Customer Reviews

The White Road (Nightrunner)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Besides nightmares and fresh scars Alec and Seregil brought along another souvenir from their adventures in Plenimar. Sebrahn might look like a little child, but he was created in a dark ritual with Alec's blood, sweat and tears. Such creatures are called rhekaros, but neither Alec nor Seregil know exactly what a rhekaro is and what they can do. What Sebrahn has shown them is scary enough. He can kill with a song, heal wounds with his blood and he has called Alec back from the dead. The two nightrunners don't know what to do with their little charge, but there are many who would love to take their decision away from them.

THE WHITE ROAD might not be the best book that Lynn Flewelling has ever written, but it's an improvement to her last Nightrunner novel. The story is tighter and more suspenseful. Stuff happens - interesting stuff even. We get to know more about the rhekaro, the Hazadrielfaie and Alec's family. The goal of the main quest isn't world shaking or groundbreaking, but Alec, Seregil and Micum face enough challenges for it to be entertaining.
I also liked the characters more than in Shadows Return. Seregil seems to be more confident, Alec doesn't go as easily into a snit and they work as a couple again. Their personality, their chemistry isn't as vivid as in the early books however. Then, a simple glance could be more potent than a love scene in THE WHITE ROAD. All in all I'd say Flewelling has problems with emotional depth in this novel. A lot of stuff happens, but the author flits almost too fast from one scene to another, from POV to POV. For example I was never quite sure how Alec felt for Sebrahn. Sure, we are told that he is important to him and that he loves him, but I never quite got the impression from his actions. Alec treats Sebrahn too much like a pet or a doll that he puts in a corner when he doesn't want to play anymore. I had a similar problem with another POV character. I don't want to spoil too much, but he starts out as an enemy but has a change of mind, which is important to the plot. Again, I couldn't gain a clear emotional picture. I could follow the logic, but didn't feel it.
The main reason I'm not too fond of this novel is the ending. Alec and Seregil are back in an old situation. The events of Shadows Return and THE WHITE ROAD may have left them more scarred and a little bit wiser, but otherwise it's as they've never happened.

THE WHITE ROAD is good enough to keep on reading, but I'm not really excited about this series anymore.

This is the fifth book in the Nightrunner series (following Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, Traitor's Moon and Shadows Return), and I sincerely recommend starting at the beginning of the series with Luck in the Shadows. It's an excellent series and well worth your time, unless male/male makes you uncomfortable (have it be know that there are no detailed sex scenes in any of the books so far, so whether you find that positive or negative, you have been told).

The White Road (read an excerpt on Lynn Flewelling's website) follows directly where Shadows Return ended, and centers on the issue of What to Do with Sebrahn. (If you don't know who Sebrahn is, you need to read the other books and not the rest of this review.) For fear of any spoilers, I won't say too much more.

Having been unable to sit down and really enjoy a book for a few months, once I settled into this book I devoured it. It's more fast-paced than Flewelling's other books, which had more calm, introspective moments. While I enjoyed the action, I missed some of the character-developing reflection. It felt as though certain parts of the book had not been completely finished, or fully edited. I thought some of the action might have been more tense if the moments before had received more detailed attention. Not that the writing isn't descriptive, but I felt there were some key scenes that ought to have been slowed down instead of being interrupted by a fight sequence. I'm not saying that the fighting should be held off until all emotional issues have been resolved--damn inconvenient ambushes!--but I AM saying that perhaps not all of these moments had to be interrupted. I think it left out the usual thorough character development, and some of the newly introduced characters were not as fleshed-out as they seemed in the past.

I love this series. It's one of my favorites. And I love the characters. But I sincerely miss the focus on nightrunning. I know not all the books can be focused on it, but it has not been so prevalent in the last two books (or even Traitor's Moon). I did get to have my book signed by Lynn Flewelling at Comic-Con this year, which was very exciting, and I asked her about upcoming books. She said, with seeming certainty, that there would be two more Nightrunner books (I'm not sure if this includes the upcoming collection of short stories entitled GLIMPSES). Based on the ending to The White Road, it seems like there will be more actual nightrunning, and I look forward to it.

So overall I seem a little lukewarm on this book. But I really enjoyed reading it, and if you're already a fan of the series then I consider it worth following through with this book. If you have yet to read any of the books in this series (but proceeded to read my review anyway...tsk tsk), you MUST start with Luck in the Shadows. Trust me. I know stuff. Sort of.

