Shadows Return

I came back to this after quite a long gap from the first three books, and without much memory of the details. That distance probably shaped the experience more than I expected. I could follow the audiobook easily enough, though some of the narration choices pulled me out a little, particularly the approach to female voices and occasional mispronunciations that felt surprisingly noticeable (these being words like 'quay' not character names).

On one level, it didn’t feel like a great deal happened. Much of the book is spent in captivity, with Seregil and Alec separated and piecing together different aspects of the same situation. There’s something quite deliberate in that structure, the sense of time stretching and information show more arriving unevenly, but it does mean the book reads more like a slow assembly of context than a self-contained arc. By the end, it felt less like a complete story and more like a set-up for what comes next.

What I did appreciate was the continued shift in balance between the two of them. Their dynamic has always been one of the strengths of the series, and it’s interesting to see how that power moves and recalibrates here. More broadly, the relationship still carries that sense of being quietly ahead of its time, which remains part of what makes the series feel distinctive.

Some of the friction for me sat around the surrounding cast and plot choices. The relative absence of women is noticeable, even allowing for the setting and focus, and the few that do appear feel somewhat constrained in the roles they’re given. Alongside that, the reintroduction of one of Seregil’s past relationships brings in a thread of jealousy and mistrust that I found harder to engage with, more a matter of personal taste than anything inherent to the story.

One thread that did stand out, and that I’d be interested to see developed further, is the question of what it means to be human, especially in the context of something being created and not fully understood by its creators. It’s a line of thought that feels unexpectedly close to more contemporary conversations about artificial creation and responsibility, even if the framing here is very different.

Overall, I liked this enough to continue, and the central mystery is set up in a way that makes me curious about the next book. At the same time, I can see why it sits a little lower than the surrounding entries, as it feels more transitional than complete. show less

This was so well written, I found myself aching to help Seregil and Alec, while simultaneously wanting to throw something in frustration. This kept me turning pages from start to finish, leading me to the next book without stopping. Absolutely fantastic.

This was a tough installment for obvious reasons. It hints on touchy subjects like slavery, sexual abuse, and mutilation. I did find, however, that each of these topics was handled with grace and absolutely essential in certain character arcs to give us an in-depth look at what motivates our MCs and what informs the decisions they will make from here. As in each past book, we get to spend a significant amount of time in a different geographical location than the last book (this time, primarily Plenimar) and it does wonders to open up the imagination to the amazing, detailed world Flewelling has created!

Also a note on audio book narration: I listen to these while I walk and then read them when I'm not walking. The last three books audio show more narrator drove me absolutely nuts with his flat tone and New York accent. There is a new audio narrator for this installment, and he is incredible! So if that's something that's kept you from continuing with the series, the issue has been fixed!

Definitely keep reading! show less

I admit I was wary of reading this installment of the Nightrunner series as it has many more negative reviews than the previous books. After finishing it, I understand why – it’s very different in tone than those and mostly depressing. Alec and Seregil are captured early on by slavers, and spend nearly the entire book as prisoners, and separated. There is no humor (as there was in the first three books) because the two men are never together and always surrounded by enemies. The dialog is also lacking for the same reason. Our heroes are unable to take any action, they simply endure. And so must readers. I admit I skimmed more than once. Also, this book is more like book one in that it sets the stage and introduces the plot for the show more next book, but does not have much of a story itself. In book one that was fine as we were introduced to the characters, world-building, etc. Here we get page after page of heroes we’ve come to love suffering the indignities of slavery and the agony of doubt and separation. It was very sad.

Despite all this, I gave the book 3 stars because the world and characters are so compelling. And, the “child of no woman” is an intriguing story with a lot of potential for the next book. Lastly, the ending when they finally escaped was tense and exciting and brought back the magic found in the first three novels. Overall, though I didn’t enjoy reading this, it left me anxious to begin book five. I only hope our heroes don’t have to sink to such depths again. Recommended for fans of the series as the plot threads introduced will be vital for the next book. show less

Darling Alec, darling Seregil, I support their relationship so much! They are so much more satisfying than Ki and Tamar turned out to be (although I strongly supported that relationship also)! And now they’ve – um. You know. Returned. As the title may have implied to you.

