Scan barcode
nelsonseye's review against another edition
4.0
Reread March 2016: I still missed out on some of the plot nuance and how magic works in this series, but I got more out of the story this time around. I also didn't remember it being as funny the first time around so that was a nice surprise.
Really interesting story, characters and world. It was a bit of a struggle for me to read (I know I missed some nuance and plot complexities) so this is not really a true 4-star rating for me. Rounded up from 3.5.
Really interesting story, characters and world. It was a bit of a struggle for me to read (I know I missed some nuance and plot complexities) so this is not really a true 4-star rating for me. Rounded up from 3.5.
veronica87's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to the audiobook version of this and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it on my own. I somehow doubt it though. Anyway, I'm too tired to go into a full review so I'm just going to use bullet points to highlight the issues I had.
- Dear god in heaven but this was wordy. Sometimes it took forever and a day for the story to get to the damn point. It was also repetitive. For example, there was one incident that the heroine relates three or four times to different characters. I got it the first time, thanks.
- I don't think the author knows how to really get across how the magic in this works. I think she tries to get around this by being excessively wordy which...refer back to the first bullet point.
- Heroine belongs to an elite law enforcement organization but it's well established that she almost flunked out of all her classes. I suppose this is why, despite her years on the job, she is woefully ignorant about a lot of things she should know pretty well. She asks questions about things she should already know but often fails to ask the ones she most needs to.
- Two potential love interests, one of whom is the uber cliched immortal being who nevertheless takes a liking to the twenty-year old heroine despite the fact that there is nothing about her looks or intellect to explain his interest. Of course, he's also busy donning his pretentious cloak of mystery. I am so over this well worn trope. *yawn*
- The overall writing style seems very simplistic and some of the dialogue is just downright childish. It reads very much like a YA book in my opinion. The only thing I was even remotely interested in was finding out what the heroine's old associate/friend, Severn, did to earn her wrath. But by the time the heroine had finished with her never-ending telling of their history I no longer cared.
I was already pretty sure that I wasn't going to be proceeding with this series by the halfway mark of this book but, just for a lark, I skimmed some reviews for the last book published - book #11. No spoilers, but it's clear that there are some issues raised in this book that are still not resolved a full TEN BOOKS LATER. Sorry, but if an author can't address some basic stuff in ten books then I certainly can't be bothered to read them all.
- Dear god in heaven but this was wordy. Sometimes it took forever and a day for the story to get to the damn point. It was also repetitive. For example, there was one incident that the heroine relates three or four times to different characters. I got it the first time, thanks.
- I don't think the author knows how to really get across how the magic in this works. I think she tries to get around this by being excessively wordy which...refer back to the first bullet point.
- Heroine belongs to an elite law enforcement organization but it's well established that she almost flunked out of all her classes. I suppose this is why, despite her years on the job, she is woefully ignorant about a lot of things she should know pretty well. She asks questions about things she should already know but often fails to ask the ones she most needs to.
- Two potential love interests, one of whom is the uber cliched immortal being who nevertheless takes a liking to the twenty-year old heroine despite the fact that there is nothing about her looks or intellect to explain his interest. Of course, he's also busy donning his pretentious cloak of mystery. I am so over this well worn trope. *yawn*
- The overall writing style seems very simplistic and some of the dialogue is just downright childish. It reads very much like a YA book in my opinion. The only thing I was even remotely interested in was finding out what the heroine's old associate/friend, Severn, did to earn her wrath. But by the time the heroine had finished with her never-ending telling of their history I no longer cared.
I was already pretty sure that I wasn't going to be proceeding with this series by the halfway mark of this book but, just for a lark, I skimmed some reviews for the last book published - book #11. No spoilers, but it's clear that there are some issues raised in this book that are still not resolved a full TEN BOOKS LATER. Sorry, but if an author can't address some basic stuff in ten books then I certainly can't be bothered to read them all.
crasscasualty's review against another edition
1.0
Mary Sue protagonist, prose so bad it seems to actively confuse the reader, mediocre plot, poorly conceived fantasy races. I just do not understand the appeal.
octagonal's review against another edition
2.0
Eh, I don't know. Perhaps I was just in the wrong mood for the genre. The world was too detailed about boring things, and too evasive about anything interesting. Mehhh.
tine1789's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
Boeiend verhaal en een interessante wereld, maar de schrijfstijl werkte me op de zenuwen.
Boeiend verhaal en een interessante wereld, maar de schrijfstijl werkte me op de zenuwen.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Cast in Shadow
3 Stars
After fleeing the crime-ridden streets of Nightshade as a child, Kaylin Neya joined the ranks of the Hawks, the guardians who patrol and police the city of Elantra. Now, seven years later, Kaylin is drawn into an investigation that has its roots in her childhood when several children with strange markings similar to her own are found murdered. Together with a partner who has betrayed her in the past and a dragon companion who may have his own agenda, Kaylin is charged with finding a killer whose plans may just lead to her own destruction.