Just read the books.

:UPDATE:

I actually revised this from four stars to three. In retrospect, it was rather disappointing. It all felt rushed. Initially the book was supposed to be released in July 2009 I believe, but then it was pushed back to Winter 2010, and then finally released in May 2010. I think perhaps Flewelling had some trouble finishing the book, and then maybe the editing was rushed so it wouldn't be released any later. In the end, it seems like a placeholder; the Sebrahn and Ulan i Sathil storylines had to be wrapped up to make way for another storyline. BUT if you enjoy the Nightrunner series, I maintain that this book is worth reading.

I absolutely loved the first 3 books in the Nightrunner series, and was less enthralled with the fourth as the relationship between Seregil and Alec reached a point where I didn't understand Alec' reluctance to share his feelings with his partner, especially since they shared an empathic bond.

In this, the fifth book, I felt the author had fallen into the trap some others writers like Mercedes Lackey later did: they create stories that seem very rushed for core fans but will be hard to follow for newer fans. I simply found the journeys from point to point all over the maps improbable and the repeated injuries and instant heals unnecessary, and these were my most peeved point of "The White Road". I felt like it was an "interim" novel. I certainly hope more from the next book. I won't stop reading because I love the characters Seregil and Alec, but I would like to go back to the original formats and be "more real".

White Road is the fifth in the Nightrunner series. Like the others of the series, it's well-written and tastefully done. It's been a little while since I read the rest of the series, but I found White Road easy to jump back into. The beginning was a bit rocky, I think, but it quickly (within a chapter or two) redeemed itself. Most of the difficulty was simply that there is little "recap" of previous books, but I found myself remembering everything as the pages blew by. Seregil and Alec are great characters who continue to develop and face new struggles. This book, in particular, has Alec wrestling with a very difficult choice (which I won't get into, because it will spoil part of the story!).

One of my favorite things about this series is how Flewelling ties elements of her universe together; Nightrunner flows very well with the Tamir trilogy, and the history of the world is nicely packaged. As I read this book, I felt as if I really understood the geography of the lands the characters travel through and had a firm grasp of the customs of various people groups.

In short, the Nightrunner books continue to be excellent, and I highly recommend them.

I agree with the others who have reviewed White Road so far that this felt much more like a Nightrunner book that Shadows Return did.

I was so happy to see Shadows Return after the break that Flewelling took from her Nightrunner series that I gave it a lot of leeway in terms of it's weaknesses and White Road proves me right in my faith to the series.

Flewelling once again brings her beloved characters to life and picks up the pace in terms of actions, plotting, twists and turns. I enjoyed the new characters she introduced us to, though I hope that there will be a sixth book to take us back to some of our old favorites such as Theo, Klia and Becca. In that respect I don't mind that Alec and Seregil have come full circle and are back in their proper home as I believe there are a lot of questions still to be answered in Skala.

The partnership between Alec and Seregil has been a joy to read about from the beginning with Luck in the Shadows to now with White Road, they definitely make a well balanced pair and it was lovely to see them working together again in White Road.

The White Road is a direct follow-up to the story begun in Shadows Return (Nightrunner, Bk. 4). That book depressed me because our heroes spent the entire story enslaved and mistreated. Here, the chains are off (literally and figuratively) and the two men set off on a mission, once again joined by Micum, to discover the truth about Sebrahn. What follows is something of a quest, with a lot of traveling, but also a lot of action. The story is fast-paced and filled with humor and surprises. This book has a lot going for it. Seregil finally returns to his home in Bokthersa and has a heart-warming reunion with his extended family. Sebrahn becomes a catalyst for learning more about dragons and the Hazadrielfaie - who are hunting Alec and Sebrahn. Then there is the continued conniving of Ulan í Sathil. I was also delighted to see Thero settle into the role left by Nysander. He now heads the Watchers, and has grown to be a trusted ally and friend to Alec and Seregil. All these factors made for an engrossing read that I could not put down.

Though the ending felt a bit rushed, overall the story was more than satisfying. Our heroes made plans, took action and put their unique skills to work. I cannot wait for the next book!

The White Road is another excellent book in the Nightrunner Series, hands-down the best fantasy series I've ever read. The previous book, Shadows Return, was a shorter, more personal story about our heroes, Alec and Seregil. The White Road is more similar to earlier Nightrunner books in its expanded plot lines, changes of location and increased use of secondary characters. All of this combined makes this another thrilling ride where the world is believable and the plot is thrilling. As usual with a Lynn Flewelling book, you won't want to put the book down until you're down.

