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Nightrunner #6
Casket of Souls
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2012)The Nightrunners are back in this gripping novel full of Lynn Flewelling’s trademark action, intrigue, and richly imagined characters. More than the dissolute noblemen they appear to be, Alec and Seregil are skillful spies, dedicated to serving queen and country. But when they stumble across evidence of a plot pitting Queen Phoria against Princess Klia, the two Nightrunners will find their loyalties torn as never before. Even at the best of times, the royal court at Rhíminee is a serpents’ nest of intrigue, but with the war against Plenimar going badly, treason simmers just below the surface.And that’s not all that poses a A mysterious plague is spreading through the crowded streets of the city, striking young and old alike. Now, as panic mounts and the body count rises, hidden secrets emerge. And as Seregil and Alec are about to learn, conspiracies and plagues have one thing in The cure can be as deadly as the disease.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
May 23, 2012
This is book 6 in the Nightrunner series so there are only two conceivable reasons for you to be reading this review. The first is that you LOVE everything EVER written by Lynn Flewelling and you want to know how AWESOME this book is. Or, you really liked the first two or three books in this series, but were kind of disappointed with the last two, and you don't know if that is because you are decade older now yourself or if it's the books. And you are hoping to find out whether you should even bother with this one or not. Of course, the people who hated this series aren't going to bother with book six at all. So you're either a fan, or, you used to be a fan, but now you're not sure.
Nightrunner is a bit of an oddball fantasy series to have produced six books. The first two are really one book. Book 3 is a standalone follow up with lots of political intrigue. Then there is about a decade of nothing. And then book 4 and 5 are again a team. And now book 6. A standalone again, unless I am really missing something. The series wasn't planned to have so many volumes, so there is no overarching plot line like in 'The Wheel of Time' where we're still waiting for the final battle after, what, 14 books now? I don't know, I quit at 9 or so. The standard 'group of fighters, thieves, elves and wizards need to save the world from evil overlord' was over and done with after book two. The main characters got together in those early books too. So now what? Probably some of the anticlimactic feelings surrounding the later books come from the fact that there's not much that can top saving the world and resolving the UST, now is there? Of course, if you have created a character like Seregil, it'd be hard to stop writing about him, I totally get that. Alec is great, sure, I happen to have a weakness for angsty teenagers, but it's Seregil that carries these books.
This is first book in which traveling isn't a major part of the plot. The guys stay in Rhiminee the entire book, although we do get some flashes to Beka at the front in Mycena. The plot here consists of mysteries and political intrigue, and the latter involves so many people it can be hard to keep them straight and remember who was trying to murder who again. The start is slow and it takes quite a while for some tension to build. But build it does and then it gets entertaining. There's not much I can say about the plot without spoilers, so that's all you get.
Story-wise, this book is most similar to Traitor's Moon and I enjoyed it about as much as that book. Which is to say, quite a lot, but not quite as much as the first two. The story is solid, the writing is good, and I enjoyed reading it. However, I found myself skimming some of the scenes that got repetitive, such as when the guys break into someone's house in search of evidence again, or go hunt down the ravens dressed as beggars again. Or the descriptions of food. And the main characters felt just a little – flat. Alec is not a teenager anymore and not as angsty and confused And maybe I have gotten too used to Seregil. Either that, or he has really lost some of his snark. Pity, that.
If Ms. Flewelling is going to write a book 7, I'll read it.
This book was provided by netgalley.com for the purpose of this review.
Nightrunner is a bit of an oddball fantasy series to have produced six books. The first two are really one book. Book 3 is a standalone follow up with lots of political intrigue. Then there is about a decade of nothing. And then book 4 and 5 are again a team. And now book 6. A standalone again, unless I am really missing something. The series wasn't planned to have so many volumes, so there is no overarching plot line like in 'The Wheel of Time' where we're still waiting for the final battle after, what, 14 books now? I don't know, I quit at 9 or so. The standard 'group of fighters, thieves, elves and wizards need to save the world from evil overlord' was over and done with after book two. The main characters got together in those early books too. So now what? Probably some of the anticlimactic feelings surrounding the later books come from the fact that there's not much that can top saving the world and resolving the UST, now is there? Of course, if you have created a character like Seregil, it'd be hard to stop writing about him, I totally get that. Alec is great, sure, I happen to have a weakness for angsty teenagers, but it's Seregil that carries these books.
This is first book in which traveling isn't a major part of the plot. The guys stay in Rhiminee the entire book, although we do get some flashes to Beka at the front in Mycena. The plot here consists of mysteries and political intrigue, and the latter involves so many people it can be hard to keep them straight and remember who was trying to murder who again. The start is slow and it takes quite a while for some tension to build. But build it does and then it gets entertaining. There's not much I can say about the plot without spoilers, so that's all you get.
Story-wise, this book is most similar to Traitor's Moon and I enjoyed it about as much as that book. Which is to say, quite a lot, but not quite as much as the first two. The story is solid, the writing is good, and I enjoyed reading it. However, I found myself skimming some of the scenes that got repetitive, such as when the guys break into someone's house in search of evidence again, or go hunt down the ravens dressed as beggars again. Or the descriptions of food. And the main characters felt just a little – flat. Alec is not a teenager anymore and not as angsty and confused And maybe I have gotten too used to Seregil. Either that, or he has really lost some of his snark. Pity, that.
If Ms. Flewelling is going to write a book 7, I'll read it.
This book was provided by netgalley.com for the purpose of this review.
September 21, 2025
Magnificent!!!
I absolutely loved this book, the incredible plots, the mystery, the battles, the adventures, the exceptional intrigue, really cohesive and well wrapped, it was really entertaining, I was engaged all the time, at the edge of my sit almost every moment! Congratulations to Lynn Flewelling, spectacular!!!
