BOOK REVIEW: Casket of Souls
Title: Casket of Souls
Author: Lynn Flewelling
Series: Nightrunner (Book Six)
After their harrowing adventures in Shadows Return and The White Road, Alec and Seregil have returned home to Skala. They won’t have too much time to rest, as they soon learn about a political scandal involving their dear friend Princess Kila, and her older sister, the strict Queen Phoira. As the two do their best to unearth the truth, another disaster has formed beneath Alec and Seregil’s noses in the form of an epidemic. Could this strange sickness have something to do with the group of players that have recently arrived in town?
Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner series is one of my favorite fantasy series. Over its six book run, certain books have hit different tones (Casket of Souls, for example, is not nearly as dark as either Shadows Return or The White Road), but I’ve found all of them to be very satisfying books, starring a cast of likable characters. Readers who have considered the past few books to be too light on the nightrunning, will be quite happy with Casket of Souls which features, I believe, the most nightrunning out of any book in the entire series. This is mainly due to the fact that Casket of Souls is very concerned with political intrigue. As Skala’s rulers (Queen Phoira, and Princess Kila) are busying themselves with the art of war, the country's nobility is busying themselves in other ways. I found this storyline to be quite enjoyable.
Beyond this, Casket of Souls has two other storylines. We have several side scenes that show us how Kila and Beka are doing during the war, and the more central story involving the epidemic. The reader knows pretty much from the start that the new epidemic is connected to the new group of actors that have recently made a splash in town, but our protagonists do not. It’s interesting to watch them stumble through, as the epidemic storyline and the intrigue storyline often become tangled up. All three storylines result in a nice, fast paced tale filled with plenty of action. I also enjoyed the continued romance between Alex and Seregil. Although they’ve certainly had their issues, I like the fact that Flewelling hasn’t broken them up for the sake of conflict. They continue to remain a real endearing couple. Casket of Souls also features a secondary romance story that was a nice little surprise.
Final Thoughts: If you’ve enjoyed previous books in the Nightrunner series, then you’re going to enjoy Casket of Souls. Featuring more nightrunning than previous books, Casket is Souls is filled with plenty of action, intrigue, and just enough romance. I know that Flewelling is hard at work on book seven. I eagerly await its publication. Four and a Half Stars
Next I will be reviewing Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong
Author: Lynn Flewelling
Series: Nightrunner (Book Six)
After their harrowing adventures in Shadows Return and The White Road, Alec and Seregil have returned home to Skala. They won’t have too much time to rest, as they soon learn about a political scandal involving their dear friend Princess Kila, and her older sister, the strict Queen Phoira. As the two do their best to unearth the truth, another disaster has formed beneath Alec and Seregil’s noses in the form of an epidemic. Could this strange sickness have something to do with the group of players that have recently arrived in town?
Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner series is one of my favorite fantasy series. Over its six book run, certain books have hit different tones (Casket of Souls, for example, is not nearly as dark as either Shadows Return or The White Road), but I’ve found all of them to be very satisfying books, starring a cast of likable characters. Readers who have considered the past few books to be too light on the nightrunning, will be quite happy with Casket of Souls which features, I believe, the most nightrunning out of any book in the entire series. This is mainly due to the fact that Casket of Souls is very concerned with political intrigue. As Skala’s rulers (Queen Phoira, and Princess Kila) are busying themselves with the art of war, the country's nobility is busying themselves in other ways. I found this storyline to be quite enjoyable.
Beyond this, Casket of Souls has two other storylines. We have several side scenes that show us how Kila and Beka are doing during the war, and the more central story involving the epidemic. The reader knows pretty much from the start that the new epidemic is connected to the new group of actors that have recently made a splash in town, but our protagonists do not. It’s interesting to watch them stumble through, as the epidemic storyline and the intrigue storyline often become tangled up. All three storylines result in a nice, fast paced tale filled with plenty of action. I also enjoyed the continued romance between Alex and Seregil. Although they’ve certainly had their issues, I like the fact that Flewelling hasn’t broken them up for the sake of conflict. They continue to remain a real endearing couple. Casket of Souls also features a secondary romance story that was a nice little surprise.
Final Thoughts: If you’ve enjoyed previous books in the Nightrunner series, then you’re going to enjoy Casket of Souls. Featuring more nightrunning than previous books, Casket is Souls is filled with plenty of action, intrigue, and just enough romance. I know that Flewelling is hard at work on book seven. I eagerly await its publication. Four and a Half Stars
Next I will be reviewing Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong