Luck in the Shadows

Jun 09, 2011 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, action-adventure

Why I Bought the Book: Lynn Flewelling was a key invited speaker at Yaoicon last year. I have to admit, I'd never heard of her before, but the seminar she led with Ginn Hale, Astrid Amara and Marie Sexton made me interested in buying at least this book, the first in the Nightrunner series to see whether I liked her style of writing.

Plot: Sixteen year old Alec of Kerry is a bit of a bad situation. He was stalking a wild cat for its fur when he wandered onto private land and was caught. As well as...more Why I Bought the Book: Lynn Flewelling was a key invited speaker at Yaoicon last year. I have to admit, I'd never heard of her before, but the seminar she led with Ginn Hale, Astrid Amara and Marie Sexton made me interested in buying at least this book, the first in the Nightrunner series to see whether I liked her style of writing.

Plot: Sixteen year old Alec of Kerry is a bit of a bad situation. He was stalking a wild cat for its fur when he wandered onto private land and was caught. As well as being tortured for information he doesn't have, there's talk of selling him to the slavers. Fortunately for Alec, one of the men in the cell with him turns out to be Seregil, a spy and con man who rescues Alec and invites Alec to join him on his journeys. Alec readily agrees and it isn't long before the two are thrown into danger and excitement.

One thing to say about the plot is that it grips you and never lets go through the entire book. The pace is swift as the two men, plus assorted comrades and friends, move from one exciting situation to another. Along the way the author provides information and background on the places that Alec and Seregil visit, deftly combining religion, history, social and economic details to create a wholly realistic and vivid setting for the reader.

Characters: Alec is a complete sweetheart. Innocent and naive at the beginning but with a willingness to learn from Seregil and a strength and determination to succeed. Next to Seregil, he comes across as a little slow witted, but that's not actually the case and as the book progresses so does the reader's understanding of his intelligence. He's very much a boy on the cusp of manhood: Old enough to understand the ribald jokes but still young enough to blush. He's very attractive but not yet self-aware enough to understand that or use it to his advantage. His feelings for Seregil are that of towards a mentor - he respects and admires him and longs for his approval. When that is witheld, or when he's shut out for any reason, the young boy comes out in Alec in fits of surly anger and sulking. It was all rather endearing. Seregil is both a contrast and a complement to Alec. He's much older with a wealth of experience to call on but this can sometime lead to over-confidence on his part. He's charming and handsome with a bit of a silver tongue, and yet finds dealing with Alec sometimes baffling as he often cannot read Alec's moods and as a result says the wrong thing. As a pair they work well together and although there is no sexual attraction or feeling between them at the moment, I can see how it may come to grow as Alec gets older. The other characters are all fully fleshed out and I found myself liking characters such as Micum, Seregil's good friend, and Nysander, Seregil's wizard mentor and friend as much as I did Seregil and Alec. Even the most minor characters, such as the captain of the boat taking them to Skala, were three dimensional.

Overall: I greatly enjoyed this book which managed to combine an intriguing and arresting plot with fabulous world building and very sympathetic characterisation. I was immersed in the story and rather displeased that I had to make so many breaks in reading due to other commitments. Some more squeamish readers may not be fond of some of the more macabre elements to the story but these didn't bother me - in fact they rather enhanced the story. For fantasy fans this really is a must read, especially those who like high fantasy. Romance fans are going to have to be patient as that aspect of the series doesn't begin until well into the next book. I'm happy to wait for that - and what a wait it will be if the next book continues along the same vein as this one. I highly recommend Luck in the Shadows with a grade of 'Excellent'. I've already ordered the next two books in the series and can't wait for them to arrive through my letterbox(less)

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Mar 24, 2008 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

One thing I want to say before I launch into a summary/review: the main characters are not gay; they're bisexual. Both of them express interest in and have relationships with women. It's a silly thing to get nitpicky about, but I do. On with business.

Alec is a young man, just turned sixteen and recently orphaned, who earns a living trapping and trading furs. He's lived his entire life in the wilderness, learning how to survive and navigate seemingly featureless plains and endless forests. His so...more One thing I want to say before I launch into a summary/review: the main characters are not gay; they're bisexual. Both of them express interest in and have relationships with women. It's a silly thing to get nitpicky about, but I do. On with business.

Alec is a young man, just turned sixteen and recently orphaned, who earns a living trapping and trading furs. He's lived his entire life in the wilderness, learning how to survive and navigate seemingly featureless plains and endless forests. His solitary existence is disrupted when he is arrested by the local lord accused of being a spy. Alec is thrown into the dungeon, where he is tortured for several days. Then the guards bring a new prisoner and throw him in with Alec. Before Alec knows it, he and the strange man have escaped the dungeon and are camped in the woods outside the castle. The man introduces himself as Seregil, a wandering bard who, like Alec, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Seregil needs to get to Wolde, a large trading-center, in three days, but the only way to get there in time is to take a shortcut that only Alec knows, so Seregil hires Alec as his guide, and the pair make their way to Wolde.

