Name: Luck in the Shadows
ISBN: 9780307774996

Lynn Flewelling

"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.

The Nightrunner Series, Book I

Luck in the Shadows

Seregil--thief, con artist, and spy in the employ of the queen's wizard--takes an apprentice in his struggle against a surreal world of intrigue, magic, and politics engineered by Plenimar, the queen's ancient foe. Original.

Ariel Himboi

I kind of wished that I could give this story a 5* but it really did not blow my mind as much as I was expecting it to. But I will dive into the points that made it a star apart.

The series' promise of having an MLM relationship was a sole factor as to why I picked up the first book. I must add that there were other reasons why I was completely interested in finishing this book in the first place. Set in an old time we don't know yet, we follow two characters with two different goals as they go on a kick-ass adventure into politics and magic. 

Seregil is a sassy spy for the Queen and also a Watcher as well as with his friend Micum and Nysander this great old' wizard who really doesn't take any of his shit. Then we have Alec, some fifteen or Hell if I can remember, a sixteen-year-old boy who's lost part of his family and is trying to survive. After Alec is picked up for a crime he didn't commit he is dragged into the world of danger when he meets Seregil who promises him freedom. After seeing Alec's potential he decides to take him under his wing. 

One of the things you have to get used to throughout the book is the old language and terms. I personally have not been around long enough or studied enough to understand all of the words used but I do have a handy-dandy Google bar to help me along the way. It doesn't take away part of the reading experience if you have enough knowledge to put two and two together. You usually can just skip over the word if it really bothers you and hasn't changed anything for me. 

There were flat parts in the middle where there were too many names involving the politics surrounding the society they are in and the world-building and I generally think that reading this book a couple of times over might give you a better understanding. However, as this book is nearly 500 pages, I'm just going to move onto the sequel and hope for the best. I might even reread it some other time. Anywho, there is enough death and adventure to like this book and it's a good thing that dialogue takes up most of the pages. 

I loved every character that was introduced into this book ( besides the villains, of course ). Seregil is a no-good spy who thinks mostly for himself when the time is needed. However, we do see throughout the book that he feels dearly for his friends and those who are important to him. I really enjoyed the one-sided romantic relation between Seregil and Micum, which dissolved over years into a budding brotherhood. I liked that it was a part of their friendship and that it didn't become a sole problem in the book, nor did it make the characters into some angsty triangle. 

Seregil is a very lovable character with so many traits and abilities it's hard to think of the things that he cannot do. Albeit he is stubborn and often witty in the presence of danger. All these things link up in a way that makes him likable even though he may not exactly be a character you relate to. I do believe some also have issues with family agreeing with sexuality, as we delve into the past to see that Seregil's father is or was homophobic and that Seregil was banished from his family and town either due to or including the fact that he has an interest in males and females. 

I wanted to point out that although there are much dialogue and witty banter between the characters, in the beginning, it was slightly offputting that there was a lot of description and world-building. I can forgive world-building and the author punching in key details to provide the reader with a detailed picture. I found that a few of the times things were far too detailed and often spun out of control. An example would be when Alec first meets Nysander and he is introduced to the town near the castle and we are pushed into paragraphs of detailed colors of stone and very little history covered up with words to describe the size of bricks. It was a little tedious to read but eventually, the story picked up again. 

I will say that there were far more positives than negatives and that the first book is too interesting to pass up on the second book. I look forward to getting to know more about Nysander and Seregil, about Thero and Micum's family. I also will say that the last three pages were gripping and completely breathtakingly thrilling.

In the end, we get a vision of Nysander that a great foe is coming and that death is near. The gore, the horror and the pure thrill of seeing inside this vision have lubed me up well for the second book.

I do recommend this book overall and look forward to more original adventures featuring remarkable characters. 

 update  

I do think that the characters truly do save the story from being too long or boring ( not that it's boring ). There's a lot of mystery, magic and politics that can be hard to follow but I do think that it all comes together towards the end, and that each book is another adventure! 

Even after a second read I think it's still a great book, and I hope I continue to like the rest of the series!

Luck in the Shadows The Nightrunner Series, Book I