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A review by annelyle
The White Road by Lynn Flewelling
5.0
The White Road is the fifth installment in Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner series, and concludes the story arc begun in Shadows Return. Having escaped the clutches of Plenimaran alchemist Charis Yakhobin, Alec and Seregil are faced with the problem of what to do about Sebrahn, the child-like alchemical being who can kill as well as heal. The paperback edition features another beautiful character illustration by Michael Komarck, this time of Alec – appropriately enough, since this time he is the one making the difficult choices.
I have to admit that I found the first half of this book rather slow. It mostly consists of Alec and Seregil travelling back to Aurenan and encountering a mixed welcome from various ‘faie communities. The only real tension came from the occasional scenes from the bad guys’ point of view, revealing that Alec and Seregil will not be safe for long.
By the middle of the book, however, the pace picks up and accelerates towards an action-packed finale. Once or twice the suspense was punctured, rather than heightened, by the fact that we the readers can see what all sides are up to, but on the whole it worked well. There was one plot thread that wasn’t tied up, but maybe Flewelling is saving that for the next book?
Overall, a solid addition to the series that nonetheless for me fell a little short of the emotionally satisfying heights of Shadows Return. Still, I’m looking forward to Book 6, The Casket of Souls, due out this summer. It’s about time our boys got back to some serious nightrunning!
I have to admit that I found the first half of this book rather slow. It mostly consists of Alec and Seregil travelling back to Aurenan and encountering a mixed welcome from various ‘faie communities. The only real tension came from the occasional scenes from the bad guys’ point of view, revealing that Alec and Seregil will not be safe for long.
By the middle of the book, however, the pace picks up and accelerates towards an action-packed finale. Once or twice the suspense was punctured, rather than heightened, by the fact that we the readers can see what all sides are up to, but on the whole it worked well. There was one plot thread that wasn’t tied up, but maybe Flewelling is saving that for the next book?
Overall, a solid addition to the series that nonetheless for me fell a little short of the emotionally satisfying heights of Shadows Return. Still, I’m looking forward to Book 6, The Casket of Souls, due out this summer. It’s about time our boys got back to some serious nightrunning!