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Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: Seven years ago Kaylin fled the crime-riddled streets of Nightshade, knowing that something was after her. Children were being murdered -- and all had the same odd markings that mysteriously appeared on her own skin.... Since then, she's learned to read, she's learned to fight and she's become one of the vaunted Hawks who patrol and police the City of Elantra. Alongside the winged Aerians and the immortal Barrani, she's made a place for herself, far from the mean streets of her birth. But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging. Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can't trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers -- powers that no other human has. Her task is simple -- find the killer, stop the murders...and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!.… (more)
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For instance, the history between Kaylin and Severn doesn't get fully explained
While I don't mind having an explanation held back for the sake of plot or suspense, it really sort of aggrivated me that the story went along and I wasn't being told a lot of things that I think I should've been told.
Also, Kaylin's status with the Hawks, what her position was, and why she was being given her assignment were also explained later than I would've liked. It also wasn't made entirely clear to me, until much too late, why the Lords of Law who basically ignore the fiefs were sending Kaylin & Company out to the fiefs to investigate a series of deaths or why Lord Nightshade wasn't handling it himself.
I don't know whether it's an error or just the mark of how the fiefs contrast with the city, but the entirety of the Hawks were basically out looking for one foundling, but 40 some odd children get hacked (that's the total, IIRC) and the Lords of Law didn't get involved until after Kaylin showed them that they had a reason to care.
There were also places where Kaylin's trauma and childhood in the fiefs just didn't ring *true* to me. There's a scene where she's explaining to the Hawklord about what happened and I'm not sure how to explain it, but Kaylin's dialog is a little too...poetic(?) to really get the oomph. The thing is, she had a rotten childhood - and not wanting to talk about it makes perfect sense, but when she does talk about it, it just doesn't hit me.
It doesn't feel really real to me, and I realize that it's really hard for anyone to try to describe that kind of trauma without risking it sounding sort of fake.
But I felt that it suffered from the same prose-level issue that the novel did. On a sentence level there was a lot of *fluff*.
Let me give you an example:
"She heard Severn land. Cursed him; he was lighter on his feet than she had been, and he weighed a lot more." (pg 461)
The problem is that a) she curses people a lot, to the point where it become ineffective and sort of cliche in and of itself and b) given the situation, do we need to know this?
Yeah, she's probably thinking, "You suck" - but I didn't need to be told that. I know that Kaylin's got a 'tude. I've spent this entire novel hearing about Kaylin's 'tude. I got it. Get on with the action, please.
There are a lot of places where thoughts that Kaylin is thinking seem unneccesary to explain, especially later on in the book where, since we have such a clear idea of her character, we can just extrapolate that for ourselves.
The same goes for descriptions of Lord Nightshade. It seems like every smile/laugh is dangerous/not really a smile/as close to it as a Barrani gets. After the first few paragraphs of that sort of thing, I wanted to say, "Hey! I get it, he's dangerous and dark and spooky. All the Barrani are stoic and spooky and grim. You can let me fill that in for myself now."
And the phrase "pay the price" is kind of overused, I felt. Oh, and I found an outright typo.
"Frightened, because a madmn was running free in the fief. (pg 276)
For this, however, I do not blame the author entirely. Come on, I know y'all got copyeditors over at Luna. Use 'em.
Another *big* problem was that I'm not sure I buy that if Kaylin has the kind of power she does that they'd let her be a ground Hawk. Especially since much ado is made at the end of her powers and it's clear that the Emperor *knows* about them.
If I was the Emperor and I knew that somebody had that kind of mojo, I wouldn't let them run around as a *beat cop*.
And of course, the novel suffers from "Stay Tuned For the Sequel" syndrome, but not as badly as some I've read. *coughcoughMelusinecoughcough*. We get a fairly satisfying wrap up with a twinge of uneasiness at the end, which I enjoy.
The reason I get a little tetchy about this is because otherwise the novel is quite good. The characters are sharply and clearly defined, they feel very real for the most part and they were interesting to read about.
I enjoyed the major characters and the minor characters equally, and I'm particularly fond of Marcus - and I love that he's a lion. In fact, I loved all the Leontines in the book and I'd love to hear more about them.