Along the way, Seregil confesses to Alec that he actually is the spy the lord was looking for, and offers Alec a partnership of sorts. Alec is hesitant, but Seregil convinces him with tales of magic, dragons, adventures and riches. When they reach the city they meet up with Seregil's partner, Micum. The trio heads south for Skala, which is one of the Three Lands (Plenimar and Mycena are the other two), but soon after Micum leaves the party to investigate some suspicious activity back in the North, and Alec and Seregil continue on. It seems there's about to be yet another war between Skala and Plenimar, and Plenimar is seeking allies in the North, which is why Seregil and Micum, agents of the Skalan government, were up there.

The two have lots of adventures, and kick lots of butt, and all the other usual things that happen in fantasy/action-adventure novels.

The review:

It has a standard Medieval Europe-type setting, complete with wizards, elves (she can call them whatever she wants, they're ELVES, okay, only without pointy ears), and various other mythical creatures. When I first read it, I had a very lukewarm response to it. It was definately an "okay" book in my opinion. The beginning just didn't grab me. Also, being first in a series (and the first novel Lynn wrote), there is a lot of exposition and world building, which I wanted to skim but didn't since I needed to know this stuff. Most of it is in dialogue form, with Alec acting as our conduit, while Seregil explains the customs and history of the Three Lands. It got tedious, and I found some of the passages just a tad awkward.

But the characters...especially Seregil...just grabbed hold of my heartstrings and made me care about them. And the dialogue--Lord, Seregil has a wit that could shred the wind! I love his irreverent sense of humor, too. And the chemistry between him and Micum just works; I can't think of any other way to put it. After I read the sequels, and then reread this one, I found myself falling in love with it. (less)

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Jan 14, 2009 Miriam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I hadn't picked this one up because I thought I had already read it, but this description doesn't sound familiar, especially not being set in the same world as Bone Doll's Twin. Now I think I had it mixed up with Shadowrun. I'll have to see if I can find it again.

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Mar 22, 2009 Felicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

LOve LOVE this book! It's a great adventure fantasy book in the old tradition of escaping baddies and looming dark magic. I love the relationships as well. There's a connection between 2 male characters that I believe may turn romantic in the subsequent books, but honestly, it's so great and subtle and TRUE to them that wherever it goes I will be into it, and I wouldn't label it "Gay" persay, like say Melisure (which I love as well).

Definitely picking up books 2 and 3 in the trilogy, damn Kindl...more

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Mar 30, 2007 Patrick Lacey rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Yes

This book, the first in a series, is a recent discovery. A fantasy world, where gay and lesbian people are unnoteworthy, and many people seem to be casually bisexual. The world is richly imagined, and I quickly became attached to the characters. All three are worth the read. I just read her three prequel books, starting with The Bone Doll's Twin, and found them enjoyable too, if not as insistently page turning as Luck in the Shadows and Stalking Darkness. She's someone I'm going to keep my eye o...more

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Feb 20, 2009 BJ Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, fantasy

This is the first in a series humans and the Aurenfaie. It has magic, wizardry, necromancy and, of course, treachery. I was intrigued by the way the author pulled it all together.

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Mar 24, 2013 Philip rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a great start to a wonderful series. I was thinking about them the other day so I decided to read them again and I still think they're super.

The writing and tone are light, fun and quick to read. The characters are fantastic; I love them all. This first bit does a really good job establishing some plot for the rest of the series even as it has a good story for itself.

Perhaps the two worst parts are the massive amounts of exposition and the magic. The first is less of a problem becau...more This book is a great start to a wonderful series. I was thinking about them the other day so I decided to read them again and I still think they're super.

The writing and tone are light, fun and quick to read. The characters are fantastic; I love them all. This first bit does a really good job establishing some plot for the rest of the series even as it has a good story for itself.

Perhaps the two worst parts are the massive amounts of exposition and the magic. The first is less of a problem because it is used to build the world of the series and it's framed as Seregil telling stories to Alec, so it's not completely out of nowhere, but there are an awful lot of said stories sometimes.

As for the magic, it is never elaborated on as to how it works or what it can and can't do. On the one hand that kinda makes sense as the majority of the book is from Alec's point of view and he has no knowledge of magic. On the other hand, it becomes a problem for me when it (view spoiler).

I realize that I tend to compare every fantasy series I read to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, but I really like how that series really made me feel like I understood the mechanics of the magic and I just really wish that this series did also.

But enough complaining about that; it's not a huge thing, and the rest of the series is excellent enough that I can get over not understanding the magic. Especially the characters. I love them all.(less)

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Mar 08, 2013 Curtis Weeks rated it 4 of 5 stars

I only became aware of the Nightrunner series in late December 2012; so, I came late to it.

I stormed through all the books in the series after reading this one, finishing up by the end of January 2013.

This first book introduces the characters of Seregil and Alec and their world -- but has a couple of related odd features.

First, some things are introduced in the early portion of the book that seem like foreshadowing of the larger plot, an overarching conflict with a specific antagonist, however s...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Lizabeth S. Tucker rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, lgbt, science-fiction

Hmmm, I'm not certain what to say about this book, first in the Nightrunner series. It began well enough and while I found some sections to be very slow, I had high hopes for it. Overall I have to say that my hopes were dashed.

The characters were potentially interesting, but there didn't seem to be a follow through. Alec of Kerry was a little too missish and Seregil of Rhiminee was just a two dimensional rogue. After the absolute thrill of the Naomi Novik book, I had high hopes that this would...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Scrittevolmente rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Partiamo con una premessa: sono parecchio incazzata.
Questa saga, meglio conosciuta come Nightrunner, è stata pubblicata nel 1996 in Italia per la prima volta da Editrice NORD, che poi ha fatto seguire altri due romanzi, prima di prendere la simpaticissima decisione di sospendere ogni attività sia di traduzione (la saga ha anche un quarto, un quinto e un sesto romanzo, ultimo dei quali uscito a maggio di quest’anno) sia attività di ristampa. Cosa significa questo? Significa che chi volesse acquis...more Partiamo con una premessa: sono parecchio incazzata.
Questa saga, meglio conosciuta come Nightrunner, è stata pubblicata nel 1996 in Italia per la prima volta da Editrice NORD, che poi ha fatto seguire altri due romanzi, prima di prendere la simpaticissima decisione di sospendere ogni attività sia di traduzione (la saga ha anche un quarto, un quinto e un sesto romanzo, ultimo dei quali uscito a maggio di quest’anno) sia attività di ristampa. Cosa significa questo? Significa che chi volesse acquistare i cartacei – o il cartaceo, siccome fu pubblicato anche in un monovolume unito – dovrebbe arrabattarsi tra mercatini, librerie polverose, robivecchi, oppure affidarsi o a eBay o siti di cambio-scambio, che ovviamente non esitano ad approfittarsi della domanda per sparare cifre esorbitanti a dir poco. L’ebook non è neanche contemplato visto che all’epoca non esistevano nemmeno, anche se si può trovare piratato, visto che grazie a Illior esistono persone che ci tengono ad aiutare chi cerca.
Ora, indoviniamo un po’ perché la pubblicazione della saga fu sospesa. Ta-daaaaaaaan: qual è una delle tante chiaviche della letteratura di questo paese? La tematica LGBT. Già.
Finalmente ci troviamo tra le mani un fantasy ben scritto, di quelli vecchio stampo – un epic medieval di cappa e spada, veleni e magie, guerrieri ed esseri fantastici – che però ha il fatto che il protagonista è apertamente omosessuale, e dopo il terzo libro – che tra gli editi in Italia è il più eloquente su questo argomento – tutto è stato sospeso, ristampe incluse. Oh, cara vecchia omofobia, m’eri tanto mancata durante l’estate.
Sì, sto facendo polemica.
Polemica perché questa è una delle migliori saghe fantasy sword & sorcery che io abbia mai letto (e devo dire che questo è l’unico genere di fantasy che approvo particolarmente) e mi trovo completamente spiazzata di fronte alla prevedibile stupidità di un mercato che preferisce pubblicare centinaia di palesi boiate al mese che non valgono una cicca né sotto termini di narrativa né tantomeno di fantasy in sé come pretendono di essere, ma siccome sono etero pare che vadano bene a tutti.
Non nascondo il mio disprezzo per questa politica attuata da Editrice Nord (soprattutto vista la robaccia che viene spacciata per fantasy al giorno d’oggi), e francamente penso che non darò più un centesimo a questa CE, limitandomi a chiedere in prestito o farmi inviare gratuitamente se e quando sarà necessario.

Scusate la digressione iniziale, ma nelle vesti di recensore E di lettrice mi sentivo in dovere di esprimere il mio disappunto per l’ennesimo scempio ai danni di qualcosa che avrebbe meritato un gradino in più d’attenzione e che invece è stato come al solito relegato nel nulla per semplice marketing da pollaio.

Per leggere la recensione per intero: QUI (less)

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Sep 30, 2012 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gender-neutral-fantasy-world, fantasy, reviewed

This one has been sitting on my shelf for a while. I had high hopes, after thoroughly enjoying the Tamir Triad by this author (first book The Bone Doll's Twin), but I was waiting for the right moment to read it, knowing that it would probably completely monopolise my attention when I did get to it. Turns out I was right. I started this book on Saturday afternoon and I'd finished it and its sequel by the following night.

First off, I wish more people out there wrote gender-neutral fantasy worlds,...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Eero rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy, bisexual, crime

Book is full of political plots and court intrigues. And this is balanced with adventure, teaching and action.

Our main characters are Alec of Kerry, human boy saved from dungeons, his savior Seregil of Rhiminee, who is half-fay spy, thief, noble, bard and other things when it is necessary and Nysander, who is court wizard.

Most of the plot surround Alec and Seregil, as in beging of book Seregil saves Alec from dungeon and takes him as his pubil. But as Seregil is in middle of one of his spy oper...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Sineala rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, fantasy, fiction, gay, queer, paper-books, favorites, owned, romance

This is probably the third or fourth time I've read this series, and the first two books are still some of my favorite fantasy books ever. Sure, the setting is a little generic! Sure, some of the secret-identity revelations are completely telegraphed from miles away. Sure, diacritics are üsèd ås déçörâtîòn! But it's queer characters on an awesome fantasy adventure with thievery and spying and magic, and you can't beat that.

