As a big fan of the first three volumes of shadow guild I could not wait until the fourth band finally appeared and I had just read it right away because I was so curious to see how it goes on with Alec, Seregil and Co. It started quite suitable for a Night Runners band - though perhaps with a little less passion. In addition I could have overlooked. I can not over the middle part of the book. After a few chapters stagnated the plot - it just happened really nothing and it was repeated again and again. For 30 (!!!) Chapter Alec and Seregil are in slavery and happens at this time always the same. In short: Both sit separated in their cells / rooms and toil with the humiliations and tortures, which expect their sadistic and perverted them men. Here then arises also said on the blurb "creature". Nicely, we now know at least all that Lynn Flewelling has BDSM fantasies. I'd rather have a mature plot and slavery-thing 15 Chapter saw cut. Partly this part of the book sounded very strong for fanfiction - and the same old dominance-submission-stories were slowly but surely tiring. I had some very round fight between these bodies. Only at the end, the book was again exciting. Here came again to the fore what you liked about the first three volumes, although not completely, but sometimes only in its infancy. The conclusion then offers an interesting view, so you can be excited to band 5 (and can hope that it could be better!).
What also bothered me: That for which I had the shadow guild to my heart, came much too short here! This includes the entire Night Runner-Business (pronounced facade climbing, breaking, actors, all the cloak-and-dagger adventure fantasy program), the heart-warming humor, the political complications along with their small and large plots and the adorable drawn minor characters who came to brief all. The characters from Alec and Seregil had no real way in all the slaves around to come to light. Mostly I've hidden that it was around the Alec and Seregil THE that I had grown fond of, because it no longer really fit together.
In addition, it looked as if the book was hastily completed and published. A few breaks in the logic jumbled facts (that did not fit with what was in the first books) and a "Deus ex machina" of the matter must kitten.
All in all, quite disappointing. Would not have been the beginning and conclusion, I would not award three stars. And I would not necessarily (as it were out of sympathy) want to know how to proceed with Alec and Seregil, I would not have even finished reading.
