Big Fantasy Geek Review--The Nightrunner Series!

Despite being mired in tiresome freshman comp papers, never-ending dissertation notes, and the filthy chaos of my hovel, I have nonetheless managed to while away a fair few hours re-reading one of my favorite fantasy series of recent years. As many of my gentle readers may have discerned by now, I have a particular penchant for boy-boy romances. I also possess a deep and abiding love for the fantasy genre. So what happens when you bring them both together? Sweet, sweet joy pour moi!

Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series has, to date, three books. She has stated in interviews that she does not consider it a trilogy and that she will most likely return to it once she comes up with a new story that needs to be told. The three books that she has written so far are fantastic. What is it that I enjoy about this series so much? Well, if I had to characterize it I would say that it is an alluring mix of Sherlock Holmes meets The Scarlet Pimpernel in a fantasy world setting.

The first book, Luck in the Shadows, introduces the main characters Seregil and Alec. Seregil is a cunning, mischievous, and sexy spy. When traveling incognito as a foppish bard, he ends up being put into prison by some baddies who have also locked up the young Alec of Kerry. A poor orphaned teenager (about 16 years old), Alec has been falsely imprisoned under charges of conspiracy and treason. He's been beaten and held without a chance to defend himself. And to make matters worse, it looks like he's going to be sold to some slavers. Well, as you might guess, the wiser and very talented Seregil manages to free himself from his bonds and decides to bust out of the prison, taking along Alec as well.

Soon Seregil decided to take Alec under his wing and teach him the tricks of his trade--namely, how to be a spy. The two form a fast friendship with one another that is founded on loyalty and trust. Of course, as the series progresses, their relationship becomes a little bit more tricky. Seregil is older than Alec, although he only looks to be in his early twenties because he's one of the Aurenfaie--a magical people who live for several centuries. While Seregil enjoys the company of both women and men, he definitely prefers the latter when it comes to romance. But he decides to keep his burgeoning feelings for his young partner to himself because he does not want to ruin their relationship or take advantage of Alec's trust.

Alec, on the other hand, doesn't quite know how to feel about the fact that Seregil enjoys the company of men in his bed. As the series progresses and the two are thrown into increasingly dangerous and turbulent missions, his feelings become more complex and he's forced to confront the fact that he loves his partner as more than a friend.

The romance between Seregil and Alec is very poignant and sweet (not smutty at all for those more conservative readers). And all the while you are rooting for them to find the happiness they both so desperately need with one another.

There is plenty of intrigue and excitement throughout the series, as well as some really lovely humor. Flewelling blends it all together with deft skill, managing to keep the reader on edge and waiting for more. Her subtle but compelling interrogation of gender and sexual issues really appealed to my sensibilities, while the story itself was entertaining, exciting, and fun.

I want another book in this series almost as badly as I want the final Harry Potter. And that's saying something!


Book Two Book Three