Cast in Honor (The Chronicles of Elantra)

I've been faithfully waiting to see the relationship between Severn and Kaylin progress one way or the other, but each book seems to get farther away from story, plot, and character development and into more and more linguistic navel gazing.

This series continues to be very complex and layered. You have to concentrate and try to join the dots that cross the different books. I would have liked more from Severn and the chosens relationship in this addition.

Really surprised and pleased at how the Shadows ended up being more than the boogiemen of the fiefs. Was glad it ended on a hopeful note. I'm excited at getting a glimpse of life in the Aeries, and can't wait to see where it goes from here.

I used to like this series very much, especially the characters, but the last few books have been going downhill and this one really lost me. People mostly walked around and talked to each other, and the talk was endlessly theoretical, having to do with time, elements, and dimensions. Over and over and over, like getting monologued by someone at a party that you can't seem to escape, only without the chips and dip. There was almost no action in this book, with the murder mystery largely ignored. Inviting someone to stay at Kaylin's house was given an inordinate amount of attention, but her role as Chosen did not evolve. Most of the plot had to do with a guy named Gilbert who was scary and possibly malevolent, but not. The city and all kinds of people were under terrible threat for much of the book, but this was just huff and puff with the house never blowing down. The suspense didn't even get off the ground, so it certainly couldn't be sustained. I understand that it's hard to keep the freshness of a series going, but Sagara seriously needs to rethink what she's doing with her world and characters, which are actually quite wonderful. I don't think I can bring myself to slog through another one of these where everyone stands around pontificating while wringing their hands for 500 pages.

I am increasingly unsure how to rate these books. Individually, I enjoy each successive addition to the series; as a whole, though, they frustratingly fail to build toward any real arc. I feel like I could reread the early books and get approximately the same satisfaction that I receive by reading each new installment.

This one has some good points; for the first time in several books I felt like I had a solid grasp on the metaphysics and actually understood what Kaylin was doing in her Mystical Word Manipulation scenes (and why it had the effect it did). And I found Gilbert and Kattea compelling, as new characters go, and was genuinely invested in their emotional arc. (As a bonus, it actually came to a satisfying conclusion over the course of one book! Also, Gilbert is really willing to answer everyone's questions, albeit often in a way that makes no sense whatsoever to the person asking, which was a welcome character trait.)

But I continue to feel like the cast has grown too large; so many characters who I grew to love early in the series, like Sanabalis and Marcus, make appearances so token they barely qualify as window dressing, while new characters are introduced left and right. And I was frustrated by how many critical moments in this book happened off-screen; not one but two major events resolve while Kaylin is unconscious, which means we hear recitations of what happened rather than actually seeing the action. Meanwhile, a central driver of the plot, Gilbert's befriending of Nightshade happens entirely off-screen--and is then wiped from the timeline entirely, so it's not like we'll be hearing more about it from Nightshade later.

I also felt like this book had a serious problem with what I guess I'll call blocking; I lost count of the number of times a character said something several pages into a scene, and I had to backtrack because I had no memory of that character being in the scene--and indeed, often that was because until that moment, their presence had never been mentioned. It was disconcerting. I don't remember this being a problem in earlier series volumes. Maybe there was a change in copyeditor?

In short, despite being more than 500 pages, this book tries to cram more characters and subplots into it than it can reasonably hold. I was confused about why Peril and Sorrow were split from the original planned single West March volume; I'm confused about why this book wasn't split, or at least why some subplots weren't saved for the future. I understand that Moran's addition to the cast was a lead-in to the next book, Cast in Flight, but it felt so disconnected from the main plot that I wish it had been set inside entirely for that volume.

If you like the series, you should probably read this book. If you've never read the series, this would be a truly terrible place to start.

Eleventh in the Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series and revolving around Kaylin, the Chosen with no clue but with a heart of gold.

I did find myself wishing I had gone back and re-read Cast in Flame , 10, before continuing with Cast in Honor. It took awhile before I got caught up in what had gone before.
Remember, too, that myths are stories.

My Take
Each previous story has been one of Kaylin's exposure to the different races within Elantra, and all that trust that Kaylin has been building throughout the series comes to aid her and her friends.

