Luck in the Shadows

Nightrunner, Book 1

By: Lynn Flewelling

Narrated by: Raymond Todd

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

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.

Spactacular ! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

This book was such an absolute pleasure to read. I had been in a six book slump (was just bored and tortured with everything I picked up) and was looking for something with gay lead characters (not that this is a major point of the book in any way, it's just good sometimes to read a book where you can actually relate to the characters and not have to constantly put yourself into the mind of straight people). I am completely thrilled to have found this series. Sure there are some common troops, and sure there are some world building ideas that I've seen before, but remember when this book was written and give it a chance and I promise you will fall in love with it. The world building is rich, The characters have depth, and there is a complete feeling and vibe. I so exited there are more in the series and it seem people love them just as much. Very cool!

Obsessed

I’ve been obsessed with this series since the moment I picked it up a few years back. I was reading it on kindle and blew through all the books one after the other getting not as much sleep as one should. Once I got the books on audible I did the same thing listening to them. They are one of my go to series if I need a little pick me up. They’re one of the multiple series I’ve listened to over and over again, and so I’ll listen to them to help me fall asleep - since I know the story so well already (NOT because it’s boring). I’m always trying to find a similar story (LGBT fantasy wise) but nothing has held a candle to this series.

I have a few issues with the narrators pronunciations (most notably the way he says fae) It you eventually get used to it; and I appreciate his wide range of voices. Part way thru the series the narrator is changed to someone with better pronunciations (there’s an authors note explaining she worked with the new narrator to get pronunciation to be what she intended) and while it’s a bit odd to have new voices for beloved characters at first, you get used to it quick and you won’t be mildly cringing at the pronunciation of fae anymore.

Quay is pronounced “key “

To the narrator , do some research before your performance. It’s jarring when these mistakes occur

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.