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Chronicles of Elantra #15
Cast in Wisdom
SOMETHING IS WAKING
The fiefs that exist at the heart of the city of Elantra are home to sentient Towers that guard the world against the incursion of Shadow. But between the fiefs exists the gray world of the border zone. In it, geography changes between one passage across a border and the next. The rules of magic are different there—and yet somehow familiar to Kaylin Neya.
When a Shadow escapes, Kaylin must find out how…and why. If Shadows can breach the barrier erected by the Towers, the whole of Elantra will be devoured. It’s happened on other worlds. Bellusdeo, Kaylin’s Dragon companion, absolutely believes it can happen on theirs.
The border zone holds secrets and ancient histories, and people are gathering there in search of its power. Without even understanding what that power is, or why it exists, Kaylin is in a desperate race against time to find those secrets first. She doesn’t know who her enemies are. She doesn’t know how many she’ll face. But she won’t face them alone.
The fiefs that exist at the heart of the city of Elantra are home to sentient Towers that guard the world against the incursion of Shadow. But between the fiefs exists the gray world of the border zone. In it, geography changes between one passage across a border and the next. The rules of magic are different there—and yet somehow familiar to Kaylin Neya.
When a Shadow escapes, Kaylin must find out how…and why. If Shadows can breach the barrier erected by the Towers, the whole of Elantra will be devoured. It’s happened on other worlds. Bellusdeo, Kaylin’s Dragon companion, absolutely believes it can happen on theirs.
The border zone holds secrets and ancient histories, and people are gathering there in search of its power. Without even understanding what that power is, or why it exists, Kaylin is in a desperate race against time to find those secrets first. She doesn’t know who her enemies are. She doesn’t know how many she’ll face. But she won’t face them alone.
537 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2020
193 people are currently reading
1451 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Sagara
54 books1,805 followersSee also:
Michelle Sagara West
Michelle West
Michelle is an author, bookseller, and lover of literature based in Toronto. She writes fantasy novels as both Michelle Sagara and Michelle West (and sometimes as Michelle Sagara West). You can find her books at fine booksellers.
She lives in Toronto with her long-suffering husband and her two children, and to her regret has no dogs.
Reading is one of her life-long passions, and she is sometimes paid for her opinions about what she’s read by the venerable Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. No matter how many bookshelves she buys, there is Never Enough Shelf space. Ever.
She has published as Michelle Sagara (her legal name), as Michelle West (her husband's surname), and as Michelle Sagara West (a combination of the two).
Michelle Sagara West
Michelle West
Michelle is an author, bookseller, and lover of literature based in Toronto. She writes fantasy novels as both Michelle Sagara and Michelle West (and sometimes as Michelle Sagara West). You can find her books at fine booksellers.
She lives in Toronto with her long-suffering husband and her two children, and to her regret has no dogs.
Reading is one of her life-long passions, and she is sometimes paid for her opinions about what she’s read by the venerable Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. No matter how many bookshelves she buys, there is Never Enough Shelf space. Ever.
She has published as Michelle Sagara (her legal name), as Michelle West (her husband's surname), and as Michelle Sagara West (a combination of the two).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
January 5, 2020
Overall: 4/5 Stars
World Building: 5/5 Stars
Series Continuity/Expectations: 3/5 Stars
Personal Opinion: 4/5 Stars
I am yet again struggling to review a book in this series that I love. I could almost copy and past my review from the last book as the issues I had with that one are still very much present in this one.
This is now the at least the third book in a row where you see little to no character growth from Kaylin. You see little to no page time from some of the original favorite characters like Marcus, the Hawklord or Sanabalis.
Though we do get more time with Nightshade, that interaction is done almost entirely through his mental link with Kaylin and no actual interaction. There is a great deal of Kaylin’s interactions in this book that are handled in this manner. This is frustrating because it seems that somewhere along the way the deep tensions between Kaylin and Nightshade and Kaylin and Severn have been lost. Whatever tension existed between them has vanished. Severn’s place has turned more into a less personal bodyguard kind of a role while Nightshade has been relegated to more of an advisor/information bank.
I did love that we got to spend more time with the Arkon. This really was more about his story than anything and I was glad to see the focus shift from the cohort. You still get a good dose of them in this book, but they aren’t the focal point. It was also nice to see that Kaylin didn’t collect anyone or anything new in this book.
Another piece that was different in this one from many previous books is that Kaylin seems like more of an observer. She participates and has a few points where her abilities are key, but it isn’t her actions that are the most important. In a way, it is nice to see her not always being the one to come in and save the day, but she is the basis for the series. I would have really liked to see this be a book that helped her character grow in some way.
As far as series expectations go, this is where I tend to get tangled up. If you look at the last several books in this series, this is absolutely right in line with those books. But if you look at the earliest books in the series, this doesn’t have quite the same characteristics and feel. It does have more going on and brings about some drastic changes to the world than the last couple of books, so I’d say it falls in between the early books and the last couple as far as those expectations go.
As I mentioned in my review of Cast in Oblivion, I still love this series and these books, but characters need to grow. There are also things about characters that readers fall in love with and if you leave those things behind, you may end up leaving the readers behind as well. This one did a better job of bringing some of those things along than the last few, but not quite as much as I would have liked.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions stated are honest and my own.
World Building: 5/5 Stars
Series Continuity/Expectations: 3/5 Stars
Personal Opinion: 4/5 Stars
I am yet again struggling to review a book in this series that I love. I could almost copy and past my review from the last book as the issues I had with that one are still very much present in this one.
This is now the at least the third book in a row where you see little to no character growth from Kaylin. You see little to no page time from some of the original favorite characters like Marcus, the Hawklord or Sanabalis.
Though we do get more time with Nightshade, that interaction is done almost entirely through his mental link with Kaylin and no actual interaction. There is a great deal of Kaylin’s interactions in this book that are handled in this manner. This is frustrating because it seems that somewhere along the way the deep tensions between Kaylin and Nightshade and Kaylin and Severn have been lost. Whatever tension existed between them has vanished. Severn’s place has turned more into a less personal bodyguard kind of a role while Nightshade has been relegated to more of an advisor/information bank.
I did love that we got to spend more time with the Arkon. This really was more about his story than anything and I was glad to see the focus shift from the cohort. You still get a good dose of them in this book, but they aren’t the focal point. It was also nice to see that Kaylin didn’t collect anyone or anything new in this book.
Another piece that was different in this one from many previous books is that Kaylin seems like more of an observer. She participates and has a few points where her abilities are key, but it isn’t her actions that are the most important. In a way, it is nice to see her not always being the one to come in and save the day, but she is the basis for the series. I would have really liked to see this be a book that helped her character grow in some way.
As far as series expectations go, this is where I tend to get tangled up. If you look at the last several books in this series, this is absolutely right in line with those books. But if you look at the earliest books in the series, this doesn’t have quite the same characteristics and feel. It does have more going on and brings about some drastic changes to the world than the last couple of books, so I’d say it falls in between the early books and the last couple as far as those expectations go.
As I mentioned in my review of Cast in Oblivion, I still love this series and these books, but characters need to grow. There are also things about characters that readers fall in love with and if you leave those things behind, you may end up leaving the readers behind as well. This one did a better job of bringing some of those things along than the last few, but not quite as much as I would have liked.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions stated are honest and my own.
March 23, 2020
Just hit the end of book 14. Whoa :) Can't wait for the next one.
I hate EVERYONE who reads this book before me.
The very short review
It was a good story but also not moving the story forward but sideways. I'm not angry at that. I kinda wish when we have these moments we get more. I'm always left wanting. My favorite parts of the book are the (elven court) I just call them elves because they sound like elves to me. I'd like to know more and how things are working out. It's like she fixes a problem and only shows back up when there's larger problems so we never really get to "see". Where always running from problem to problem avoid moments. I'd like more moments from the series but I enjoyed the book all the same
I hate EVERYONE who reads this book before me.
The very short review
It was a good story but also not moving the story forward but sideways. I'm not angry at that. I kinda wish when we have these moments we get more. I'm always left wanting. My favorite parts of the book are the (elven court) I just call them elves because they sound like elves to me. I'd like to know more and how things are working out. It's like she fixes a problem and only shows back up when there's larger problems so we never really get to "see". Where always running from problem to problem avoid moments. I'd like more moments from the series but I enjoyed the book all the same
January 31, 2020
Originally published at Reading Reality
“Do not underestimate librarians.” Words to live by, as said by Lannagaros, the Arkon of the Dragon Empire, in Cast in Wisdom. He’s talking about the importance of returning a book, a very particular book, to the Library of the Academia, an Academia that has been lost in the borderlands between the fiefs of Elantra for a very long time. A time measured in centuries if not millennia. A time when Elantra was whole, Ravellon had not yet fallen, and Lannagaros was a young student at the Academia in a time before the wars between the Dragons and the Barrani devastated both of their peoples and the world on which they lived.
A time that has lived forever in his heart. A time that is so far back in the distant past that Kaylin Nera cannot imagine such a thing ever existed. To her brief, mortal eyes, Lannagaros has always been ancient beyond reckoning, and he has always been the Arkon.
We see this world through Kaylin’s eyes. She is human and mortal and fragile in a world that is dominated by the immortal Dragons who rule Elantra and the equally immortal Barrani whose political infighting often threatens to tear the world they all inhabit down to its foundations.
Elantra is a world with epic fantasy proportions, but its stories are often on an urban fantasy scale. Kaylin is a ground Hawk, the equivalent of a police officer who serves the Halls of Law, which are more or less what their name implies. Kaylin’s job is to help keep the peace – even as her extracurricular activities threaten to break it.
Due to incidents that have happened to or around Kaylin in her past, she is mixed up in both the Dragon and Barrani Courts, and her actions often shake the world – to the surprise of nearly everyone around her – especially herself.
Kaylin’s adventures began in the novella Cast in Moonlight almost 20 years ago, with Cast in Shadow the first full-length novel in the series. This is definitely a series where you need to start in the beginning to get a grasp on this world, Kaylin herself, and the found family that has gathered around her – sometimes without any of her intention at all. And we discover ourselves caring about these people because she does. And because we care about her.
Kaylin is a chaos magnet – she is a person to whom things happen – whether she wishes it or not.
The story of Cast in Wisdom is absolutely a case where Kaylin is given an assignment – an official one even – that seems relatively simple and unambiguous on the surface but as is usual turns out to be anything but. And as so often happens to Kaylin, those complexities uncover plots and counterplots that are intended to change this world in a way that will likely lead to destruction.
