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| View Larger Image | Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner, Vol. 1)
by Lynn Flewelling
by Gary Ruddell
| | List Price: | $7.50 |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 91681 | | Studio: | Spectra | | | Binding: | Mass Market Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 496 | | Publication Date: | August 01, 1996 | | Publisher: | Spectra |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
"A new star is rising in the fantasy firmament...teems with magic and spine-chilling amounts of skullduggery."–Dave Duncan, author of The Great Game
When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 100 reviews)
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You can tell it's her first try 
This is an entertaining enough read, with some good action and a few genuinely frightening scenes. Unfortunately, it's easy to tell this is the author's first book, with some spelling errors and POV mistakes. It's also weighed down with a lot of exposition, which seriously hinders plot development rather than informs the reader. I got to the point where I rolled my eyes and skipped any bit where Seregil started telling stories of the Queens of Old.
Also, I found the characters strangely unengaging with little development or tension between them. Alec is cute but dull and Seregil simply didn't interest me, though I think that's merely my own personal taste.
On the whole, since I'm more interested in character-driven stories, I've decided to skip the rest of the series, since I just couldn't get into flighty Seregil or Alec, who is cut from the same cloth as every other fantasy hero invented in the last twenty years.
If you're more interested in plot than character, this might be a good book for you.
May 05, 2008 | |
Luck in the shadows 
Another great book from this author, it is really difficult to put it down and you find yourself not wanting it to end, great escapism and very well written. You really need to have the whole trilogy to hand though because once you finish this one you will, I gurantee start on No. 2.
March 30, 2008 | |
Best for the characters 
I wanted to love this book. Gay male romance, swords and sorcery, an elf-like race... many of my favorites were to be found here. And at first, I did love it. Seregil and Alec caught my imagination immediately and have not let go since. The two characters are wonderfully developed. Seregil has many "gay" characteristics that never become stereotypical and Alec as the young innocent is a delight. Anyone who enjoys character over plot will enjoy discovering the humanity in the mysterious Seregil and the courage in Alec.
But while the two main characters are the strong point, the rest is weak. In addition to unoriginal supporting characters, Flewelling relies heavily on dialogue to convey information. Over and over, a more knowledgeable character - usually Seregil - would inform a less knowledgeable character - usually Alec. Much of this information came without much context, but would be needed to understand future events. It didn't take long for this to become tedious. Readers who enjoy political intrigue and information-heavy fantasy will appreciate this book more than I did, but the heavy-handed writing makes it difficult to slog through at times.
The world building was detailed, but hampered by a reliance on many fantasy conventions. While Flewelling has created a society much more relaxed about sexuality and supposedly more egalitarian, she didn't go very far in exploring what else these attitudes might change. Instead, we have the typical division of labor between men and women in the household, no indication that same-sex couples can marry, and no female characters who seem to have any effect on the plot.
Despite the flaws, I do recommend the book as an entertaining read.
January 07, 2008 | |
Disappointing, if you came to this after the Bone Doll's Twin 
Like at least one other reviewer, I came to this book after reading (and loving) Lynn Flewelling's The Bone Doll's Twin (Tamir Trilogy, Book 1). This first novel is set in the same universe (hundreds of years after Tamir, who is mentioned just-in-passing once during the course of this novel). If you, like me, enjoyed the series she wrote later, I think you'll ultimately be disappointed by Luck in the Shadows; this doesn't get much better than "eh," though it has plenty of "okay-to-good" moments.
The plot line is summarized a little too easily: rural boy, wrongly imprisioned, manages to escape with a much more worldly guy who has Secrets of His Own. Rural Boy becomes an apprentice, goes to the big city, shows his skill, gets thrown into precarious situations... and helps to uncover an evil plot. Such tales can be told very well (it's essentially the Hero's Journey, though this is just part of the story since it's a multi-book tale and very little is wrapped up at the end) but this one won't make you say, "Wow, what a great story." (It's simple, though, and perhaps okay for teenagers new to the fantasy genre. There's some gender/sex issues, making this unsuitable for young readers, or at least a parent should read the book first.)
I suspect that the many people who clearly loved this book before The Bone Doll's Twin came out appreciated the author's world building, and that's one reason they rated it so highly. Flewelling does a far better job of painting the backdrop in her later work, and as a result this one -- with rulers who are always queens, competing races (including one long lived one) and her magic system -- seems penciled in. Mostly, I think it's a question of craft; most authors do get better as they write more, and I'm glad that's so for Flewelling. But instead of going back to appreciate the raw talent displayed, I saw her gaffes.
It isn't awful; far from it. I read it all the way through and was never tempted to chuck it across the room and pick up something else. I'm just bummed because I had hoped to discover that this woman can write ANYthing and have it be as good as the series that I'd enjoyed so much.
September 29, 2007 | |
Is is possible to fall in love with a trilogy of books? Yes, I think.
I'm not usually a fantasy reader. I picked up this series on a whim, basically. I am SO glad I did! One reason I'd stayed away from fantasy is the tendency for the cliched "frilly, all about unicorns and heaving bosoms" writing that one can sometimes encounter. Not my style. I tore through all 3 books in less than a week, and promptly bought Flewelling's other triad right after. (Read those in less than a week too!)
The characters are easy to warm to, and there is a complex story to keep interest. Basically? Seregil, Alec, Nysander (and myriad others) are well-fleshed out, and I just kind of...love 'em.
I've been raving to my friends about Flewelling's whole catalogue. Now, I'd BETTER get my loaned books back!
September 08, 2007 | |
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