Traitor's Moon (1999)

A solid conclusion to the first Nightrunners series, with murky politics, some strong characterisation and detailed culture-building that rewards patient and careful reading. It has a fairly sedate pace compared to the first two books, but still has a few bouts of very exciting action-oriented set pieces and a central mystery to unravel that more than holds the reader's attention. ( )

NIGHTRUNNER

I admit that I first picked up this series because I knew there was a love story, and I can't resist a fantasy novel with a good love story. The first book, Luck in the Shadows, was good, filled with a story that took me by surprise, and had me buying the second book almost before I'd finished the first. Stalking Darkness was another hidden gem, and at the end, I thought nothing could beat the wonderful, touching story that filled it. Still, I wanted to continue on with the characters' stories, so I picked up Traitor's Moon.
I was a bit wary of the book; I've heard of it being the lesser of Ms. Flewelling's works. But just a few chapters in, I knew it was the best.
Yes, the story is mostly political intrigue, but that line has been building since the first chapter of the first book. Yes, Ms. Flewelling's writing style has changed, but, I think it has made a turn for the better. Her prose takes on an almost poetic tone as Alec and Seregil venture into the heart of Aurenen. My favorite line? 'Like the moon, I'll hang close to you through the night, reflecting your brilliance by virtue of my own dark surface.' Who can resist someone who writes as beautifully as that? The scenes she describes are equally as breathtaking, and most of them are just enchanting. I find myself smiling as I read through her descriptions of Sarikali, Akhendi, and all the other delightful places her creative imagination has come up with. The exchanges between her characters are as passionate and full of life as ever, if not more.
As our beloved character continue on their journey, a new language begins to develop, and things might become a bit more confusing. But compared to the other books, where whole sentences were spoken in unknown tongues and went untranslated, the new words here are easy enough to follow, and each is carefully explained. The long names are not difficult, either, if you're willing to take a few extra seconds to puzzle them out. The similarities between Aurenen names can become confusing sometimes, I admit, but I must say I've read far worse.
All in all, I would say that the flaws in this book are minor things, mostly changes in style, and any true, avid fantasy reader will appreciate the world and culture that Ms. Flewelling has brought to life for us. This is a jewel to be discovered, the best book of them all. Of course, I strongly recommend that you read the Luck in the Shadows and Stalking Darkness first; knowing the characters makes you love and appreciate them all the more. But when you've finished with them, don't hesitate to pick this book up. You will be missing out on something lovely if you don't. ( )

After the rapid-fire pace of book 2, this third Nigthrunner seems almost plodding in comparison. That said, the story is just as rewarding if requiring more patience from the reader. Here our heroes are sent to Seregil’s birth country of Aurenen to negotiate the reopening of ports and trade to assist Skala in the war effort. Politics and diplomacy take a lot of time, but are no less deadly than Seregil and Alec’s previous adventures. We also find out the details surrounding Seregil’s exile, meet his family and his enemies. The first half of the book spends a lot of time on detailed world-building since the long-lived Faie are so different from the humans. Alec has another mission while in Aurenen – to learn more about who his mother is. Though Alec gets an answer of sorts on that front, it is mainly to lay the groundwork for a future story. Most of the resolution is focused on Seregil, and the ending is intricate and conspiracy-laden. If he had to choose between Aurenen and Skala, where would his loyalties lie?

Overall, though I didn’t find this as exciting as book 2, I enjoyed it very much. The characters grow from their experiences, I love spending time with them, and the plot was interesting with some surprises here and there. Highly recommended series that leaves me anxious for more. ( )

Lets see, an established relationship between Alec and Seregil, Alec showing his age (19), politics and a far amount of moping. The book was rather drab in terms of action, especially compared to the first two. I am happy to see the characters develop a little more (emphasis on little). If I hadn't read the first two I might not of been very happy with this one. Still, I'll be reading the fourth. ( )