I liked Kaylin, even though there were moments when she edged towards Mary Suedom. I particularly appreciated that she *wasn't* let off the hook for being messy/late, and I mostly really liked her because she was so determined to be a Hawk and be a good Hawk. It wasn't her tough attitude in the end, but when she got attached to the kids at the foundling hall that really made me feel for the character.
I think it's because whenever I see a character who turns something negative in their past into a positive, rather than moaning and angsting, it makes me really enjoy them.
Severn, Tiamaris, and Kaylin are like OT3 for me now, because it was kind of hilarious in some parts to think about Severn and Kaylin bickering like children and Tiamaris sighing and being exasperated.
Tiamaris got a little lost in the mix, though, and I really wanted to know more about him. 'cause you just *know* he had to be looking at Kaylin sometimes and thinking the Dragon equivalent of "bitch please". Plus, I adore characters who manage to be practical on the Machiavellian level without being evil.
I'm not sure if there's a Lord Nightshade/Kaylin 'ship in this novel or not. There were times when I got a 'shippy vibe, sometimes not so much with the 'shipiness.
There's also some moments of rather wonderful meta in this novel, particularly about the power of names and the idea of being *called* into being by your name. Interpellation is the formal, literary-type name for this sort of thing. I like that magic is used to play with the idea that when someone names you, they have a bit of power over you.
Because it's true on a very practical level. In our society, if someone knows your name they can google you and find out a heck of a lot more about you. Also, a lot of time the police can collect all the evidence they like - but it's worthless because even if they have DNA and fibers and evidence, they don't have a *name*. And when someone dies who's identity we don't know, we give them a name. We call them Jane/John Doe. It's as though we feel compelled to be able to *call* them, even though we'll never talk to them or summon them.
I also find it very meta-y, ironic, and kind of nice that Kaylin herself has two names - and that she hides her old one because it *does* have power over her, only to find that the new one has just as much.
There was also some meta, not as well developed, on language and what power language has. I liked the phrase Kaylin used about stuffing meaning into boxes.
It was a damn good book, and as soon as I get some more book money, I'm going hunting for the sequel.
Since then, she's learned to read, she's learned to fight and she's become
But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging, Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can't trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers -- powers that no other human has. Her task is simple -- find the killer, stop the murders . . . and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!
This was another reread for me. The first time I read Cast in Shadow I came away from it a bit frustrated. I liked the story and the characters, but I was left with a feeling that I hadn't really got the book. A friend who borrowed it and liked it, admitted that she had read it twice, and it had made a lot more sense the second time. I decided I would reread it myself some time in the future, probably before reading the sequel as I knew I wanted to continue with the story.
Due to complications of US and Australian publication and budgetary constraints, I actually got hold of volume 2 and volume 3 of the series at about the same time. So all three books sat on the TBR shelf for a while until I finally picked up Cast in Shadow for that planned reread.
My friend was right. It made much more sense the second time. I liked the story just as much as before, but I understood it better this time as well. All the same, but original problems do remain. My feeling is that Sagara has done some excellent and probably complicated worldbuilding. However, she hasn't managed to convery the details of her world to the page as well as she might have done. I had to pay attention, knowing where I'd been confused before, to pick up on things I had missed. They were there, but still not easy to find.
My other issue had been that Sagara leaves just a bit too much up to the reader. I'm all for leaving the reader to do some of the work, but if the hints and clues aren't clear enough, said reader (or me, anyway) can't necessarily pick up on them. The characters kept sharing speaking glances or having moments of understanding where there wasn't enough information for me to work out whatever it was they were realising. In some cases it didn't seem to matter, but it others it might have done and I don't know because I missed it.
But it is still a good book. It's still an interesting story with engaging characters and some very clever ideas and plot twists. I was interested in reading the sequel before and I am more so now, especially since I feel like I understand the political system a bit better and everything suggests that will be significant in book two.
Don't let my comments put you off - this is a good book. It's just that you have to be awake and pay attention. Don't expect to skim along the surface and have everything explained to you, because it doesn't work that way.