On the whole I absolutely adore Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra, incorporating a magic that is both familiar and completely new, enough that I'm slowly buying them up. She does frustrate me though with the philosophical conflicts that she throws in. I keep wading through them, hoping that one day it'll make sense. It sits in the back of my mind, wanting to come together, and I think I have the gist of it, but I'd never be able to explain it. Combine this with the whole time travel thing and…I'm still shaking my head, trying to clear out the confusion. It has to have been a bugger to write, having to track how it all worked.

What I love is her cast of characters; the world she's created in all its complexities, species, cultures, and conflicts; and, the interactions they all have with the Dragon Court, especially Kaylin due to her relationship with Bellusdeo, and the arrogance of dealing with the Barrani. And it all revolves around Kaylin, an orphan girl from "the wrong side of the tracks". I do adore Kaylin's honesty and brashness and her desire to do the right thing mingled with her past.
"I wanted to be part of something bigger than me, in the end. I like the sense that we're working on something together. That if justice and the law isn't perfect, it's better than the alternative. …if the law can sometimes be used to protect those who don't have that power, it's better than nothing."
An encounter between Kaylin and the Emperor made me laugh. Who knew he'd be taking dating advice from a chit of a girl. Turns out he also has a dry sense of humor. Kaylin's interactions with Moran are a bitter type of sweet with Kaylin so anxious to pay back the aid given her while Moran is both suspicious and worried about the repercussions that could fall on Kaylin.

I so enjoy the asides that give these characters depth with Kaylin well known for her betting, the betting that does go on around the Hawks (especially when it involves Kaylin, lol), the challenge of balancing Bellusdeo's insistence on experiencing life versus the Emperor's insistence on her continuing life, Kaylin's inability to be diplomatic, and the list goes on. Moran's situation allows Sagara to bring out the politics of the Aerians — a great way to avoid an info dump while providing background information.

Gilbert's existence is one long question as Sagara strings us along, dropping hints that you don't want to believe.
"The past, of course, is a different country; it is occupied, frequently, by regret, and it is ruled by tyrants. They cannot be moved."
There's an emphasis on stereotyping, on not judging people based on what others have done, and it certainly opens up Kaylin's eyes.

It's a terrifying story that provides you with very little to work with, and Sagara makes you work for that, as she explains time. It's also a look at loneliness and how it can affect anyone at all.
In the end, "the way you view and interact with the important parts of your world" can be affected by your doing something you despise. … "If you have no self-respect, your ability to respect anything or anyone else is in peril."

The Story
It's fraught as both Mandoran and Annarion struggle to contain themselves, but Annarion especially labors, for his being out in the world attracts the Shadows. An attraction that led to a "vicious battle between darkness and light from which Elantra emerged victorious but at great cost". And still the "Shadows continue to haunt every corner of its streets."

Now the outcast Barrani Lord Nightshade is missing from his castle in the fiefs.

It's the strange nature of a triple murder that embroils Kaylin "in a case that is anything but routine. Evidence of the deadly Shadows that "points directly to Ravellon — the heart of the Shadows and the darkness they contain".

The Characters
Private Lord Kaylin Neya, a Hawk, has a new home — not in the Imperial Palace — with Helen, a sentient building, a gardia, much like Tara. Kaylin is the Chosen and no one has any real idea what it means. Hope is her familiar, the little dragon, who first appeared in Cast in Peril , 8.

Corporal Lord Severn Handred grew up with Kaylin in the fiefs until the incident. He went into the Wolves and was then seconded to the Hawks to partner up with Kaylin; he provides the diplomatic side of their partnership.

The Hawks are…
…part of the Halls of Law and the policemen who investigate crimes in Elantra. Their commander is the Hawklord, Lord Grammayre. Hanson is his attaché. Corporals Teela Korrin (one of Kaylin's best friends) and Tain Danelle are partners and Barrani who grew bored and joined the Hawks. Clint (Aerian) and Tanner (human) are frequently on door duty. And more friends of Kaylin's. Sergeant Moran dar Carafel, an Aerian, runs the infirmary. First Corporal Kirby had to take over the infirmary after Moran was almost killed, and he was quite happy to utilize Kaylin's healing abilities. Caitlin is the office mother, er, I mean, manager. Other Hawks include Master Corporal Gavin Karannis who prit' near hates Kaylin and is a stickler for details, Private Lianne is his partner, Joey, and Mellian. Red is their medical examiner. Draalzyn, a Tha'lani, works Missing Persons. Perenne works in the office.

