Rating: 
Summary: A must-read
Review: "Luck in the Shadows" has to be the most promising debut fantasy novel that we've seen in many years. It's a startling book, which breaks with conventions at almost every possible opportunity. There's true intrigue and suspense here, a fast-moving plot, and a real permeating sense of danger throughout. For once I can wholeheartedly recommend this one to just about anybody.The book starts when a teenage hunter named Alec is imprisoned and tortured by guards after he accidentally wanders onto private land. He escapes with the assistance of a fellow prisoner named Seregil, who offers to take Alec on as an apprentice bard. However, Seregil isn't who he appears to be. More and more facets of his mysterious past and dangerous mission are revealed as the two of them break into a foreign visitor's room and steal a mysterious token, then have to go on the run with an entire army on their heals. Admittedly this plot summary may not sound too different from some typical genre fantasy, but Flewelling's skill at character development lifts it above the rest. Alec and Seregil are not merely caricatures; they are fully fleshed-out and realistic people. Alec lost his father right before the beginning of the book. Unlike certain other authors, Flewelling doesn't simply have him ignore the traumatic experiences that he went through. She acknowledges that losing family members and having your life ripped apart has psychological effects that don't simply disappear after a few days. Alec's need to rebuild his place in society and find a new family haunts him for the rest of the book. The plot really moves into high gear when Seregil is attacked by hostile magic, in a form that causes eventual madness and violent behavior. His attempt to battle against encroaching insanity, while Alec tries to locate the famed wizard Nysander, who may be able to cure him, is the high point of the book, and it leads to a sort of mini-climax within the first two hundred pages. After that portion of the plot is resolved, there are countless other threads still hanging around. The good guys have to deal with spies in their midst, impending foreign invasion, and the threat of more hostile magic by a mysterious and sinister figure. There's so much going on in "Luck in the Shadows" that it's amazing that the author can handle it all in less than five hundred pages. But she does, and in grand style. The ending is a classic that provides a satisfying conclusion while still leaving some questions open for the sequels. Above all else, it should be noted that the forces of evil in this book are truly frightening, rather than just being cardboard cutouts who act bad because the plot requires it. I had previously read the first book in Flewelling's other series, "The Bone Doll's Twin", and thought that it was a good effort, but had some major flaws. "Luck in the Shadows", however, is a much more complete work, one where the author took the time to get all of the details right. Tough I know that some such promise is made concerning every new fantasy author, I feel that she really will come to be viewed as one of the major authors of the genre, and that the Nightrunner series will be a classic for future generations.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book!
Review: When young Alec of Kerry is accused of spying and thrown into a dungeon, it might just have been the most fortunate thing that ever happened to him. For his cellmate, Seregil, was a daring spy, theif, and rogue who took the hunter under his wing. Starting from the fast-paced prison break of the opening scenes, Flewelling quickly draws you into the magical world of theives, spies, and noble intrigues. Another of my perennial re-reads, I love to revisit these characters. Although the first 100 pages or so of this book contain some "fill the reader in on the world" conversations (which are, surprisingly, not as contrived as you might think - they're quite in character for the born storyteller Seregil), they fall off after that, leaving behind an absolute gem with excellent characters, a well-paced plot, and exceptional attention to detail. With sharp characterizations and excellent observations, the author brings her characters to very real and true life.
Rating: 
Summary: Trite archetypes, simple plot, & one intriguing character.
Review: One original character trait barely carries "Luck in the Shadows" through hackneyed fantasy archetypes. The orphan boy Alec teams up with the dashing thief Seregil after they escape a dungeon cell. They flee to Seregil's home city under the pursuit of evil foreigners, but upon their arrival this plot vanishes in favor of political intrigue. The sly thief characters blossom in the urban scheming, making the evil necromancer plot feel tacked onto the beginning as fodder for the sequel. Fantasy clichés abound: the rural orphan boy hero, the venerable wizard Nysander, and evil necromancers seeking ancient artifacts. Alec matures into his role, but the harried rush to the conclusion dilutes the earlier focus on his growth. Seregil's ambiguous sexuality provides the only flash of originality. Flewelling subtly builds this trait with Seregil's scheming in Wolde and his manipulation of the riverboat captain, and she appropriately omits it from dialog until Seregil reunites with friends like Nysander outside of Alec's hearing. These interactions hint at the burgeoning attraction Seregil may feel for Alec, but a reader aware of this plotline in advance may catch several musings in the first few chapters that appear to foreshadow an eventual relationship between them, even at this uneasy initial stage. Flewelling's prose clanks along with rare flashes of vividness. The early chapters drag with info-dumps, yet combat is glossed over with scant detail. The dialog sputters with modern colloquialisms, and the dialog attributions stumble with adverbs. The prose often shifts to a new paragraph when inserting a sentence of description into a character's dialog, jarring the reader when the same character continues speaking in the new paragraph. "Luck in the Shadows" straddles the fast plot of adventure fantasy like Raymond E. Feist and the character-focused, introspective style of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. The unique relationship growing between Alec and Seregil could have formed the ideal core for a character-focused work, but "Luck in the Shadows" buries this original spark under bushels of stock fantasy trappings.
