Review: Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

The Particulars: Fantasy, Bantam Spectra, available in print and in ebook

The Source: The bookshelf

The Grade: C

The Blurb:

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 one thing he never expected 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, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows.

The Review:

I read this the first time years ago. Not 1996 when it was released, but probably around 2000. Which is a loong time ago.

So, I was sorting through the bookcase, and found book 2 and 3 in the series. I had a vague memory of seeing book 1 at my mum's so, I decided to read it again. The world felt realistic. From the dungeon were Alec and Seregil met, to the city of Skala, and everything in between. What I especially liked was that life in Kerry wasn't the same as life in Skala. One thing that intrigued me was the way the history of the world was woven into the story, and how it affected it.

The characters was interesting. I loved following Alec's change from a blushing innocent, to a not so innocent man. I liked how his and Seregil's relationship matured from teacher pupil, to friendship. ( With hints of it becoming more in the next books)

The plot was intriguing, and I liked how the complications gradually rose, from the escape until the end. The author kept me guessing what would happen next. Sometimes I guessed right, but most of the time I was surprised.

So for what I didn't like. I had a lot of trouble getting into the book. One reason might be the fact that I am not used to reading paperbooks any more, but I think the main reason was that the first part of the book felt... disconnected to from their adventures in Skala. This is despite the fact that I know it sets up the story arc.