There are a number of different races in this world and it is important to come to some understanding of each one, most especially the immortal Barrani, whose past seems to be coming back to haunt the entire population. They are left deliberately obscure by Sagara, but hopefully more will be revealed as the books go on. Cast in Shadow is the first of at least four books, possibly more, so I guess if everything was explained in the first volume there wouldn't be a lot left for the later ones.
So stay awake and you'll be rewarded with a very good story. As always, I have to find the time, but I'm looking forward to Cast in Courtlight (which has the most beautiful cover) and Cast in Secret.
Cast in Shadow
Michelle Sagara
The Chronicle of Elantra, Book 1
8/10
Followed by:
Cast in Courtlight
Cast in Secret
Cast in Fury (forthcoming)
I've been wanting to read this book for quite a long time now. I was familiar with the author through LJ, and when this came out, it seemed like it'd be right up my alley. But I never got it. I waited forever, kept it on my wishlist, but never got
The world-building is fascinating, and the crafting of characters is very well done. Each of the characters stand as individuals, with their own demons driving them. Even if I don't know entirely where they're coming from, I don't get the characters confused with one another, not even the minor ones. That's impressive, because the book is told predominantly from a single POV, so there's a lot of secondary, tertiary, and very minor characters to keep track of. And as I said before, the world-building is fascinating. I was quite impressed with the way the world and its magic and races were crafted, and I can see why this book has garnered quite a lot of praise.
However, and you knew this was coming due to the rating, I can't say I ever really connected to the material emotionally. Or intellectually. It took me a while to warm up to the book. I recognized that this is well written, and Sagara doesn't bother spoon-feeding her readers: she makes you wait for your revelations, and furthermore, she forces you to figure things out for yourself. Whereas some writers would come out and just explain what's happening and why, Sagara uses character-building moments that build the tension, so that when the information is given that reveals what's happening, you really feel like you've earned it. My trouble is I felt like I was kept as such a distance the entire book that I really wanted, at some point, was for someone or something to give me a quick pat on the head and confirm what I thought was revealed. I don't need it info-dumped or spelled out in neon lights: just some kind of little confirmation in certain cases would've been great. This may be a me-thing, but it's weird when I finally think I figure out what's going on but feel unsatisfied because the author's been so deft, and so coy with the revelations that it's not like a light bulb turning on with all its dazzling brightness; instead, it's like one of those florescent bulbs that slowly brightens, but flickers while doing so and you're not sure if it's going to die or not.
But there are moments of great beauty in this book: the description of the Dragons (and they're not what you think they are) was utterly fantastic. Then there's the hard-earned relationships that Kaylin has with her co-workers: I really feel those relationships, and the end rang on a fantastic note. So while I'm not rushing out to buy the next installment, I am sufficiently engaged to consider glomming onto this series when that mythical day of my conquering my TBR passes. For those looking for a unique take in the epic fantasy sense, you should consider this.
I am not sure the internal logic of the story is completely sound - there is a lack of explanation regarding events of the killings - but since there is no efford to explain everything in the novel, and a lot of things are purposefully left obscure I don't see it as a major flaw in the story.
One was
I also really didn't like the constant mystery and alluding to events that happened in Kaylin's past. The author took way too long to explain the way Kaylin acts towards Severn, a boy she once knew in the "fiefs" (what could be compared to slums), who becomes her partner in a branch of "law enforcers" called the Hawks. During their first encounter after 7 years, she tries to kill him. More than half of the book leaves you wondering what Severn could have done to warrant this type of reaction, and her subsequent treatment of him. This thread of the plot is dragged out much longer than necessary. The reader doesn't find out until well through the 2nd half of the book. The "event" is constantly being referred to without the reader being "allowed" to know what the actual event was.
Other than those two things, the story wasn't half bad. Her other characters were more likeable than Kaylin. The world and types of races that Sagara creates are really rather intriguing, and the actual story line isn't half bad. I just wish that Sagara had taken a different approach to revealing Kaylin's past in the fiefs, as well as making Kaylin a more mature woman.
