The Imager Portfolio
#1384.16 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 12 books Status Complete 2009–2019 Reading commitment High L.E. Modesitt Jr. Last reviewed 2026-08-30
Overview
The Imager Portfolio is L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s twelve-novel epic fantasy sequence set in the world of Lydar/Solidar, where rare "imagers" can shape reality by picturing it in their minds. It unfolds across three story arcs written and set in a different order: Rhennthyl's story (Imager, 2009, through Imager's Intrigue, 2010), an earlier-set prequel arc following Quaeryt (Scholar, 2011, through Rex Regis, 2014), and a later arc following Alastar and Prince Charyn (Madness in Solidar, 2015, through Endgames, 2019).
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (12 works) counts toward ranking
The Imager Portfolio L.E. Modesitt Jr.
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Imager | 2009 | 1 | core | 4.01 (8,497 ratings) |
 | Imager's Challenge | 2009 | 2 | core | 4.13 (6,366 ratings) |
 | Imager's Intrigue | 2010 | 3 | core | 4.15 (5,163 ratings) |
 | Scholar | 2011 | 4 | core | 4.17 (3,512 ratings) |
 | Princeps | 2012 | 5 | core | 4.22 (3,192 ratings) |
 | Imager's Battalion | 2013 | 6 | core | 4.26 (2,825 ratings) |
 | Antiagon Fire | 2013 | 7 | core | 4.21 (2,563 ratings) |
 | Rex Regis | 2014 | 8 | core | 4.25 (2,381 ratings) |
 | Madness in Solidar | 2015 | 9 | core | 4.24 (1,876 ratings) |
 | Treachery's Tools | 2016 | 10 | core | 4.24 (1,459 ratings) |
 | Assassin's Price | 2017 | 11 | core | 4.34 (1,260 ratings) |
 | Endgames | 2019 | 12 | core | 4.35 (1,023 ratings) |
Twelve novels across three story arcs (Rhennthyl's, then Quaeryt's, then Alastar and Prince Charyn's) set in one continuous world and timeline, treated as a single series rather than a multi-series world.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Imager Portfolio? The Imager Portfolio's Core Canon is 12 books.
- What is the reading order for The Imager Portfolio? Publication order, starting with Imager. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Imager Portfolio finished? Complete (2009–2019).
- How much reading does The Imager Portfolio take? High reading commitment (estimated from 12 Core Canon books · ~5,346 pages).
- How is The Imager Portfolio ranked? #138 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 40,117 reader ratings across 12 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #138?
Ranked #138 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.16 across 12 core books.
- A smaller readership (40,117 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #137, Rook & Rose (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 12 books · Complete · 40k ratings · Ranks #138 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (12 Core Canon books)
- Imager (2009)
- Imager's Challenge (2009)
- Imager's Intrigue (2010)
- Scholar (2011)
- Princeps (2012)
- Antiagon Fire (2013)
- Imager's Battalion (2013)
- Rex Regis (2014)
- Madness in Solidar (2015)
- Treachery's Tools (2016)
- Assassin's Price (2017)
- Endgames (2019)
Documented internal/story order
- Imager (2009)
- Imager's Challenge (2009)
- Imager's Intrigue (2010)
- Scholar (2011)
- Princeps (2012)
- Imager's Battalion (2013)
- Antiagon Fire (2013)
- Rex Regis (2014)
- Madness in Solidar (2015)
- Treachery's Tools (2016)
- Assassin's Price (2017)
- Endgames (2019)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.16 across 40,117 ratings on 12 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: The Wolves of Mercy Falls, Merry Gentry, The Imager Portfolio accepted 2026-08-30
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31
Rule: Core Canon is the complete twelve-novel sequence, treated as a single series rather than a multi-series world since all three arcs share one continuous world and timeline. This is a confirmed separate, unrelated universe from L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s The Saga of Recluce, despite sharing an author.