But no plot seems to survive contact with Kaylin Nera – not even her own.
cast in shadow by michelle sagaraEscape Rating A: I love this series for Kaylin, her snarky voice, and the even snarkier characters she has gathered around her. I fell for it because the opening books were definitely in the urban fantasy vein, even if the world in which they were set felt more like epic fantasy. As the series has continued, Kaylin’s initially small world has gotten bigger and wider, and events have often taken her out of her city.
You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t really take the city out of the girl. Cast in Wisdom is a story that explores a tiny and obscure portion of Elantra and gives that exploration huge implications without ever leaving the city borders.
Well, not exactly leaving, but that’s part of the story.
I’ll admit that I especially fell for this one because the entire thing is set in a school that has been lost in time – a school that considers its heart and soul to be its library. And that, of course, had me from the beginning.
But it’s also a story about fighting for what you believe in, and it’s a story that breathes life by dragon fire into the idea that it’s never too late to be what you were meant to be. So as much as the series is absolutely Kaylin’s journey, Cast in Wisdom is Lannagaros’ journey. Kaylin is barely two decades old, while Lannagaros has lived for not just centuries but actually millennia. His whole life has been dedicated to preserving the past and learning from it. All he wanted was to be an academic, but he left his studies to serve in a war that is long past. By the time it was over, the Academia he loved was lost to the shadows between the fiefs.
When it is found again, broken and barely functioning as a ghostly shadow of the place he once loved, he is forced to rethink his entire life in order to defend the place where his heart has always belonged – even when he believed it no longer existed.
As the fight for the heart and soul of a school and a library, Cast in Wisdom is a terrific adventure. As a story about it never being too late to grasp the dream of your heart, it is marvelous. As the latest in a continuing saga, it is a wonderful addition to the series.
And now that I have left Elantra for the nonce, I am in withdrawal until the next book in the series, whenever it appears.
“Do not underestimate librarians.” Words to live by, as said by Lannagaros, the Arkon of the Dragon Empire, in Cast in Wisdom. He’s talking about the importance of returning a book, a very particular book, to the Library of the Academia, an Academia that has been lost in the borderlands between the fiefs of Elantra for a very long time. A time measured in centuries if not millennia. A time when Elantra was whole, Ravellon had not yet fallen, and Lannagaros was a young student at the Academia in a time before the wars between the Dragons and the Barrani devastated both of their peoples and the world on which they lived.
A time that has lived forever in his heart. A time that is so far back in the distant past that Kaylin Nera cannot imagine such a thing ever existed. To her brief, mortal eyes, Lannagaros has always been ancient beyond reckoning, and he has always been the Arkon.
We see this world through Kaylin’s eyes. She is human and mortal and fragile in a world that is dominated by the immortal Dragons who rule Elantra and the equally immortal Barrani whose political infighting often threatens to tear the world they all inhabit down to its foundations.
Elantra is a world with epic fantasy proportions, but its stories are often on an urban fantasy scale. Kaylin is a ground Hawk, the equivalent of a police officer who serves the Halls of Law, which are more or less what their name implies. Kaylin’s job is to help keep the peace – even as her extracurricular activities threaten to break it.
Due to incidents that have happened to or around Kaylin in her past, she is mixed up in both the Dragon and Barrani Courts, and her actions often shake the world – to the surprise of nearly everyone around her – especially herself.
Kaylin’s adventures began in the novella Cast in Moonlight almost 20 years ago, with Cast in Shadow the first full-length novel in the series. This is definitely a series where you need to start in the beginning to get a grasp on this world, Kaylin herself, and the found family that has gathered around her – sometimes without any of her intention at all. And we discover ourselves caring about these people because she does. And because we care about her.
Kaylin is a chaos magnet – she is a person to whom things happen – whether she wishes it or not.
The story of Cast in Wisdom is absolutely a case where Kaylin is given an assignment – an official one even – that seems relatively simple and unambiguous on the surface but as is usual turns out to be anything but. And as so often happens to Kaylin, those complexities uncover plots and counterplots that are intended to change this world in a way that will likely lead to destruction.
But no plot seems to survive contact with Kaylin Nera – not even her own.
cast in shadow by michelle sagaraEscape Rating A: I love this series for Kaylin, her snarky voice, and the even snarkier characters she has gathered around her. I fell for it because the opening books were definitely in the urban fantasy vein, even if the world in which they were set felt more like epic fantasy. As the series has continued, Kaylin’s initially small world has gotten bigger and wider, and events have often taken her out of her city.
You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t really take the city out of the girl. Cast in Wisdom is a story that explores a tiny and obscure portion of Elantra and gives that exploration huge implications without ever leaving the city borders.
Well, not exactly leaving, but that’s part of the story.
I’ll admit that I especially fell for this one because the entire thing is set in a school that has been lost in time – a school that considers its heart and soul to be its library. And that, of course, had me from the beginning.
But it’s also a story about fighting for what you believe in, and it’s a story that breathes life by dragon fire into the idea that it’s never too late to be what you were meant to be. So as much as the series is absolutely Kaylin’s journey, Cast in Wisdom is Lannagaros’ journey. Kaylin is barely two decades old, while Lannagaros has lived for not just centuries but actually millennia. His whole life has been dedicated to preserving the past and learning from it. All he wanted was to be an academic, but he left his studies to serve in a war that is long past. By the time it was over, the Academia he loved was lost to the shadows between the fiefs.
When it is found again, broken and barely functioning as a ghostly shadow of the place he once loved, he is forced to rethink his entire life in order to defend the place where his heart has always belonged – even when he believed it no longer existed.
As the fight for the heart and soul of a school and a library, Cast in Wisdom is a terrific adventure. As a story about it never being too late to grasp the dream of your heart, it is marvelous. As the latest in a continuing saga, it is a wonderful addition to the series.
And now that I have left Elantra for the nonce, I am in withdrawal until the next book in the series, whenever it appears.
February 1, 2020
15 books and it's still struggling along. No doubt sagara love words. Unfortunately they are repeated over and over throughout the books. Mostly it's self wallowing about she's so caught up in her own internal dialogue. It grows old, especially when it's repeated over and over how neya can't this and that. She's set up as a hero, and yes she does some good, but the constant sobbing about her life, just... Nah.. Actually she's a lot like jewel markess. Immature, a bully, and not worth following in books anymore. If you love words, which is repeated over and over, about how unfair it is to be neya, and how everybody else gets it so much better than her, this is your book and books. I'm done
January 21, 2020
I received a copy of Cast in Wisdom in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Cast in Wisdom is the fifteenth novel in Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra series, and it is still going strong. It’s hard to believe that we’re already fifteen books in. But we are. Kaylin has come a long way in these tomes, and I for one and looking forward to the next step in her journey.
They say that you can never truly leave the fiefs. Perhaps that is true. There is something growing, something waking in the fiefs. Kaylin and her allies have been tasked with investigating, which means they’re about to get into a world of trouble.
The fiefs have long been the final boundary that keeps the Shadow at bay. So one can understand all of the concerns about maintaining their status. We already know that fractures have been found and made. So the real question is, what happens next?
“Kaylin knew it was going to be bad when discussion banked the minute she entered the dining room.”
I have been looking forward to Cast in Wisdom ever since I read the description, and I’ve got to tell you; it does not disappoint. This novel embodies everything that made me fall in love with the series to begin with and then some. It was brilliant and intense, and so full of the magic that makes this series stand out in a crowd.
Honestly, I’m not even entirely sure where to begin with my review. The magical system is one that I’ve always loved, so hearing how happy I was with it here is probably no surprise. Michelle Sagara has a way of establishing and maintaining complex systems. It’s extremely impressive.
The fiefs and their towers are something that have been constantly fascinating for me. I’ve been desperate to see more of them, and I feel like Cast in Wisdom finally gave me a chance to really indulge in that craving.
There was something so deeply personal about this novel. Perhaps it’s because so many of the secondary characters had to acknowledge their wants and needs, and see change because of it. Or perhaps it was the Arkon’s plight that made it feel so personal. I’m not entirely sure. But I do know that I loved every minute of it.
“And in my experience, a happy, safe home is a daydream. It’s an idle wish, an impossible yearning.”
Michelle Sagara’s writing is so painfully profound at times. Kaylin may not be the most experienced or knowledgeable character out there, but her perspective is everything we needed here. She sees the humanity in the strange, in the ethereal and immortal. All of this was shown to beautiful effect in Cast in Wisdom.
It’s taking all of my willpower not to gush about everything I loved about this book. Mainly I’m resisting because I don’t want to begin tossing major spoilers around. I will say that there is a lot that happens within these pages, and much of it advances the plot and permanently alters the world we’ve come to love.
One highlight I will mention; I feel that Cast in Wisdom did an excellent job balancing the massive variety of characters. I won’t say that each of them got a moment – that is far too much, even for a book of this size. But I do feel like a lot of the fan favorites had a chance to shine, and that’s enough for me.
I don’t know where this series is going to lead in the long run. Or how many books are left. I do know one thing for certain, I already hate the wait I’ll be facing for the next book in this series. I’m desperate and anxious for more. But until then, enjoy.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Cast in Wisdom is the fifteenth novel in Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra series, and it is still going strong. It’s hard to believe that we’re already fifteen books in. But we are. Kaylin has come a long way in these tomes, and I for one and looking forward to the next step in her journey.
They say that you can never truly leave the fiefs. Perhaps that is true. There is something growing, something waking in the fiefs. Kaylin and her allies have been tasked with investigating, which means they’re about to get into a world of trouble.
The fiefs have long been the final boundary that keeps the Shadow at bay. So one can understand all of the concerns about maintaining their status. We already know that fractures have been found and made. So the real question is, what happens next?
“Kaylin knew it was going to be bad when discussion banked the minute she entered the dining room.”
I have been looking forward to Cast in Wisdom ever since I read the description, and I’ve got to tell you; it does not disappoint. This novel embodies everything that made me fall in love with the series to begin with and then some. It was brilliant and intense, and so full of the magic that makes this series stand out in a crowd.
Honestly, I’m not even entirely sure where to begin with my review. The magical system is one that I’ve always loved, so hearing how happy I was with it here is probably no surprise. Michelle Sagara has a way of establishing and maintaining complex systems. It’s extremely impressive.
The fiefs and their towers are something that have been constantly fascinating for me. I’ve been desperate to see more of them, and I feel like Cast in Wisdom finally gave me a chance to really indulge in that craving.
There was something so deeply personal about this novel. Perhaps it’s because so many of the secondary characters had to acknowledge their wants and needs, and see change because of it. Or perhaps it was the Arkon’s plight that made it feel so personal. I’m not entirely sure. But I do know that I loved every minute of it.
“And in my experience, a happy, safe home is a daydream. It’s an idle wish, an impossible yearning.”
