Modesitt, L. E

When Cerryl, a young orphan boy, is sent to live with his aunt and uncle, they immediately sense there is something special about him, and when Cerryl learns to read his father's books, he learns that he possesses a magic that can help defeat the white mages before they destroy the land of Recluce.

Major Keir Roget is sent on a stealthy mission to Haze, where he discovers a familiar and frightening alien culture living beneath a blanket of satellites, but Roget begins to question the reality of what he sees and whether he will be able to return to Earth.

White Chaos wizard Cerryl rises to power in the magicians' guild of Fairhaven by making himself indispensable to Jeslek, the High Wizard.