Customer Reviews

Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner, Vol. 1)

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this book from Amazon based on the synopsis---only because I was bored. To be honest, the synopsis made it sound like yet another run-of-the-mill sword-lockpick-and-sorcery fantasy novel, and the recommendations didn't help with their comparisons to fantasy writers whose works I've grown to dislike over time. I just needed something to read while on the stairmaster at the gym, so I bought it.

And that most wonderful of occurrances happened---I discovered a deliciously good novel, completely by accident. It doesn't start out slow, but there *is* a lot to digest at first---a completely new world, both like and unlike those of other fantasy realms, complex politics, a number of characters who will all grow to be important eventually. Fortunately, Seregil is so charming and Alec so ingenuous that they alone held my attention during the required learning curve of this book. Once past that curve, I was able to appreciate the complexity of the plot---intrigue has always fascinated me, and the politics of war, while repellent, are plausibly and interestingly-presented here.

A lot of people have commented on the central romance in the series (because there are several, which others have not noted). I want to emphasize, for those who may get the wrong impression from the reviews (as I did)---this is not a "queer fantasy". Rather---there's a same sex romance in it, but it's made clear in the books that neither of the characters involved is what we Americans would categorize, stamp, and bracket as "gay." They simply happened to fall in love with someone of the same gender. The same-gender issue *isn't* an issue, in most ways---neither of the characters spends a great deal of time questioning their sexuality or masculinity or fretting that they're violating the mores of polite society (mainly because, in this series, they aren't). I'm only pointing this out because I hate seeing books "labeled". If you're the puritanical sort who dislikes any dollop of non-traditional romance in your traditional fantasy, then the books will irritate you, so don't bother reading them. If not, you don't have to be a rainbow-flag-waving GLBT activist to like the series. It's just good fantasy, with a realistic and thoroughly satisfying romance in it.

The romance is also not central to the novels' plot. They're spies and adventurers for the queen in a land beset by war. They fall in love, somewhere in the middle of book 2. They go on spying and adventuring for the queen as the war progresses. It's an accent to the novel, not a key plot element. So for those who dislike reading fantasy books which are really just thinly-veiled Harlequins with sword-wielding Fabio's on the cover, this book is a delight.

(Don't get me wrong; personally, I love a nice central romance---when it's appropriate to the story. But in this case, too much attention focused on the romance would detract from the all-too-engrossing other plot elements of the books.)

So since others have compared these books to another author's, I'll say this---these are excellent for those who are ready to graduate from reading Mercedes Lackey. Here is true originality, plausibility, excellent characterization, and fascinating worldbuilding. And a damn good read. The time on the stairmaster just flew by.

Luck in the Shadows has the timeless quality of an instant classic. Alec and Seregil's meeting in a dungeon, their hair-raising escape, the revelation of the real Seregil, dangerous and compelling -- these images become part of our subconscious tapestry. Speaking of images, as soon as I saw the cover illustration of Seregil looking down from the roof at his pursuers, I knew I had to read this book.

Seregil is a whip-smart rogue with an uncanny knack for acquiring information and keeping it to himself. Flewelling wastes no time in introducing Alec and Seregil to us and to each other, and revealing their horrific enemies. Seregil is complex and mercurial, a man who lives by his wits and acting skills. He is at home in all levels of society, and makes a charming guide to his world. Alec is his ideal partner - kind and innocent, yet intelligent and quick of hand and mind, reminding Seregil of himself as a youth. Their bond has the satisfactory feel of the last puzzle piece, feared lost, fitting snugly in place to complete the picture.

The other characters are so fleshed out that in lesser books they'd be the leads. Micum Cavish, Seregil's friend of 20 years, is a bear of a man, gruff and plain-spoken. He and his family take to Alec instantly. Seregil and Alec have four little 'families': at the Cockerel, the Oreska, Wheel Street and Watermead. Personally, I find Seregil's enchanted rooms at the Cockerel, chock-full of books, gems and curiosities, enormously appealing;--I'd move there myself in a second.

Nysander is the finest wizard since Gandalf: he has awesome powers and the compassion to use them wisely. All of Flewelling's women are strong: the warrior queen Idrilain, Micum's no-nonsense wife Kari, and their soldier daughter Beka.