Michelle Sagara’s writing is so painfully profound at times. Kaylin may not be the most experienced or knowledgeable character out there, but her perspective is everything we needed here. She sees the humanity in the strange, in the ethereal and immortal. All of this was shown to beautiful effect in Cast in Wisdom.
It’s taking all of my willpower not to gush about everything I loved about this book. Mainly I’m resisting because I don’t want to begin tossing major spoilers around. I will say that there is a lot that happens within these pages, and much of it advances the plot and permanently alters the world we’ve come to love.
One highlight I will mention; I feel that Cast in Wisdom did an excellent job balancing the massive variety of characters. I won’t say that each of them got a moment – that is far too much, even for a book of this size. But I do feel like a lot of the fan favorites had a chance to shine, and that’s enough for me.
I don’t know where this series is going to lead in the long run. Or how many books are left. I do know one thing for certain, I already hate the wait I’ll be facing for the next book in this series. I’m desperate and anxious for more. But until then, enjoy.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
February 12, 2020
Book 15 and we're really no further ahead. While interesting in a way and serving to settle the Arkon firmly in a new role, it really feels like a detour in the series, because there was no mention of this Academia at all previously. It just popped out of nowhere to become the focus of an entire book.
I also have to say the writing feels very fractured and sloppy. There were many, many times where I could not figure out who was speaking, and also times when it seemed to momentarily switch viewpoint. Kaylin is carrying what she perceives as a book - eventually they enter a library and the Arkon acknowledges that it is finally a book (even telling her what it was about) - but then later, the Arkon says that no one except her has ever been able to see the book as a book. When Nightshade went missing, Kaylin awoke and could pinpoint approximately where he had been when he went "silent" in her head, despite the fact that Helen keeps him out while she's at home, and at the time Kaylin was asleep. But somehow we're told that she was half-listening unconsciously. Er. She has a lot of people that pop in and out of her head, and she never has any awareness of them until they start actively talking to her. She doesn't even know when they're spying on her. Which reminds me that she never did get around to asking Ynperion about why Candellar became outcaste, and Nightshade implied that might be important to know.
When Kaylin and company decided to check out the border lands in the middle of the night, Severn was somehow with them at the point where they found the Academia, but he was not present before then. Severn refused to let Kaylin heal his burn at the end, even though it mentions in an earlier book that he always does. There's a point where Kaylin wonders if the Arkon can speak True Words in Dragon. Um. If True Words are a language, then...no, you can't speak one language in another. They go and visit an altar room belonging to the Arkon (ooh, can't take that with him!), and to get into it was difficult. IIRC, Kaylin once entered this room without permission to use the altar for her own purposes. How did she manage that when it's so protected?
There is a LOT of everyone not seeing the same thing (ironically, Kaylin says it's getting old), True Words, cohort existing in different phases, etc, etc. There's a young street boy that apparently is so smart that after only a short time at the Academia (among other things he needed to learn to read) he can correct an ancient not-quite-alive giant spider (I really felt like Sagara was borrowing from Harry Potter here) on how to do his spells. Despite never seeing these spells before, and only having attended a couple of classes about it.
It doesn't really explain why Killianas had only one eye, why suddenly he's known as Killian at the end, what damage occurred to him, and Helen's concern for him was mentioned (they were "friends" of a sort, as fellow sentient buildings) but then dropped. Can he now communicate with her again? I assume Bellusdeo will take over the now-rulerless fief. At this rate, there won't be much of a Dragon Court left in the actual Imperial Palace. I do think it's interesting that Nightshade is now a student, and that he's probably going to become even more dangerous now. Apparently even being in the "new student" classes was intriguing, so I can just imagine what sorts of things he can study now.
As happy as I was to see the Arkon go in a new direction, I felt the story was too disjointed to do justice to his journey.
I also have to say the writing feels very fractured and sloppy. There were many, many times where I could not figure out who was speaking, and also times when it seemed to momentarily switch viewpoint. Kaylin is carrying what she perceives as a book - eventually they enter a library and the Arkon acknowledges that it is finally a book (even telling her what it was about) - but then later, the Arkon says that no one except her has ever been able to see the book as a book. When Nightshade went missing, Kaylin awoke and could pinpoint approximately where he had been when he went "silent" in her head, despite the fact that Helen keeps him out while she's at home, and at the time Kaylin was asleep. But somehow we're told that she was half-listening unconsciously. Er. She has a lot of people that pop in and out of her head, and she never has any awareness of them until they start actively talking to her. She doesn't even know when they're spying on her. Which reminds me that she never did get around to asking Ynperion about why Candellar became outcaste, and Nightshade implied that might be important to know.
When Kaylin and company decided to check out the border lands in the middle of the night, Severn was somehow with them at the point where they found the Academia, but he was not present before then. Severn refused to let Kaylin heal his burn at the end, even though it mentions in an earlier book that he always does. There's a point where Kaylin wonders if the Arkon can speak True Words in Dragon. Um. If True Words are a language, then...no, you can't speak one language in another. They go and visit an altar room belonging to the Arkon (ooh, can't take that with him!), and to get into it was difficult. IIRC, Kaylin once entered this room without permission to use the altar for her own purposes. How did she manage that when it's so protected?
There is a LOT of everyone not seeing the same thing (ironically, Kaylin says it's getting old), True Words, cohort existing in different phases, etc, etc. There's a young street boy that apparently is so smart that after only a short time at the Academia (among other things he needed to learn to read) he can correct an ancient not-quite-alive giant spider (I really felt like Sagara was borrowing from Harry Potter here) on how to do his spells. Despite never seeing these spells before, and only having attended a couple of classes about it.
It doesn't really explain why Killianas had only one eye, why suddenly he's known as Killian at the end, what damage occurred to him, and Helen's concern for him was mentioned (they were "friends" of a sort, as fellow sentient buildings) but then dropped. Can he now communicate with her again? I assume Bellusdeo will take over the now-rulerless fief. At this rate, there won't be much of a Dragon Court left in the actual Imperial Palace. I do think it's interesting that Nightshade is now a student, and that he's probably going to become even more dangerous now. Apparently even being in the "new student" classes was intriguing, so I can just imagine what sorts of things he can study now.
As happy as I was to see the Arkon go in a new direction, I felt the story was too disjointed to do justice to his journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2020
Shadow escape, new worlds to explore and a border zone with secrets that can destroy them all, Kaylin knows one thing, trouble is brewing but she has her gang at her back.
Nothing like jumping into a series 15 books in, but that is exactly what I did… and I really enjoyed it! Michelle Sagar writes a complex, compelling and totally original world that blew me away. Magic, mayhem and mythical secrets take center stage when a group of highly engaging characters make Cast of Wisdom a great book-cation into another world.
I received this ARC copy of Cast in Wisdom from HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Michelle Sagara
Series: The Chronicles of Elantra
Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (January 28, 2020)
ISBN-10: 077830938X
ISBN-13: 978-0778309383
Genre: Scifi | Fantasy | Magic
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Chronic...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cast...
Itunes: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/...
Nothing like jumping into a series 15 books in, but that is exactly what I did… and I really enjoyed it! Michelle Sagar writes a complex, compelling and totally original world that blew me away. Magic, mayhem and mythical secrets take center stage when a group of highly engaging characters make Cast of Wisdom a great book-cation into another world.
I received this ARC copy of Cast in Wisdom from HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Michelle Sagara
Series: The Chronicles of Elantra
Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (January 28, 2020)
ISBN-10: 077830938X
ISBN-13: 978-0778309383
Genre: Scifi | Fantasy | Magic
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Chronic...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cast...
Itunes: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/...
February 13, 2020
Oh, goodness. I have such mixed feelings about this particular entry in the series. 15 books in, obviously I love the series, so weight these 3 stars accordingly.
Positives: I love Kaylin's found family, and will cheerfully follow along on their traipsing/snarking/guessing at super powerful magics until something looks like it's maybe Doing A Thing any time I have the chance. They're the parts of this story that shone for me. Severn was present and participating more than just offering a sardonic eyebrow lift or two, which was nice to see, and Nightshade was also allowed to develop a bit more character than is usually given to him. I enjoyed Bellusdeo a lot this time (and Maggaron! Hello, and welcome back! Boy, it sure is hard to remember that you exist sometimes!) with her interactions with the cohort and the Arkon. The Arkon, his hoard, and his history being the main focus of this particular installment, it offered a glimpse into the past of Ravellon that was interesting, and, I hope, leading up to a final confrontation at last.
Things that just made this book kind of, "eh" for me include: Kaylin quickly returning to her par for the course attitude of "man, I should really learn more about things that keep influencing my life sometime" just one book after her glorious confrontation of herself in Cast in Oblivion. Did Not Like. The general mushiness of the timeline stood out to me a lot in this book. With immortals running around everywhere, I know events that happened in the far past can still technically just be a single lifetime ago, but the Ancients, then the Ancestors, then the fall of Ravellon, the creation of the towers, and the Draco Barrani wars all got kind of muddled together, and I wasn't wild about it. It made it hard for me to believe that the knowledge of all these things could have faded so far from memory when there are people still around who were alive for it all. And finally, I would like confirmation that other races besides Dragons and Barrani still exist. Aerians? Leontine? Tha'alani? You guys okay out there? Please come back.
So. Eh. Still going to buy the next book the second I can, though.
Positives: I love Kaylin's found family, and will cheerfully follow along on their traipsing/snarking/guessing at super powerful magics until something looks like it's maybe Doing A Thing any time I have the chance. They're the parts of this story that shone for me. Severn was present and participating more than just offering a sardonic eyebrow lift or two, which was nice to see, and Nightshade was also allowed to develop a bit more character than is usually given to him. I enjoyed Bellusdeo a lot this time (and Maggaron! Hello, and welcome back! Boy, it sure is hard to remember that you exist sometimes!) with her interactions with the cohort and the Arkon. The Arkon, his hoard, and his history being the main focus of this particular installment, it offered a glimpse into the past of Ravellon that was interesting, and, I hope, leading up to a final confrontation at last.
Things that just made this book kind of, "eh" for me include: Kaylin quickly returning to her par for the course attitude of "man, I should really learn more about things that keep influencing my life sometime" just one book after her glorious confrontation of herself in Cast in Oblivion. Did Not Like. The general mushiness of the timeline stood out to me a lot in this book. With immortals running around everywhere, I know events that happened in the far past can still technically just be a single lifetime ago, but the Ancients, then the Ancestors, then the fall of Ravellon, the creation of the towers, and the Draco Barrani wars all got kind of muddled together, and I wasn't wild about it. It made it hard for me to believe that the knowledge of all these things could have faded so far from memory when there are people still around who were alive for it all. And finally, I would like confirmation that other races besides Dragons and Barrani still exist. Aerians? Leontine? Tha'alani? You guys okay out there? Please come back.
