Review: "Stalking Darkness" by Lynn Flewelling

There's nothing like discovering a good series when a couple of the books are already out. The day I finished "Luck in the Shadows," I went right out in search of "Stalking Darkness," and I was able to dive right back into the story.

And it was definitely worth jumping right back into. Alec and Seregil hardly get a rest when their first adventure is over before another crisis threatens the world. As war brews, an evil artifact is stolen from the Oreska House. In the midst of this Alec is learning the truth of his heritage.

While good old-fashioned swashbuckling and strong imagery powered the first installment of this series, "Stalking Darkness" focuses more on character. Flewelling builds on the relationships between Alec, Seregil, Nysander and Micum and Beka Cavish. When this story ends, no character is left unchanged. She even makes the despicable Thero seem almost sympathetic.

Another thing I like about this book is Flewelling's willingness to take chances. One in particular will likely make more than a few readers uncomfortable, and from some of the comments I've read, it may even turn some people off the series completely. That's a real shame. Other readers have taken it in stride though, and some even find it refreshing. All I know is that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to dig into "Traitor's Moon."

This series is shaping up as one that's worth checking out.