It is always a delight to see my favourite characters again even if it's not in such pleasant situations, Beka, Klia, Myrhini, I just love strong female characters, Thero, Micum and his family, Nyal, even Valerius, love them all!!!
I was pleased that the nightrunning jobs were more on the spotlight in this book, after all the series is called Nightrunner but usually it is just a small portion in the previous stories, it was extremely interesting, I had a blast!
I have this book on Audible too, Adam Danoff gave another superb performance, the comedy, the drama, it was marvellous, congratulations, it was a delight!
Also very good work on the cover, kudos to Michael Komarck!
An let's not forget the beautiful poem by Jennifer Crow, praises to her!!!
I absolutely loved this book, the incredible plots, the mystery, the battles, the adventures, the exceptional intrigue, really cohesive and well wrapped, it was really entertaining, I was engaged all the time, at the edge of my sit almost every moment! Congratulations to Lynn Flewelling, spectacular!!!
It is always a delight to see my favourite characters again even if it's not in such pleasant situations, Beka, Klia, Myrhini, I just love strong female characters, Thero, Micum and his family, Nyal, even Valerius, love them all!!!
I was pleased that the nightrunning jobs were more on the spotlight in this book, after all the series is called Nightrunner but usually it is just a small portion in the previous stories, it was extremely interesting, I had a blast!
I have this book on Audible too, Adam Danoff gave another superb performance, the comedy, the drama, it was marvellous, congratulations, it was a delight!
Also very good work on the cover, kudos to Michael Komarck!
An let's not forget the beautiful poem by Jennifer Crow, praises to her!!!
May 31, 2021
O vodu do atre matou mais gente que o death note, cruz credo 😱 Um nome alternativo para o livro poderia ser " próxima vítima". Não é novidade que sou fã dessa série de livros nightrunner, é uma das minhas sagas de fantasias favoritas! Sou totalmente adoradora das aventuras de Seregil e Alec, cada livro é uma emoção diferente. Agora falta só 1 volume para terminar a saga nightrunner, sentirei falta dos personagens. Seregil e Alec é um dos meus casais homo favoritos ❤ Senti um pouco de falta de mais momentos românticos deles nesse volume ( sei que nos anteriores tem muito romance e tal) sou fã e sempre quero mais deles.
August 4, 2024
This one had me a little confused at first with the part of the plot, but once that became a little more clear, the story flew better.
Seregil and Alec are always a pleasure to read about, I love how solid their relationship is and how they navigate the bumps in the road. I especially appreciate that the conflict, if you can even call it that, doesn’t come from the inside but as the effect of them dealing with life. I found perfectly reasonable and realistic that Alec would still be feeling the consequences of (spoiler for previous book)
The storyline revolving around was both creepy and a bit frustrating, since the reader knows exactly what’s going on, while Seregil and Alec have no idea until way, way too late. It was frustrating in a good way, though. The way it was set up, with
I enjoyed getting to know Elani, especially in the light of what happens at the end of the book, with , and I hope in the next book we’ll get to know more about what’s in store for her. It was unfair that
Last but not least,
All in all, another winner for this series and another fun BR with Linda and Rosa. 😊
Seregil and Alec are always a pleasure to read about, I love how solid their relationship is and how they navigate the bumps in the road. I especially appreciate that the conflict, if you can even call it that, doesn’t come from the inside but as the effect of them dealing with life. I found perfectly reasonable and realistic that Alec would still be feeling the consequences of (spoiler for previous book)
The storyline revolving around was both creepy and a bit frustrating, since the reader knows exactly what’s going on, while Seregil and Alec have no idea until way, way too late. It was frustrating in a good way, though. The way it was set up, with
I enjoyed getting to know Elani, especially in the light of what happens at the end of the book, with , and I hope in the next book we’ll get to know more about what’s in store for her. It was unfair that
Last but not least,
All in all, another winner for this series and another fun BR with Linda and Rosa. 😊
June 1, 2018
This is the 6th book in the series, and it continues to be pretty wonderful. I loved the adventure in this one, it feels very much like a new chapter in the lives of Alec and Seregil, along with their friends: Thero, Beka, Klia, Elani etc.
We follow the pair as they have re-entered life at court, socialising with the nobility, enjoying frivolous parties, and doing their Nightrunning activities on the side. These two are cunning, clever and witty, and they can pull off nearly any disguise, but it seems maybe they have met someone just as good when a new troupe of actors comes to town and wows the nobility night after night...
Seeing the acting troupe and the mystery of sudden deaths in the poorer districts added a glitz, glam and darker side to things. This book follows an adventure which feels self-contained, but we still hark back to many of the relationships built up in previous books.
I really love this duo, and all their compatriots, and so it's always a joy to read about them. I am actually pretty sad to know that there is only one book left for me to read in the series at the moment! (although I believe there is a short story collection too)
Highly recommend the series, and the audiobooks, 4*s for this one :)
Also, spoiler about a new relationship here: ...Squeeeee!
We follow the pair as they have re-entered life at court, socialising with the nobility, enjoying frivolous parties, and doing their Nightrunning activities on the side. These two are cunning, clever and witty, and they can pull off nearly any disguise, but it seems maybe they have met someone just as good when a new troupe of actors comes to town and wows the nobility night after night...
Seeing the acting troupe and the mystery of sudden deaths in the poorer districts added a glitz, glam and darker side to things. This book follows an adventure which feels self-contained, but we still hark back to many of the relationships built up in previous books.
