Nightrunner - yes or no?

[moonlite_tryst]

Anyone read any of the Nightrunner books? Are they good re plot, world building, characterisation, or is it just hype?

ETA: Thanks for your help. Forgot to say I wanted something for my Kindle whilst on holiday. I'm going to buy Ginn Hale's Lord of the White Hell books for my hols.

Comments

[drgaellon]

LOVE THEM. Some of my favorite books. Well plotted, well paced, and Seregil/Alec is just... whoof.

[teromain.livejournal.com]

I think they're incredibly awful, with underdeveloped cardboard characters, flat plots, cliched villains, a romance I don't even buy, too much forced worldbuilding rammed in there because the author loved her made up world too much....but I am in a super minority. You can hardly find people who dislike this series.

And the line by line writing is really mediocre as well.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your review. I want something I can sink my teeth into.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your review. I'll have to see if there's a free sample to read somewhere before I make my decision.

[teromain.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty harsh on these books because they're really the only mainstream published m/m fantasy, which is why I think people have jumped all over them with positive reviews and can't say enough good things about them. But you can honestly find stuff 1000x better free and online. Especially if you're looking for good fantasy (these are not good fantasy, just in general) or a good romance (the romance is terrible because the characters have no chemistry, or characterization). I have a more in depth thing on my LJ (although it's about the second book in the series, but the points are still relevant) here: http://teromain.livejournal.com/67423.html#cutid1

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

I've read the three first books, though it was quite a few years ago now. From what I remember I've got mixed feelings about them. I did enjoy reading them, they're the kind of books you very easily read through without having to think too much, it's nice enough entertainment for a few evenings.

But it's a rather standard fantasy plot and world building with quests and lots of magic and changing into animals and long lived elves and wonderful cities and evil forces that must be fought by specially chosen people who never know they are the chosen ones at first, brave sacrifices, and so on. It's nothing special in this regard.

The m/m stuff between Alec and Seregil is nothing special in that regard either, I read better m/m stuff all the time on the net (well, at least stuff that fulfills my kinks much better, which doesn't mean it's 'worse' or 'better', really, just pushes my personal buttons better). It's not bad, just... toned down, maybe. Maybe still considered "daring" in mainstream fantasy ten years ago?? I don't know.

But I wouldn't call the series bad, I did enjoy the books, just didn't get that WOW feeling from them.

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

I read Teromain's review that they linked... and I have to say, that this must be why I don't actually remember anything about the actual plot more than that they fought something evil and that Seregil turned into an otter :-D Oh, and the very equal brothels for all combinations, I remember those too :-)

[tanrien.livejournal.com]

I read the first three, and, well, they were okay. I would +1 fran_fic's review two comments up, that other than the m/m pairing there is no difference from verrry standard fantasy. As fantasy reader, I'm missing some kind of spark, some kind of original idea. There just isn't. The m/m is okay, I mean, it has some nice tropes/kinks in it that someone who reads origslash will recognize and maybe like. But other than that, it's bland as well.
I heard the fourth book is pretty controversial in some aspects, but I don't remember what exactly.

[raeraesama.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed them. :) It's nice seeing characters as friends first, lovers second.

[avashida.livejournal.com]

They're okay. Lots of people have said there is better stuff around, personally I'd recommend Jesse Hajicek's work if you want gay fantasy novels (all his stories are available for free online), they have better characters and better adventures and infinitely better writing. The Nighrunner series starts out pretty bland and there are some very iffy scenes/issues in some of the later books. But I did really like the worldbuilding, and that the romance took so long to develop.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link, it was very interesting.

I am familiar with many good works online, free or otherwise. I'm going abroad on holiday and wanted something for my kindle, something that would last me a while hence the request.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know. I want something for my kindle whilst I'm half way up a mountain with no internet access.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Oh, and the very equal brothels for all combinations, I remember those too :-)

Hee hee. I wonder why? *winks*

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know. I think I need to repost that I'm looking a good author for my Kindle. *ponders*

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know. :)

[teromain.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind something completely het (even though it's very mild at the start since the main character is essentially a preteen through the whole first book), then the book mentioned at the end of that post, The Name of the Wind, is very meaty, very in depth and well developed, with very good magical worldbuilding (as in the system of magic the author crafted is very cool and almost scientific) and is also very very long.

Also, if you're into India-inspired fantasy, The Archer's Heart by Astrid Amara is really lengthy and very good and has some really unique worldbuilding. Also m/m. It does come in three parts but it's all one book, and the kindle versions all together are cheaper than the paperback.

Also Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale is some hefty less-magical-based fantasy, really strong worldbuilding in there as well.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

I need to post again because I want something for my kindle whilst I'm half way up a mountain with no internet access. As for Jesse, can't get enough of the man's work.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

The Name of the Wind sounds interesting. I like well thought out uses of magic.

I've got Archers Heart in paperback, but thanks anyway.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Ah, now that was on my list to read. I have Wicked Gentlemen and love her shorter story Feral Machines. Over to Amazon I go.

[teromain.livejournal.com]

There are two of those too - Book I and II (just so you don't miss one!)

[avashida.livejournal.com]

I actually have God Eaters as a mobi/kindle book, if you'd like it. Although if you're a Jesse fan you've probably already read it! :D

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

;-)

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your kind offer, that's very generous of you. I do actually have the printed book which I bought a couple of years ago.

[avashida.livejournal.com]

I do too, I just like having my favourites in both formats :) If I can think of any other gay fantasies (UM, you know what I mean!) I'll drop a comment by :)