Now, here I go again, I see the crystal visions / I keep my visions to myself / It's only me who wants to, wrap around your dreams / And have you any dreams you'd like to sell? (Dreams – Fleetwood Mac).
Would you look at that, I finally finished this mammoth of a book! That’s one monumental task over and done with, now I can focus on the next, even more difficult one; talking about it. Oh noo~ooo! And not to get sexual, but in my defense these books are both super old and really thick, so it’s always hard to come up with something to say about something so complex! So yeah, I really enjoyed Stalking Darkness (which is the title of the book, not just a weird think I’m saying), and it more than delivered as a worthy sequel to Luck in the Shadows. Not just with its ever-present sense of adventure and intrigue, but Lynn Flewelling is also able to go delve into much darker places with its narrative due to the fact that we’re right in the middle of the Empire Strikes Back section of the trilogy. This book hits hard right out the gate, and since somewhere along the way we’ve grown to know and love all these characters, every terrible thing that happens to Alec and Seregil feels incredibly personal! Which is especially noteworthy because other than Alec, I wouldn't say that anyone was written with the intention of being likable, and while that may sound counterintuitive, that’s exactly why the characters are so memorable! Stalking Darkness allows room for them to make mistakes, act selfishly, and tip-toe on the line of morality in addition to their more heroic ideals, not in spite of. See, my initial perception of older high fantasy novels are that they’re so staunchly hellbent on being as complicated and lofty as possible that they end up being untouchable, but I couldn’t have be more wrong in relation to the Nightrunners series. There's an electric and dynamic atmosphere here that I can’t help but compare to more contemporary fantasy like Six of Crows or Master of Restless Shadows! This series might be as "Swords and Sorcery" as possible, what with it dealing in constant wizards and prophecies, but character motivation is always at the forefront of the narrative. If an action will move the plot along but doesn’t feel right for Seregil or Alec, then it won’t happen. You know, when I started reading this book all those eons ago, I specifically remember having several moments of existential dread like, “Oh no! Whatever shall I read now? I’m almost done!!” (that’s how I speak in my mind), and it turns out that I was totally just being dramatic because at the speed I’m currently reading each installment, I’ll probably be reading the Nightrunners series indefinitely! Which will do wonders for my workout because lugging these books around has been a task! I mean, it would be if I didn’t read this on a Kindle, but it still counts because my brain certainly felt the heft! Anyway, my point is that this book has been a constant companion for me for so long that it’s a little bittersweet to be standing on the other end of it now. It was with me wherever I went, and it felt like I was going on my own Alec and Seregil journey! “I've been everywhere, man, across the deserts bare, man, I breathed the mountain air, man.” Otherwise, these books are fun to talk about because they’re like seasons of television. By the time I reached the climactic war battles at the end of the novel, it barely had the same DNA of the story that chronicled Seregil’s little Magnificent Seven side quest where it was just him and a bunch of villagers fending off mercenaries. This book has seasons, and I could seriously just spend the rest of the review listing events!
If you told me years ago that high fantasy would be my go-to fantasy, then I’d give you a lukewarm, “Oh? Alright then.” But then I’d say that it's cool that I can jump into this kind of stuff without hesitation anymore! I even picked up the first Wheel of Time book because I figured that if the Nightrunner series can keep my undivided attention, then I can read anything. It's a powerful feeling, so why don't we talk about it already? Stalking Darkness begins a couple months after Luck in the Shadows with Alec continuing his spy training under the super sexy spy himself, the “somewhat” (in other words, mostly) emotionally unstable and unavailable Seregil. As they're go about their thieving, they soon find themselves entangled in political intrigue and the horrors of war alike that will mark them forever. I've always loved Seregil because he initially comes across as the classic “dashing hero” type and then almost immediately outs himself as a complete mess. You can’t turn a page in this book without his ass being haunted by the narrative, and skillful or not, everyone has a limit when events just constantly keep happening to them! I mean, the truth is that while I understand everything in this book has to go a certain way in order for the plot to move forward naturally, I still grew weary of all the detailed torture scenes. I’m like those people who hate sex scenes in movies, but instead my vitriol is saved for torture scenes! I can’t even go near the Saw movies because it's like, I'm not trying to see all that. Besides that though, everything else in on point, and even the side characters get an upgrade, as we get to see Nysander in a more compromised state than his usual “untouchable wizard” façade. Wait, maybe “compromised” is the wrong word because he (thankfully) doesn't have his dick out, but it’s nice to see him have to cross moral lines regardless. I never liked him based on his rancid vibes alone, but his arc here did help to humanize him a lot. But as for the story though? Well, slight spoiler, but I’m usually not into secret royalty plots because to me they always seem half-baked and overly convenient in a way that also belays uncomfortable messaging about a person's “divine right to rule." My distaste for the trope started with this little indie gem called Dragon Quest 8, and it was groundbreaking because the ending has the princess decide to say “screw you” to societal expectations leave her betrothed at the altar Emancipation of Mimi style so she can be with her true love. It was definitely unique for the time, but then there’s an epilogue chapter that reveals the guy she ended up with was a secret prince from some forgotten kingdom anyway... and damn, I can't properly describe to you my sheer disappointment and I’ve held a grudge ever since! Nonetheless, Stalking Darkness gets a pass in this respect due to the fact that there literally had to be a reveal of some kind about Alec in order to make his relationship with Seregil not have creepy undertones. Sure, their romance is still all-encompassing and co-dependent, but never uncomfortable given the contextual setting and revelations throughout the novel. And that's that! Just in case those five stars up there didn’t already give it away, I totally loved this book; rapt with wonder and grounded in dangerous excitement, there’s nobody else doing it like Lynn Flewelling! I mean, these books are pretty old, but that doesn't change the fact that Stalking Darkness is still out here changing the game!
“All books are valuable. Some are dangerous.”
“Books of spells, you mean?”
Seregil grinned. “Those too, but I was thinking more of ideas. Those can be far more dangerous than any magic.”