I really love this duo, and all their compatriots, and so it's always a joy to read about them. I am actually pretty sad to know that there is only one book left for me to read in the series at the moment! (although I believe there is a short story collection too)
Highly recommend the series, and the audiobooks, 4*s for this one :)
Also, spoiler about a new relationship here: ...Squeeeee!
July 30, 2024
I finished Casket of Souls last night, or better said, early today, and I loved it.
Our heroes are back in Rhíminee and things are even more complicated than when they left the city years ago. More political intrigues that left you wondering where are your true allies. I like this one a lot, Flewelling achieves to maintain the interest through all the plot making our heroes to be a step behind "the bad guys" all the time, and have you wondering how they are going to stop all the madness that has been loosed in the city.
It's a real pleasure reading these great adventures. I'm looking forward for the next one!
Our heroes are back in Rhíminee and things are even more complicated than when they left the city years ago. More political intrigues that left you wondering where are your true allies. I like this one a lot, Flewelling achieves to maintain the interest through all the plot making our heroes to be a step behind "the bad guys" all the time, and have you wondering how they are going to stop all the madness that has been loosed in the city.
It's a real pleasure reading these great adventures. I'm looking forward for the next one!
August 4, 2024
I remember this being creepier the first time I read it. I wonder if it wasn't as creepy this time because I already knew what was going on, or if it was the fact that Danoff doesn't have a menacing voice to save his life, so he didn't perform the villains the way I had read them in the my head before.
Still, the dual plot kept things moving at a good pace, and I enjoyed seeing all my favorite characters again. We get to catch up with Thero, Beka, Klia, Alec and Seregil, and meet the Princess Royal, Elani. Elani is a very level-headed, sensible girl. I was surprised Phoria chose her for an heir, but at least Phoria the Paranoid made one good decision while queen, lol. The plot with the various wasn't that interesting, but it did provide us with some good scenes,
Still, the dual plot kept things moving at a good pace, and I enjoyed seeing all my favorite characters again. We get to catch up with Thero, Beka, Klia, Alec and Seregil, and meet the Princess Royal, Elani. Elani is a very level-headed, sensible girl. I was surprised Phoria chose her for an heir, but at least Phoria the Paranoid made one good decision while queen, lol. The plot with the various wasn't that interesting, but it did provide us with some good scenes,
August 30, 2014
Very nice. Lynn does know how to capture the reader with a light dose of fright and a big dose of cozy. While there's danger, you always know it will end all right, and you're never really soul-wrenched. Works fine when the grimdark gets too much.
The book started too slowly, and there were just too many parties, night-time burglaries and boxes with traps that fire needles out of wax-plugged holes. Every single time. I still think the first two or three books were the best, in particular the one with the dyrmagnos, but unlike some authors who lose the spark as the series progresses, Lynn maintains her characteristic flair and signature. The quality remains, and that's a good thing. All in all, this is a very good, fun read.
Let us limerickize, shall we?
There was an actor rather foul
Who would sip of a human soul
At million a ball,
The Watchers did call,
Needles sprang from a wax-plugg'd hole!
Cheerfully yours,
Igor
The book started too slowly, and there were just too many parties, night-time burglaries and boxes with traps that fire needles out of wax-plugged holes. Every single time. I still think the first two or three books were the best, in particular the one with the dyrmagnos, but unlike some authors who lose the spark as the series progresses, Lynn maintains her characteristic flair and signature. The quality remains, and that's a good thing. All in all, this is a very good, fun read.
Let us limerickize, shall we?
There was an actor rather foul
Who would sip of a human soul
At million a ball,
The Watchers did call,
Needles sprang from a wax-plugg'd hole!
Cheerfully yours,
Igor
February 20, 2015
In a (welcome, to me) return to the scope and texture of the earlier adventures of Alec and Seregil, Casket of Souls keeps the boys at home, Nightrunning and intriguing and reestablishing their place in Rhiminee society. Part of that entails a visit with their old friend Lady Kylith to a run-down theatre in a terrible part of town, which turns into something more when the acting troupe turns out to be truly remarkable. Shortly Seregil finds himself inveigled into sponsoring the charming lead actor, Atre, and his troupe… but there are a few things he doesn't know about his new project. There are a few things the two lead actors take care no one knows, not even the rest of the troupe.
Meanwhile, the Nightrunner pair find themselves, with Thero, embroiled (along with being inveigled) in plots both for and against Klia, the Queen's sister. Klia is not the heir to the throne, and doesn't want to be – but there is a faction who prefers her, and they're beginning to take action toward that end. They are, of course, balanced by another faction who will do anything to prevent that end, up to and including killing Klia. She's miles away, with only Micum's daughter Beka and her Faie husband to act on behalf of the Watchers… And Thero, one broken message wand away. It takes a great deal of Nightrunning to begin to untangle the threads of who among the nobles is involved, and on which side, and this is great. This is where these characters really shine.
The plague that is rising in the poor quarters of the city is troubling. The poor are, of course, in fear of their lives. Everyone else is afraid that it will spread, or that it will affect their trade. Alec and Seregil come across a very young victim, and this puts a child's face on the plague that makes it personal for them. They just don't realize how personal. What with everything else going on, they just don't have time to deal with the strange aspect of this plague that so merits investigation – but, inevitably, they find they have no choice in the matter. And, happily, this also involves disguises and chases and getting into where they shouldn't be, so it's all great fun as well - - until it isn't fun anymore, and that's a good thing too. (Well, you wouldn't want me to spoil the story by explaining that, would you?)
When all's said and done, I simply did not enjoy the last two books of this series as much as the rest. I don't really consider physical and mental torture of characters I like as a recreational sport; while I love a good escape story the rest of it just made it hard to read. Too, I missed the other characters – Thero, and Micum and his family, are a big part of why I'm as fond of the series as I am. Casket of Souls circles back to the beginning of the series, in a way, taking Alec and Seregil back to where we met them, scaling walls and picking locks and – as always – evading dogs, and walking the fine line between serving the Queen and attracting her attention, because that's rarely a good thing. It's a terrific adventure fantasy with some great characters in a wonderfully well-built world. Really, at times that's all you need.
Meanwhile, the Nightrunner pair find themselves, with Thero, embroiled (along with being inveigled) in plots both for and against Klia, the Queen's sister. Klia is not the heir to the throne, and doesn't want to be – but there is a faction who prefers her, and they're beginning to take action toward that end. They are, of course, balanced by another faction who will do anything to prevent that end, up to and including killing Klia. She's miles away, with only Micum's daughter Beka and her Faie husband to act on behalf of the Watchers… And Thero, one broken message wand away. It takes a great deal of Nightrunning to begin to untangle the threads of who among the nobles is involved, and on which side, and this is great. This is where these characters really shine.
The plague that is rising in the poor quarters of the city is troubling. The poor are, of course, in fear of their lives. Everyone else is afraid that it will spread, or that it will affect their trade. Alec and Seregil come across a very young victim, and this puts a child's face on the plague that makes it personal for them. They just don't realize how personal. What with everything else going on, they just don't have time to deal with the strange aspect of this plague that so merits investigation – but, inevitably, they find they have no choice in the matter. And, happily, this also involves disguises and chases and getting into where they shouldn't be, so it's all great fun as well - - until it isn't fun anymore, and that's a good thing too. (Well, you wouldn't want me to spoil the story by explaining that, would you?)
When all's said and done, I simply did not enjoy the last two books of this series as much as the rest. I don't really consider physical and mental torture of characters I like as a recreational sport; while I love a good escape story the rest of it just made it hard to read. Too, I missed the other characters – Thero, and Micum and his family, are a big part of why I'm as fond of the series as I am. Casket of Souls circles back to the beginning of the series, in a way, taking Alec and Seregil back to where we met them, scaling walls and picking locks and – as always – evading dogs, and walking the fine line between serving the Queen and attracting her attention, because that's rarely a good thing. It's a terrific adventure fantasy with some great characters in a wonderfully well-built world. Really, at times that's all you need.
February 5, 2018
Pros
The Plot
Look, I don't like the Magical Reset Button - and I wasn't shy about saying as much in my review of the last book. Even so, though, it was such a relief to get away from the "WTF is even happening" of Shadows Return and The White Road and back to the skulduggery, political intrigue, double lives, and conspiracies that were what made this series interesting in the first place. For the first time since at least Traitor's Moon , I actually felt like I was reading a new Nightrunners book rather than a mediocre whump fic. So yeah, as much as I dislike the way it was handled and thought that the "child of no woman" plot should never have been brought up in the first place if the author didn't actually intend to do anything with it... if she did what she did because she realized she'd made a mistake, and fixed it in the only way that was possible without completely retconning the previous two books, I'll take what I can get.
The Women
Despite the fact that it's an M/M story and the main characters are both men, there's no shortage of competent, colorful, and interesting female characters available. Women in this universe are active-duty soldiers, leaders, skilled politicians, and defenders of the realm. Femininity is never treated as being mutually exclusive with competance - but neither is it forced on anyone who isn't interested. One thing that especially stood out for me - and this was something that I particularly appreciated - is that when a woman says she doesn't want children or cares more about her career than she does about starting a family, she actually means it, and is respected for her choice. No brainwashing mantra that every woman secretly wants a baby, no condescending assertions that "You'll change your mind", no biological clocks going off - just women living their lives, and being free to do so, and more often than not with a supportive partner by their side.
Cons
The Head Surfing
Why do authors do this? Do they have no idea how annoying it is? Repeatedly switching the point of view in the middle of a scene without any sort of break is confusing, it's jarring, and it serves no purpose in telling the story - even if you do have to give another character's perspective on the same scene, would it kill you to put a break in there to indicate the switch? What's worse, I don't remember seeing any of this in the previous books - so either the quality of the writing is actively deteriorating or, as I speculated in a previous review, the writer just doesn't care anymore. This does not bode well for the rest of the series.
After a few more chapters, though, I realized that it was worse than mere head surfing: the author frequently does whole scene changes without the benefit of any sort of break to tell us that we're now in a completely different location than we were last paragraph. Sure, the author wrote out all of the necessary scenes, but then just mushed them together in vague chronological order without any sort of transition in place to tell us where or how. The readers are reading the words that you put on the page. We cannot read your mind.
The Sloppy Editing
Here, have a nice mangled paragraph:
This is the first time this particular type of mangling happens, but it is far from the last. Was this book edited at all?
The first time I spotted a "you're" where there should have been a "your", I looked the other way. The first time is a typo; everybody makes them, not even the professionals can be 100% perfect 100% of the time and one lone error generally deserves the benefit of the doubt. Multiple times, though? That's a sign that someone is sloppy, lazy, or doesn't have the first clue what they're doing.
I honestly can't even summon up any outrage over this. Instead I just feel embarrassed on the author's behalf. Was she half-asleep while she wrote this? Or does one of her editors have a grudge against her and decided to sabotage her work? We may never know, but that would make a pretty good story in and of itself.