Ms. Flewelling has done an amazing job with Alec and Seregil's relationship. Her first two books, Luck in the Shadows and Stalking Darness were a long, slow, and wonderful buildup to Alec and Seregil's romantic involvement. But many writers can handle this flirty, new love stage of relationships. But with the last 3 books, including The White Road, Ms. Flewelling has done an amazing job of writing a gripping story about an established couple. Alec and Seregil's relationship continues to evolve and deepen and it works perfectly with the other plot lines and action of a great fantasy.

I highly recommend The White Road, but please start this series at the beginning. You won't want to miss a page!

In Rhiminee after all that happened to them starting with enslavement in Plenimar, bone weary Alec and Seregil want to return to the way it was before the shattering recent events (see Shadow's Return). However, both understand that going back to nightrunning cannot happen until they know what to about Alec's "offspring", Sebrahn, not of woman but of Alec's alchemically treated blood.

Sebrahn has paranormal skills that pose a danger to those near him. He can heal as easily as he can kill. However, his major flaw is he cannot stay away from his sire. Alec and Seregil try to learn just what Sebrahn is while adversaries plan to use the offspring as a tool to get at the pair and their friends and clan.

This superior fantasy directly follows previous entries so it behooves newcomers to read them first to better grasp what has happened to the two protagonists that brought them to the White Road. The story line is action-packed as the two Nightrunners fail to get their needed respite as everyone except Alec and Seregil wants control of Sebrahn, a new "weapon". Fans of the series will relish traveling the dangerous White Road with two tested warriors and their "ward" while a horde of foes wants them dead to get them out of the way in order to possess Seregil literally blood kin.

Harriet Klausner

The fifth novel in the Nightrunner series picks up right where Shadows Return left off, with spies and lovers Seregil and Alec narrowly escaped from slavery and wondering what to do with Sebrahn, the strange and magical creature they've acquired. As the satisfyingly smaller and more closely spaced print compared to Shadows Return suggests, this is a longer and wider story, and it improves on several aspects of the (for the most part excellent) Nightrunner books. It's fast-paced, always suspenseful, and never weighed down by exposition as occasionally happened at the beginning of the series, but the rapid pace of the story is balanced by quiet moments and humor, and especially by brief but lovely and evocative descriptions of nature that bring the mountains and rocky coastlines where much of the story takes place to life. It's clear that Flewelling has a deep and close appreciation of the natural world. The scope of the story is considerably wider than Shadows Return, both in physical location and in character, and this gives the book a richness that the close quarters of Shadows Return didn't always allow. The new characters are a particular strength; every one is complex and well-drawn, with understandable and conflicting motivations. This is a story of shades of grey, not the good and evil duality of Stalking Darkness or Shadows Return.

It's probably inevitable that the fifth book in a series featuring well-established characters doesn't spend as much time on character development as the earlier books, and anyone who hasn't read the first three books will definitely be missing out on that. But the White Road is ultimately a story about love, family, and sacrifice, and as such I think it has enough emotional resonance to offer opportunities for even the now well-established characters of our heroes to evolve. Alec must decide what matters most and what kind of life he wants and needs, and Seregil, while as clever and irreverent as ever, also seems to have grown a bit more philosophical, perhaps even with some new consideration for fate. And although it's usually in the background, perhaps more so than in the previous books, it's really the strong undercurrent of their love that holds the story together.

The White Road returns to the feel of Luck in the Shadows, the first book in the Nightrunner series. It still has the dark tinge and bitter aftertaste that colored Shadows Return (the previous installment and book four in the series), but with more of the skulduggery and and outright shenanigans that made the first book so memorable. This is the perfect blend of the both, a series that is maturing as it goes, growing and adding something new to both characters and setting with each page turned.

Ms Flewelling's prose is beautiful, as always. She has a way with words that pulls you through every scintillating description and quirky exchange. There is a real life to her books that makes you care about the characters, no matter how minor. The world is rich and believable, and the cultures that people it are unique. Her two protagonists are endearing and infuriating, all at once, and it is wonderful.

Action, angst, adventure, and betrayal. This series has it all. If you have not, pick up a copy of Luck in the Shadows (and you might as well snag book two and three while you are at it. Trust me.) If you are already familiar with the Nightrunner books, do yourself a favor and pick up The White Road.