This particular book is mostly an infodumpy introduction to the world and...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, way-way-more-than-once

Man I forgot how much I love this book. I used to read this probably once a year. Then I shelved it and even thought about getting rid of it and the other two books in the trilogy to make space for new books. God I am glad I did not.

I just rewatched The Road to El Dorado earlier this week. (Yeah, I know.) It made me want to reread this trilogy. If you have seen the movie you understand the link between one and the other. Plus, I think Tulio would make a good Thero.

Anyway. This is what can only b...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Tocotin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-can-has-slash, fantasy, my-own-books, contemporary-literature

I read fantasy only occasionally, and bought this book because it was supposed to have m/m romance in it. Sadly, it seems that I have to buy the sequel for this. I think that I'll probably do, I'd like to see how the author dealt with the topic in a fantasy setting, where same-sex liaisons are not necessarily frowned upon, and problems they encounter do not necessarily come from the hostile environment. (In other words, I hope for something else than a sob story).

That being said, this book was n...more I read fantasy only occasionally, and bought this book because it was supposed to have m/m romance in it. Sadly, it seems that I have to buy the sequel for this. I think that I'll probably do, I'd like to see how the author dealt with the topic in a fantasy setting, where same-sex liaisons are not necessarily frowned upon, and problems they encounter do not necessarily come from the hostile environment. (In other words, I hope for something else than a sob story).

That being said, this book was not as good as I expected. Yes, the characters are pretty well developed, but they do not warrant the accolades they seem to be getting. They are just decent, only a notch above stereotypes. Alec the innocent and fast-learning young hero, Seregil the elfish rogue, the insufferably noble wizard Nysander, the hardened warrior Mycum or whatever his name was, the matriarch queen with no personality whatsoever and the flock of feisty women in the background - how are they original? The only character I liked was the stuffy young wizard, and he proved to be neither too complicated nor very bright when he agreed to help his rival Seregil without any resistance or objection - and that risking his life. Wtf was my reaction. And why are necromancers always bad? What's with THIS stereotype? I guess fantasy isn't really worth reading if the above cast is regarded as a very high standard.

I don't know about the world, it was all right I guess, something like Renaissance society with socialist realism art. As to the plot, it was all right, although seeing that the bad guys lacked any menacing presence, it wasn't presented in a terribly engaging way. The Queen is an uninteresting personage, prone to judging people without proof and relying on the opinions of others in a way that made me think she didn't care for anyone - basically she reminded me of a bad actress, so detached and ordinary she was - and so I myself didn't care what happened to her. The nobles weren't that noble either - why would they gather to see a public execution? wouldn't that be an entertainment for lower classes? couldn't they arrange some PRIVATE executions for themselves? And the main characters - there already are sequels out there, so I figured they're going to survive. (Funny that not even one of them died, though.)

All in all, it was all right I guess, but the main guys better get it on in the next book or else. Lol.(less)

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Aug 28, 2010 Abigail Hilton rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book. It's an action/adventure fantasy that contains gay and bi-sexual characters. The book is not a romance and contains plenty of plot and action that have nothing to do with sex. We need more books like this - books with a range of sexual orientation and expression, books that contain gay men in a story that can still be enjoyed by anyone who is not a bigot. Like many straight women, I enjoy stories with gay characters, but I prefer books that have an engaging plot that...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, owned

One thing I've got to say up front: I am SO over fantasy as a genre. If anything, this book only proved it to me. I know that not all fantasy books are the same, but most of them are very much alike, and this series has a very... generic setting, to put it mildy. Standard medieval setting, but with a more matriarchic touch (which I admittedly rather liked), some wizards, some elvish-like-people, lots of weird sounding names with umlauts..

Still, the strange thing about this book that I found it...more

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Oct 10, 2012 C-Cose Daley rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to C-Cose by: Laura

Shelves: fantasy, m-m-romance, favorites

First reaction ... wonderful read!!!

Flewelling's writing is descriptive yet compact; she manages to convey meaning, create environments, and engross the reader with the minimum number of words. There are no long passages describing each vein of each leaf, of each tree, in each forest in this world that she has created; sadly, this is a common literary device of other authors in the fantasy genre.

Her characters are very well-developed--rich with conflict, motivations, and hidden secrets. While Al...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Megan Lillian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, worth-reading-over-and-over

Fabulous characters, lots of intrigue and interesting imagery. There are so many subtle themes presented in thought-provoking, beautifully articulated ways. This author is especially good at writing intensely creepy scenes... Just like the first book in the Tamir Triad, the description of a dark character is truly horrific. Can't wait to start book two.
On a separate note: I see that these books have been shelved as "queer" and as I read I found myself thinking, "Hmm, I wouldn't ever qualify the...more

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Aug 28, 2009 Rhianon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, high-fantasy

There was a good bit of info-dump in this book. It was worse in the beginning than throughout the rest, but I did the "eye-glaze" thing rather sporadically, truth be told. This book's saving grace was it's dynamic and wholly unique cast of characters. Flewelling forms with flawless nonchalance a society totally at ease with its sexuality. And even more intriguing, a combination of interacting societies and cultures with divergent influences and qualities. Her characters know who they are -- even...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Shortlatte rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This review covers the first three books in the Nightrunner series. For those who haven’t yet read these books, be warned that there are spoilers ahead.

