Rating: 
Summary: Take What The Lightbearer Sends, Tali...
Review: Easily, the best non-trilogy I've had the pleasure to read. I immediately began re-reading Luck In The Shadows after completing Stalking Darkness and Traitor's Moon. I am so impressed with the author's beautiful use of the Aurenen language. I've heard that the French can make an insult sound romantic... but I'll be damned if the Aurenfaie word for "half-breed whore" doesn't send an erotic chill up my spine. Most certainly, Lynn Flewelling has given the "Chronicles" stiff competition. Kudos Lynn for inviting me to live in so fascinating a place. Thanks for the history and the mystery. And I look forward to knowing Phoria's fate. Will Klia be crowned and restore open boarders with the Aurenfaie? Where is Magyana? Just how deep is Ulan i Sathil's connection to the Plenimarans and the Ashnazai's? Will Alec discover his ancestry? What's with the Hazadrielfaie? Will Seregil ever tell Alec (and us) about Ilar? Beka and Nyal, Mirn and Steb... Thero, Adzriel and Mydri... the Plenimaran Overlords... Amali and Lhar and Nazien... and, By the Light, I want to know more about the ring shared by Kor and Phoria... Lynn, there is so much more to give us. In the mean time, I trust Tamir and the story of Ero will suffice.
Rating: 
Summary: Two books stuck together
Review: Having read the first two in this non-trilogy, I was really looking forward to the third. The beginning is great -- until we arrive in Aurenen. Then we are inundated with names and information about the Aurenfaie -- indigestible chunks, not stirred into the p(l)ot. Then the negotiations start, and drag on, which is frankly b o r i n g. Worst of all, Seregil (who is ignored / insulted by a lot of the 'faie) is mired in angst and guilt -- not the man we know and love. You will shudder as he does something... foolhardy would be a polite term... and most un-Seregil-like... to "expiate" his long-ago "crime". Luckily he has Alec -- they seem to have switched roles, with Alec the wiser, more confident one, there to pull Seregil out of his own messes. Suddenly, on Page 268(!), there's a spot of illegal activity, and Bingo! The old, dashing, witty Seregil is back, as if he'd just stepped out for a mug of ale and been delayed. From then on, we get nonstop action, and a mystery. Though if, like me, you gave up on the intricacies of 'faie names and clan politics, the whodunnit will lose you. (It comes complete with the classic "detective recounts entire story of crime to assembled suspects" scene.) Near the end of the book are some rather sad scenes. One, especially, involving Seregil and the master plotter of the 'faie, was quite hard to take. The author is shoveling too much burden and blame onto the not-very-brawny shoulders of her hero. And I am tired of angst-ridden fantasies. The characters, and we readers, absorbed a big blow at the end of "Stalking darkness". Give us some happy times! That being said, there is a hilarious two-line exchange between Seregil and Thero that's almost worth the price of admission.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging, yet tiring
Review: Okay, I read the whole series so far and enjoyed it. IMHO, the first two books were the best. This one leaves too many loose ends, and what with Ms. Flewelling writing the Bone Doll series I doubt they'll get resolved. Also, I confess I eventually got tired of the innumerable plot twists and "oh oh, they have to solve crisis #427 or they're all dead!" It actually reads like she was taking notes at the last 10 Dungeons and Dragons gaming sessions she hosted or something. Still, refreshing ideas, and decent writing (and some truly funny moments) make up for a lot. And it's still better than anything Robert Jordan, that charlatan, ever wrote.
Rating:
Summary: Too long in the start, too hard to pronounce...
Review: I had high hopes for this novel, and for the most part, I really did enjoy it, with two major caveats:
First, the story drags in its beginning. The tale set-up is rich, and full of detail about the Aurenfae culture, but, well, that brings us to the second major problem: the language. I couldn't keep track of who was who, who did what, and what rank and title meant what. There were so many apostrophes and hyphens and unpronouncable words that I got totally lost.
What saved this novel for me was the characterization of Beka, Alec, and Seregil, with a deft touch to the Alec-Seregil relationship that was wonderfully written. It is a joy to come across a gay relationship within a fantasy novel that isn't reduced to random loveless acts of coupling, and instead is a real, loving, partnership. It is also interesting to see the attitudes that Flewelling has extrapolated from her matriarchal/equality driven society.
Thero also gets centre stage in this novel, which is ultimately a storyline about diplomacy and relations between the Aurenfae and the country we're used to seeing from the previous two novels.
The book needed some sort of glossary, or less confusing fantasy tongue, and the plot needed a kick-start, but other than that, it was right on target for Flewelling's usual character-driven stories. I reccommend it, but don't go looking for it as a page-turner.
