Review of 'Luck in the shadows' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I first read this book about 10 years ago when I received a copy as a present. It didn't really leave a lasting impression then, other than being absolutely fascinated that one of the lead characters is apparently a gay gentleman. Which I found rather surprising back then.
The 16-year old Alec of Kerry is an orphan living in the woods. At the beginning of the story he got arrested as possible spy and is tortured when another prisoner gets tossed into jail and proceeds to free them both. Seregil actually happens to be a spy, and takes a shine to Alec. He keeps him on as apprentice. Seregil is a Watcher, working for a wizard called Nysander for the kingdom of Skala.
After shenanigans in the North, the story moves to Rhiminee, capital of Skala, where Alec gets more training as Seregil's apprentice, and where they move to uncover …
I first read this book about 10 years ago when I received a copy as a present. It didn't really leave a lasting impression then, other than being absolutely fascinated that one of the lead characters is apparently a gay gentleman. Which I found rather surprising back then.
The 16-year old Alec of Kerry is an orphan living in the woods. At the beginning of the story he got arrested as possible spy and is tortured when another prisoner gets tossed into jail and proceeds to free them both. Seregil actually happens to be a spy, and takes a shine to Alec. He keeps him on as apprentice. Seregil is a Watcher, working for a wizard called Nysander for the kingdom of Skala.
After shenanigans in the North, the story moves to Rhiminee, capital of Skala, where Alec gets more training as Seregil's apprentice, and where they move to uncover a plot against the Queen of Skala.
Luck in the Shadows is standard fantasy fare. It's a fairly default setting with no big surprises, but I happen to enjoy city-based stories, and this is what LitS mostly is. I don't know about the greater plot arc, there are only hints about it, but it's not a boring book.
It's also not a super-exciting page-turner but entertaining enough.
My rating: 3.5 stars