But the core of the novel is Alec and Seregil, and their growth both as individuals and friends in the course of myriad breath-taking adventures. Imagine all these strengths in a book written in clean,taut language by an enthusiastic author. What a treat.

Alec is a young hunter's son, captured and tortured, and waiting to die when he is rescued by a strange and multifaceted man by the name of Seregil. So begins "Luck in the Shadows."

I fought against reading this one for a while, until a friend of mine pretty much shoved it into my hand. I should have given in years ago, because I really loved this book's characters and story.

There are quite a few strengths to Lyn Flewelling's writing. For one, we have a society that is matriarchal, or at least equalized, without the typical "just reverse the roles" writing. This is not a simple society that Flewelling has written, but an intricate and interesting one.

Secondly, her use of wit - not just humour - is much appreciated. The plot is particularly dark in places, and her deft touch with an appropriate bon-mot is just what is needed to keep things light enough to be enjoyable.

If there are flaws, they're few, but sometimes one can tell that this is the first novel, in that scene shifting is sometimes a little bit clunky. It is entirely forgiveable, though, and the book is one I consider a must-read of fantasy. Be warned, however, that this is book 1 of 2, followed by "Stalking Darkness," and "Luck in the Shadows," will leave you unsatisfied by itself - it requires "Stalking Darkness" to enjoy it and to finish the tale.

Also, the relationship between Alec and Seregil is very sensitively written in this first book, with enough hints that you know they're going somewhere wonderful.

Flewelling is definately a strong new voice in fantasy, and I will follow her writing.

(I am not a native speaker: please overlook my style)

This book is the first of the Nightrunner series: the three volumes are self contained but reading them in chronological order increases the pleasure and add to the growing tension of the liaison between the two main characters, which, by the way, is a homosexual one.
Some complain about this, by the way, only to sound extremely childish: why are gay fantasy lovers (I am one) supposed to be able to relate to straight characters and enjoy their adventures while straight ones cannot be bothered by gay characters? Can someone offer a reasonable and non-homophobic argumentation, please?
Not to 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.

The author is a skilled writer, one thing which comes to be essential in a genre where anyone putting a couple of dragons-sorcerers-knights and kings together seems to get published: i DO love epic fantasy but cannot stand shabby, obvious, nonsensical writing; the plotting has its weakpoints, characterization is not always as polished as one may wish and there is a general tendency of exaggerating the sentimental vulnerability of the heroes (i tend to ascribe this to the author being a woman describing the intimacy of male characters), but the novel is one of those that keeps you awake at night to finish it.
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 small flaws.

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

I came across Lynn Flewelling's books rather by accident. I was looking for books in the vein of a book I am in the process of writing as a sort of learning experience, and sheer dumb luck from an Amazon.com recommendation based on my searches found me this book. I believe that my tiresome search at midnight truly was a stroke of luck in the shadows, and Lynn has swiftly earned a place among my favorite authors.

Lynn's overall style is both descriptive and fluent. She tends to linger on description at points, but in general she doesn't go crazy with the detail and maintains a comfortable pace. I could clearly see what was happening at all times. Her characters are definitely the best part of the book. I found Seregil's enigmatic charm fascinating and Alec's innocent naivete refreshing. I also found Alec's gradual transition from an unworldly, illiterate hunter-boy to an educated, sharp-minded apprentice thief amazing and very realistic. The two of them alone were enough to keep my interest throughout the book and the supporting characters like Micum Cavish and the wizard Nysander add to that. Lynn has a unique way of making her characters believable, interesting, and most importantly of all: Human. Lynn also employs a delightful sense of humor with characters making subtle, but witty remarks and innuendos. Never have I laughed so much while reading a fantasy book. Seregil's verbal jousts with the Thero character are priceless.

The plot is an interesting one. Without spoiling anything I will say that the plot in this book involves a lot of political intrigue, scandal, and good old fashioned housebreaking. I've read comments about the presence of homosexuality in the book. The Seregil character is indeed bisexual and he does appear to have a "thing" for Alec. However, the love interests are a trivial aspect of the story. Seregil's sexuality is vaguely alluded to at some points but only once is homosexuality ever discussed directly and that whole discussion takes place in roughly one page, and only a few times are Seregil's feelings for Alec directly expressed through a few lines of internal monologue. In short, it's the plot that gets all the attention and the "love interest" generally sits in the back burner. So simply put: only a very insecure person prone to overwhelming bouts of homophobia would find the presence of homosexuality in the book the least bit disturbing.