Every year I seem to stumble upon a series that seemed innocuous enough on the shelf, and I take that series home, unwittingly committing myself to a week in which all my waking thoughts will be consumed by this new world and its characters. Last year, I was lucky enough to happen upon this phenomenon twice, first with Karen Marie Moning’s Fever...more This review covers the first three books in the Nightrunner series. For those who haven’t yet read these books, be warned that there are spoilers ahead.

Every year I seem to stumble upon a series that seemed innocuous enough on the shelf, and I take that series home, unwittingly committing myself to a week in which all my waking thoughts will be consumed by this new world and its characters. Last year, I was lucky enough to happen upon this phenomenon twice, first with Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, then with Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy. I flew through these books at a feverish pace, desperate to find out what would happen to the characters that I’d grown to love yet unwilling to let them go when I’d finally turned the last page. They haunted me for months afterward, and every few months I still flip through to revisit favorite chapters. They are the books that I compare all others against, not in terms of quality per se, but in terms of emotional investment they set the bar.

It took approximately a page and a half for me to realize that the Nightrunner series would be my new series obsession.

Lynn Flewelling achieves that rare feat of balancing complexity of worldbuilding with character development, yet she accomplishes the latter in a most intriguing way. Alec and Seregil have skyrocketed to the top of my list of all-time favorite characters, yet even after three books there is still so much we don’t know about these two, and it’s not for lack of description or purposeful concealment. Well, the latter does contribute, particularly in the first two books, for Seregil portrays one of my favorite character conventions: the spy, the thief, the rogue, perpetually situated on the outskirts while secretly immersed within the intrigue, he gives away little about himself out of necessity and reluctance. Alec, though he suffers from ignorance of his own ancestry, is likewise hesitant to share more of himself early on, though that hesitance is borne largely of confusion and self-denial. We learn more of both characters as the series progresses, yet it is a slow chipping away rather than a large revelation, as each character has good reason to be cautious of giving away too much of himself. Perhaps it is the scarcity of true insight into either character that makes their connection in the first book, Luck in the Shadows, so compelling, for despite how little either knows the other, their friendship forged on a spur-of-the-moment impulse never feels artificial or unfounded. It’s obvious that Alec and Seregil should be as close as they are, though neither character nor the reader discover the why of it until much later on.

The Nightrunner books are a sort of epic/high fantasy hybrid, yet what struck me most about the worldbuilding was the fact that, particularly early on in the series, the fantasy elements take a backseat to the Nightrunner hijinks. Make no mistake, magic is an integral and essential element of the story, and it provides an ever-present backdrop for the events that unfold, yet I never felt overwhelmed by a landscape that seemed otherworldly as with so many books of this genre. Flewelling has stated that she doesn’t want her characters to have an easy-out just because of the presence of magic, and this philosophy really shines in her worldbuilding. The focus of the first few books is really on Alec and Seregil’s escapades, honing the skills of an occupation that takes much practice and a little luck, yet is no more improbable in a world devoid of magic than in one inhabited by wizards, necromancers, and dragons. True to her word, Flewelling never lets her characters become complacent with the ease of magical ability, and in fact our two leads possess very little in the way of magical skill. Their trials, successes, and failures are a testament to the abilities they have earned rather than the serendipity of the world in which they live. Likewise, even wizards as powerful as Nysander and Thero are far from invincible; their talents are similarly won of hard work and practice, and they don’t possess endless reservoirs of power. They must choose when and how to use what they have, with real consequences for overworking themselves and, more personally, for merely possessing their magical blood.

Though not all the characters in this series are strictly human, Flewellyn again chose the road less traveled in creating the different races and cultures. While there definitely exist cultural differences, which become painfully apparent in the third book, Traitor’s Moon, the biological consequences of being born with magical or ‘faie blood bear only one great distinction in that their members are long-lived. Yet, they possess no cliched physical features or healing powers to set them apart from humans (and land them squarely in the camp of overused fantasy tropes). While they have physiological distinctions as would any member of a distinct race, they look, act, and are as fragile as any other. Our main characters come near to death more times than faithful readers would like, and they have only their own wits and talents to aid them most times (along with a little well-placed magic, but then without it it wouldn’t be a fantasy at all).

