Luck in the Shadows

Alec of Kerry, an orphaned young hunter, is locked in a cell after being accused of spying, a charge that is false. Sharing it with him is Seregil of Rhíminee, a noble who works as a spy and thief and can pass for nearly anyone. The two escape together, and Seregil takes Alec on as his apprentice.

The road south goes wrong when a cursed wooden disk leaves Seregil gravely ill. Alec, who knows the forest better than any city, has to get them both to the capital by himself.

In Rhíminee, Alec learns the trade of the Rhiminee Cat: slipping into noble houses at night and dealing in secrets. The work answers to Nysander, a wizard who leads a covert band of spies. Then Seregil is jailed for treason, and the pair uncover a plot against Queen Idrilain of Skala. It involves a faction of nobles hostile to the Aurenfaie, and a dark power known as the Empty God.

This is fantasy of manners with swashbuckling action, and its second half reads like a detective story. The partnership between the two leads builds slowly and sits at the centre. It is the first Nightrunner novel and the author's first book. The emphasis falls on political intrigue, heists and a lived-in world rather than on battles and prophecy.