Sergeant Marcus "Ironjaw" Kassan, a Leontine lion shifter, is in charge of the day-to-day of the Hawks. Kayala is his first wife; he and all his wives see Kaylin as one of their kitlings.

The other two parts of the Halls of Law are the Swords, the riot police, the national guard for Elantra, who are ruled by the Swordlord and the Wolves who function as black ops and are ruled by the Wolflord. Jared manages the offices for the Swords.

The fiefs were…
…created to protect the city from the Shadows. They are seven mini-kingdoms, neighborhood havens for criminal elements, the disenfranchised, the poor, who are ruled by fieflords and outside the law. One of the fiefs is ruled by the outcaste — and lost — Lord Nightshade, his True Name is Calarnenne, who rules from Castle Nightshade. Lord Andellen is part of its guard. Tara is the Avatar of Tiamaris' Tower in that Dragon's fief. Both are friends of Kaylin's.

The Barrani are…
…arrogant immortal beings who plot and backstab like we eat breakfast. Mandoran of Casarre and Annarion of Solanace (he's Nightshade's longlost brother and both were freed in Cast in Sorrow , 9) are in Kaylin's parole and living with her, with Helen to keep an eye on them, as they struggle to acclimate to all they've missed, to today's realities, for they are Barrani no longer, but something more. Kaylin calls upon the trust she has built with Lord Ynpharion who hates that Kaylin has his True Name; Lirienne, Lord of the West March; Hallionne Alsanis, one of the hearts of the green which act as way stations ( Cast in Peril , 8); and, the High Lord, the castelord of the Barrani who owes Kaylin a huge debt.

No Barrani can rule or be called Lord unless they undergo the test of the High Halls.

The Dragons are…
…the immortal ones in charge. Lord Bellusdeo is the female Dragon Kaylin rescued in Cast in Ruin , 7, who lives with Kaylin and has permission to accompany Kaylin on her patrols. I should mention that Bellusdeo is the only female Dragon. Maggaron, a Norannir, one of the lost whom Kaylin saved in Cast in Chaos , is Bellusdeo's bodyguard. Lord Diamart is a very condescending Dragon who must teach Kaylin etiquette. Lord Sanabalis is an ancient Dragon who has been teaching Kaylin how to use her magic. The Arkon, Lannagaros, is one of the oldest Dragons and their Archivist; the library and the archives are his hoard. Lord Emmerian is another Dragon.

The Keeper's Garden is…
…in the Elani district, the heart of the Emperor's hoard, where Evanton rules and maintains a balance between Air, Earth, Water, and Fire, keeping the world real. Grethan is his disabled Tha'alani apprentice ( Cast in Secret , 3).

The Tha'alani are…
…a native race of telepaths used by the emperor to question suspects and victims. Ybelline is their castelord. Scoros is one of the council; I think Eladara is his wife.

Gilbert Rayelle is a Shadow born in Ravellon, the doomed fief in Cast in Ruin , 7,, who has taken a young girl, Kattea, into his protection. Her father, Corporal Krevel, was a Sword who fled with the people he was keeping safe across the Bridge into the fiefs as his world fell apart.

Hazielle who inspired Helen to become more a part of the world. The midwives and the Foundling Hall, overseen by Marrin, in Elantra, frequently call upon Kaylin for help, as she has healing powers. Arcanists of the Arcanum are mages who work independently of the Dragon Emperor and each other. Ferals are massive wolf-like shapes that come out of the Shadows and kill.

Elantra seems to be both city and state. The Winding Path is a neighborhood in Elantra where the murders took place. Mirrors are a type of Skype communication that uses a magical lattice underlying the city. The bracer is a magical gauntlet that protects Kaylin's arm; Severn is its keeper. The Shadows we've encountered so far are evil, killing, destroying, corrupting. They were Barrani and are similar to the Ferals, but bigger and more lethal. Part of the Hallionnes' purpose is to protect against these Shadows. The Towers were built to control them. The Caste Courts are like a court of appeal by the other races in Elantra who are not Dragons. The Norannir are a race of giants (see Cast in Chaos , 6). The Ancients created everything and everybody. The Aerians are birdmen with wings who can fly, but they are not shifters.

