Seregil and Alec used to be my favourite couple. Back in the day, that is, with the first three Nightrunner books which are still among my all time favourites. But from Book Four, Shadows Return the series went downhill, unfortunately. Seems like the author has drained herself with the greatly imaginative, dark Tamir books she wrote in between. This book starts with Seregil and Alec in Bokthersa, trying to figure out what Sebrahn really is and what to do about him. They meet a veritable, rather mysterious dragon who sends them on a quest back to Plenimar, to Sebrahn's source, where, according to the dragon, they're going to find the answer to their questions. For survival they have to disguise as slaves, with Micum playing their master. Meanwhile a group of Hazadrielfaie, the Ebrados, ride south in search of Sebrahn and Alec. Their mission is to bring both back to Ravensfell, or at last kill them if they can't get them to come back. A retha'noi witch, Turmay, helps the Ebrados track down Alec by means of his magical horn. Enemies at first, both groups are eventually forced to work together against an unexpected and very dangerous enemy. There were elements about this book I liked; actually, some parts were really good. Lynn Flewelling is Lynn Flewelling, after all. I liked Micum as "slave master" and Seregil as cat burglar and thief. I liked the picturing of the Ebrados as they have to deal with the world outside their valley which turns out entirely different than they expected. And there were some wonderful dialogues between Alec and Seregil. But, and thus only three stars, such highlights were spare and far between. The book lacked the esprit and wit of his early predecessors. I missed the way Flewelling used to breathe life into her characters with a few apt words. Alec in particular was simply flat; as often as his love for Sebrahn was menioned, , it wa rater told than shown. Sebrahn appears like a kind of toy Alec turns to when he wants to and puts away when he tires of it. The dynamics between Alec and Seregil I used to love in the first three books are almost non existent in favor of repetitive overly dramatic near-escapes and fighting scenes. As good as the author is in describing fights, even this gets old after the fifth or so time. In the end, Alec and Seregil are back in Rhiminee, back to their old life as the Rhiminee Cat. It is as if Shadows Return and The White Road hadn't happened at all, except for them being at the Stag and Otter instead of the Cockerel. The White Road in particular, as if the author had had regrets about creating Sebrahn and the entire "Alec-is-Hazadrielfaie-and-therefore-very-special" thing and had been trying to clean up the mess as fast as possible. There's a cliffhanger about new adventures ahead of them, though; hopefully they're going to be back to their old form in the next instalment.
Feliz Faber
I'm Feliz Faber, writer, translator, proofer--and reader.
Seregil and Alec used to be my favourite couple. Back in the day, that is, with the first three Nightrunner books which are still among my all time favourites. But from Book Four, Shadows Return the series went downhill, unfortunately. Seems like the author has drained herself with the greatly imaginative, dark Tamir books she wrote in between. This book starts with Seregil and Alec in Bokthersa, trying to figure out what Sebrahn really is and what to do about him. They meet a veritable, rather mysterious dragon who sends them on a quest back to Plenimar, to Sebrahn's source, where, according to the dragon, they're going to find the answer to their questions. For survival they have to disguise as slaves, with Micum playing their master. Meanwhile a group of Hazadrielfaie, the Ebrados, ride south in search of Sebrahn and Alec. Their mission is to bring both back to Ravensfell, or at last kill them if they can't get them to come back. A retha'noi witch, Turmay, helps the Ebrados track down Alec by means of his magical horn. Enemies at first, both groups are eventually forced to work together against an unexpected and very dangerous enemy. There were elements about this book I liked; actually, some parts were really good. Lynn Flewelling is Lynn Flewelling, after all. I liked Micum as "slave master" and Seregil as cat burglar and thief. I liked the picturing of the Ebrados as they have to deal with the world outside their valley which turns out entirely different than they expected. And there were some wonderful dialogues between Alec and Seregil. But, and thus only three stars, such highlights were spare and far between. The book lacked the esprit and wit of his early predecessors. I missed the way Flewelling used to breathe life into her characters with a few apt words. Alec in particular was simply flat; as often as his love for Sebrahn was menioned, , it wa rater told than shown. Sebrahn appears like a kind of toy Alec turns to when he wants to and puts away when he tires of it. The dynamics between Alec and Seregil I used to love in the first three books are almost non existent in favor of repetitive overly dramatic near-escapes and fighting scenes. As good as the author is in describing fights, even this gets old after the fifth or so time. In the end, Alec and Seregil are back in Rhiminee, back to their old life as the Rhiminee Cat. It is as if Shadows Return and The White Road hadn't happened at all, except for them being at the Stag and Otter instead of the Cockerel. The White Road in particular, as if the author had had regrets about creating Sebrahn and the entire "Alec-is-Hazadrielfaie-and-therefore-very-special" thing and had been trying to clean up the mess as fast as possible. There's a cliffhanger about new adventures ahead of them, though; hopefully they're going to be back to their old form in the next instalment.