So. Eh. Still going to buy the next book the second I can, though.
January 28, 2020
"Were I you, I would abandon all hope of what passes for normal in your life and assume that everything will, as you colloquially put it, be on fire in the worst conceivable way possible."
Cast in Wisdom by Michelle Sagara
My thoughts:
Kaylin Neya, Chosen, healer of broken things, is once again caught up in an investigation that snowballs into an all out arcane brawl. If you are new this series or simply curious, I think you would enjoy this book but I highly recommend starting from the beginning with Cast in Shadow or the prequel novella Cast in Moonlight. We are now 15 books into Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series. We know by now nothing is as it appears and that Kaylin's propensity for stumbling into trouble is almost unparalleled. She's making her way through with the help of her friends and by using her instincts. She does get it right more often than not but it does make me wonder just how powerful she'd be if she had full mastery of her power. Over the last 14 books and now this one, we have seen her grow and mature almost exponentially given that in reality this series covers a relatively short period of time.
I believe that her relationships in general are also progressing. There's a lot of reading between the lines. Sagara implies, through wording and context, what the emotions and intent are behind Kaylin's interactions. For example, she is more at ease with her communications with Nightshade which tends to imply a greater trust and understanding. She is comfortable with his continued presence in his little corner in her mind to the point that the lack of his presence wakes her up out of her sleep. As a matter of personal opinion, I crave more direct interactions between Kaylin and Nightshade. I am willing, however, to follow the flow of information that Sagara provides to its natural conclusion. To quote a line in Cast in Wisdom:
"The answer had to be couched in words before it arrived, as if it needed a carriage."
In this most recent Elantra entry, Kaylin continues to win over irascible immortals. Even Ynpharion expresses the wish that she survives which a serious departure from his previous attitude towards her. Nightshade once commented on Kaylin's influence being like a regalia, changing those around her. I think, and this is purely my opinion, that he wishes to be changed and challenged by her. Kaylin is often described as telling the end of someone's story, freeing long dead dragons from the burden of duty and returning the freedom of choice to transformed Leontines. Kaylin seems to collect the lost and by her very nature changes the story of their lives to direct them towards their purpose and free them from their bindings.
Which does bring me to my next point: what we mortals would call finding our true purpose is expressed as the dragons' desire for their hoard, the focus of all desire, all purpose. Bellusdeo seems a bit afloat in a sea of purposelessness. There's a sense of heartache with her. Like she's finding purpose where she's able but is not fulfilling in the way a hoard-less dragon needs. Bellusdeo continues to develop relationships with the other dragons and it was a joy to see more of Emmerian. Bellusdeo says in this book:
"And in my experience, a happy, safe home is a daydream. It’s an idle wish, an impossible yearning.”
I will be happy to see her find her hoard and her home after the heartache she's been through.
Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series is a multilayered cake full of subtle flavors. Details about the characters, the setting, and the overarching storyline are added to and compounded over time. Every book adds a new layer and depth. I think the main issue some are having is the subtlety that Michelle Sagara uses in her writing. I don't find her subtlety to be a fundamental flaw but rather a fundamental DIFFERENCE. Something different is not bad as long as it's done skillfully. And it is skillfully done. We are too used to novels that are as subtle as a jackhammer, driving the author's point home with no finesse. Not everyone has the patience for nuance and that's fine. I don't always want to have to focus too hard on reading between the lines either but if my analogy of this series being a layer cake stands then for me it is also a comfort food. I can come back to this series again and again and know that I will catch something new, some detail I previously missed that adds so much more to the overall narrative.
On a more personal note, this book made me FEEL. I'm fully capable of enjoying a book without having felt anything strong or lasting about it. However, this book and the ones previous, made me feel like you don't have to be perfect to make an impact. You can go through trauma and come through it stronger and more compassionate than you were before. You can be broken and made whole. You can make mistakes and still be worthy. Nothing truly great was ever birthed in a vacuum. Nothing is made strong where there is no struggle. There is light to be found in any dark place. Your voice is heard if you are brave enough to speak. There is hope when all seems lost and irrevocably changed.
"She who saves a single soul, saves the universe."
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
One last thing: the Arkon... Oh, sweet cranky Arkon. The only thing I'm able to say about his journey is this:
"Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect."
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
I was provided an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Cast in Wisdom by Michelle Sagara
My thoughts:
Kaylin Neya, Chosen, healer of broken things, is once again caught up in an investigation that snowballs into an all out arcane brawl. If you are new this series or simply curious, I think you would enjoy this book but I highly recommend starting from the beginning with Cast in Shadow or the prequel novella Cast in Moonlight. We are now 15 books into Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series. We know by now nothing is as it appears and that Kaylin's propensity for stumbling into trouble is almost unparalleled. She's making her way through with the help of her friends and by using her instincts. She does get it right more often than not but it does make me wonder just how powerful she'd be if she had full mastery of her power. Over the last 14 books and now this one, we have seen her grow and mature almost exponentially given that in reality this series covers a relatively short period of time.
I believe that her relationships in general are also progressing. There's a lot of reading between the lines. Sagara implies, through wording and context, what the emotions and intent are behind Kaylin's interactions. For example, she is more at ease with her communications with Nightshade which tends to imply a greater trust and understanding. She is comfortable with his continued presence in his little corner in her mind to the point that the lack of his presence wakes her up out of her sleep. As a matter of personal opinion, I crave more direct interactions between Kaylin and Nightshade. I am willing, however, to follow the flow of information that Sagara provides to its natural conclusion. To quote a line in Cast in Wisdom:
"The answer had to be couched in words before it arrived, as if it needed a carriage."
In this most recent Elantra entry, Kaylin continues to win over irascible immortals. Even Ynpharion expresses the wish that she survives which a serious departure from his previous attitude towards her. Nightshade once commented on Kaylin's influence being like a regalia, changing those around her. I think, and this is purely my opinion, that he wishes to be changed and challenged by her. Kaylin is often described as telling the end of someone's story, freeing long dead dragons from the burden of duty and returning the freedom of choice to transformed Leontines. Kaylin seems to collect the lost and by her very nature changes the story of their lives to direct them towards their purpose and free them from their bindings.
Which does bring me to my next point: what we mortals would call finding our true purpose is expressed as the dragons' desire for their hoard, the focus of all desire, all purpose. Bellusdeo seems a bit afloat in a sea of purposelessness. There's a sense of heartache with her. Like she's finding purpose where she's able but is not fulfilling in the way a hoard-less dragon needs. Bellusdeo continues to develop relationships with the other dragons and it was a joy to see more of Emmerian. Bellusdeo says in this book:
"And in my experience, a happy, safe home is a daydream. It’s an idle wish, an impossible yearning.”
I will be happy to see her find her hoard and her home after the heartache she's been through.
Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series is a multilayered cake full of subtle flavors. Details about the characters, the setting, and the overarching storyline are added to and compounded over time. Every book adds a new layer and depth. I think the main issue some are having is the subtlety that Michelle Sagara uses in her writing. I don't find her subtlety to be a fundamental flaw but rather a fundamental DIFFERENCE. Something different is not bad as long as it's done skillfully. And it is skillfully done. We are too used to novels that are as subtle as a jackhammer, driving the author's point home with no finesse. Not everyone has the patience for nuance and that's fine. I don't always want to have to focus too hard on reading between the lines either but if my analogy of this series being a layer cake stands then for me it is also a comfort food. I can come back to this series again and again and know that I will catch something new, some detail I previously missed that adds so much more to the overall narrative.
On a more personal note, this book made me FEEL. I'm fully capable of enjoying a book without having felt anything strong or lasting about it. However, this book and the ones previous, made me feel like you don't have to be perfect to make an impact. You can go through trauma and come through it stronger and more compassionate than you were before. You can be broken and made whole. You can make mistakes and still be worthy. Nothing truly great was ever birthed in a vacuum. Nothing is made strong where there is no struggle. There is light to be found in any dark place. Your voice is heard if you are brave enough to speak. There is hope when all seems lost and irrevocably changed.
"She who saves a single soul, saves the universe."
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
One last thing: the Arkon... Oh, sweet cranky Arkon. The only thing I'm able to say about his journey is this:
"Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect."
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
I was provided an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 15, 2020
I don't know why I keep reading this series, I suppose after fourteen books it has become a compulsive habit, I became attached to Kaylin very early in the series and strangely I feel guilty if I don't find out how she is doing.
This book has a lot of walking around, talking and not getting anywhere and to be honest not much else. The author obviously enjoys using lots of words and I wouldn't object to this if they weren't so repetitive and didn't actually get in the way of telling the story.
I am out of step with most reviewers, but I didn't like the majority of this story. I know it is a 'Fantasy', but I want there to be at least some semblance of logic and not feel the author is making it up on the spot. There were parts of the story that kept me going, but overall it wasn't anywhere near as good as the early books.
Finally I hate the 'cohort', every single one of them. Fortunately they didn't have a massive role in this book, but I really wish the author would dump them. I have even stopped buying these books when they come out. I now wait until I can borrow a copy.
This book has a lot of walking around, talking and not getting anywhere and to be honest not much else. The author obviously enjoys using lots of words and I wouldn't object to this if they weren't so repetitive and didn't actually get in the way of telling the story.
I am out of step with most reviewers, but I didn't like the majority of this story. I know it is a 'Fantasy', but I want there to be at least some semblance of logic and not feel the author is making it up on the spot. There were parts of the story that kept me going, but overall it wasn't anywhere near as good as the early books.
Finally I hate the 'cohort', every single one of them. Fortunately they didn't have a massive role in this book, but I really wish the author would dump them. I have even stopped buying these books when they come out. I now wait until I can borrow a copy.
October 31, 2022
2.5
Some skim reading. Bloated magic in part, I love details but not a manual. No character growth, I don’t consider her rank of corporal being it. Is there a plot in this series? I read on the author’s blog that she intended this series as a “mistery/crime” books simply set in a fantasy world. It may explain why it’s not going anywhere, but if so, I found it lacking as there’s no real mystery or crime feel in it, with some exceptions (The aerial one).
I’m not sure this is investigating, rather bumbling along..
Some skim reading. Bloated magic in part, I love details but not a manual. No character growth, I don’t consider her rank of corporal being it. Is there a plot in this series? I read on the author’s blog that she intended this series as a “mistery/crime” books simply set in a fantasy world. It may explain why it’s not going anywhere, but if so, I found it lacking as there’s no real mystery or crime feel in it, with some exceptions (The aerial one).
