Home > Categories > Books > Fantasy > Shards of Time review
Acclaimed author Lynn Flewelling brings her beloved Nightrunners series to a close - at least for now - with a thrilling novel of murder, mystery, and magic.
The governor of the sacred island of Korous and his mistress have been killed inside a locked and guarded room. The sole witnesses to the crime - guards who broke down the doors, hearing the screams from within - have gone mad with terror, babbling about ghosts... and things worse than ghosts.
Dispatched to Korous by the queen, master spies Alec and Seregil find all the excitement and danger they could want - and more. For an ancient evil has been awakened there, a great power that will not rest until it has escaped its otherworldly prison and taken revenge on all that lives. And only those like Alec--who have died and returned to life - can step between the worlds and confront the killer... even if it means a second and all too permanent death.
Product reviews...
I am a huge fan of Lynn Flewelling and in particular her Nightrunner series. There are seven books in total and I absolutely love them all - the characters and world that the author has created is just masterful.
I received the seventh and final volume in the series for Christmas. I'm really sad to see such a great series coming to an end so it was with a heavy heart that I embarked upon Alec and Seregil's final adventure.
In this book Alec and Seregil are dispatched by the Queen, to the sacred island of Kourus to investigate the suspicious death of the governor and his mistress. Upon arriving on the island things slowly turn from bad to worse as the mystery begins to unravel and they discover just what they're up against.
I couldn't put this book down. It's a tale of murder, mystery and magic, ghosts, necromancy, dra'gorgos and demons, lots of excitement and action that's for sure! There's even a touch of humour and wit, usually at the expense of Thero (the wizard) and without giving anything away, a few surprises too which, I must admit, made me squeal with excitement.
I love the layers in this book from the many mysteries and intrigues to all the different character relationships and perspectives - it all comes together seamlessly and adds depth to the storyline.
I know the author wanted her characters to "leave while the audience is still clapping" (her words) and they definitely went out on a high. However, I would have liked a more final ending, as it is it's very open ended which will allow the author to return to this series should she wish to sometime in the future (which I really hope she does).
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure but I do suggest that you start at the beginning of the series so you get the full Alec and Seregil experience - "Luck in the shadows... And in the light".
Random listing from 'Books'...
At the luxurious Roarke Palace Hotel, a maid walks into suite 4602 for the nightly turn-down - and steps into her worst nightmare. A killer leaves her dead, strangled by a thin silver wire.
He's Sly Yost, a virtuoso of music and murder. A hit man for the elite. Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows him well. But in this twisted case, knowing the killer doesn't help solve the crime. Because there's someone else involved. Someone ... more...
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?"
unattributed