Luck in the Shadows

Nightrunner, Book 1

By: Lynn Flewelling

Narrated by: Raymond Todd

Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

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 the thing he hadn't counted on 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.

Don't miss the other volumes in Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series.

©1996 Lynn Flewelling (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

A surprisingly good series

I was pleasantly surprised by this series of books. The characters are enjoyable from the first and as they develop across the series you find some new depths. Sometimes keeping a handle on what is happening can be a bit tricky at first but I found I soon got into the flow of it. At times it is distracting that the narrator miss pronounces some of the words and the strange accents are a bit comical, but it does not distract too much. The book does not have a complex plot and because of this it works well as an audio book. Worth a listen for some good harmless fun

Painting with words

Lynn's descriptions of the characters, places and the era, are a verbal cinemascope painting. Lay back close your eyes and watch the mental movie unfold. This is only a part of the story. The next part " Stalking Darkness" ,continues the adventure

Rich history & character depth

This is a rich, colorful story with a lot of depth. Feels a little on the Tolkien side for long, well constructed narrative, but a fascinating world building.

Luck in the Shadows

EXCELLENT SERIES! Lynn Flewelling brings the charecters to life for you with a flare that holds your attention. And Raymond Todd is great in the reading of it, making them even more real to you. If you're looking for a good story line that is easy to follow andf keeps you wanting more...then Any of Lynn Flewellings books will keep you entertained. Oh and keep an open mind while your listening...it is worth it.

An excellent start to an excellent series!

This series is one of my all-time favorites.I am currently on my 5th listen through it, and it is as good as the first time. I highly recommend this to anyone who as an intrest in magic, spys, thieves and later on, dragons!

Nightrunner Series Review (not just this book)

Each story in this series was a well-developed story in its own right. To be sure, one necessarily follows the other, and they couldn't be as fun taken out of order. But each book is its own episode in the ongoing epic. I admit to having the attention span of a gnat and usually get bored with a series by book three, and almost never read beyond book four. But here I am anxiously awaiting--no, impatiently waiting--for the sixth book in this series. I love Alec and Seregil and the relationship they have not only with each other, but with all of their friends. Somewhere along in this series, the narrators change. While some might have difficulties with the change of voices, I confess, the narrators were superseded by the story for me, and they hardly mattered.

I listened to The Tamir Triad first and almost didn't give this series a try. I found that series to be rather dark and difficult to suspend disbelief. I was afraid this would be like that. But this series is much easier, lighter and warmer. Much more to my preferences for escaping into fantasy.

Let down by narration

Enjoyable story with memorable characters in an interesting setting - I didn't find the 'world-building' a problem at all. I have to echo other comments about the poor narration, however. Mispronunciations, awkward phrasing and unrecognisable accents detracted from the pleasure of this audiobook. I'll listen to the sequel for the strength of the story, but would avoid anything else with this narrator.

Good but amateurish

This was a pretty good tale, but with an amateurish feel. The plot was linear and not terribly complicated, and I never sensed the characters were in great danger. They quickly overcame any problems they had. There were hints of some greater troubles but these felt too distant to worry about. The characters were also a bit cliche and bland.

The author had a touch of world builder's disease, giving us long bits of background in the guise of having one character educating another. Most of this background didn't seem necessary to the story, although it may be setting up the rest of the series.

Nonetheless, the book was entertaining. It was well written and the setting was involved and interesting. I probably will try the sequel.

The narrator was good. Most of his voices sounded the same, and thus it was hard sometimes to tell one from another and from the narration itself, but he was clear and I could follow him well enough.

great begining of a series

Would you listen to Luck in the Shadows again? Why?

I enjoyed this book. Although there are parts that are uncomfortable forr me to listen to (explict parts). I will probably listen to this series again.

One of the best books I've experienced!

One of the best books I've ever experienced. Additionally, the narration of this audiobook is also the best I've heard to date.