Lynn Flewelling - Casket of Souls

More than the dissolute noblemen they appear to be, Alec and Seregil are skillful spies, dedicated to serving queen and country. But when they stumble across evidence of a plot pitting Queen Phoria against Princess Klia, the two Nightrunners will find their loyalties torn as never before. Even at the best of times, the royal court at Rhíminee is a serpents’ nest of intrigue, but with the war against Plenimar going badly, treason simmers just below the surface.
And that’s not all that poses a threat: A mysterious plague is spreading through the crowded streets of the city, striking young and old alike. Now, as panic mounts and the body count rises, hidden secrets emerge. And as Seregil and Alec are about to learn, conspiracies and plagues have one thing in common: The cure can be as deadly as the disease.

Comment: I started reading the Nightrunner series by this author a long time ago. It's a fantasy series, full of magic and spells and characters full of life and secrets that come alive in very vivid and enthralling stories. And with each book I keep getting surprised and entertained even when the book isn't as appealing as the better ones. This isn't the case, because Casket of Souls was intriguing and exciting until the end.

Seregil and Alec are the two main characters in the series and since book #1 we've been following their adventures and challenges. Seregil is the older one, a kind of mentor for Alec and also his partner. One of the best scenes in all the books was when Alec told Seregil he loved him, it was so sweet.
In all the books we also have development in the political situation of the world they live in. There's constant war between two places and as spies to the queen, these two see themselves in the most difficult situations but they always manage to get free and arrive home safely.

In this book we have two actions taking place. First, there's the political side of the action. Queen Phoria is fighting the plenimarans but she's chosen her eventual replacement. It's neither of her siblings, but her nice, Elani. However, many nobles would have preferred to see her sister Klia on the throne because Klia is brave and wise. There's just the little detail that Klia doesn't want to be queen. Then there are those who want to kill Klia so she can stop being a potential threat to the queen.
While these political games are played, a group of actors comes to the city and they soon become the starts of the season. Seregil sees nightrunner potential in Atre, the company's principal star.
Somewhere in the book, people start getting ill and they simply fall wherever they are, fall asleep with their eyes open and eventually die. No one knows how this happens, what causes this and even wizards can't find a magical cause.
All these things happen at the same time we see some personal development in the character's lives.
It was an intriguing read, full of twists and little details about things the reader wants to see or hopes to. I love seeing Seregil and Alec getting smart and trying to help and solve the problems around them. The cause for all the problems is connected and after a wile is starts to become obvious. Still, I was curious to see how they would solve everything and if they would be on time to save someone they fell it's part of their family.
In the end, a major thing happened and I can't wait to see how it would influence the upcoming books - which I hope are going to be written!
I recommend this fantasy series to everyone.