Now to this book's weakness. The only discernable weak point in this book is how the conflicts are presented. As the story unfolds, the book turned from a fantasy book to basically a Scooby Doo mystery set in a midievil time period, with many conferences between the main characters about discovered clues and plans to uncover "who did it". Not to say this isn't interesting, it is. My main problem is that Lynn doesn't set any particular tone in the presentation of this. Save a few notable exceptions there isn't much suspense. More like "We found evidence A, now we must investigate person B to uncover evidence C, which will lead us to concoct theory D and proceed to break into person E's house to find evidence F". However, the characters will charm you the whole time and the delicious human element makes up for practically everything.

In conclusion, I feel I'm lucky to have found this book and give it my highest recommendation, which coming from me is very rare. I'm doubly glad that the night I found this book I decided against only buying one book in favor of getting the whole series at once. I urge you to do the same thing. You won't be disappointed.

I really liked this charming book. It had a great mix of humor and emotion, and the characters were very easy to like. The book is about a sly, charming thief and spy, Seregil, who picks up an apprentice when he is captured and they meet in a dungeon. His companion, Alec,a modest, backward lad of fifteen, has an aptitude for theivery and sleight of hand, so they become partners. They work for the Queen, gathering information about the approaching war with their age old enemy, Plenimar. They also learn about themselves, especially Alec, as they traipse about the country, robbing and carousing. However, they are not simply roguish theives, their mission is much more important. When a magical artifact strikes Seregil and he falls into a coma, the responsibility of getting him to his teacher and friend, the wizrd Nysander, falls to Alec. In this, he proves himself, and through many other challenges they must face in the future. This was an amusing book, filled with wonderful jokes and hilarious situations. The characters were lovable and real, brought to life by the talented Lynn Flewelling. I recommend this to all who love to laugh and live on the edge.

I really did like this book.

Really.

It's not the best book in the world, but I don't think I've read the best book in the world, and if I had, probably no one would agree with me. However, I do think that there were some things the author could have done to build on the strengths the book offers.

As you might have noticed from the title of my review, I did like Seregil. In places he came close to being the rogue archetype, but in others he displayed what I thought was an endearing mix of traits. In particular I liked that he didn't hang around waiting for Nysander to Explain Everything, and that he was as angry and frightened about what had happened to him as most people in the situation probably would be. It makes a great change from passive heroes who are told 'You aren't ready to understand the Great and Terrible Secret yet,' and who basically say "All right!" and hang around making eyes at the heroine.

That was another thing. I didn't mind the focus on homosexuality at all. I've read a few extraordinarily awful gay-focused fantasies, but this wasn't one of them. Above all, homosexuality was represented as something integrated into the society, neither strenuously disapproved of nor promoted as the norm. Very nice.

I just wish Seregil could have had a better partner than Alec.

Notice what I said above about Seregil sometimes coming too close to archetype status? That was Alec to the core. He's the Wonderful Innocent Boy. More, he didn't seem to have any *faults.* At least some of the other dangerously innocent teenage boys that show up in fantasy (say, Simon from the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Trilogy) have faults like clumsiness or ignorance to balance out their perfections. Alec is perfectly loyal, perfectly innocent, and perfectly trusting.

Blech.

Nysander was another archetype. Even the actions that might make him more of a gray character are presented as part of the 'greatest good for the greatest number' philosophy (which I wish fantasy authors would turn their backs on forever). Hey, it would be horrible if the bad guys did it, but since you're the Wise Old Wizard, it's fine!

And the bad guys. Oh, the bad guys.

Of *course* they're necromancers. (I want a necromancer hero, for once). Of course they're ruled by a man, in direct opposition to the pure and good kingdom ruled by a woman. Of course they're pure evil.

Make them human! Please!

So: this book is not without its flaws. The characters could have used more of them. I really wished Seregil would demand some answers from Nysander and get them.

But, considering that Flewelling is hardly the only author to employ such cliches, what she did make out of them is admirable.

