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published 1997; paperback 1997, Spectra
Stalking Darkness is the sequel to Luck in the Shadows, a fast-paced piece of entertainment I whiled away several happy hours with on my vacation. I've been eagerly awaiting this next installment in the Nightrunner series, and I wasn't disappointed, though this book was darker than the last and less lightened by humor.
That's as you would expect it to be, since Luck in the Shadows left off just as a war between the principal countries of Skala and Plenimar was starting. Plenimar is controlled by bad guys who worship an evil god, the Eater of Death. Opposing them are the Queen of Skala, her armies, and the Watchers, a secret group of information gatherers. Foremost among these are the mage Nysander, the warrior Micum, the high-class thief Seregil, and his protégé, Alec.
There's quite a bit of gore in this book. Hearts are torn out of chests, heads are cut off, and there are several battle scenes in which anything goes. None of the violence is gratuitous, however. Even more chilling than the physical damage is the mental damage that the necromancers are able to inflict on their victims, trauma that doesn't even leave so much as a bruise but which destroys the spirit.
On the up side, major characters get some major nookie. For a while there I was thinking that Stalking Darkness should be subtitled Alec Gets Laid, because it was certainly time, darn it. Readers of Luck in the Shadows will no doubt be wondering about the status of the relationship between Alec and Seregil. I don't want to give anything away, but at least I can say without saying too much that after getting a little experience under his, well, belt, Alec starts to question his Dalnan upbringing that prohibits sexual relations between members of the same sex …
I'm still a bit confused about some things, such as Plenimar and the Plenimarans. Plenimar is a small island country, but when the main characters end up going there, they don't encounter any towns or civilians. There are references to non-military Plenimarans, but mainly they were being used as sacrifice fodder. It makes one wonder what their system of government is like; there are some vague references to an "Overlord."
I also couldn't help but think that it was convenient as hell that there's a land bridge to Plenimar, which saves a crack outfit of Skalan troops from having to get a ship to go there. Whatever.
Anyway, now I'm back where I started just a few days ago, waiting for another Lynn Flewelling book. I've been spoiled by getting this one so soon after the last one. Fortunately, another book in the series, Traitor's Moon, is in the works. Keep an eye on this author and this series.
Review by Sara Lipowitz
Reviewed February 18, 1997
ISBN 0-553-57543-0
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