The Uneven Treatment of the Romances
This is ostensibly supposed to be an M/M series, and we spend more time with Seregil and Alec than we do with anyone else. Yet, there's considerably more time devoted to the relationships of the straight beta couples than there is to the relationship of the two main characters. Sure, I like Beka/Nyal just fine... but the two of them hastily rutting in the woods behind their encampment was not an image I ever needed in my head. Nor, for that matter, did I particularly want to know about Thero's desperate efforts to control his member whenever he got too physically close to Klia. Seregil and Alec, meanwhile, have very little time dedicated to their relationship as a couple, other than the occasional offhand acknowledgement that they are still a couple, as if the author is afraid we're going to forget - which, considering how little page time that relationship gets, actually might not be an invalid concern!
The Verdict
Despite its issues, this was a vast improvement over the tangent the story was previously taking. Hopefully the next book will continue this trend (and have a better editor available!).
The Plot
Look, I don't like the Magical Reset Button - and I wasn't shy about saying as much in my review of the last book. Even so, though, it was such a relief to get away from the "WTF is even happening" of Shadows Return and The White Road and back to the skulduggery, political intrigue, double lives, and conspiracies that were what made this series interesting in the first place. For the first time since at least Traitor's Moon , I actually felt like I was reading a new Nightrunners book rather than a mediocre whump fic. So yeah, as much as I dislike the way it was handled and thought that the "child of no woman" plot should never have been brought up in the first place if the author didn't actually intend to do anything with it... if she did what she did because she realized she'd made a mistake, and fixed it in the only way that was possible without completely retconning the previous two books, I'll take what I can get.
The Women
Despite the fact that it's an M/M story and the main characters are both men, there's no shortage of competent, colorful, and interesting female characters available. Women in this universe are active-duty soldiers, leaders, skilled politicians, and defenders of the realm. Femininity is never treated as being mutually exclusive with competance - but neither is it forced on anyone who isn't interested. One thing that especially stood out for me - and this was something that I particularly appreciated - is that when a woman says she doesn't want children or cares more about her career than she does about starting a family, she actually means it, and is respected for her choice. No brainwashing mantra that every woman secretly wants a baby, no condescending assertions that "You'll change your mind", no biological clocks going off - just women living their lives, and being free to do so, and more often than not with a supportive partner by their side.
Cons
The Head Surfing
Why do authors do this? Do they have no idea how annoying it is? Repeatedly switching the point of view in the middle of a scene without any sort of break is confusing, it's jarring, and it serves no purpose in telling the story - even if you do have to give another character's perspective on the same scene, would it kill you to put a break in there to indicate the switch? What's worse, I don't remember seeing any of this in the previous books - so either the quality of the writing is actively deteriorating or, as I speculated in a previous review, the writer just doesn't care anymore. This does not bode well for the rest of the series.
After a few more chapters, though, I realized that it was worse than mere head surfing: the author frequently does whole scene changes without the benefit of any sort of break to tell us that we're now in a completely different location than we were last paragraph. Sure, the author wrote out all of the necessary scenes, but then just mushed them together in vague chronological order without any sort of transition in place to tell us where or how. The readers are reading the words that you put on the page. We cannot read your mind.
The Sloppy Editing
Here, have a nice mangled paragraph:
"You will speak the truth when questioned. If you lie to me, you will die very unpleasantly," Thero told him. "At the first lie it will blind you; at the second it will cut off your nose; at the third it will cut out your lying tongue." He was pleased to see the color drain from the man's face. "However,"
he went on, "if you tell the truth, Commander Klia may show you mercy. The choice is entirely yours."
This is the first time this particular type of mangling happens, but it is far from the last. Was this book edited at all?
Caught you! thought Seregil, amazed as the brazenness of it.
The first time I spotted a "you're" where there should have been a "your", I looked the other way. The first time is a typo; everybody makes them, not even the professionals can be 100% perfect 100% of the time and one lone error generally deserves the benefit of the doubt. Multiple times, though? That's a sign that someone is sloppy, lazy, or doesn't have the first clue what they're doing.
I honestly can't even summon up any outrage over this. Instead I just feel embarrassed on the author's behalf. Was she half-asleep while she wrote this? Or does one of her editors have a grudge against her and decided to sabotage her work? We may never know, but that would make a pretty good story in and of itself.
The Uneven Treatment of the Romances
This is ostensibly supposed to be an M/M series, and we spend more time with Seregil and Alec than we do with anyone else. Yet, there's considerably more time devoted to the relationships of the straight beta couples than there is to the relationship of the two main characters. Sure, I like Beka/Nyal just fine... but the two of them hastily rutting in the woods behind their encampment was not an image I ever needed in my head. Nor, for that matter, did I particularly want to know about Thero's desperate efforts to control his member whenever he got too physically close to Klia. Seregil and Alec, meanwhile, have very little time dedicated to their relationship as a couple, other than the occasional offhand acknowledgement that they are still a couple, as if the author is afraid we're going to forget - which, considering how little page time that relationship gets, actually might not be an invalid concern!
The Verdict
Despite its issues, this was a vast improvement over the tangent the story was previously taking. Hopefully the next book will continue this trend (and have a better editor available!).
December 22, 2020
Apasionante, brillante, no te dejará indiferente.
- The Noemí Times
- The Noemí Times
Read
May 4, 2021Much better than 4 and 5! But we knew the motivations and the antagonists wayyyyy too soon. There were no questions, no machinations, no surprises. Nothing like the antagonist of book 3. Too straightforward, which made it predictable and annoying.
Also, "hard member". Stop saying that. Everyone. Please stop.
Also, "hard member". Stop saying that. Everyone. Please stop.
January 30, 2013
Before reading thoughts:
--
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
It was sooo nice to return to some of my favorite characters of the entire genre. Ach. I just really love Seregil, Alec, Micum, and Beka!
