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A review by jeaniinabottle
Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling
4.0
So aside from the whole "rape of the main character by a minor character that we're going to gloss over, literally never call a rape, actually have his love interest make light of, and in no way play for drama or use for any significant purpose aside from it being this character's sexual awakening" (which OMFG WHY) this book was really good.
I remain madly in love with Seregil, and the slow build of tension between him and Alec (oh my god would you two just DO IT ALREADY we know you're going to thanks to the first book) is mostly played excellently. There were a few occasions where I wanted to crawl into the book and shake Alec, but at the same time that sort of repression and internalized homophobia is a real thing that really happens to gays and bisexuals in real life so you know, character development or something.
The "Tali" endearment did about kill me each time it popped up, though. You want to make a fangirl squee? Just have a character call another a petname and not realize that they did it. And then have the other call them it back because they don't realize the significance of it. BE STILL MY HEART. Every time it popped up I got palpitations.
Around the 2/3rds mark the book took a surprisingly shocking turn for the gruesome; it's necessary for the plot
Overall it was a good second part to conclude the first book; I may still read the remaining five books (or may not, I haven't decided yet) if only to get more Seregil and Alec. Have I mentioned yet that I adore Seregil? Because yes.
I remain madly in love with Seregil, and the slow build of tension between him and Alec (oh my god would you two just DO IT ALREADY we know you're going to thanks to the first book) is mostly played excellently. There were a few occasions where I wanted to crawl into the book and shake Alec, but at the same time that sort of repression and internalized homophobia is a real thing that really happens to gays and bisexuals in real life so you know, character development or something.
Spoiler
Seregil's completely out-of-nowhere 'Whoops, guess I'm in love now!' on the other hand felt a little forced. We saw him struggle with, ignore, and deny his attraction to Alec repeatedly over the first book and several times in the second before the reveal, and then Kali tells Micum (NOT Seregil) "Oh, he's in love now. Wasn't ten pages ago, but he is now. I doubt he's even realized it." And on the VERY NEXT PAGE, Seregil's like "Oh. Well, shit." Did we really need it spelled out to us like that, that explicitly? Especially when you won't call a rape a rape?? *rolls eyes*The "Tali" endearment did about kill me each time it popped up, though. You want to make a fangirl squee? Just have a character call another a petname and not realize that they did it. And then have the other call them it back because they don't realize the significance of it. BE STILL MY HEART. Every time it popped up I got palpitations.
Around the 2/3rds mark the book took a surprisingly shocking turn for the gruesome; it's necessary for the plot
Spoiler
(and for getting our lovers to actually, I don't know, admit their feelings) but the scene with the decapitated tertiary characters who we maybe kind of liked was a rough intro to about two hundred pages of torture, death, and bloodshed. The conclusion, with Nysander's sacrifice, was tragic and not especially predictable. Beka's being the second Vanguard was fairly obvious but it was still executed well.Overall it was a good second part to conclude the first book; I may still read the remaining five books (or may not, I haven't decided yet) if only to get more Seregil and Alec. Have I mentioned yet that I adore Seregil? Because yes.