Shadows Return

Nightrunner, Book 4

By: Lynn Flewelling

Narrated by: Adam Danoff

With their most treacherous mission yet behind them, heroes Seregil and Alec resume their double life as dissolute nobles and master spies. But in a world of rivals and charmers, fate has a different plan.

After their victory in Aurnen, Alec and Seregil have returned home to Rhminee. But with most of their allies dead or exiled, it is difficult for them to settle in. Hoping for diversion, they accept an assignment that will take them back to Seregils homeland. En route, however, they are ambushed and separated, and both are sold into slavery. Clinging to life, Seregil is sustained only by the hope that Alec is alive.

But it is not Alecs life his strange master wants - it is his blood. For his unique lineage is capable of producing a rare treasure, but only through a harrowing process that will test him body and soul and unwittingly entangle him and Seregil in the realm of alchemists and madmen and an enigmatic creature that may hold their very destiny in its inhuman hands. But will it prove to be savior or monster?

A Note From Author Lynn Flewelling

Dear Listeners,

It's been brought to my attention that there is some confusion over the noticeable difference in some of the pronunciations between the first three books of this series, and the last two. The reason for this is quite simple. For Shadows Return and The White Road, I had the pleasure of talking in considerable detail with narrator Adam Danoff. So the differences from the first three books may be a bit jarring at first, but what you will hear in Shadows Return and The White Road are the proper pronunciations of names and things, as the author intended. I'm delighted with these new interpretations, and I hope you will be, too. Happy listening!

Lynn Flewelling

Don't miss the other volumes in Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series.©2008 Lynn Flewelling (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Needs Raymond Todd

The first 3 books in the series were enthralling with the narration by Raymond Todd. The change in narrators for this volume was EXTREMELY disappointing. If I hadn't been sucked into the series by the first 3 volumes narrated by Todd, I probably would not have even finished listening to this one. If Todd had narrated this volume, I probably would have rated this book as 5 stars. The story was a good jumping board to what I hope is a revival of an excellent fantasy series. I really hope that Raymond Todd performs the narration for the next volume - not sure if I will listen if performed by Danoff again.

A rough ride, but worthwhile

The Nightrunner series takes an interesting turn with this volume, providing an emotional roller coaster and a long path to what becomes desperately desired resolution. I found it highly worthwhile as a unique part of the whole epic, but individually it was not an easy read. Not because it was poorly written, far from it, but it departs widely from the adventurous and occasionally light-hearted intrigue that dominates the first three volumes and plunges headlong into dark and deadly waters. As with most of the books in the series, it sets up a great many things that unfold in future volumes.

The switch in readers to Adam Danoff is quite jarring at first, especially given that his pronunciation of some of the setting-specific vocabulary--particularly place names and even character names--is drastically different from what we heard in earlier volumes. A modicum of research, however, reveals that these are the pronunciations that author always intended. Additionally, in Adam Danoff's performance I found that I was finally hearing the "true" voices of Seregil & Alec and his overall tenor and approach jives much better with the language and feel of the series than the previous reader's efforts ever could.

A big jump in quality from the first two entries!

The first two entries in this series were interestingly plotted but often very clunkily written. It's clear that Flewelling grew greatly as a novelist in the years between writing the last Nightrunner novel and this one. Well-written, well-plotted, and has me looking forward to the next book!

Pretty good

The plot line has main consistencies from traders moon. I do Grant that the writing is not as complex as prior books in the series, relying more on high fantasy then world building fantasy. Yet, the Author Has established a very interesting plot arc for next book in the series. What is the mysterious white here child? How does he fit in to the mythology of Night Runner? And Why the leader U LAN Would desire him? Are all very good questions for another book

Alert - Narrator Change

The story was fine, but the new narrator can't compare to the previous guy, this really killed the series for me.

Worst narration and pronunciation of any audiobook

I listen to audio books all the time. This narrator sounded like a 14 year old boy with a cold, his character voices where awful (the best being the women), and his pronunciation was the worst of it all.

When you were young, and came upon a word you've never heard before. That's how Adam Danoff read this book. Every name and much more had the syllable emphasis screwed up all over the place.

I've recently fallen in love with this book series, unable to resist listening to these books nonstop. Until this book. The story was amazing, but the presentation almost had me giving up on the audio book all together.

The first books were read by another, Raymond Todd, who is far and away the best narrator I've heard in an audio book. This likely colors the horrible rendition by Adam Danoff to be even worse in comparison, but I tried to be objective and had to actively and constantly try fight the revulsion I felt towards this rendition.

It saddens me that such an amazing series has to be so mistreated. I'd have imagined that Audible (with audio books being their bread and butter) would have been more careful with their choice of narrators. It saddens me further that Raymond Todd wasn't used for the entire series and that, if I want to listen to the rest of the series in audio book form, Adam Danoff is who I have to endure from here onward.

I hope he improves in the next book. God help us all.

r

wish they used the same narrator as the first two books. Mr Todd narrated very well.

Reviewed AGAIN

Like some others, I had originally written a review basing my opinion of the first 2 books of this new series criticizing the dramatic changes introduced by a new narrator. Changes so jarring that it was sometimes hard to grasp exactly who the characters were and where they had found themselves. I also received an email from Audible indicating a wish for me to re-write my review with the knowledge the author had consulted with the new narrator on pronunciations. Imagine my surprise to discover my previous review had mysteriously disappeared; so, I will repeat, regardless of the author's opinion, my review.

In a series that picks up at book 4 and 5 with a new narrator, consistency, in my opinion, should outweigh how something was originally intended to be pronounced - after all, we all pronounce these made up names and places in our heads differently, but consistently for ourselves. Book 4 and 5 provides little to no background to existing characters, mythology or previous plots. It ASSUMES you've previously listened to the previous 3 novels. To ignore the personalities, pronunciations and performance of that first series seems a very odd direction. My opinion of the narrator isn't solely based on his simply pronouncing people and places differently, it's that in choosing to completely ignore what was done before (very well), he gave the characters very different personalities. Character voices often sound so similar, you're not sure who is speaking. Solid, direct characters like Alec seem more like whiny teenagers as book 4 starts simple because of the performance.

Regardless of which pronunciations are correct, if the initial narration of the first 3 novels had used the same narrator as the last 2, I don't think I would have made it past the first book.

it least they finally published it!

I love this series. The first 3 books I could not stop until they were over.

This book was just as good in storyline/plot BUT..

They changed narrators. Adam Danoff does a respectable job but for some reason I was not as tied into the characters. Maybe it is because I am already used to Raymond Todd.

Well worth a listen but a slight let-down from the expectations I had.

Just so there are no surprises.. the two main characters are in love and male. The detail is NOT excessive but these are meant for adults (especially when you compare them to the current run of vampire books).

Back again

After the stresses of the previous 2 books, our heroes return in service to Queen and Country. Much is learned of Seregil's past as he confronts the forces that have placed him in his new life.