I’m not sure this is investigating, rather bumbling along..
August 3, 2021
The title should've clued me in but so much Arkon throughout! :D
Foreshadowing of the upcoming Baranni political intrigue most likely set to explode in the next book. :)
Foreshadowing of the upcoming Baranni political intrigue most likely set to explode in the next book. :)
February 4, 2020
In some ways, this is one of the more engaging books in this series. Kaylin Neya continues to make frustratingly slow progress in both her personal growth and her abilities as the Chosen and, as usual, there’s a lot of confusing stuff about the incredibly complex magical system. Still, on other levels, the story is pretty basic, about the search for the heart’s desire. The ending was pretty uplifting. I don’t think that’s a spoiler.
Also, as usual, more characters are definitely added to the vast collection of Kaylin’s friends and acquaintances. You need a program to keep up with them all. An atlas of Elantra and an encyclopedia of this complex world might be useful too. Sagara is continually world-building with each passing book, revealing new characters, new facts about the world and rearranging what was already there. If Kaylin changed as fast as the world around her, she would be running the place by book twenty.
It exceeds my ability to remember it all from one book to the next, so I’ve resigned myself to being a little confused at times. I think it says something very good about these characters and this world that I keep putting up with it and buying the next one.
Don’t even try to read this book if you’re unfamiliar with all that came before. If you start reading the series now, one book after another, you’ll probably be better off than I am because what happened previously will be fresh in your memory.
Really, despite all the frustration, I really enjoy this series. Don’t ask me why. It’s just gotten under my skin. The author must be doing something right.
Also, as usual, more characters are definitely added to the vast collection of Kaylin’s friends and acquaintances. You need a program to keep up with them all. An atlas of Elantra and an encyclopedia of this complex world might be useful too. Sagara is continually world-building with each passing book, revealing new characters, new facts about the world and rearranging what was already there. If Kaylin changed as fast as the world around her, she would be running the place by book twenty.
It exceeds my ability to remember it all from one book to the next, so I’ve resigned myself to being a little confused at times. I think it says something very good about these characters and this world that I keep putting up with it and buying the next one.
Don’t even try to read this book if you’re unfamiliar with all that came before. If you start reading the series now, one book after another, you’ll probably be better off than I am because what happened previously will be fresh in your memory.
Really, despite all the frustration, I really enjoy this series. Don’t ask me why. It’s just gotten under my skin. The author must be doing something right.
May 12, 2021
Reliably enjoyable
This book in the series feels slightly different from the previous entries.
The start of the action feels slower than the usual pace of previous stories in the series, for one. This might throw off avid readers that are used to a slightly faster pace.
However, to readers of the series who complain that the plot arcs are not moving forward at an acceptable rate, I must disagree.
With this entry of the series, I finally realized what the end arc of the entire series must be: the recovery of Ravellon. To that end, if that will be the end, this book successfully pushes the plot forward, and I would guess the next book will portray a new lord for tower Kiamaris, as well as additional territory reclaimed from Shadow.
As far as romantic plot...zero for the last several books. At one point, I thought there were hints of a love triangle between Kaylin, Severn, and Nightshade... but that seems to have petered off. More's the pity because I'm totally #TeamNightshade.
Overall, though, the story was warming, entertaining, and I enjoyed it. I give 4 stars because there were some glaring grammar errors, and missing words that should have been caught by editors. So 4 of 5 stars ^.^
This book in the series feels slightly different from the previous entries.
The start of the action feels slower than the usual pace of previous stories in the series, for one. This might throw off avid readers that are used to a slightly faster pace.
However, to readers of the series who complain that the plot arcs are not moving forward at an acceptable rate, I must disagree.
With this entry of the series, I finally realized what the end arc of the entire series must be: the recovery of Ravellon. To that end, if that will be the end, this book successfully pushes the plot forward, and I would guess the next book will portray a new lord for tower Kiamaris, as well as additional territory reclaimed from Shadow.
As far as romantic plot...zero for the last several books. At one point, I thought there were hints of a love triangle between Kaylin, Severn, and Nightshade... but that seems to have petered off. More's the pity because I'm totally #TeamNightshade.
Overall, though, the story was warming, entertaining, and I enjoyed it. I give 4 stars because there were some glaring grammar errors, and missing words that should have been caught by editors. So 4 of 5 stars ^.^
February 16, 2020
The 15th in Sagara’s sword and sorcery saga is sensational. It’s action all the way, with constant magical peril for heroine Kaylin and her chosen family. The Arkon — dragon librarian at the Imperial Palace — plays a major role, along with Bellusdeo, the only living female dragon, and Lord Nightshade. With my own academic background (retired university professor), I loved the setting of the story in an Academia lost in another dimension. Sagara introduces new and interesting characters. I particularly loved Starrante, despite all the legs.
I noticed that Sagara took fan criticism of her previous novel to heart. Kaylin is promoted. There is only as much dialogue as needed to keep the action moving. Sagara reminds the reader why Kaylin is not interested in a sexual relationship with anyone (although I am still rooting for boy-next-door and fellow cop Severn). Kaylin refers to her midwife duties. Kaylin even spends a day or two walking her beat before she is assigned to the special investigation that leads to the heart of the story.
Overall, this was the best “Cast in ...” novel in years. I loved it. Highly recommended for fans of the series.
I noticed that Sagara took fan criticism of her previous novel to heart. Kaylin is promoted. There is only as much dialogue as needed to keep the action moving. Sagara reminds the reader why Kaylin is not interested in a sexual relationship with anyone (although I am still rooting for boy-next-door and fellow cop Severn). Kaylin refers to her midwife duties. Kaylin even spends a day or two walking her beat before she is assigned to the special investigation that leads to the heart of the story.
Overall, this was the best “Cast in ...” novel in years. I loved it. Highly recommended for fans of the series.
January 9, 2023
I really love this series, this world, these characters.
But this one wasn't a 5 star to me because it felt like Kaylin was a little more of an observer this time. The action wasn't really about her, nor was she particularly key to solving the problem. It made it feel more like "a day in the life of Kaylin" rather than her latest adventure as Chosen.
I still enjoyed it though. This still sits on my list of favorite series, for sure.
But this one wasn't a 5 star to me because it felt like Kaylin was a little more of an observer this time. The action wasn't really about her, nor was she particularly key to solving the problem. It made it feel more like "a day in the life of Kaylin" rather than her latest adventure as Chosen.
I still enjoyed it though. This still sits on my list of favorite series, for sure.
September 12, 2019
Cover and blurb are out
https://michellesagara.com/cover-cast...
https://michellesagara.com/cover-cast...
February 26, 2024
$1.99 Kindle and Kobo sale, June 9, 2021.
November 30, 2025
4.5 stars
It’s been six months or so since I read the previous books in the series. I hoped it would be a long enough break to have niggling annoyances dampened, while still remembering the sprawling storylines.
It seems to have worked! This installment was quite fun, as an investigation into a fieflord suspected in previous books takes Kaylin to a loooong lost Academia. It’s been missing since the Towers rose, and as one would expect - there are shadowy plots to overturn, buildings to wake, mind-boggling space magic to parse and more!
Loved all the dragons, Kaylin getting a promotion, all the new characters introduced. The Academia is fascinating from all angles, including the mysteries within. I was very pleased to find a member of the core cast experiencing a meaningful step forward. As always, I am intensely curious about which corner of Elantra the author will take us next - the fiefs, maybe? Perhaps the Barrani court again…
Some of my niggles still niggled a bit (won’t repeat points on Kaylin’s development). Also, I can really only remember half of the cohort well?! There’s just too many of them.
It’s been six months or so since I read the previous books in the series. I hoped it would be a long enough break to have niggling annoyances dampened, while still remembering the sprawling storylines.
It seems to have worked! This installment was quite fun, as an investigation into a fieflord suspected in previous books takes Kaylin to a loooong lost Academia. It’s been missing since the Towers rose, and as one would expect - there are shadowy plots to overturn, buildings to wake, mind-boggling space magic to parse and more!
Loved all the dragons, Kaylin getting a promotion, all the new characters introduced. The Academia is fascinating from all angles, including the mysteries within. I was very pleased to find a member of the core cast experiencing a meaningful step forward. As always, I am intensely curious about which corner of Elantra the author will take us next - the fiefs, maybe? Perhaps the Barrani court again…
Some of my niggles still niggled a bit (won’t repeat points on Kaylin’s development). Also, I can really only remember half of the cohort well?! There’s just too many of them.
November 13, 2020
I find that this author seems to have problems progressing into climax in all her series. The continuation of introducing new characters without growing the original main characters is cumbersome, everytime new characters brought in, her older characters relationship with the protagonists plateaued. It happened in house war series, it is happening in the cast series and it is frustrating.
I had been a fan of this author for early cast series and sun sword series but as both series continued on, the author's weak character developments and covering it by keep introducing new characters are getting tiring and making me lose interest.
in Cast series, suddenly Sanabalis, nightshade, severn, hawklord who were very prominent characters in protagonist's life suddenly became all wallflower characters, an afterthought, and even when they appeared, it is very disjointed. And the protagonist themselves doesn't grow as they age.
All in all, I would not recommend following these series to anyone anymore. There are better, more satisfying writers who managed to keep the story tight and great characters developments.
I had been a fan of this author for early cast series and sun sword series but as both series continued on, the author's weak character developments and covering it by keep introducing new characters are getting tiring and making me lose interest.
in Cast series, suddenly Sanabalis, nightshade, severn, hawklord who were very prominent characters in protagonist's life suddenly became all wallflower characters, an afterthought, and even when they appeared, it is very disjointed. And the protagonist themselves doesn't grow as they age.
All in all, I would not recommend following these series to anyone anymore. There are better, more satisfying writers who managed to keep the story tight and great characters developments.
March 12, 2020
Man, I still love this series--I just want more. It's felt somewhat distant the past few books, & it took me much longer to read this than they used to. The characters feel much more bland? I think the lack of depth & emotional progression has seriously hampered the storytelling. I understand not too much time has passed since the beginning of the series, but still. Considering everything Kaylin's been through at this point, I would hope she'd begin to evolve much more; not just as Chosen, but even just as a woman who's growing & maturing. I'm also really missing the tension in regards to Kaylin & her relationships with Nightshade & Severn. I don't know. I want more of what made these so special. Not sure if heart is the right word, but it's close.