My only complaint is that the entire last half of the book was so rushed. It's like, we discover that the ravens exist AND THEN we chase them around for a few chapters AND THEN we find out who they really are AND THEN we find out why people are dying AND THEN we bring everyone back.
Meanwhile on the front line we find the traitor they fight more battles and then everyone's wounded and dead but Skala won the fight.
?!?!?!
Madam Flewelling, with all respect intended towards your property, you should probably have taken a chunk of fluff that you stuffed into the first half and moved it to the second. We don't need step-by-step descriptions of the parties that Alec and Seregil attend when they arrive back in Rhiminee. However, a bit more description would've been nice in the last couple chapters.
Woo.
--
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
It was sooo nice to return to some of my favorite characters of the entire genre. Ach. I just really love Seregil, Alec, Micum, and Beka!
My only complaint is that the entire last half of the book was so rushed. It's like, we discover that the ravens exist AND THEN we chase them around for a few chapters AND THEN we find out who they really are AND THEN we find out why people are dying AND THEN we bring everyone back.
Meanwhile on the front line we find the traitor they fight more battles and then everyone's wounded and dead but Skala won the fight.
?!?!?!
Madam Flewelling, with all respect intended towards your property, you should probably have taken a chunk of fluff that you stuffed into the first half and moved it to the second. We don't need step-by-step descriptions of the parties that Alec and Seregil attend when they arrive back in Rhiminee. However, a bit more description would've been nice in the last couple chapters.
Woo.
March 16, 2015
Okay, I'm going to get one thing clear. I am 100% biased about The Nightrunners series and it gets 5 stars before I've even read it. I think this may be my second favourite from the series so far! I'm amazed at how the different books can have such different feels to them, but maintain characters that are completely realistic and true to themselves. We're back to Rhiminee in this one, with noble plots, a dashing actor, and a lot of death! To me, this one had a similar feel to the first two books.
April 30, 2019
actual rating: 3.5
This is definitely a welcome return to the familiar after whatever the hell was happening in the last two books. The characters are back in Rhiminee and there's a lot more of the political intrigue and spying going on that made the series so fun in the first place. Also all the side characters I was missing in the last two books make appearances again, and we even get a few POV chapters from Beka and Klia so that was nice. The only reason that this gets a technical 3.5 is because I felt like the pacing was a bit off in bringing the two converging story lines together and also I don't really like it when the bad guy is revealed to the readers way before it is revealed to the characters because it just means I'm yelling at them the whole time like 'Oh my god it's him! He's doing the thing! Are you serious!' Overall a good read though.
This is definitely a welcome return to the familiar after whatever the hell was happening in the last two books. The characters are back in Rhiminee and there's a lot more of the political intrigue and spying going on that made the series so fun in the first place. Also all the side characters I was missing in the last two books make appearances again, and we even get a few POV chapters from Beka and Klia so that was nice. The only reason that this gets a technical 3.5 is because I felt like the pacing was a bit off in bringing the two converging story lines together and also I don't really like it when the bad guy is revealed to the readers way before it is revealed to the characters because it just means I'm yelling at them the whole time like 'Oh my god it's him! He's doing the thing! Are you serious!' Overall a good read though.
October 3, 2024
In this installment, The Watchers investigate seemingly separate cases of great danger to Skala while war rages on in Plenimar. Seregil and Alec are once again surrounded by death, losing a few close to home as they search in frustration for the source(s) and a means to make it stop.
August 22, 2021
I usually give these books 5 stars, but this one got a bit tedious with all the running around in circles, looking for clues thing. Following the Bad Guy and then having to read through all the wrong assumptions Seregil and Alec make.... yeah, I wasn't patient enough for that.
But still it was nice to return to this world, and I can't believe someone would try and take on a Cavish! Utterly unforgivable.
But still it was nice to return to this world, and I can't believe someone would try and take on a Cavish! Utterly unforgivable.
April 17, 2020
The last two in this series made me forget why I love these books so much, but this one really brought it all back for me.
January 20, 2023
Bellissimo.
In questo sesto volume possiamo rilassarci e respirare un attimo. Certo non mancano gli intrighi, i misteri, i colpi di scena e l’ansia, ma non c’è neanche tutta l’angoscia e la sofferenza che abbiamo patito con i due volumi precedenti. Alec e Seregil si portano dietro le cicatrici di quanto è accaduto in Plenimar, ma tornano a fare quello che sanno fare meglio.
Belli loro, belli Thero, Micum e tutti gli altri.
Amo questo mondo e i suoi personaggi, e mi sento male al pensiero che il prossimo libro che leggerò, il settimo di questa bellissima saga, sarà l’ultimo. Ho un po’ paura.
In questo sesto volume possiamo rilassarci e respirare un attimo. Certo non mancano gli intrighi, i misteri, i colpi di scena e l’ansia, ma non c’è neanche tutta l’angoscia e la sofferenza che abbiamo patito con i due volumi precedenti. Alec e Seregil si portano dietro le cicatrici di quanto è accaduto in Plenimar, ma tornano a fare quello che sanno fare meglio.
Belli loro, belli Thero, Micum e tutti gli altri.
Amo questo mondo e i suoi personaggi, e mi sento male al pensiero che il prossimo libro che leggerò, il settimo di questa bellissima saga, sarà l’ultimo. Ho un po’ paura.
May 23, 2012
I must admit to being a fan of the Nightrunner series ever since I stumbled across the first book. I fell madly in love with Alec and Seregil even though I did have trouble with book four, Shadows Return. To me it really seemed to drag. However they are back in fine form in CASKET OF SOULS.
With the exception of the very first book, Luck in the Shadows, CASKET OF SOULS has to be my favorite. It is set in Rhíminee and we get to watch two masters of the shadows ply their craft as they work to discover who all is in the various factions that are not happy with the current Queen.
Also children from the poorer quarters are dying which really concerns Alec. While he is investigating that, close friends of both of them start to die without a mark on them. Is there any way that the two are connected?
We get to watch Seregil deal with his fears over losing Alec again and Thero try to throttle his love for a completely inappropriate woman. In doing so, we get to know them better than ever before.
I highly recommend CASKET OF SOULS to any followers of the Nightrunner series. It is well worth the wait. And to any lovers of dark fantasy, I recommend the entire series.
I rate this book a 4.5.
I received this book for no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. No monies have or will exchange hands.
June 2, 2012
I liked this much better than the last couple books about Alec's creepy child. I am not a fan of the creepy elements in Flewelling's works (I hated the Tamir books, for instance), so I was quite pleased that this book was primarily about Nightrunning. The politics were really hard to follow at first, and I'm still not sure I sorted out all the characters, and I found the POV shifts ridiculously annoying (I also don't care about any of the characters who aren't Alec or Seregil -- especially Beka), but at least it was what I liked about the series in the first place. The magic plot wasn't a mystery at all, thanks to the POV switching, which was a shame -- I felt annoyed with Alec and Seregil for their blindness to a solution that had been handed to the reader. The politics and magic mystery were not entirely well-welded together, but as I said, a vast improvement over creepy things and other countries and necromancy and elfland and whatever. Much lower angst and creepiness qualities!
Want to read
September 3, 2017I will try again to read the Nightrunner series. *sighs*
Information for The Bone Doll's Twin: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Information for The Bone Doll's Twin: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
July 3, 2025
Алек и Серегил тут такие мужья ❤️ Но больше всего в этой книге люблю, как со времени первых двух книг прокачался Теро и его отношения с Алеком и Серегилом.
December 2, 2024
:’( pero ahnwdjqhdkidkwhdjws :D,?
August 3, 2018
http://delivreenlivres.blogspot.com/2...
J'ai adoré ce tome qui marque le retour à la maison de nos héros après un certain nombre de tomes ou ils en étaient vraiment très éloignés. Il est vraiment au cœur de ce qui fait la spécificité de cette série avec une intrigue totalement centrée sur la politique alors que la guerre fait toujours rage.
Comme d'habitude, Alec et Seregil n'ont en général pas vraiment le temps de souffler. Alors qu'ils viennent de rentrer après leurs aventures à l'étranger, ils sont informés que des rumeurs parlent d'un complot qui tournerait autour de leur grande amie Klia la sœur de la très stricte reine actuelle de Skala. Très inquiets pour elle nos amis vont bien sur tout faire pour découvrir qui se cache derrière, ce qu'ils ont prévus et dans quel but. Mais alors qu'ils sont vraiment occupés et que la menace se précise, une étrange épidémie commence à ravager la population ...
Dans l'ensemble ce tome ci est moins sombre que les deux précédents, moins basé sur l'aventure aussi. C'est vrai que les différents tomes de cette série ne se ressemble pas du tout, l'autrice aimant varier les genres. Ce tome ci est pour moi celui qui se rapproche le plus des bases de la série, le plus Nightrunnerien des tomes depuis quasiment le début.
Alec et Seregil reprennent leur métier original à savoir espion pour les Veilleurs. Le chat de Rhiminie repend aussi du service, bien sur. Et franchement je dois dire que voir les deux compères espionner de nouveau m'a fait vraiment bien plaisir. On retrouve les déguisements, l'escalade de façades, l'infiltration chez les nobles pour lire leur courrier, le fait de devenir ami avec des personnes juste pour pouvoir s'infiltrer dans leur entourage ...
C'est vraiment un métier à plein temps en fait car la journée ils doivent jouer aux nobles et chercher des indices qu'ils exploitent ensuite la nuit pour confirmer les informations. C'est pour ça que les deux hommes passent en fait à coté de l’épidémie sans vraiment y faire gaffe pendant une grande partie de l'histoire. Et quand ils s'aperçoivent qu'elle est à leur porte c'est déjà limite trop tard et c'est la panique.
Un point qui m'a aussi bien plus est le fait que ce tome ci est un one-shot, l'histoire a une vrai fin. Enfin les deux histoires parce que finalement il y a bien deux intrigues en parallèle ici qu'il va falloir résoudre. En fait je trouve que même l'intrigue politique est une bonne fin, complète et qui n'amène pas à une suite comme précédemment.
Limite je pourrais dire que pour moi ce tome ci avait des accents de fin de série car en fait l'intrigue politique mise en place depuis pas mal de tomes se termine ici et de façon définitive pour un grand nombre de personnages même secondaires. Du coup je suis curieuse de voir ce que va pouvoir donner le vrai tout dernier tome de la série.
Au final ce tome m'a vraiment plu, on revient aux origines de la série dans une intrigue politique qui clôture tout ce qui était en plan jusqu'ici, le tout associé à une autre intrigue très mystérieuse et qui se dévoile petit à petit. Je n'ai vraiment pas eu le temps de m'ennuyer et je l'ai lu quasiment d'une traite.
17/20
J'ai adoré ce tome qui marque le retour à la maison de nos héros après un certain nombre de tomes ou ils en étaient vraiment très éloignés. Il est vraiment au cœur de ce qui fait la spécificité de cette série avec une intrigue totalement centrée sur la politique alors que la guerre fait toujours rage.