Rating: 
Summary: Not horrible, but not "all that"
Review: I gave this book a try because of the mostly glowing reviews on Amazon. Maybe because I was expecting more, I was disappointed. To me this read like that first book that is practice, but is not good enough to be published. The number of sentences starting with gerund lead-ins, and the clumsy info-dumps irritated me from the start. The story was a lot of traveling from one place to another, and I don't care how much world-building you bombard me with, this stuff just isn't that interesting. What I did like, and why I'm going to give it three stars, is the fact that it was NOT ANOTHER EPIC FANTASY. Publishers take note, there are people that are sick to death of Robert Jordan and stories of that ilk (and I suspect that even people that love that stuff would like to see a little more variety in the fantasy genre). Can we please get some more books out there that focus on a couple/few characters (not twenty or fifty) and for added originality, let's make it so they're not superhuman and prophecied to save the world. One of the strong points of this book was that it focused on the two main characters without wandering off to spend chapters in the bad guy camp, or with minor characters that nobody gives a rip about. I would much rather suffer through "conveniently overheard conversations" than chapters with the evil overlord and his henchmen that exist only because the author couldn't think of a way to move the plot forward using the protagonists. In short, give us more like this (perhaps from more seasoned authors).
Rating: 
Summary: Prepare yourself for a great Fantasy read...
Review: Alec is a young hunter's son, captured and tortured, and waiting to die when he is rescued by a strange and multifaceted man by the name of Seregil. So begins "Luck in the Shadows." I fought against reading this one for a while, until a friend of mine pretty much shoved it into my hand. I should have given in years ago, because I really loved this book's characters and story. There are quite a few strengths to Lyn Flewelling's writing. For one, we have a society that is matriarchal, or at least equalized, without the typical "just reverse the roles" writing. This is not a simple society that Flewelling has written, but an intricate and interesting one. Secondly, her use of wit - not just humour - is much appreciated. The plot is particularly dark in places, and her deft touch with an appropriate bon-mot is just what is needed to keep things light enough to be enjoyable. If there are flaws, they're few, but sometimes one can tell that this is the first novel, in that scene shifting is sometimes a little bit clunky. It is entirely forgiveable, though, and the book is one I consider a must-read of fantasy. Be warned, however, that this is book 1 of 2, followed by "Stalking Darkness," and "Luck in the Shadows," will leave you unsatisfied by itself - it requires "Stalking Darkness" to enjoy it and to finish the tale. Also, the relationship between Alec and Seregil is very sensitively written in this first book, with enough hints that you know they're going somewhere wonderful. Flewelling is definately a strong new voice in fantasy, and I will follow her writing.
Rating:
Summary: Great series!
Review: Oh my God, I loved this series. I will admit that I wasn't offended by the whole "homosexual" thing that seems to freak some people out. In fact, one of the main reasons I read the books was to witness the budding relationship between Alec and Seregil (blush). Anyway, what I am trying to say is, my opinion is not "Even though it was about gay guys, it was still great!" It's more like, "It was about gay guys, and that's great!"
One thing that sort of annoyed me was that Seregil gets all the attention. I'm an Alec fan! It seems like Seregil is always in some situation and Alec is there for him, blah blah blah. Especially in Traitor's Moon, where Seregil is a complete pile of boring. But, you know, even despite that, I was still complete obssessed. I am even appalled to admit that I am taking these books with me to college, even though I swore I wouldn't do anything that crazy. Even worse, while I was reading "Luck in the Shadows," I was accused of reading some form of licentious romantic literature, based on the title. (Luck in the Shadows-- get it?)
Anyway, I wholeheartedly suggest this wonderful, complex series! I wish I could fall in love with Alec and Seregil all over again!!
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable!
