Luck in the shadows
I remember reading this book for the very first time. I felt at home. There is something about the way that Lynn Flewelling writes that is so incredibly compelling to me. I've read a couple of other people's reviews and found them critical of the things I love most about this book. About all nightrunner books. The way the point of view changes in combination with an omni-present narrator, apparently is jarring to certain people, but I love that. I think it fits so perfectly with the story and the characters. It's very much that sort of story. Fast and rickety. It flows. You know the feelings and thoughts of characters consistently yet the story surprises you. It follows no pattern, these point of view-changes. But it works, it fits the story. The worldbuilding is also critiqued. This I don't agree with whatsoever. What I think many people don't realise it's that Nightrunner is seven books and that there is also The Tamir Triad - three books. Ten books set in the same world. And The Tamir Triad being set several centuries before Nightrunner. I've read all ten books, probably ten times, so to me the world seems incredibly clear. Through all of the books we visit most of the lands (except Zengat which is regrettable as they seem very interesting, which we learn most in The Bone Doll's Twin) and we meet all the different peoples of the lands. Except Zengat again, I reckon that we encounter some Zengati characters but none play actual important roles. Except notably for Eirual who is part Zengati and of course a beloved, lovely amazing character, even though she does not play that huge a part in the books. Other than that we do encounter people of all the different races. We even get a sympathetic Plenimaran in the seventh book, Doctor Kordira. And the Retha'noi! Oh gods, they are interesting. We donät encounter them that much in Nightrunner but they really take center-stage in The Tamir Triad (Lhel, my beloved). The way of their religion and their magic, it's different and very refreshing! I also appreciate how the issue of colonialism is adressed in The Tamir Triad although I reckon they could stand to adress it in even more detail. But I understand why it's left out. We meet the dravnians and the aurënfaie and the mycenians - with their soft accents as well as of course the skalans. We are given a clear view of how the common religion works and how it is linked to the religion of the 'faie. Also the history, with the hierophants??? and the oracles, it's oh so interesting!! And when I say "clear" I don't mean that it is spelled out I mean that it is clear enough it in no way inhibits the flow of the story. It is instead woven into the narrative in an incredibly natural and unusual way. Religion I find is mostly an afterthought in many fantasy novels. The way the different countries are run I also find very interesting. Skala is a matriarchy with it's ruler being a queen. Plenimar has an overlord. Aurënen has a clan structure with a council of elders and Mycena is apparently a Stalinist republic according to the wiki (?????good for them, is there textual evidence??) . What this is to say is that the worldbuilding is great. Narratively it is also stellar. What people critiqued there was that Luck In The Shadows seems to be both a coming of age story and a mystery, foreshadowing another arc. This I don't see a problem with. Instead it is interesting. It is not a cohesive decided recycled plot but instead layered complicated intricate. And personally I adore that. Those are my thoughts as of now.