August 12, 2022
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Epic Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Cast in Wisdom is the Fifteenth installment in author Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra. Elantra is a world with epic fantasy proportions, but its stories are often on an urban fantasy scale. Kaylin is a ground Hawk, the equivalent of a police officer who serves the Halls of Law, which are more or less what their name implies. Kaylin’s job is to help keep the peace – even as her extracurricular activities threaten to break it. As I began reading the book, something hit me right from the start.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Epic Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Cast in Wisdom is the Fifteenth installment in author Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra. Elantra is a world with epic fantasy proportions, but its stories are often on an urban fantasy scale. Kaylin is a ground Hawk, the equivalent of a police officer who serves the Halls of Law, which are more or less what their name implies. Kaylin’s job is to help keep the peace – even as her extracurricular activities threaten to break it. As I began reading the book, something hit me right from the start.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
March 7, 2020
15th verse, same as the first...
I keep wondering if there is a point to all this meeting of the various races and changes in the fiefs and her with magic she can't be bothered to figure out how to use and....
Is there a bigger idea developing or is it all just meandering slice of life stuff? I used to think the former, but I'm not sure I believe it anymore.
I keep wondering if there is a point to all this meeting of the various races and changes in the fiefs and her with magic she can't be bothered to figure out how to use and....
Is there a bigger idea developing or is it all just meandering slice of life stuff? I used to think the former, but I'm not sure I believe it anymore.
November 2, 2019
Oh, wow, this book was so utterly fantastic! Loved dealing with the fiefs, and the border zones, so interesting, we learned a lot, and lots of changes occurred! Can't wait for the next book!
August 26, 2020
It's been 15 books and no development of the romance. Will she be with Severn, her childhood friend, or Nightshade, the almost immortal Barrani?
December 30, 2024
Fifteenth in The Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series for Young Adult readers and revolving around Lord Private Kaylin Neya. I cannot believe there are 15 already!?
My Take
It's all about knowledge and responsibility. The latter is definitely one of Kaylin's concerns, as she feels liable for everything that happens. As for the former, the Arkon is so passionate about knowledge that he wanted to make lies illegal! It does crack me up how absorbed Nightshade gets about the lectures he's trapped in, lol. And Kaylin learns that, in spite of her disbelief in her "power", she has effected change.
it is interesting that Killianus reprimands his awakener, that one can't pick and choose what one wants of knowledge.
Sagara's whole concept of sentient buildings, Towers, can be scary as well as nurturing. Personally, I'd like my place to be sentient...if it did laundry, cooking, and cleaning...
The eleven of the cohort are too funny. Okay, yeah, it's sad that they were forced out of the Barrani mainstream, but their squabbling cracks me up. Poor Kaylin, since Sagara is using third person protagonist point-of-view, we only hear the bickering when Kaylin is aware of it...so the poor girl suffers *grin*.
Sagara does keep the tension going in so many ways. I'd love to know which way (how?) Terrano will go. What will the rest of the formerly trapped Barrani do? Will we ever learn what a Chosen is or is for? What's with that mark Nightshade gave Kaylin?
Kaylin, now she's a treat. For anyone who enjoys a character who insists on voicing her opinions to the great and powerful as well as anyone else, you'll love her. The annoying part of her is how hard she works at avoiding learning how to deal with the magic given to her.
Sedarias is very much a leader and her "exile" from the world has made her rather bitter — witness her desire to rub the Barranis' face in that fact that she got help from a dragon...a dragon!
I do like Tiamaris, Tara, and all the improvements to their fief. It's such a treat to see a fief that can be kind.
I really, really, really do wish that Sagara had included a lot more dialogue tags. Conversations can go on for pages, and I lose track of who is speaking. I hate that. I also have to confess that while her protagonist is young, which would normally indicate the age of Sagara's targeted reading audience, it doesn't read that way. I see myself as an intelligent reader...and this series can be a difficult read. I vacillate between being very confused and lost to very intrigued.
Still, The Chronicles of Elantra are a fascinating read with amazing characters with PLENTY of action.
The Story
While on a search in the fiefs for information, Kaylin and friends stumble upon a previously unknown building. One that sucks them in and spits them out. Unless it keeps them trapped in a time loop of scheduled lectures and meals.
The Characters
Lord Private Kaylin Neya is a Hawk, a Chosen, and marked by Nightshade. Helen is Kaylin's house, a sentient building that requires a lord, a tenant. Hope is Kaylin's familiar, a tiny dragon who can morph into a MUCH larger one, protects her, and helps her to see magic ( Cast in Peril , 8). Kaylin (and Helen) have a number of housemates, including Lord Bellusdeo, the only female dragon alive and a former queen who lost her world ( Cast in Ruin , 7); Corporal Teela (Barrani and Hawk), a.k.a., Lord An'Teela; and, the cohort.
The cohort ( Cast in Peril ) must live with Helen lest they destroy the city. They are Barranis who were "lost" to an experiment and includes Mandoran with his almost human curiosity; Sedarias is their bossy leader — I think she's become the new head of her house, Lord An'Mellarionne; Terrano, who evolved past his original existence; Allaron; Annarion is Nightshade's angry brother and his swordwork is the best of the cohort; Valliant; Serralyn; Eddorian; Torrissant; Karian; and Fallessian.
Spike, who is like a portable memory crystal and Records, came from Shadow out of Ravellon.
The Imperial Hawks are...
... one of the three in the Halls of Law, the cops of this world, walking a beat and investigating crime. They are commanded by Lord Grammayre, an Aerian, the Hawklord. Corporal Severn Handred is a Wolf (the black ops side of the law) who was seconded to the Hawks to be Kaylin's partner. Sergeant Marcus Kassan, a Leontine lion shifter, is in charge of the day-to-day of the Hawks. Corporal Tain is Teela's usual partner (and a Barrani). Other Hawks include Joey, Clint is an Aerian, and Tanner who is a human.
Missing Persons has a record of missing children, including Robin Perse.
Academia was...
...a great school millennia ago, and the library is its heart. One that the Arkon attended in his youth. Killian, a.k.a., Killianas, (an Ancestor) was its building avatar, its steward, and known by Helen. She says he was meant for people and he vanished when the Towers rose. Larrantin is/was a Barrani scholar on the governing council who disappeared a millennium ago. Aramechtis is the dragon chancellor who left for the war and was replaced, temporarily, by Terramonte. One of the lecturers is Caranthas. There are three Arbiters: Androsse, Kavallac, and Starrante, a Wevaren. The students include Arabella and Taran.
The fiefs are...
... seven criminal neighborhoods around Elantra whose borders are not fixed, the Towers of which are guardian outposts that protect Elantra against the Shadow. Six of these Towers, created by the Ancients, were intended to enclose Ravellon. The beings who rule fiefs are the fieflords who provide the name of the fief itself. Ferals are Shadow dogs that haunt the fiefs, killing anything that moves.
Nightshade was...
...once known as Durandel, and its living heart had been a Barrani Ancestor. Its fieflord is Lord Nightshade formerly known as Calarnenne, an outcast from the Barrani, although the Lady does favor him. He is skilled in the arts Arcane, and he does wield one of the three.
Tiamaris was...
...Barren's fief sharing a border with Candallar. It is now ruled by a partnership of Lord Tiamaris of the Dragon Court ( Cast in Shadow , 1) and Tara, the avatar of its Tower. Both are friends of Kaylin's. Morse is one of the guards. The eight-foot Maggaron is Bellusdeo's Ascendant, and he and his people, the Norannir , live here and guard against the Shadows which had destroyed their homeland ( Cast in Chaos ).
Ravellon is...
...the boogeyman of the fiefs being the home of truly dangerous Shadows with neither Tower nor lord, although there is a dragon there whom they refer to as outcaste. And he wants Bellusdeo. It is the only fief that seems to exist in all worlds.
Candallar is...
...ruled by Lord Candallar, a Barrani outcast mage, who is allowing access to Ravellon. It's ancient name was Karriamis, a dragon who then became the the heart and mind of the Tower.
Lord Baltrin is Barrani and in partnership with a human Arcanist, a caste lord. Lord Illanen is also Barrani and an Arcanist who seems capable of existing slightly out of phase.
Farlonne is a fief of stone buildings with alert and armed peoples whose Lord is Barrani and of the High Court. Liatt is another fief. Aggarok and Durant are two more of the original names of the fiefs.
The Barrani are...
...a powerful, immortal race who believe themselves superior to all. The Lady is Consort to the Lord of the High Halls and mother to the Barrani. Ynpharion is a Barrani angrily beholden to Kaylin ( Cast in Sorrow , 9). The West March is a Barrani territory.
The Hallionne were created by the Ancients and are entirely independent, serving as way stations, mostly for the Barrani. Alsanis is the Hallionne in the West March that had held the cohort prisoner and was betrayed.
The Dragons...
...rule Elantra, a city/state. Rather, the Emperor rules. Lord Diarmatt gives Kaylin lessons in manners. Lord Sanabalis is an Imperial mage and is supposed to teach her magic. Lord Emmerian.
The Arkon hoards the Imperial Library, a.k.a., the Arkon's Library. His dragon name is actually Lannagaros of the Flights, and he had known Bellusdeo in her youth.
Margot is a fake seer based on Kaylin's Hawk beat on Elani Street, and a person whom Kaylin dislikes. Marrin is a Leontine who runs an orphanage in Elantra. Arcanists are mages who work independently of the Dragon Emperor; the Arcanum is their school. The Ancestors? Ancients? created everything and everybody.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a collage of events with Kaylin at its center. Dressed in her black leather vest and pants with a golden aura surrounding her, the golden bracer on her left forearm, Kaylin, her long hair swirling as she turns, looks behind her and below. On the left is a golden scene of towers and buildings with a crescent moon framed in a vaulted arch that leads from a dark library high with shelves and shelves of books. At the top is an info blurb in white with the author's name below that, also in white. The series info is just below Kaylin's bracer with the title below that, both in white. A testimonial is at the very bottom in a pale yellow.
The title is about knowledge, Cast in Wisdom.
My Take
It's all about knowledge and responsibility. The latter is definitely one of Kaylin's concerns, as she feels liable for everything that happens. As for the former, the Arkon is so passionate about knowledge that he wanted to make lies illegal! It does crack me up how absorbed Nightshade gets about the lectures he's trapped in, lol. And Kaylin learns that, in spite of her disbelief in her "power", she has effected change.
it is interesting that Killianus reprimands his awakener, that one can't pick and choose what one wants of knowledge.
Sagara's whole concept of sentient buildings, Towers, can be scary as well as nurturing. Personally, I'd like my place to be sentient...if it did laundry, cooking, and cleaning...
The eleven of the cohort are too funny. Okay, yeah, it's sad that they were forced out of the Barrani mainstream, but their squabbling cracks me up. Poor Kaylin, since Sagara is using third person protagonist point-of-view, we only hear the bickering when Kaylin is aware of it...so the poor girl suffers *grin*.