Spies, intrigue, thievery, plots, murder, scheming, disguises, sword fights, traps, escapes; really, it's more about the politics than sorcery and dragons and elves, like far too many fantasies I've read lately. Yes, there is magic and a mention of dragons and a species (the Aurėnfaie) that is definitely elf-like, but that's not the focus of the book. And despite the impression given by other reviewers, neither is the fact that same-sex relationships aren't out of the ordinary in this world. None of that is ever overly dwelled on, just mentioned where appropriate, to give color and definition to this world and the characters.

The story really focuses on Seregil -- a very minor noble-turned thief/spy with an intriguing past -- and the boy, Alec, whom he rescues and takes as his apprentice. It's a hard life, full of constant danger and near-death escapades, but it's one that Alec takes to as though born for it.

After what seems like a routine burglary, the two of them are quickly caught up in something much, much bigger. Something that nearly kills them multiple times and will likely affect nations in the long run. The whole picture is never visible, never entirely given away -- despite the constant point of view switching, which does get tiresome -- even by the end of the book. One mystery is, if not solved, then well on its way to being revealed, but the larger picture still remains concealed and Seregil, Alec and their friends have yet to glimpse it.

The book leaves off at what was likely an annoying place when it first came out, but with the sequels readily available now, it's easy to just pick up the second book and keep going.

"Luck in the Shadows" has to be the most promising debut fantasy novel that we've seen in many years. It's a startling book, which breaks with conventions at almost every possible opportunity. There's true intrigue and suspense here, a fast-moving plot, and a real permeating sense of danger throughout. For once I can wholeheartedly recommend this one to just about anybody.

The book starts when a teenage hunter named Alec is imprisoned and tortured by guards after he accidentally wanders onto private land. He escapes with the assistance of a fellow prisoner named Seregil, who offers to take Alec on as an apprentice bard. However, Seregil isn't who he appears to be. More and more facets of his mysterious past and dangerous mission are revealed as the two of them break into a foreign visitor's room and steal a mysterious token, then have to go on the run with an entire army on their heals. Admittedly this plot summary may not sound too different from some typical genre fantasy, but Flewelling's skill at character development lifts it above the rest. Alec and Seregil are not merely caricatures; they are fully fleshed-out and realistic people. Alec lost his father right before the beginning of the book. Unlike certain other authors, Flewelling doesn't simply have him ignore the traumatic experiences that he went through. She acknowledges that losing family members and having your life ripped apart has psychological effects that don't simply disappear after a few days. Alec's need to rebuild his place in society and find a new family haunts him for the rest of the book.

The plot really moves into high gear when Seregil is attacked by hostile magic, in a form that causes eventual madness and violent behavior. His attempt to battle against encroaching insanity, while Alec tries to locate the famed wizard Nysander, who may be able to cure him, is the high point of the book, and it leads to a sort of mini-climax within the first two hundred pages. After that portion of the plot is resolved, there are countless other threads still hanging around. The good guys have to deal with spies in their midst, impending foreign invasion, and the threat of more hostile magic by a mysterious and sinister figure. There's so much going on in "Luck in the Shadows" that it's amazing that the author can handle it all in less than five hundred pages. But she does, and in grand style. The ending is a classic that provides a satisfying conclusion while still leaving some questions open for the sequels. Above all else, it should be noted that the forces of evil in this book are truly frightening, rather than just being cardboard cutouts who act bad because the plot requires it.

I had previously read the first book in Flewelling's other series, "The Bone Doll's Twin", and thought that it was a good effort, but had some major flaws. "Luck in the Shadows", however, is a much more complete work, one where the author took the time to get all of the details right. Tough I know that some such promise is made concerning every new fantasy author, I feel that she really will come to be viewed as one of the major authors of the genre, and that the Nightrunner series will be a classic for future generations.

I can't recommend the Nightrunner books *enough*. Each one has been a page-turner that I could not put down once I started. I recently reread Luck In The Shadows, and still couldn't put it down, even knowing what happened. A fantastic, adventurous plot, great characters, a sense of humor, and a good fantasy world that you can immerse yourself in. I particularly admire the sensitive way the development of the main characters' relationship is handled throughout the three books.