The Cover and Title
The cover is serene with its foggy background of an Imperial city skyline in its suggestion of Chinese rooflines. There is a grassy field before it with a tattooed Kaylin wearing her bracer and black leather pants, her beautiful broadsword held upright before her with the tip resting on the ground, as she stares thoughtfully at the ground before her, her long brown hair tugged by a breeze. The author's name, title, and series information are all in varying sizes of white.

The title is about Gilbert, for he is Cast in Honor.

The good. Sagara has created a world that I find fascinating. Tons of complex and intricate world building that intrigues and always has manages to add another layer in each book that still fits with the whole rather nicely.

Sagara also has a great touch with atmosphere. She manages to deliver a nice sense of menace when needed and still can deliver a dry level of wit to her ongoing character relationships.

The bad. I feel like I am going nowhere with these books. It definitely falls in the category of those works that maybe need wrapped up. I think a series can go as long as the author can write entries, but only if it feels that there is resolution and character growth. Only if it feels true steps towards the major unifying arc feels like it is worked on and not just held out as the lure towards another book.

I like the author's style very much, I like the world she has built. Her characters though seems a bit stale in their relationships. And what resolution there is plotwise seems thin here. Enough to provide an ending but for me really not enough to build a book around. It is a fine line I know between creating a grand view that carries through an entire series and creating a book that has enough on its own to be a satisfying read. I'm not sure the author gets as close as she should in that regard.

*** I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review, which was originally published on book blog Will Read for Feels.

*** Warning: This review has mild spoilers.

When it comes to mysteries of the magical persuasion, there isn’t a series I’d recommend as highly as Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra, whose 11th novel, Cast in Honor, was released this week by Harlequin’s fantasy imprint, MIRA Books. And it’s one of the reasons I’d say that Christmas came early for me this year.

A quick background on the world and this series. Elantra is the hoard-city of the Eternal Emperor, a dragon. It’s populated by immortals like the dragons and the elflike (in my head, anyway) Barrani as well as winged Aerians, fierce and furry Leontines, thought-sensing Tha’alani, and, of course, humans. The main character is Kaylin Neya, a human who works as a private for the Hawks at the Halls of Law, which are divided into three branches—Wolves are the intelligence and covert agency, Swords are the peacekeeping and defensive force, and the Hawks patrol the streets and investigate crime.

chronicles-elantra-series

But there’s one thing that immediately sets Kaylin apart from other humans; her body is covered in sigils, power words that allow her to work magic and that mark her as Chosen. What being Chosen actually means is something she has yet to discover, but that she is vital to the survival of Elantra—and of the world—is clear from early on in the series.

Fast forward to Book 11, the latest installment in the Chronicles of Elantra. Kaylin, along with the rest of Elantra, is still recovering from the epic battle that the series had led up to in the past two or three novels, and she’s trying to adapt to the changes in her circumstances as a result of these upheavals. As is typically Kaylin, this involves a lot of complaining. In fact, I am completely in awe of how masterfully the author manages to make such a chronically whiny character so lovable and badass at the same time.

Although part of it, I imagine, is that her friends vent their annoyance with her quite successfully and you kind of see her point; there’s no rest for the weary. In this novel, Kaylin is assigned to investigate the mysterious—and magical—death of three humans in one of Elantra’s poorer districts, and in the process she discovers a creature of Shadow living in the heart of the city. But he is not the enemy she considers all Shadow to be, which is another mystery in itself. And he is taking care of a child whose history should feel familiar to Kaylin’s but makes no sense. On top of that, the fieflord Nightshade, who has a powerful connection to Kaylin thanks to the mark he placed on her cheek in the very first volume of the series, has magically gone missing, and the sentient element of water is misbehaving for reasons it can’t seem to communicate very well.

Once more, Kaylin is thrown a tangle of magical mysteries that quickly grows to catastrophic proportions—destruction-of-the-city proportions, to be precise, which seems milder than some of the end-of-the-world stuff she’s faced, but is no less vital to her survival and that of all the characters we get to know. And it’s up to Kaylin, with help from her friends, to find both cause and key to the whole shebang. Typical of books in this series, Cast in Honor involves clues upon clues heaped on questions upon questions, and it’s the heroine’s (and the reader’s) task to make sense of it, even as disaster looms and seriously icky stuff hits the fan.