Sagara does keep the tension going in so many ways. I'd love to know which way (how?) Terrano will go. What will the rest of the formerly trapped Barrani do? Will we ever learn what a Chosen is or is for? What's with that mark Nightshade gave Kaylin?
Kaylin, now she's a treat. For anyone who enjoys a character who insists on voicing her opinions to the great and powerful as well as anyone else, you'll love her. The annoying part of her is how hard she works at avoiding learning how to deal with the magic given to her.
Sedarias is very much a leader and her "exile" from the world has made her rather bitter — witness her desire to rub the Barranis' face in that fact that she got help from a dragon...a dragon!
I do like Tiamaris, Tara, and all the improvements to their fief. It's such a treat to see a fief that can be kind.
"I don't know what makes people happy or unhappy. I don't know why some children can be happy in my garden, and some resent being forced to be here. It is the same activity for both."There are some very fascinating bits of back history we learn about Ravellon, dragons, the war between dragon and Barrani, and Helen in that time between her being a dependent building to become independent and the costs. That Sagara keeps dribbling out bits and pieces that keeps me coming back!
"And sometimes, in our attempts to find that happiness, we make mistakes; we confuse want with happiness."Ooh, meow!! I love Kaylin's retort to Mandoran (and Sedarias)!!
"We're there to enforce the law so that people without the Emperor's power are safe from people who have attitudes like yours."Go, Kaylin!!
I really, really, really do wish that Sagara had included a lot more dialogue tags. Conversations can go on for pages, and I lose track of who is speaking. I hate that. I also have to confess that while her protagonist is young, which would normally indicate the age of Sagara's targeted reading audience, it doesn't read that way. I see myself as an intelligent reader...and this series can be a difficult read. I vacillate between being very confused and lost to very intrigued.
Still, The Chronicles of Elantra are a fascinating read with amazing characters with PLENTY of action.
The Story
While on a search in the fiefs for information, Kaylin and friends stumble upon a previously unknown building. One that sucks them in and spits them out. Unless it keeps them trapped in a time loop of scheduled lectures and meals.
The Characters
Lord Private Kaylin Neya is a Hawk, a Chosen, and marked by Nightshade. Helen is Kaylin's house, a sentient building that requires a lord, a tenant. Hope is Kaylin's familiar, a tiny dragon who can morph into a MUCH larger one, protects her, and helps her to see magic ( Cast in Peril , 8). Kaylin (and Helen) have a number of housemates, including Lord Bellusdeo, the only female dragon alive and a former queen who lost her world ( Cast in Ruin , 7); Corporal Teela (Barrani and Hawk), a.k.a., Lord An'Teela; and, the cohort.
The cohort ( Cast in Peril ) must live with Helen lest they destroy the city. They are Barranis who were "lost" to an experiment and includes Mandoran with his almost human curiosity; Sedarias is their bossy leader — I think she's become the new head of her house, Lord An'Mellarionne; Terrano, who evolved past his original existence; Allaron; Annarion is Nightshade's angry brother and his swordwork is the best of the cohort; Valliant; Serralyn; Eddorian; Torrissant; Karian; and Fallessian.
Spike, who is like a portable memory crystal and Records, came from Shadow out of Ravellon.
The Imperial Hawks are...
... one of the three in the Halls of Law, the cops of this world, walking a beat and investigating crime. They are commanded by Lord Grammayre, an Aerian, the Hawklord. Corporal Severn Handred is a Wolf (the black ops side of the law) who was seconded to the Hawks to be Kaylin's partner. Sergeant Marcus Kassan, a Leontine lion shifter, is in charge of the day-to-day of the Hawks. Corporal Tain is Teela's usual partner (and a Barrani). Other Hawks include Joey, Clint is an Aerian, and Tanner who is a human.
Missing Persons has a record of missing children, including Robin Perse.
Academia was...
...a great school millennia ago, and the library is its heart. One that the Arkon attended in his youth. Killian, a.k.a., Killianas, (an Ancestor) was its building avatar, its steward, and known by Helen. She says he was meant for people and he vanished when the Towers rose. Larrantin is/was a Barrani scholar on the governing council who disappeared a millennium ago. Aramechtis is the dragon chancellor who left for the war and was replaced, temporarily, by Terramonte. One of the lecturers is Caranthas. There are three Arbiters: Androsse, Kavallac, and Starrante, a Wevaren. The students include Arabella and Taran.
The fiefs are...
... seven criminal neighborhoods around Elantra whose borders are not fixed, the Towers of which are guardian outposts that protect Elantra against the Shadow. Six of these Towers, created by the Ancients, were intended to enclose Ravellon. The beings who rule fiefs are the fieflords who provide the name of the fief itself. Ferals are Shadow dogs that haunt the fiefs, killing anything that moves.
Nightshade was...
...once known as Durandel, and its living heart had been a Barrani Ancestor. Its fieflord is Lord Nightshade formerly known as Calarnenne, an outcast from the Barrani, although the Lady does favor him. He is skilled in the arts Arcane, and he does wield one of the three.
Tiamaris was...
...Barren's fief sharing a border with Candallar. It is now ruled by a partnership of Lord Tiamaris of the Dragon Court ( Cast in Shadow , 1) and Tara, the avatar of its Tower. Both are friends of Kaylin's. Morse is one of the guards. The eight-foot Maggaron is Bellusdeo's Ascendant, and he and his people, the Norannir , live here and guard against the Shadows which had destroyed their homeland ( Cast in Chaos ).
Ravellon is...
...the boogeyman of the fiefs being the home of truly dangerous Shadows with neither Tower nor lord, although there is a dragon there whom they refer to as outcaste. And he wants Bellusdeo. It is the only fief that seems to exist in all worlds.
Candallar is...
...ruled by Lord Candallar, a Barrani outcast mage, who is allowing access to Ravellon. It's ancient name was Karriamis, a dragon who then became the the heart and mind of the Tower.
Lord Baltrin is Barrani and in partnership with a human Arcanist, a caste lord. Lord Illanen is also Barrani and an Arcanist who seems capable of existing slightly out of phase.
Farlonne is a fief of stone buildings with alert and armed peoples whose Lord is Barrani and of the High Court. Liatt is another fief. Aggarok and Durant are two more of the original names of the fiefs.
The Barrani are...
...a powerful, immortal race who believe themselves superior to all. The Lady is Consort to the Lord of the High Halls and mother to the Barrani. Ynpharion is a Barrani angrily beholden to Kaylin ( Cast in Sorrow , 9). The West March is a Barrani territory.
The Hallionne were created by the Ancients and are entirely independent, serving as way stations, mostly for the Barrani. Alsanis is the Hallionne in the West March that had held the cohort prisoner and was betrayed.
The Dragons...
...rule Elantra, a city/state. Rather, the Emperor rules. Lord Diarmatt gives Kaylin lessons in manners. Lord Sanabalis is an Imperial mage and is supposed to teach her magic. Lord Emmerian.
The Arkon hoards the Imperial Library, a.k.a., the Arkon's Library. His dragon name is actually Lannagaros of the Flights, and he had known Bellusdeo in her youth.
Margot is a fake seer based on Kaylin's Hawk beat on Elani Street, and a person whom Kaylin dislikes. Marrin is a Leontine who runs an orphanage in Elantra. Arcanists are mages who work independently of the Dragon Emperor; the Arcanum is their school. The Ancestors? Ancients? created everything and everybody.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a collage of events with Kaylin at its center. Dressed in her black leather vest and pants with a golden aura surrounding her, the golden bracer on her left forearm, Kaylin, her long hair swirling as she turns, looks behind her and below. On the left is a golden scene of towers and buildings with a crescent moon framed in a vaulted arch that leads from a dark library high with shelves and shelves of books. At the top is an info blurb in white with the author's name below that, also in white. The series info is just below Kaylin's bracer with the title below that, both in white. A testimonial is at the very bottom in a pale yellow.
The title is about knowledge, Cast in Wisdom.
January 28, 2020
Towers, Fiefs and Borderlands. A puzzle!
Once again Kaylin Neya is tasked by the Hawklord to investigate problems occurring in and around the fiefs, along with Bellusdeo and Severn. Shadow is the fear.
This time it's the Borderlands, those spaces on the edge of and between the fiefs. These areas exist "around a central Tower, and the Towers were created to stand sentinel against the fief of Ravellon—the only fief that had neither Tower nor lord... Ravellon was the home of the most dangerous of the Shadows."
Reality doesn't hold in the same way in the Borderlands and shifts of time and location can occur. “The border zone wasn’t solid."
The threat of Shadow to the whole of Elantra is real and the Borderlands might be harboring it. The Dragon Bellusdeo wants to investigate, as does the Dragon Emperor.
Magic follows different rules in these areas. People have disappeared and as the group's search unfolds this becomes a dominating factor. Speculation gives rise to the idea that that the outcaste fief lord of Candallar is involved.
The cohort is still as troubling as always and yet their peculiarities are helpful as Kaylin, her familiar Hope and her companions unwittingly enter into strange places in the Borderlands. What they find is the Acadamia which is not anchored, causing the group giant headaches as they step into what becomes dangerous situations. The Dragon Lord Arkon, a seeker of knowledge, recalls the Academia. It was "a great school, that once existed just outside of the heart of Ravellon." A place where all groups could learn and study. A wellspring of scholarship. A place of nostalgic interest and memories for Arkon.
Now Kaylin as The Chosen will become part of Acadamia's problems and solution.
In some ways anticlimactic in relation to the whole series, and yet the ending was just so fitting!
A Harlequin / Mira ARC via NetGalley
Once again Kaylin Neya is tasked by the Hawklord to investigate problems occurring in and around the fiefs, along with Bellusdeo and Severn. Shadow is the fear.
This time it's the Borderlands, those spaces on the edge of and between the fiefs. These areas exist "around a central Tower, and the Towers were created to stand sentinel against the fief of Ravellon—the only fief that had neither Tower nor lord... Ravellon was the home of the most dangerous of the Shadows."
Reality doesn't hold in the same way in the Borderlands and shifts of time and location can occur. “The border zone wasn’t solid."
The threat of Shadow to the whole of Elantra is real and the Borderlands might be harboring it. The Dragon Bellusdeo wants to investigate, as does the Dragon Emperor.
Magic follows different rules in these areas. People have disappeared and as the group's search unfolds this becomes a dominating factor. Speculation gives rise to the idea that that the outcaste fief lord of Candallar is involved.