As wonderfully intricate and adventurous as the plot arcs are, what really makes the story for me are the characters, and what wonderfully drawn, complex characters they are. The progression from unlikely allies to friends to partners to lovers occurs so naturally, and greater still, it occurs between two equals, no matter their respective ages or experience. They might make the occasional misstep, but they never fail to respect each other, and they both learn to consult with each other before acting unilaterally (though perhaps Alec is a bit more astute in that regard than Seregil). While each character grows, neither outgrows his own humanity. There are no perfect characters here, and growth occurs in the true sense of the word, not continually striving toward something better, but rather learning from mistakes and adapting. Alec’s confidence and assertiveness come into fruition, yet he still relies on Seregil for guidance, rues his own careless errors, and struggles to shed the Northern reserve bred into him even after accepting his ultimate deviance from his cultural norm. Seregil, for all his flourish and bravado, isn’t above making serious miscalculations and dwelling self-consciously on past blunders. I found the gradual shift in his personality entirely consistent and appropriate with the events that he endures, and though he is more reserved and solemn in Traitor’s Moon, I never lost sense of his humor and lust for life.

Flewelling’s secondary characters are equally complex and have the potential for much growth in future books. I’m particularly interested to see how Thero, Beka, and Klia fare in upcoming installments, as I felt that Flewelling has thus far laid the groundwork yet none has quite reached their full potential.

Overall, I can’t recommend the Nightrunner series enough and am eagerly awaiting my receipt of the next few books. I’ve found a lifetime keeper, and I couldn’t be happier.

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Apr 22, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finished this book with a feeling of "this is it?". Not that I didn't enjoy it cause otherwise why would I have given it 4 stars? The reason it gets four stars is because of the characters, Alec and Seregil, and the others along the way. I didn't get much of the plot it was more of a last minute thing that made me feel cheated of a really good villian. I didn't like how it felt like the characters were abusing there power and abilities. The latter part of the book went something along this lin...more

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Mar 31, 2009 Jennn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 2009

It took a little while for the characters to grow on me. I started this book while reading another at the time and I would bounce between the two.

The more I read into it, however, the more I liked it and the harder it was to put it down. She uses a lot of description and although sometimes taxing, Flewelling really creates her world. It is rich with history and geography.

I like her characters, too. Emotional, but not over-the-top. I can identify with them and I understand their motivations. They...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Jesse rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book (and the series) came highly recommended by several people, and the idea behind it certainly intrigued me. I've finished it, and, happily, have come away satisfied, despite a lot of glaring flaws.

First and foremost, Flewelling's strongest aspect is her characters. The relationship between Alec and Seregil is the heart of the book, and she succeeds marvelously. Their reactions always feel realistic and consistent, and the constant interplay between Seregil's boisterous personality with...more This book (and the series) came highly recommended by several people, and the idea behind it certainly intrigued me. I've finished it, and, happily, have come away satisfied, despite a lot of glaring flaws.

First and foremost, Flewelling's strongest aspect is her characters. The relationship between Alec and Seregil is the heart of the book, and she succeeds marvelously. Their reactions always feel realistic and consistent, and the constant interplay between Seregil's boisterous personality with Alec's more reserved nature work beautifully. Similarly, her mature, reserved depiction of the main character's homo/bisexuality was adroitly handled, and her dialogue sparkles with cleverness and wit.

The world that she builds around these characters is also very intriguing. Magic in this universe is full of mystery, even to the ones who wield it, and the glimpses that we get of magic being abused or simply used in strange ways give remarkable color to the universe. Not only that, but Flewelling packs the book full of history and cultural details, all the way down to different customs among differing peoples.

However, this large history both makes and breaks the novel. Since there is so much information to impart upon the reader, Flewelling has many different characters constantly enter into long-winded explanations of the political and cultural history of the world. This information becomes very necessary to understand the machinations of the characters, but these moments read very much like a textbook, and reminded me of the moments in an RPG where an NPC dispenses knowledge as if they were a walking Wikipedia article. A lot of it is very complex and full of names and places that become very difficult to remember later on down the line.

This info-dumping becomes absolutely ridiculous at points, such as a scene where several characters have discovered vital information, and are making an action-packed escape on a carriage. This prompts one of them to launch into a soliloquy about why the people that are chasing them (due to various political and cultural reasons) are trying to take down the monarchy.

Regardless, even though it was a lot to take in, I was able to sift through it well enough to understand the central mystery that the characters were trying to uncover. While it didn't grip me nearly as much as the characters did, it's full of twists and turns and sudden revelations that should make mystery fans happy, and the whole thing ends with a genuinely exciting and action-packed climax.

Speaking of the mystery, the pacing is another area where the novel suffers, with a good 3/4ths of the story given to setting up the world, and letting Alec and Seregil go off on adventures that didn't have much to do with the plot. Luckily, Flewelling's characters are so well-written and so interesting that I barely noticed when the pacing started to flag. However, the book's sudden and unexpected introduction of a mystery that is solved almost as quickly as it is introduced is a bit of a problem. The book also ends on a frustrating cliffhanger, but that didn't bother me too much.