Comme d'habitude, Alec et Seregil n'ont en général pas vraiment le temps de souffler. Alors qu'ils viennent de rentrer après leurs aventures à l'étranger, ils sont informés que des rumeurs parlent d'un complot qui tournerait autour de leur grande amie Klia la sœur de la très stricte reine actuelle de Skala. Très inquiets pour elle nos amis vont bien sur tout faire pour découvrir qui se cache derrière, ce qu'ils ont prévus et dans quel but. Mais alors qu'ils sont vraiment occupés et que la menace se précise, une étrange épidémie commence à ravager la population ...
Dans l'ensemble ce tome ci est moins sombre que les deux précédents, moins basé sur l'aventure aussi. C'est vrai que les différents tomes de cette série ne se ressemble pas du tout, l'autrice aimant varier les genres. Ce tome ci est pour moi celui qui se rapproche le plus des bases de la série, le plus Nightrunnerien des tomes depuis quasiment le début.
Alec et Seregil reprennent leur métier original à savoir espion pour les Veilleurs. Le chat de Rhiminie repend aussi du service, bien sur. Et franchement je dois dire que voir les deux compères espionner de nouveau m'a fait vraiment bien plaisir. On retrouve les déguisements, l'escalade de façades, l'infiltration chez les nobles pour lire leur courrier, le fait de devenir ami avec des personnes juste pour pouvoir s'infiltrer dans leur entourage ...
C'est vraiment un métier à plein temps en fait car la journée ils doivent jouer aux nobles et chercher des indices qu'ils exploitent ensuite la nuit pour confirmer les informations. C'est pour ça que les deux hommes passent en fait à coté de l’épidémie sans vraiment y faire gaffe pendant une grande partie de l'histoire. Et quand ils s'aperçoivent qu'elle est à leur porte c'est déjà limite trop tard et c'est la panique.
Un point qui m'a aussi bien plus est le fait que ce tome ci est un one-shot, l'histoire a une vrai fin. Enfin les deux histoires parce que finalement il y a bien deux intrigues en parallèle ici qu'il va falloir résoudre. En fait je trouve que même l'intrigue politique est une bonne fin, complète et qui n'amène pas à une suite comme précédemment.
Limite je pourrais dire que pour moi ce tome ci avait des accents de fin de série car en fait l'intrigue politique mise en place depuis pas mal de tomes se termine ici et de façon définitive pour un grand nombre de personnages même secondaires. Du coup je suis curieuse de voir ce que va pouvoir donner le vrai tout dernier tome de la série.
Au final ce tome m'a vraiment plu, on revient aux origines de la série dans une intrigue politique qui clôture tout ce qui était en plan jusqu'ici, le tout associé à une autre intrigue très mystérieuse et qui se dévoile petit à petit. Je n'ai vraiment pas eu le temps de m'ennuyer et je l'ai lu quasiment d'une traite.
17/20
December 25, 2024
perhaps if i'd read the rest of this series at the same time as the first four (about 10 years ago now lol) then i would have felt more inclined to like them as much. as it is, there feels a significant drop off after book 3 (the decade long gap between #3 and #4 suggests perhaps it was meant as a trilogy? and ought maybe to have stayed that way) & this one was just too boring to derive any enjoyment from (also you know who's behind it all from very early on, which is about my least favourite type of mystery). as much as i've enjoyed these characters before, i'm tapping out now.
Rep: bi mc, gay mc
Rep: bi mc, gay mc
March 10, 2020
6/10
SPOILERS!
It took too many pages and too many deaths for Seregil and Alex to figure out the mystery of the sleeping plague. The first half of the book, while pleasant, was slow.
The two cabals, so important for much of the book, were relegated to a minor plot point. I suppose having all the major players turn up dead will do that, but it felt like the author just tossed that whole major plot out the window when it was no longer needed.
I enjoyed the storyline with Thero playing a more prominent role in both his budding romance and the Watcher business. As the series has progressed, he has become an engaging character.
I think I will be happy to read the last of the Nightrunner books—only one more to go. Unless the author really tells a wonderful and compelling concluding story, I am afraid I will think she should have wrapped things up a bit earlier in the series.
SPOILERS!
It took too many pages and too many deaths for Seregil and Alex to figure out the mystery of the sleeping plague. The first half of the book, while pleasant, was slow.
The two cabals, so important for much of the book, were relegated to a minor plot point. I suppose having all the major players turn up dead will do that, but it felt like the author just tossed that whole major plot out the window when it was no longer needed.
I enjoyed the storyline with Thero playing a more prominent role in both his budding romance and the Watcher business. As the series has progressed, he has become an engaging character.
I think I will be happy to read the last of the Nightrunner books—only one more to go. Unless the author really tells a wonderful and compelling concluding story, I am afraid I will think she should have wrapped things up a bit earlier in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2019
I was in tears by the end, and not because of the book itself, per say, but the progression of the characters through this book series that I have come to know so well and love. This hasn't been my favourite of the series (the second one remains my ultimate) but the mix of political court drama, to be followed up by plague-inspired murder mystery was an absolute thrill. This book is a wonderful mix of action, thrill, intrigue and the evolution of characters so dearly loved and the satisfaction of what they do get to achieve in this book. This book has loss too, and perhaps some of the saddest times (personal opinion) from the series so far.
A whirlwind of a read and a brilliant thrill that still has me trembling.
A whirlwind of a read and a brilliant thrill that still has me trembling.
August 30, 2020
This book was a bit different than the others bc it was focused mostly on politics with a very interesting side plot. I absolutely loved it and I'm not ready for the last one 😱😱
April 6, 2022
4.5 stars
i love this series so much and i loved being back in rhiminee and all the nightrunning shenanigans
i love this series so much and i loved being back in rhiminee and all the nightrunning shenanigans
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