This is not an easy, relaxing read. You’ll need to wrap your brain around not just the main problem faced by the characters but also mini problems that pop up, the scientific precision of this world’s magical theory and practice as well as etiquette and laws, and the unknown factor of the Chosen’s power. But while it does give your mind something of a workout, you’ll be left with a beefed up brain and a refreshing sense of satisfaction when you manage to figure everything out even as the characters do.

Sagara is in her element when it comes to complexity, it seems, as even the supporting characters in the series have rich, textured histories whose layers have yet to be peeled away. For example, we’ve learned loads about the Barrani Hawk Teela’s childhood and adolescence in recent books, but the rest of her long history has yet to be revealed. The more we learn about Nightshade, the more mysterious he seems to become. Let’s not even talk about Severn and what happened to him in the long gap of time after he and Kaylen parted ways as adolescents in the fiefs. Sagara even introduces new characters I desperately want to see more of and learn all about.

This is how the Chronicles of Elantra differs from most series, where you normally get the measure of supporting characters then return to them in book after book with the comfort of old friends. These supporting characters are too complex to be so comfortable, though; it’s as if all your friends were contemporaries of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty. The more you learn about each person, the more you realize how little you know them at all, and this most recent book continues to highlight that fact. And frustrate, as well, because I totally ship Sevlin, and it continues to not happen!

This is not a book to be read as a standalone novel, which is why I’ve written this review coupled with a series spotlight. I strongly recommend starting the series with book 1, Cast in Shadow, and not skipping any of the volumes between that one and this one because none of the volumes could be considered “fillers” or even “downtime.” Every volume is action-packed, intrigue-rich, and totally engrossing.

This book was my first exposure to this author and the world containing Elantra and I read it over a long weekend. I can't speak to the consistency of the story with the rest of the universe or the relative entertainment value of this installment. There is quite a bit going on here, and it would be easy to get lost.

In my opinion, as a newcomer, this book is probably not the best entry point into the universe, unless you don't mind quite a bit of unanswered questions. I usually enjoy a bit of confusion as I jump in and try to figure things out. If you are the type who likes to start at the beginning so that the world's "rules" are explained a bit more, I would suggest not starting with this book. There are quite a few characters involved, most of which have existing relationships and backstories that have likely been developed in previous novels in the series. There seems to be a mixture of magic (and technology?) at play in this universe, along with quite a few races, each with their own capabilities and politics. Overall, I found the universe interesting and worth further exploration.

We open with Kaylin, the "Chosen," who is something called a "Hawk." It seems like a Hawk is a kind of detective in this society, and Kaylin is a member of a special group that works on odd/special cases. There are references to a somewhat recent battle in the city, and an enemy called Shadows. This story takes place as the people of the city are recovering and getting back to the business of being a city. At a high level, this can be seen as a murder mystery, although the setting would hardly be described as normal. I don't know if other books in this series have the same type of explanation and resolution, but I think Stephen Hawking would be interested in this one. I found myself turning my brain inside out during the last 1/3 of the book. :)

I found the writing to be very good and lacking a lot of the repetition that I have found in other similar works. You know the type that has to explain the history of each character every time that character is introduced in the series? Not here. Someone shows up after a hiatus and is immediately brought into the group, with a little explanation about where s/he has been and what has occurred. Due to the characters' special abilities and existing relationships, there are many unique players in this story, but there are also some of the familiar archetypes -- you know the "angry police chief"? Yeah, we've got one of those. I think devices like that help readers identify more with this incredibly foreign universe, and they're not overused here.

Consistent with the murder mystery formula, there is not a well-defined "bad guy" that the characters can focus on during most of the story, but the author does a great job keeping it on track and moving forward as more clues are uncovered. I didn't feel that it was contrived, but it did require a bit of thinking. I don't know if other works in this series are as, well, cerebral, but I am looking forward to finding out. I will be looking for earlier works in this series to further explore the universe and the set of characters involved with this story. If nothing else, I am interested in some of the backstory and how the parts are put together.

This is Book 11 in The chronicales of Elantra. Elantra is a mythical city not on Earth. I regrettably did not realize this until AFTER I received the book through vine!

As this is the 11th book, much about the different characters is not explained and this makes the book very hard to follow.

