#Luck in the Shadows

[lamaery]

I was rereading Luck In The Shadows and Stalking Darkness by Lyn Flewelling, so drawing Alec, Seregil and the rest of them was my relaxing comfort activity before going to bed for the last days now and then. Even though most of the main cast is male for these books, there are sooo many interesting and diverse female side characters, named and unnamed.

[darkandstormyart]

in love with alec's character development in book 2

[beholderlair]

Thriftbooks haul!!!!!!!

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America's own.

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America's increasingly dominant private prison industry. It's the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

In CAPE, prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches for packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thurwar and Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, are the fan favorites. And if all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, she considers how she might help preserve their humanity, in defiance of these so-called games, but CAPE's corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar's path have devastating consequences.

Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system's unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means.

Dystopia, speculative fiction, science fiction, adult

The Nightrunner series (Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, Traitor's Moon, Shadows Return, The White Road, Casket of Souls, Shards of Time) by Lynn Flewelling

Endorsement from submitter: "First genre books I read with queers! Written in the early 90s, so has era typical language. I would say this book has romance in it, but is primarily a political intrigue fantasy. I say this is a positive!!! I don't mind a romantasy, but I tend to find them focusing more on the romance than the fantasy, this has both without one getting lost in the background details! Alec and Seregil will steal your hearts and probably any juicy gossip you have lying around!"

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be… Luck in the Shadows.

Fantasy, epic fantasy, adventure, political intrigue, series, adult

[darkandstormyranger]

bruh i am so grateful for luck in the shadows and how it reminded me that i AM still able to fall in love with a book like i used to and i CAN choose reading over mindlessly scrolling on my phone and i still have the ability to OBSESS over a book and its characters and think about it day and night and use every spare minute i have to read it

like man i thought that door was closed for me :') it's been literal years since i enjoyed a book so much

[azaisya]

I’ve been reading Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner series so here have some obscure book fanart! This is a scene from the end of the book because I still haven’t stopped thinking about Alec running after Seregil and knocking him off his horse for being an idiot. I would draw that, but I can’t draw horses

[kimodraw]

gay af to be a watcher. what r you watching, your boyfriend's eyes?

[golden-flute]

Just finished The Nightrunner series (7 books) by Lynn Flewelling, and I’m having all sorts of feelings about it. What a magnificent end for such a beautiful cast of characters.

I first found this series when I was looking up lists of older epic fantasy books with LGBTQIA+ rep. Lynn Flewelling’s first book “Luck in the Shadows” came out in 1996 (and I’m crying that I consider it an “older” book when it’s younger than me) and wrapped up with a cryptic “for now” in 2014. The series definitely felt like it had different eras, and I enjoyed them all immensely. I have an intense desire to pull out book one and start reading from the beginning.

The series isn’t without its faults and does incorporate some tired tropes that were more popular in their day than they are now, but I think having Seregil and Alec at the helm of a dream team of characters, all living in a beautifully fleshed-out world more than makes up for any imperfections.

The relationship between Seregil and Alec is a slow burn, but when it takes off, it takes off. Though their relationship isn’t the main focus of the series, it becomes the foundation of their strength as they face off against dark, antagonistic forces. Between these two and Xie Lian and Hua Cheng from Heaven Official’s Blessing, they make this cynical soul believe in the power of love again.

In general, I have a tendency to gravitate towards one or two characters in stories which leads me to dread reading about the other characters. Not so for Nightrunner! Each character became so dear to me that I never felt a need to skim over parts.

So, if you’re looking for something to pick up, I highly recommend this series. (4.75/5)

[very-serious-book-reviews]

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

Did I like it: YES

Did I understand what was going on: Not always but I had fun and that’s what matters

I knew this series has a gay romance (that’s why I’m here tbqh) but that doesn’t mean I expected one of the main characters to dress as (by all accounts) a very pretty woman within the first third of the book

This book is older than me but overall I feel like it could’ve been written pretty recently honestly, not too much jumped out at me as “didn’t age well”

Also! Society that only has queens, but makes sense about it and doesn’t just do it because That’s Different, my beloved

(Now to see if I can find the rest of the series literally anywhere 😅)

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Quinn Saint Nicholas- The Tarot Sequence by KD Edwards

Kade Bronson- Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire

Leonie Jackman- Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Seregil í Korit Solun Meringil Bôkthersa- Luck in the shadows/the nightrunner series by Lynn Fleweling

[evenaturtleduck]

Seregil: "These crude things didn't look like something anyone would miss in a hurry. He pocketed one for later study."

Me: wait wait wait wait wait [flips back to check page one] oh fuck

I'm getting through this one Very Slowly because it's my official "trade-sized paperback I actually bought myself so the library won't get pissed if I damage it and it rides around in my totebag getting read a few pages at a time while I wait for the kids to be done with whatever they're doing"

[darkandstormyart]

talimenios <3

[iphigeniarising]

Luck in the Shadows, Lynn Flewelling

[jmkonst]

i hated the style i chose for this one so i deleted it, heres a better version! feels better now

this guy…love him… my handsome little guy

[oatmealaddiction]

HI!! this is very random but! a lond time ago a friend of mine lended me her copy of Luck in the Shadows and she had this very cute bookmark of Alec that she printed and laminated, but she didn't remember where she found the picture; and just now, by pure chance, i've found the original drawing and it's yours!!

my friend has since moved away, so im holding on to her copy of the book til we can meet again, but she told me i should keep the bookmark!

i'm very happy to have finally found the artist, your cute little Alec has kept me good company while i read and reread Luck in the Shadows <33

This is the craziest thing anybody has ever sent me! I read Luck in the Shadows eight years ago and I did this little drawing for it because I enjoyed the story so much. I'm so amazed, if you are still in touch with your friend would you tell them I said thank you.

Thank you to you too! This has absolutely warmed my entire heart!