The cohort is still as troubling as always and yet their peculiarities are helpful as Kaylin, her familiar Hope and her companions unwittingly enter into strange places in the Borderlands. What they find is the Acadamia which is not anchored, causing the group giant headaches as they step into what becomes dangerous situations. The Dragon Lord Arkon, a seeker of knowledge, recalls the Academia. It was "a great school, that once existed just outside of the heart of Ravellon." A place where all groups could learn and study. A wellspring of scholarship. A place of nostalgic interest and memories for Arkon.
Now Kaylin as The Chosen will become part of Acadamia's problems and solution.
In some ways anticlimactic in relation to the whole series, and yet the ending was just so fitting!
A Harlequin / Mira ARC via NetGalley
February 3, 2020
When I requested this ARC I didn't know this was the last instalment in a long series and I was a bit lost at the beginning.
As I loved the style of writing and the story promised to be an excellent one I looked for a wiki and learn about the world and the characters of this book.
I'm more than happy I did it because this is a gripping and entertaining story, full of twists and turns, that kept me hooked till the last page.
The world building is amazing and complex, I appreciated how well it was developed and how vivid it is.
The cast of characters is well though, I loved Kalyin who is a strong and interesting character.
The story flows and it never bores.
Even if there are some useful wiki on the net I think it would be better to read the other books in this story because it can be a bit hard at the beginning it you read this book as the first one.
On my side I am more than happy that I have a lot of books to read as I fell in love with this world.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
As I loved the style of writing and the story promised to be an excellent one I looked for a wiki and learn about the world and the characters of this book.
I'm more than happy I did it because this is a gripping and entertaining story, full of twists and turns, that kept me hooked till the last page.
The world building is amazing and complex, I appreciated how well it was developed and how vivid it is.
The cast of characters is well though, I loved Kalyin who is a strong and interesting character.
The story flows and it never bores.
Even if there are some useful wiki on the net I think it would be better to read the other books in this story because it can be a bit hard at the beginning it you read this book as the first one.
On my side I am more than happy that I have a lot of books to read as I fell in love with this world.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
March 7, 2020
THANKS MUCH TO THE PUBLISHER FOR PROVIDING A COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR REVIEW PURPOSES, THIS DID NOT AFFECT THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW IN ANY WAY.
Whenever a new Elantra book comes out, I rejoice. This is one of my favorite long running series and I’m always happy to dip back into the is world and visit with some of my favorite characters.
Here we find Kaylin and her partners (officially Severin and unofficially Bellusdeo) sent to investigate something in one of the fiefs. They come across a mysterious building that teleports them inside of it this becomes the mystery to solve for the book. What is this building and how does it fit into the structure of the fiefs and the fief lord they were sent to investigate. I enjoyed this plot because it was fairly straight forward and it moved steadily along. There was a lot of metaphysical discussion once again but less back and forth and over-explaining to Kaylin which can sometimes get repetitive. Some new things were introduced again which have huge consequences to the world and our characters moving forward. Some of these things have immediate consequences and some of it is set up for future books, there quite a bit of little points introduced and hints dropped here and there. I’m particularly interested in one plot point that was introduced regarding Kaylin that I’m hoping will come into play and possibly set her on a more defined path of self-discovery. So much of the time I feel like Kaylin is spinning her wheels because she doesn’t really know what she wants in life other than a vague sense of security and home because of how she grew up and the trauma she went through as a child. Since this story is really about Kaylin, as the POV character, even though there’s all this other stuff going on with the world and its magic, I’m hoping she gets a good personal story arc when all is said and done with this series. Not just as being ‘chosen’ but just as Kaylin Neya.
I was really happy with the characters we got to spend time with in this book. Nightshade was prominent, which I always enjoy because Nightshade is probably my favorite character–you never know exactly what he’s up to! We do get a bit of a closer glimpse at some of his thoughts and feelings this book, due to his and Kaylin’s link and the way it functions in the setting our characters find themselves, before he tightens things up again to keep Kaylin from knowing things he’d rather not reveal about himself. I know he’s Barrani and they’re all about not revealing any weaknesses due to the ruthless nature of how weaknesses are taken advantage of, but I don’t think it would kill him to be vulnerable where Kaylin is concerned, at least once in a while. Then again, isn’t that sort of their relationship in a nutshell? The mark he gave Kaylin was brought up again this time around, briefly, and I always wonder if that’s still relevant because it doesn’t seem to be something that means anything sometimes, but apparently it does or people wouldn’t still be remarking on it.
Let’s talk about Severin for a minute and how he sometimes feels like a piece of furniture–he’s so quiet. Sometimes I forget if he’s even in the room with the group because it will go pages and pages without mentioning him. I liked that he got a more active role here and it also helped that he wasn’t in the room with Kaylin for a while ,because they were separated, so they could do the mind speak thing instead of him hovering silently in the background not contributing much to the conversation. Also, when the action breaks out, well let’s just say Severin is someone I’d want to have around. He has a wicked weapon and he wields it well. I was really happy with the amount of interaction he had in this book.
Bellusdeo continues to be a favorite character as well, she’s someone who is also trying to find her place in this world, doesn’t want to be told what that is, but is also cognizant of her duty to her race. This book is hinting at big changes for her in the future and I can’t wait to see what those are. I really loved her interactions with The Arkon in this book, since they knew each other in the past they have an interesting dynamic compared to others. I also enjoy her friendship with Kaylin. I think it’s important that they both have friends, as they often both feel like outsiders in their own ways.
The future is in flux, people are starting to find their places where they belong in the world, kind of like how Tiamaris did with his fief many books ago. I don’t know how many more books Sagara plans for this series, but there’s a lot more being revealed about the early days of Elantra, the Ancients, and how the world functions. Between that and more characters finding ‘their spots’ in the world, as it were, I have a feeling things are starting to come together for an epic ending of the series, maybe in the next few books (this is book fifteen, after all). Our characters are starting to close in on the Shadow at the heart of Elantra, gaining more understanding about how things work with each book that passes, uncovering a little more ancient history. Sooner or later they’re going to reach the ultimate goal and I’m excited to see what the final mystery is all about, although I do hope we get a couple of more books before that point because despite it being book fifteen I feel like Kaylin has a way to go with her personal character arc.
Overall, this was another great edition to the series and I had a lot of fun with it, it continues to be engaging and it’s a joy to spend time in this world. Very much looking forward to the next in the series. 4.5/5 stars.
Whenever a new Elantra book comes out, I rejoice. This is one of my favorite long running series and I’m always happy to dip back into the is world and visit with some of my favorite characters.
Here we find Kaylin and her partners (officially Severin and unofficially Bellusdeo) sent to investigate something in one of the fiefs. They come across a mysterious building that teleports them inside of it this becomes the mystery to solve for the book. What is this building and how does it fit into the structure of the fiefs and the fief lord they were sent to investigate. I enjoyed this plot because it was fairly straight forward and it moved steadily along. There was a lot of metaphysical discussion once again but less back and forth and over-explaining to Kaylin which can sometimes get repetitive. Some new things were introduced again which have huge consequences to the world and our characters moving forward. Some of these things have immediate consequences and some of it is set up for future books, there quite a bit of little points introduced and hints dropped here and there. I’m particularly interested in one plot point that was introduced regarding Kaylin that I’m hoping will come into play and possibly set her on a more defined path of self-discovery. So much of the time I feel like Kaylin is spinning her wheels because she doesn’t really know what she wants in life other than a vague sense of security and home because of how she grew up and the trauma she went through as a child. Since this story is really about Kaylin, as the POV character, even though there’s all this other stuff going on with the world and its magic, I’m hoping she gets a good personal story arc when all is said and done with this series. Not just as being ‘chosen’ but just as Kaylin Neya.
I was really happy with the characters we got to spend time with in this book. Nightshade was prominent, which I always enjoy because Nightshade is probably my favorite character–you never know exactly what he’s up to! We do get a bit of a closer glimpse at some of his thoughts and feelings this book, due to his and Kaylin’s link and the way it functions in the setting our characters find themselves, before he tightens things up again to keep Kaylin from knowing things he’d rather not reveal about himself. I know he’s Barrani and they’re all about not revealing any weaknesses due to the ruthless nature of how weaknesses are taken advantage of, but I don’t think it would kill him to be vulnerable where Kaylin is concerned, at least once in a while. Then again, isn’t that sort of their relationship in a nutshell? The mark he gave Kaylin was brought up again this time around, briefly, and I always wonder if that’s still relevant because it doesn’t seem to be something that means anything sometimes, but apparently it does or people wouldn’t still be remarking on it.
Let’s talk about Severin for a minute and how he sometimes feels like a piece of furniture–he’s so quiet. Sometimes I forget if he’s even in the room with the group because it will go pages and pages without mentioning him. I liked that he got a more active role here and it also helped that he wasn’t in the room with Kaylin for a while ,because they were separated, so they could do the mind speak thing instead of him hovering silently in the background not contributing much to the conversation. Also, when the action breaks out, well let’s just say Severin is someone I’d want to have around. He has a wicked weapon and he wields it well. I was really happy with the amount of interaction he had in this book.
Bellusdeo continues to be a favorite character as well, she’s someone who is also trying to find her place in this world, doesn’t want to be told what that is, but is also cognizant of her duty to her race. This book is hinting at big changes for her in the future and I can’t wait to see what those are. I really loved her interactions with The Arkon in this book, since they knew each other in the past they have an interesting dynamic compared to others. I also enjoy her friendship with Kaylin. I think it’s important that they both have friends, as they often both feel like outsiders in their own ways.
The future is in flux, people are starting to find their places where they belong in the world, kind of like how Tiamaris did with his fief many books ago. I don’t know how many more books Sagara plans for this series, but there’s a lot more being revealed about the early days of Elantra, the Ancients, and how the world functions. Between that and more characters finding ‘their spots’ in the world, as it were, I have a feeling things are starting to come together for an epic ending of the series, maybe in the next few books (this is book fifteen, after all). Our characters are starting to close in on the Shadow at the heart of Elantra, gaining more understanding about how things work with each book that passes, uncovering a little more ancient history. Sooner or later they’re going to reach the ultimate goal and I’m excited to see what the final mystery is all about, although I do hope we get a couple of more books before that point because despite it being book fifteen I feel like Kaylin has a way to go with her personal character arc.
Overall, this was another great edition to the series and I had a lot of fun with it, it continues to be engaging and it’s a joy to spend time in this world. Very much looking forward to the next in the series. 4.5/5 stars.
February 3, 2020
2020 the year of the brief review .. and no I am not going to stop repeating myself
Review: A brawl at a University, while Akron found his true hoard, at book 15 you should know what I am talking about by now
Review: A brawl at a University, while Akron found his true hoard, at book 15 you should know what I am talking about by now
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