In this story, Private Kaylin Neya lives in a building managed by Helen who IS the building -- thus you see the start of my confusion. She is basically a policeman, albeit more a security/army type. She has her own shoulder-size dragon.

There is a horrific triple murder and she and her team are called to investigate. It is readily clear that the Shadows -- who I assume are the enemies of the different peoples of Elantra -- are at fault.

I was unable to totally finish this book as without knowing more about the background and who these many wondrous creature are and what they can do, it was just too confounding.

The book IS beautifully written with lovely descriptions so I am sure if I go back to read the first 10 books, I would love it!

This review is for long time readers, not new readers.

Michelle Sagara, a.k.a. Michelle West, a.k.a Michelle West Sagara is one of my favorite authors. I have every book she's ever written, I think, including her short stories, many in three formats, paperback, Kindle and audio. So, I love her writing g and her world's, but please, please, please, please let Kaylin mature a bit faster. I've wanted to knock her over the head the last two books in The Chronicals of Elantra series. While I appreciate the truly awesome world building, and West-Sahara does it better than George R. Martin, in my humble opinion, I feel like she is holding Kaylin back emotionally for plot, but world.building points, please stop.

That being said, as an Heber fan, this felt like a transition book all around, for every character, plot point and race.

Also, I can't.wait for the next book. If you are a fan of complex world building in the vein of George R. Martin, minus the incest, this series is for you. Start at the beginning.

SPOILER ALERT:
Like many readers I have all the books in the series. I love them and reread them all every year when a new one comes out. This is not the best book in the series. It had many interesting parts but it was definitely not the best. There were lots of lengthy passages which drug on. And other areas that were gone over too quickly.

Here are some of my thoughts after reading the book. It's been 11 books now and it's time for Kaylin to start kicking butt. It's time for her to get rid of Nightshade's mark and move on. It's time for her to stop cringing. (If you have read the series you know that in some books the word cringe is almost on every other page.) It's time for her to embrace her powers and be able to consciously use them. I want to see her learn all four names of the elements and be able to use those names freely.

I know that in Kaylin's world only a few years have gone by since we met her - not the almost 10 years that have gone by for we the readers. But it is time for her to grow even more than she has. There are still many plots that need to be explored and I look forward to many more books. But please, please, PLEASE Ms. Sagara let Kaylin grow into her powers now. Let her stand tall and stop being entangled by fear. As to Nightshade, when you had him burn her face this time it was too much. Time to get rid of that mark. Time to put him in his place.

FUN STUFF:
As a reader I would love to see her pop Lord Diarmat a good one! LOL Wouldn't that be a great segment to read? We would all be cheering. And tell the Arkon to stuff it and knock him back a bit? Ah one can dream!

Finally, Ms. Sagara has created a wonderful world that I enjoy escaping to. But after almost 10 years and 11 books, I think it's time for big changes in Kaylin's outlook. I think she needs to embrace and expand her powers. She needs to BECOME the Chosen.

Love, whether familial or romantic, can be a strange thing. In a world where it is considered fairly normal for close relatives to hate and kill each other, former starving orphan Private Kaylin Neya's peculiar ideas on family (she tends to "adopt" anyone who treats her halfway decently and henceforth regard their injury or death as something that must be avoided even at the cost of her own injury or death) tend to drive said adoptees absolutely nuts because despite her unusual magical powers as the Chosen, Kaylin tends to be the most vulnerable person in any given battle, a fact that inclines her to charge in without telling anybody because the not told are less likely to be able to stop her.

The fact that her powers usually prove necessary to the victory doesn't really help.

However, this time she has met a family more peculiar than her own. It comes as no surprise that Gilbert and the young girl (Kattea) he is protecting are peculiar people having a peculiar relationship; what will come as a surprise is just how peculiar they and it really are. In the end they will prove absolutely critical to saving the once more otherwise doomed city of Elantra, as only the private who will never make corporal no matter how many times she saves the day recognizes.

SPOILER ALERT:
Like many readers I have all the books in the series. I love them and reread them all every year when a new one comes out. This is not the best book in the series. It had many interesting parts but it was definitely not the best. There were lots of lengthy passages which drug on. And other areas that were gone over too quickly.