While I may sound like I'm bashing this book, it's actually quite the opposite. I had a great time reading it, and finished the whole thing in 5 days. The moment I turned the last page and closed the book, a wave of sadness swept over me, and I immediately went out and ordered the second novel. I'm eager to see if Flewelling improves over time. Though, even if she doesn't, as long as her characters stay interesting, well-rounded people, I'll be happy.(less)

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Aug 08, 2011 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I love epic fantasy, so I was delighted to come across the Nightrunner series (though I seem to be late finding it). There are a lot of familiar tropes from fantasy: the rogue hero, the innocent boy, the wise old wizard, a lot of traveling "there and back again," etc. Sometimes this can feel repetitive: why is there always a dark god, that know one knows of, who wants to enslave or destroy the world? For once, couldn't it be a beautiful goddess who wants to protect mankind...from themselves? How...more I love epic fantasy, so I was delighted to come across the Nightrunner series (though I seem to be late finding it). There are a lot of familiar tropes from fantasy: the rogue hero, the innocent boy, the wise old wizard, a lot of traveling "there and back again," etc. Sometimes this can feel repetitive: why is there always a dark god, that know one knows of, who wants to enslave or destroy the world? For once, couldn't it be a beautiful goddess who wants to protect mankind...from themselves? How does a 16 year old boy manage to stay so innocent? Surely there are girls in the village? But most of the time, such familiarity is comforting and why I keep coming back for more. Flewelling manages to balance familiarity with enough originality to make this a very good start to a series.

First, Seregil is a great character (who owes more than a passing nod to Silk from the Belgariad) because he's so three-dimensional. He's imperfect, funny, self-deprecating, loyal, and wicked deadly. But, he is the only fully developed character. Alec comes across as overly innocent, and so more one-dimensional, but he is a good foil for Seregil and has potential. Unlike Garion, or other such characters, Alec is already on his way to becoming a thief, and more interesting because of it. The pace can be somewhat slow at times as the world-building takes place as the characters travel across the fictional landscape. The underlying plot/conspiracy is built in a similar way. However, one jewel in this slow evolution is Rhiminee - a city so vibrant and well described it is practically a character in the story. The author has a gift for description, and does ocassionally go overboard with it, but I felt like I was in the story as a result.

Yes, Seregil is at least bisexual, and attracted to Alec. But, as with Vanyel in the Last Herald Mage series, this is simply one of many traits of the character. It was nice to see a gay protagonist treated so matter-of-factly. Though the conclusion is not exactly a cliff-hanger, there is obviously much more to come. Overall, I was drawn in and look forward to continuing the series. Highly recommended to fantasy fans.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Lori Myers rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started to read this one as I had finally caught up with the Dresden Files and was looking for something different.
I gave this the whole 5 stars because the writing is just exquisite. She paints pictures with her words, showing us a rich, new world. Yes, it is a similar world to many others out there, the Pantheon of Gods is well thought out, the evolution of characters is amazing.
It had to be destiny that Seregil met Alec in the dungeon- the friendship forged from that meeting is deeper than...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Serith rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone in the GLBTTQ community

Shelves: favorites

Oh lord, I could not summon enough praise for The Nightrunner. I honestly have never been more obsessed with a series before. It consistently had me at the edge of my seat and biting my nails with such vivid suspense. The characters are so honest and believable that you quickly grow attached to them and it makes you concerned for their safety. Even if you are not an emotional masochist, it has enough passionate content to make anyone giggle and blush. The relationship between the main characters...more Oh lord, I could not summon enough praise for The Nightrunner. I honestly have never been more obsessed with a series before. It consistently had me at the edge of my seat and biting my nails with such vivid suspense. The characters are so honest and believable that you quickly grow attached to them and it makes you concerned for their safety. Even if you are not an emotional masochist, it has enough passionate content to make anyone giggle and blush. The relationship between the main characters, Seregil and Alec, is just so touching and at times silly, cute, or even dramatic. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but members of the GLBTTQ community in particular. And if that is not enough to keep you hooked, then the plot will have you up beyond sleeping hours.

The main character, Seregil í Korit Solun Meringil Bôkthersa, better known as Lord Seregil of Rhiminee, is a character who is as interesting and complex as his name sounds. Flewelling evidently put a keen amount of care and attention into the development of her protagonist. Although Seregil plays the hero in The Nightrunner series, he does not always act as such. His questionable morals have led him down the path of spying and thievery, though his heart is still true. He has a dark past but a charming personality that lures the readers to follow his every step. He is charismatic, quirky, and sharp. The depth behind him creates a well-rounded identity that is thoroughly composed. He so perfect and flawed all at once and I crave to know what he is going to do next. There is a certain unpredictability that keeps his actions fresh. It is a pleasure to join him on his journey for he makes for wonderful company and entertainment.

Rambling about my affections for this book is only the tip of the iceberg; to fully comprehend the perfection of this series, you must read it. The only thing I could think to complain about is how thirsty I am for more! So if you are not familiar with this book, do yourself the favor and pick it up. Flewelling provided us readers with the wonderful gift of sharing her imagination. It is quite inspiring! I can safely state this is, without a doubt, my favorite book.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Malin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books

Alec of Kerry is a teenage orphan stuck in a dungeon on trumped up charges of spying. He's worried that he's going to be killed when a mysterious stranger is thrown into the dungeon with him, and proceeds to not only free himself from the shackles, but takes Alec along as well. Some horse thievery, swift thinking and a fair bit of hiding, and the two have escaped their pursuers.