Review: The first book by Flewelling I read was "The Bone Doll's Twin", a much darker start to a second fantasy series that is actually a prequel to her Nightrunner series. Got that? So, having finished that book, I turned back to Flewelling's first series, a much lighter, more contemporary set. "Luck in the Shadows" tells the story of a young country bumpkin, Alec, who gets mixed up with a thief and spy named Seregil. They save each other's lives, and Seregil agrees to take Alec on as an apprentice. He brings Alec to Rhiminee, the capital city of Skala, a peaceful kingdom that, by decree of an ancient prophecy, is always ruled by a Queen. (Nice touch.) Seregil is distantly related to the current Queen and is part of a secret society of spies and sorcerers that help protect Skala from her enemies. A lot of this first book is given over to Alec's training as a beginning spy. The subplot, which sets up action for Book 2, is actually more interesting than the main plot, which is thrown in about 2/3 in and feels both rough and rushed. It involves a secret conspiracy against the Queen, forged documents, stolen gold - basic fare, dealt with matter-of-factly and with few surprises. The subplot, concluded in Book 2, is also pretty standard - evil artifact which will destroy the world - but as it places our heroes in much more personal and immediate danger, we end up caring about it more. Flewelling can't seem to decide whether Alec should be a prodigy or a victim of his own helplessness; he's breaking and entering like an expert within a week, but he still can't find his way around the big, bad city. I wish there were more female characters; aside from the Queen (a very minor character at best) and the daughters of Seregil's friend Micum, almost everyone in this book is a man. The fact that Seregil is gay helps a little, but still. Oh, well, you can't have anything. The series does improve down the pike, so if you're looking for light, fun fantasy, this is worth the investment.
Rating:
Summary: First in Series an Aimiable Read
Review: There is little urgency in this initial volume, and that's a good thing (sometimes it seems I read book after book whose plotting tumbles after itself at a DaVinci Code pace). Here we have stays in the country, music lessons, journeys by ship, dinner parties ... and, simultaneously, we have mysterious sigils, powerful transformative magic, derring-do (no large-scale battles), and ultimately a mystery. Most of the first book sets up the characters and details their engrossing and delightful adventures, culminating in a mystery/conspiracy plot. If you're a Buffy fan, you'll recognize the pacing ... this would cover five or six episodes, with the seasonal "arc" only occasionally coming to the fore. Very refreshing to have a protagonist (well, one of the two) whose skill with a sword is not necessarily as important as his acting ability. Really, the whole book was a charmer (slightly reminiscent of Kage Baker's Anvils of the World, but less precious, more grounded). If you like your secondary world fantasies pleasant and light without being flippant, engrossing without being fast-paced, and well-written (but not over-written), give this one a look. Note: 4 stars from me is high praise for a thoroughly good book. Only classics (or those which ought to be) get 5 stars, 3 stars is for an enjoyable book. Most books, sadly, seem to merit 2 or less.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars for this highly enjoyable book!
Review: LUCK IN THE SHADOWS is the perfect tip-off to the Nightrunner series. I was hooked by the second page and could not put this book, or the next two in the series down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary fantasy. Reasons I adored LUCK IN THE SHADOWS:
+ It was very simple and entertaining to read but it was also clever and witty and amusing and satisifying.
+ The main characters are very interesting and endearing in the way they create mischief and scamper around and are spies, nightrunners, aristocrats, and thieves.
+ The battle of good vs evil was very much at the forefront especially in Skala vs Plenimar, but the cliche did not take away from the plot or mar the book as a polar good vs evil theme does in many fantasy books.
Rating:
Summary: In the dark of the night...
Review: I'll admit, when I first began this book I only got three pages before I put it down -- seems time did not allow for much intrest; but when I picked it back up a year later I found myself unable to put it down -- often missing out on lectures or labs because I would lose myself in the story! Lynn Flewelling spins an enveloping tale of intrigue and fantasy, throwing in mystery and suspense to create a blend of tale all her own. I love Alec and Seregil to death and often find myself drifting off into Skala and the streets of Rhíminee to find luck in the shadows with the Watchers and other nightrunners after rereading this wonderful story. Alec is a beautiful young hunter/trapper captured and held wrongly imprisoned. "Aren" is a bard, who claims the same. When their cellmate comes back from "torture" smelling of booze instead of being covered in bruises and parched, things begin to take a new (if a little obvious, but how sutle can you be about breaking out of jail, really?) turn and Alec finds himself in the company of the foreigner, revealed to him to actaully be called Seregil -- Alec's life will never be the same. I found the actions of the characters titilating and enjoyable as Alec's loyalty to Seregil shines through in crisis as they make their way to Skala. And then how their friendship grew and grew through the rest of this book and on into the second and third. Anyone interested in fantasy should read these novels. ANYONE! They're funny and heart-warming stories from an author who keeps on surprising us with her ability to keep us sucked into this fantasy world. Other books in this series include:
(set 600 years before Luck in the Shadows)
The Bone Doll's Twin
Hidden Warrior
The Queen's Oracle (forthcoming) (set two weeks after Luck in the Shadows)
Stalking Darkness
(set two years after Stalking Darkness)
Traitor's Moon And more to come. :) They're all wonderful!
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