Here are some of my thoughts after reading the book. It's been 11 books now and it's time for Kaylin to start kicking butt. It's time for her to get rid of Nightshade's mark and move on. It's time for her to stop cringing. (If you have read the series you know that in some books the word cringe is almost on every other page.) It's time for her to embrace her powers and be able to consciously use them. I want to see her learn all four names of the elements and be able to use those names freely.

I know that in Kaylin's world only a few years have gone by since we met her - not the almost 10 years that have gone by for we the readers. But it is time for her to grow even more than she has. There are still many plots that need to be explored and I look forward to many more books. But please, please, PLEASE Ms. Sagara let Kaylin grow into her powers now. Let her stand tall and stop being entangled by fear. As to Nightshade, when you had him burn her face this time it was too much. Time to get rid of that mark. Time to put him in his place.

FUN STUFF:
As a reader I would love to see her pop Lord Diarmat a good one! LOL Wouldn't that be a great segment to read? We would all be cheering. And tell the Arkon to stuff it and knock him back a bit? Ah one can dream!

Finally, Ms. Sagara has created a wonderful world that I enjoy escaping to. But after almost 10 years and 11 books, I think it's time for big changes in Kaylin's outlook. I think she needs to embrace and expand her powers. She needs to BECOME the Chosen.

Love, whether familial or romantic, can be a strange thing. In a world where it is considered fairly normal for close relatives to hate and kill each other, former starving orphan Private Kaylin Neya's peculiar ideas on family (she tends to "adopt" anyone who treats her halfway decently and henceforth regard their injury or death as something that must be avoided even at the cost of her own injury or death) tend to drive said adoptees absolutely nuts because despite her unusual magical powers as the Chosen, Kaylin tends to be the most vulnerable person in any given battle, a fact that inclines her to charge in without telling anybody because the not told are less likely to be able to stop her.

The fact that her powers usually prove necessary to the victory doesn't really help.

However, this time she has met a family more peculiar than her own. It comes as no surprise that Gilbert and the young girl (Kattea) he is protecting are peculiar people having a peculiar relationship; what will come as a surprise is just how peculiar they and it really are. In the end they will prove absolutely critical to saving the once more otherwise doomed city of Elantra, as only the private who will never make corporal no matter how many times she saves the day recognizes.

Kaylin's adventure n Elantra continues. She continues to serve the Hawks who defend the city from the forces of Shadow while practicing magical healing. She encounters old friends and rivalries, and a foreboding secret running beneath the city.

This is an enjoyable, big-world kind of medieval high fantasy. I read multiple comments on how rich the story world is, but it's Sagara's writing about characters where the details really come out. Personal interactions between the characters are a large part of the narrative, in particular Kaylin's thoughts and her reading of other characters' body language and actions. This does set a pace that's less action, cast and slash, and is more suited to intrigue and politicking.

This is my first read of Elantra - and coming into the tenth book in the series I knew there would be a challenge. Sagara took the approach of attempting to catch up the reader as quickly as possible in the first few pages before setting upon the story. It was a little rushed but at least it was expedient, rather than having bits of information drawn out painfully across multiple chapters, or plunging the reader chaotically into a new land. Once this introduction is done, it really is an enjoyable read.

Michelle Sagara's "Elantra" series is a series that I feel like you have to keep up with or else, you will get lost. There are so many details and characters and species that keeping track of them is a challenge. The plot seems straight forward enough. Elantra is still standing but not without cost. Even though there seems to be a lull in battle, intrigue still remains and Kaylin Neya is tasked to investigate a triple murder that balloons into much more.

Sagara is a wonderful writer at world building but this book just seemed too slow paced for me. I found myself putting it down a lot to read something else so it ended up taking me a good 3 weeks to get through this and to be honest, by the time I finished it, there was a lot that I had forgotten.

The characters are decently developed and the mood is appropriately thoughtful, but it is the slow pacing that seemed to do me in. All that said, I'll probably still pick up the next book in the series to read if it is available.

Always a good read. Sagara takes this Elantra story across time lines and introduces us to even more life forms. There is a lot of growth within many old characters, unfortunately not always the characters you want to see grow. There was even a few cute points, like when the king of dragons arrives on her door step. It has reached the point where Elantra has become so broad and profuse with characters, that Sagara's characters are more likely to make cameos than actually take any significant part within the story line. Regardless, I still enjoy the interplay and development from book to book.