Over the course of the next few days, Alec discovers that the stranger is able to assume a number of personas and ident...more Alec of Kerry is a teenage orphan stuck in a dungeon on trumped up charges of spying. He's worried that he's going to be killed when a mysterious stranger is thrown into the dungeon with him, and proceeds to not only free himself from the shackles, but takes Alec along as well. Some horse thievery, swift thinking and a fair bit of hiding, and the two have escaped their pursuers.

Over the course of the next few days, Alec discovers that the stranger is able to assume a number of personas and identities without any trouble, and is actually a spy of sorts. His true name is Seregil, and after noticing how quickly Alec picks up new skills, he impulsively offers to take the young man on as an apprentice. Alec has never really known any other life than that of a trapper and hunter in the provincial north, so Seregil's tales of adventure, excitement, travel and exotic locations sounds mighty tempting indeed.

Of course, the covert life of espionage is a bit more dangerous than being a country hunter, and some of the people Seregil's in the area finding information about are entirely ruthless. When Seregil falls seriously ill while they're on the run, Alec gets the chance to save Seregil's life, using what he's learned and his quick mind to get them safely to the capital and Seregil's wizard friend.

They discover that there is a plot against the crown, and someone is trying to implicate Seregil with very clever forgeries. Alec needs to help his new friends figure out who is behind it, before it's too late.

I had not realised that this is basically only the first half of the story. It ends after the first part of the story is concluded, but on a fairly abrupt cliffhanger, there's even a to be continued. So for anyone who hasn't read the book already, there is a second part, Stalking Darkness, that finishes the story of Alec and Seregil and their main adventure.

The book took me longer to read than I'm used to, both because I've been busy with course work and correction in the last weeks, but also because it's fantasy written in a different style than what is mostly common now. The story builds in a much slower way, and while there is plenty of action scenes interspersed with the exposition to keep the reader interested, the exposition is a lot more gradual. It reminded me a bit of playing a computer game, where you start out with an inexperienced, low-level character. First you have to discover your surroundings, get some basic equipment, learn your basic skills, do the basic quests. Following Alec on his adventure with Seregil is reminiscent of that - he gets new stuff, learns new skills, and slowly but surely "levels up", getting more experienced and discovering more of the world and more dangerous things keep happening.

It's a fun book, and I will absolutely be reading the next book to see how young Alec's adventures proceed. (less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Elisebeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I think the biggest problem with this book is I tried reading it directly after I read The Way of Kings. Lynn seems to have good ideas, but you can definitely tell she needs some practice. She needs to show rather than tell, for one thing. And to work on her world building. Despite the time spent telling us about the world all I was left with was vague impression of three warring kingdoms in the south connected to a colder, northern country through a long and extremely profitable trade route. On...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Furio rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, gay-fantasy

This is the first book of the Nightrunner series: it is actually self contained with a HFN ending but reading it as part of the series increases the pleasure and add to the growing tension of the liaison between the two main characters, who are both males.

Some complained about this, especially back in 2005 when M/M fantasies were uncommon, only to sound extremely childish: why are gay fantasy lovers such as myself supposed to relate to straight characters and enjoy their adventures while straigh...more This is the first book of the Nightrunner series: it is actually self contained with a HFN ending but reading it as part of the series increases the pleasure and add to the growing tension of the liaison between the two main characters, who are both males.

Some complained about this, especially back in 2005 when M/M fantasies were uncommon, only to sound extremely childish: why are gay fantasy lovers such as myself supposed to relate to straight characters and enjoy their adventures while straight ones cannot be bothered doing the same with gay ones? Nobody has been able to offer a non-homophobic argumentation.
One could also mention the fact that Ms Flewelling's characters do not spend their time (and our book's pages) in bed: they live their adventure-packed existences instead.

The author is first of all a skilled writer, not something to be taken for granted in a genre where anyone putting dragons-sorcerers-knights -kings together seems to get published: i DO love epic fantasy but cannot stand shabby writing or nonsensical plots.
Even here the plot has its weakpoints, characterization is not always as polished as one may wish and there is a general tendency to exaggerate the emotional vulnerability of the leads, but the novel is one of those few that keep you awake at night to finish them.
The world created here is absolutely believable, political intrigues are reasonably wicked and well developed without becoming oppressive; magic is an essential part of the book but it is not its only raison d'etre.

In this first episode the two heroes meet, get to know each other and live their first adventures together: Ms Flewelling is particularly subtle in not introducing them with long, naive descriptions: the characters act and we get to know them, even the depths of them, by their conduct. Flashbacks are very rare and fit perfectly in the story; the pace is nearly breathtaking.

To sum up: the story is excellent, entertaining and reasonably escapist without being dumb; it could have even surpassed the boundaries of genre fiction if the author had chosen to leave it in a drawer for a couple of years and to reread it later with a severe critical attitude, to polish the remaining small flaws.

Brutally: this book is fun, perfectly worth the money it costs and it bears rereading. (less)

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Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner #1)

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