'Nathan
Rating: 
Summary: Apparently we aren't supposed to approve of necromancy
Review: Just before the first two Nightrunner books came out, a friend of the author's keyed me on to them. I was very pleased with them, and surprised, because it seemed quite unlike my friend to recommend a book featuring a pair of heroes who were, uh, less "ambiguous" about their orientation than say, Batman and Robin. And after he read them, he did seem a little surprised and put off. But I enjoyed them -- Flewelling brings a very fresh voice to a genre that had started to seem a little musty. This third entry picks up a couple of years after the second Nightrunner book. Alec and Seregil are recruited to join a diplomatic mission to the homeland that exiled Seregil in his youth. Their adopted nation is pleading for an opening of borders and trade, in the hopes that it will turn the tides in their war against an implacable foe. As can be expected, this new story line allows Flewelling to further flesh out her characters, especially her star spy/thief Seregil, while also demonstrating her world-building abilities. Aurenen is a complex creation, with several competing factions within its borders. As the author points out, this book lacks a much-needed glossary (available at her website), but it could also use a George R. R. Martin-style cast sheet. Flewelling also takes her sweet time setting things up, so that the initial results of full-scale diplomatic skullduggery aren't seen until almost halfway into the book. "At last! Finally something is happening!" a character remarks, unfortunately echoing the thoughts of this reader. This is a book for the patient. The conclusion, while definitely thrilling, leaves the same bittersweet taste that the series predecessors offer. This is a mood book, with plenty of mystery for good measure. And while this book may lack the cataclysmic battles of its immediate predecessor, it does a good job of leaving the characters seared in your mind, wondering about their ultimate fates.
Rating:
Summary: Better and Better
Review: The author just keeps making this story better and better with superb character development. These people are real to me. This one has a touch of the who-done-it to add to the flavor so it satisfies my addictions to both fantasy and mystery at the same time. And I BARELY figured out the mystery which is saying a lot for the expertise of the author. My only complaint is that I have to wait for the next book in the series to come out. Can't wait!
Rating:
Summary: 4.47 not a 4.0 nor 5.0
Review: Because there's a huge difference between an A+ and an A-, I'm going to start listing more specific numbers for these ratings of mine. Hope this doesn't bother anyone too much. This book, though it gives wonderful information about Alec and Seregil...particularly Seregil's past, is not as rich as the first book was. It feels like it lacks something. Perhaps it is lack of the rich, delicious culture, the witty remarks, the flourishes and tricks which Seregil played in book one that are lacking. It is not that the books is completely lacking in these areas, but that there seems to be less of it. There are sections in the book that deal deeply with Seregil's past--that is both good and bad. Good in that we learn more about Seregil. Bad in that after a while, it almost becomes a Speak, Memory Chapter Three. Oh, the really interesting thing about this is the development of Nysander's apprentice. You'll see. Telling too much more would perhaps, ruin this book.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the next one?
Review: This is a review for all three in the series. I think that the best way to describe these books would be "addictive". Very few books get to me like these did. Alec and Seregil became absolutely real to me, and my copies of these books are really beat up and tattered. I won't go into plot, it's just too complicated. This series had amazing character depth. Any fan of Fantasy or Adventure should try these. One last note: Readers should not be put off by the gay element in these books. It's not the central plot, anyway. Alec and Seregil are true soulmates. I'll conclude by saying that this is my favorite series. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Third time's a charm
Review: It took me a little over a week to blow through the first two books in this series to get to this one, they were just that good. While the first two, "Luck in the Shadows" and "Stalking Darkness," were direct continuations of each other, here in "Traitor's Moon" we have something of a standalone, where two years have passed since the events of the previous two installments, and where the story goes off on a totally new tangent. We get to see the land of Seregil's birth (Seregil -- you gotta love this guy), and we learn whole lot more about him, and the events that led to his exile as a child. There's nothing better than getting into the background of such a lovable character. Mrs. Flewelling really devotes a lot of effort to developing worlds, and this book is no exception. She brings to life Seregil's homeland, and the descriptions of the surroundings, the people and the customs of this strange place are so rich you can't help but to visualize. The author's already shown an aptitude at characterization in the last two stories, but "Traitor's Moon" is where she really, REALLY shines. The cageyness of the elders in the council, the tension between the now-coupled Alec and Seregil and their surroundings, it all comes through. And there's one antagonist in the story who's such a jerk that you'd just love to rip out his spinal cord and strangle him with it. I'll let you find out who this person is yourself. So there you have it. Mystery, murder, sorcery, familial angst, a dab of sex and one or two good bloody knocks across the head. Good readin' if ya asks me!
Rating:
Summary: Great!!
Review: A wonderfully written book containing intrigue, mystery, fights, humor and a look into the emotional ties. The third book in the nightrunner series is just as good as the first two, I finished each of them in a night a piece. They are very hard to put down. Anyway, in this installment Seregil returns to his homeland and faces the scorn his people hold for him. Alex on the other hand is welcomed because of his halfblood. They are part of a delegation including Thero and Beka. Theor improves alot in this book. Beka learns alot about love and loyalty when she falls for a Aurenenfaie man. Mrs. Flewelling once again proves that a world of fantasy is sometimes very realistic, and her characters have more depth than some people I have met. A must read.
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