What had happened was: They’re back in Rhiminee, doing all petty thieving, and then, omg, the Nasty Army Chick Queen sends them on a mission to fetch her little sister away from Aurenen, and while they’re off trying to accomplish the mission they are totally kidnapped! And separated! And sold into slavery! Because a very, very wicked man wants Alec’s blood because of how he’s half Hazadrielfaie, and he makes a creepy thing with Alec’s blood, and meanwhile show more Seregil’s old! wicked! treacherous! lover comes back and is a great big poop to Seregil.

Yes, since you ask, I was looking forward to this more than I realized. I was enchanted to have Seregil’s old!wicked!treacherous! lover showing up at last, though I would be happier if he seemed in any way lovable (right, right, the younger guy’s flattered by the older dude’s attentions, na na na, but does he have any pleasant qualities at all, ever?), and I was very pleased that people are finally interested in Alec’s creepy ‘faie tribe. Lynn Flewelling’s been such a tease about that up until now. People would bring it up, and I’d be like YES LORD WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, and then they’d veer away from the subject, and it was exactly like Cold Comfort Farm at the end when Aunt Ada’s talking with Flora and then she turns around to answer an question about cows. So I was glad that we’re having some serious focus on that.

I read this book in about an hour and a half. I actually was having serious difficulty putting it down. Every time I had to put it down, I felt like I was peeling my eyeballs off the page. (You’re very welcome; I’m glad I could share that delightful image with you.) And then I finished it and I felt really sad because it’s going to be another several months before more books come out that are nothing but total pleasure and joy. I should have read it more slowly and enjoyed it more thoroughly. Like when I was reading one issue of Sandman a day (until I got too suspensey in the middle of A Game of You and totally abandoned the whole one-a-day scheme).

My one major complaint was that there was not enough chicanery. I like Seregil because of all the mad chicanery he carries on. Chicanery! Also, it’s a nice word. But this book was not big on the chicanery. Everyone escaped in the end, but they weren’t doing a bunch of sneaky clever cunning things.

Oh, and I just want to say, for the record, Thero and Klia? No. That’s a big fat sack of – NO. I vote NO to that relationship. I have it on record and I will not back down, just like that time I said I forever hated Ben on Felicity and the writers would never ever be able to make me like Ben better than Noel with the cute eyebrow tic. (Er, but then they did.) show less

Not enjoying this book was painful for me. I've read, and enjoyed, all of Lynn's other published work. My copies of the first two novels in the Nightrunner series are dog-eared and well-loved. I was so excited to finally have a new Nightrunner novel to read after so many years, to check in with my friends Alec and Seregil at last.

But I didn't want to see them like this, in bondage, separated from each other, angsty. I suspect the homunculus-child was supposed to be kind of spooky but I just found it corny and laughable. The language is spare and lacks the polish and depth of her previous work (not her fault -- apparently the publisher demanded a fairly limited word-count).

Unfortunately, the whole thing reads like fair-to-middling show more fanfiction, and I was ultimately so put off by this book that I won't be reading any more entries in the series. I'd rather remember Alec and Seregil as brave and dashing adventurers, not a couple of helpless prisoners mired in psychosexual melodrama.

But hey, at least the cover art is fantastic, for a change! show less

Returning to Alec and Seregil and the city of Rhímínee is like returning to old, familiar friends that you haven't seen or heard of in years. Flewelling, however, ignores the years that have passed between the publication of the trilogy and continues Shadows Return pretty much from where Traitor's Moon (book 3) ended. So for those who really want to get into the story, it might be a good idea to read the first three books first or at least revise them a bit.

I keep on thinking that I've grown past the age when fantasy can seduce me, but Flewelling proves me wrong again. I don't know how she does it, but once she gets the wheels rolling with the story, there's no stopping them. She's a brilliant story-teller and reading this book, I show more didn't really feel that I was simply reading as in turning the pages, but rather devouring the story in the most positive sense of the word. Few books are so successful in making me forget the passing of the time and embrace total escapism.

Perhaps it's not a good idea to write a review immediately after finishing the book, because apparently I'm incapable of considering it objectively enough to find anything to criticize about it. Well, yes, it is predictable. Yes, there are strange discrepancies in the plot. Yes, Seregil and Alec occasionally talk exactly like American teenagers, complete with contemporary swear words. But so what when it's all so entertaining and enjoyable?

Finally, a spoiler: when I first read the Nightrunner trilogy years ago, I remember hoping and wishing - without any reason to believe that my hopes would ever come true - that Flewelling would continue the series with a book including Ilar. Somehow this came true...

Original review show less