I will read the next one in the series, but mostly out of morbid curiosity.
However, I felt things were just a little vague. That or my understanding was lacking. There were lots of good ideas, but exactly what was going on and what the world was like never felt exactly clear to me. The characters kept exchanging meaningful looks that told each other volumes, but the implications weren't clear enough for me to get it too, so that I only ever felt I got the drift of the story rather than the depth of it. I know my illness means I have a really terrible memory, but I'm not stupid and I usually understand what I'm reading.
That said, there were plent of things I did like, I just want to be more confident I jumped to the right conclusions, and I'm not left with that feeling. The races and history of the Empire gave hints of being very interesting, but it was never spelled out clearly enough for me to fell I know how it actually works. The author dropped us into the deep end of her world and set about explaining how it worked in context without ever spelling it out. This is a laudable idea - I like a blatant infodump as little as the next reader - but things never got clear enough for me to be certain I had understood.
The idea of the magic and the point of the symbols was a good one and I want to know more about it. The idea that the power came from names and the power of language without language was clever, but since we mere mortals are limited the language and the story is told with that language, I felt the idea wasn't quite pulled off.
I guess, the low rating comes from frustration. This book had great ideas and could have been fantastic instead of just good if things had been a little clearer - or if I'm a litte dense. I'm willing to accept it might have been my faulty brain instead of the author. I'd be interested to hear from others who have read the book if they agree or think I'm totally off track.
As mentioned above, I also found Severn kind of bland. The other characters were much more interesting, especially Lord Nightshade. I think I'll be reading the next one if only to find out more about him and what he might want with Kaylin.
So, for me, this was a good book with flaws that stopped it from being a great book.
The book throws you in to the middle of a complex society and a long back history for the main character. This can, of course, be a plus and is more realistic, but it was handled in a way that left me wondering, for a
In addition, quite often the end of one chapter is pretty much repeated, sometimes almost word-for-word as the start of the next chapter, making me wonder if it was originally published serially.
Despite that, the characters are interesting, the setting is interesting, the central conflict and most of the sub-plots are interesting. The overall impact is of a new movement in fantasy. It was good, but it could have been so much better.
I was also impressed by the narrator who does a great job of distingishing between each character's voice. I never had
Slow to start and as it assumes the mileu before starting it is slightly confusing but after a while it
Cast in Shadow sounds like a typical high fantasy novel with a butt-kicking heroine -and it pretty much is. The story, overall, was enjoyable and entertaining; I kept reading up until the very end. While the plot itself and characters are hardly original, the world of Elantra was really interesting to learn about and I enjoyed some of the secondary characters quite a bit. Sagara has a gift for fun, believable dialogue and has a great writing style that captures just enough of the novel to give the reader a picture of the world without overdoing the detail.
So, with all these glowing remarks, why not more stars? Well...Cast in Shadow was "good" not "great." The originality was a little lacking for me and at points it felt like the characters sat around and talked too much. I was also was hoping that Kaylin would get a little more interesting, but she ended up being one of my least favorite characters in the book.
I think this series has great potential to be even better in future installments. Heck, I'm interested enough to pick up book 2, so that's saying something.
The beginning felt a bit slow to me — probably because it stopped to explain things I’d already figured out while reading the second book in the series — but once the story got going, I was hooked.
Kaylin annoyed me a
And the last quarter of the
I don't think I'll waste my time with more in this series.
On the one hand you have the cheap shorthand of animal people. I hate animal people. I really hate cat people. The moment I read cat person (or in this case lion person) in a book I want to throw it across the room.
On the other hand the protagonist(s) are
I just hope that there's less cheap shorthand and more original writing.
Sagara's character definition is excellent, but the plot does seem to be a bit muddled here and there- it kind of seems to drag a bit until the last third of the book, which
Despite this, I did kind of enjoy it. I really like a lot of the characters, and Kaylin's stupidity is oddly endearing. Severn is dangerously close to a cliché, but somehow ends up all right. Tiamaris is awesome. Nightshade is pretty cool. Most everyone else is so-so.
Michelle Sagara and her Elantra series has definite potential, it's just not quite there yet.