talking they all sounds the same it’s a good book but so so reader maybe need to think about getting a female reader to help with the voices

Steampunk political thriller w/ a dash of romance

This was a very good book Crafters, landowners, and corporations maneuver for political dominance in a well-structured world. A sort of low stakes political thriller, with a dash of romance if you will. Likeable characters fighting against corruption. I thought the narration was solid and easy to listen to. The pacing of the book is slower than your typical thriller but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I would definitely read another book set in this world.

Well worth the read if you’re a fan!

So, I’ll start with this.

I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who has read the first three Imager novels like I did. It feels very reminiscent of that trilogy in a lot of ways.

Some may not like the way that the mundane lifestyle of the characters are very forward facing. However, as in the first three Imager novels, that slow burn intrigue was done with great purpose. It expanded my own viewpoint as a writer of fantasy/science fiction to include things that aren’t the norm.

I especially enjoyed how female characters have agency, depth, and opinions. They make moves that force the world toward inevitable progress, even if kicking and screaming the whole way.

I wondered how Mr. Modesitt Jr. would handle the Mentor/Student dynamic, and I say I’m good with it.

The romance subplot was enjoyable even if a foregone conclusion from its inception.

I’ve already pre-ordered the second book. August can’t come fast enough.

As always delivered with detail and wit,

Thought provoking and Insightful. The Author delivers politics and adventure in an easy and enjoyable listening package.

Fantastic Story Telling

Thank you for this awesome story and new world! This book wasn’t what I usually listen to or would think I enjoyed. A pleasant surprise.

Great Book But...

I really enjoyed this book. Slow start but, most was world building which I am fine with. The Narrator...that's a whole different story. odd changes in voice and pronunciation. it was difficult to tell who was talking at times. Otherwise I highly recommend this for fans of gas lamp mysteries and action-when it finally gets to it-excited to start the sequel.

Slow story to begin with; but worth it!

Excellent character development and story. I look forward to the next in series. Great presentation.

more than a year.

the politics in this story are great. the enter play of parties, positions, factions, study, it's fantastic.
my gripe is with the pacing, and the narration.
I started this in the winter of '22, and had to keep putting it down because the narrator doesn't differentiate voices well, or give enough of a pause between sentences and paragraphs, to let your brain absorb what's been said. pair that with the dense material and trying to figure out the weird phrasings of mundane things given different names...
but. here we are in the early summer of '24 and I've finally finished it.
maybe the next two books will be a little better.