Timedivers Dawn

Timediver's Dawn is the first novel in the Timegod duology according to internal chronological sequence. Westron is an imperialistic power with the strongest technological base on Query. The only remaining opposition to total dominance of the world is Eastron, where a non-technological approach is building around the "witches", who can travel thousands of miles in an eyeblink. Since Eastron cannot directly withstand Westron's military forces, however, many young "witches" are scattered throughout Westron society to pass on their genetic heritage.In this novel, several generations after Westron has conquered Eastron, Sammis Arloff Olon is born among the gentry in Westron society, with a father who is a middle level government official and a mother who is exceptionally well-educated, well-connected, and an Eastron witch. However, Sammis is orphaned in early adolescence by an attack of the Frost Giants, energy eaters who can timedive. When the Frost Giants first appeared on Mithrada, the next inward planet, the Westron military attacked and destroyed several of them. The Frost Giants responded with such massive retaliation that it destroyed the political and energy infrastructure of the home planet, leaving the Queryans leaderless, in the dark, and cold.Sammis is at school when the power fails and the snow starts to fall. After a short while, the students are released and Sammis starts walking home. Luckily, a neighbor drives by and give him a ride. Since his parents are not home, the neighbor takes Sammis to her house. As they drive by the driveway to the Olon home, they see Confed marines on the grounds.After warming up some and eating a little, Sammis sneaks down to his own house by the back way and finds the Confeds burning it. He watches them for a few moments, but leaves when an explosion within the house distracts the marines. He returns to the neighbors for the night and leaves early the next day with a few supplies. As he passes his own driveway, Sammis is ambushed by a Confed patrol and instinctively makes his first timedive to escape.Sammis heads east, avoiding other Confed troops, and soon ends up in the swamps. He becomes a damper, learning how to find food and shelter in the wild. However, he eventually has to leave the swamps and is picked up by a patrol from another Confed unit looking for recruits. He is trained as a trooper and gains a place in the unit commanded by Colonel-General Odin Thor. After his swamp experiences, Sammis is content to have adequate food, clothing and shelter with only his military superiors to hassle him. In the changed world, gentry are hated and stability is provided only by military might. His ability to timedive is still feared and despised as witchcraft by the common folk, including some of the other troopers. However, after his unit occupies an old installation near the former site of Inequital, Sammis finds that such abilities are appreciated by his superiors.Dr. Wryan Relorn has b

L.E. Modesitt's book, 'Timediver's Dawn' is one well worth keeping. I found it in a small, hole in the wall bookstore and bought it on a whim. Although it is the only one of Modesitt's books that I have ever bought, it's also the most read book that I own. I have read this book eleven times at least, and I intend to read it again. It is extreemly enjoyable because Sammis is strikeingly human, not the tipical hero, who never makes mistakes, and is invulnerable in all things. If there was another book out there about him, I'd go for it.