I've been reading the "Cast In..." novels since the very first one, and I have loved them all. They arent as easy to read as some fantasy is - Sagara plays with words and ideas that are more complex, more complicated, than a lot of fantasy. THe idea that words can hold power, actual physical magical power, is interesting in her hands. ANd sometimes a bit confusing. I try sometimes to avoid envisioning what she is describing, because sometimes I find it just too difficult to understand if i do. However, her stories are always compelling and amazing, and I still love reading them. I hope there are a million more, although I know that someday, Kaylin's story will come to an end.

I have read this series from the beginning and some of the books I have loved and others, not so much. This one falls into the later category. The book was way longer than it had to be and dragged out. It's almost like the writer had a page count to fill and used filler to make the quota. It would have been a great storyline had the book not been so drawn out. If you're hoping for any development in the Kaylin/Severlin relationship there isn't any. Overall it's an okay read for die-hard fans but the book just isn't Sagara's best work and it feels like not her best effort...

I have been following Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series now for a number of years now (just last year I caught up and re-read all ten books of the series), so I have been looking forward to this one for over a year now. And while it does open up just after the events of the tenth book, Cast In Flame, it took me a litle while to feel up to speed with this one. Now that the books are less episodic, they are a bit more difficult to pick up in the middle of the series, and so I wouldn't recommend starting here. Sagara's characters cast of characters all make an appearance here (some play larger roles than others. Nightshade's presence is minimal, which is disappointing to me, as he is my favorite character). But, as usual, there is a crisis threatening to destroy all of Elantra and Kaylin and her friends are in the thick of it. With the pressure of destruction of everything they know again pressing, the character development here is minimal at best - it seems the latest trend is to cram in that part of the series into the epilogue, which I hope will not continue on in the next book.

My main disappointment with this installment lies with the plot. Kaylin's lack of understanding (there's time travel involved - it is not always the most sensical of plots) makes it hard to feel really connected with the action as a result. I like the new characters introduced, but they don't really help with the confusing aspect of the storyline. It is not one of the stronger books in the series - but I am looking forward to the twelfth book. I think that some groundwork is laid here for it to hopefully be a book that focuses more on the series regular characters than imminent destruction...

I’ve been following this series for years. The fantastic world building and wonderful characters in this series have always kept me coming back for more. Unfortunately, the last few books have fallen a bit short.

In the aftermath of battle, the city of Elantra tries to rebuild itself, but crime does not stop. Private Kaylin Neya is assigned a suspicious triple murder that involves the Shadows and magic. She is led on a merry chase through Elantra to gather clues, while struggling to keep her friends alive. If she can't uncover the mystery behind the murders, the future of Elantra will crumble and turn to dust.

Usually, I like to give a little summation of the story, but not a lot actually happens in Cast in Honor. Danger looms throughout the whole book, but nothing really develops. The characters move from one scene to the next, but they end up discussing the same issues over and over. When the action finally starts to pick up, the story slows to a near stop, buried under all the details. I love Kaylin Neya and her magic, but her lack of direction and confusion has been over explained in the last few books. I want action and adventure and the thrill of the story that I fell in love with at the beginning of the series. Michelle Sagara does get points that Severn finally admits his emotions, but the one line at the end of the book felt much too little, too late. The book could've been cut in half and read so much better. Though I've been disappointed in the last few books, I'm not sure I'm ready to call this series quits yet. If I didn't like this series so much, maybe I wouldn't be so disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book by Michelle Sagara is everything typical in this well loved genre of fantasy that she has done so often. This is Cast in Honor instead of Cast in all the other things, so if you are in love with this world and this character here is more for you that you will love.

A fine addition to an intriguing series. Ms. Sagara continues her outstanding character development, world building, and story line. I finished the book 4 days ago and am still reflecting on it. I will be re-reading it, to make sure I missed no nuances, especially regarding the nature of time in Elantra.

love the layers to this story. Really sucks you in. really imaginative too. This is a new to me author and I would look for more from this series and author. I really think this is a well balanced story with an awesome storyline

No continuity in story or to the chronicles. It felt disjointed. I had such high hopes for this book either telling the story of the Aerians, Dragons, or continuing the story of Nightshade or even his people. I would have even enjoyed more about the marks on Private Neya or a story that focused on Sevrin. I am not certain I will be as excited for what comes next in the series. But I can hope.....