Unfortunately, the choppy writing, underdeveloped world building and lack of background on the various characters and races that populate Elantra undermine an otherwise excellent plot premise.
The story revolving around Kaylin’s investigation is fascinating and the complex world building has definite potential. Nevertheless, the flow of the narrative is often disrupted by the dense language and fragmented sentence structure, which makes it necessary to re-read entire passages in order to understand what has occurred or who has been speaking. Moreover, the terminology, concepts and descriptions are lacking in detail, which leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
Despite the compelling cast of primary and secondary characters, including the strong willed and intelligent Kaylin, the enigmatic fieflord of Nightshade, Kaylin’s former friend and current partner, Severn, and Tiamaris, a member of the dragon race with shapeshifting abilities reminiscent of the Kate Daniels series, none of them is sufficiently fleshed out and the lack of background impairs the overall effect of the book.
In sum, regardless of the confusing elements and problematic writing style, Kaylin and her comrades are interesting enough to continue with the series. Hopefully the problematic issues will be resolved and listening to the audiobook narrated by the incomparable Khristine Hvam will help me with the language.
3 Stars
After fleeing the crime-ridden streets of Nightshade as a child, Kaylin Neya joined the ranks of the Hawks, the guardians who patrol and police the city of Elantra. Now, seven years later, Kaylin is drawn into an investigation that has its roots in her childhood when several children with strange markings similar to her own are found murdered. Together with a partner who has betrayed her in the past and a dragon companion who may have his own agenda, Kaylin is charged with finding a killer whose plans may just lead to her own destruction.
Unfortunately, the choppy writing, underdeveloped world building and lack of background on the various characters and races that populate Elantra undermine an otherwise excellent plot premise.
The story revolving around Kaylin’s investigation is fascinating and the complex world building has definite potential. Nevertheless, the flow of the narrative is often disrupted by the dense language and fragmented sentence structure, which makes it necessary to re-read entire passages in order to understand what has occurred or who has been speaking. Moreover, the terminology, concepts and descriptions are lacking in detail, which leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
Despite the compelling cast of primary and secondary characters, including the strong willed and intelligent Kaylin, the enigmatic fieflord of Nightshade, Kaylin’s former friend and current partner, Severn, and Tiamaris, a member of the dragon race with shapeshifting abilities reminiscent of the Kate Daniels series, none of them is sufficiently fleshed out and the lack of background impairs the overall effect of the book.
In sum, regardless of the confusing elements and problematic writing style, Kaylin and her comrades are interesting enough to continue with the series. Hopefully the problematic issues will be resolved and listening to the audiobook narrated by the incomparable Khristine Hvam will help me with the language.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Having done a bit of homework before I started I'd noticed all sorts of contrasting reviews- lots of 1 or 2 star ratings and just as many 5 star ratings- so I gathered it was a sort of "you get it or you don't" kind of thing.
I also struggled to get a clear answer on what genre this is, and having now read it, I can see why it was hard to categorize. The cover looks like a standard Urban Fantasy, but it's not. I would say it's definitely full or high fantasy, but not the swords and sorcery type I'm used to. It's set in an alternate world and we focus specifically on the City of Elantra. There are a wide variety of species: humans, winged Aerians, half-man half-cat Leontines, ethereally beautiful Barrani and Dragons to name but a few. The city has a law system split into three branches- the Swords, the Wolves and the Hawks. Our main character, Kaylin, is a Hawk. The city is also split into two specific sections; the law abiding side, and the Fiefs. The Fiefs are a dichotomy of the very rich and powerful but outcast Biranni, and the pitifully poor humans, the dregs of society.
The world-building is quite complex and there is a lot to absorb. It feels like you are sort of expected to hit the ground running and pick things up very quickly as you go along. You really have to pay attention and memorize all these new races and hard to pronounce names. But I didn't really mind all that. I'd rather have to pay close attention at first than to have pages and pages of info-dumping. And a complex world, if done well, is worth it in the end, as it really captures you and stays with you long after you finish the series. And that's what I predict for this series once I get further in.
By far the best thing about this book for me was the story of Kaylin and Severn's relationship and just what he did when she was 13 to make her want to kill him on sight. This also links nicely to the current case Kaylin is assigned, involving strange markings showing up on murder victims' bodies in some kind of sacrificial killing spree that the Hawks- including new Hawk, Severn- have to investigate.
The main negatives for me were that the lead character doesn't seem to eat or sleep or wash or do any kind of mundane, inconsequential stuff that, whilst maybe not the most riveting thing to read about, is nonetheless necessary to make your character seem more real. And the other thing was the writing at the end section. I got kind of lost. I realize it was meant to portray the chaos of the situation, but I was quite confused about who what and where at one point. Which was a little annoying. Oh, and one other thing that might annoy some people is that no one tells Kaylin anything. She's largely treated like a bratty little sister by her fellow Hawks who are all older than her and have known her since she was 14 (she's now 20), so they try to protect her by keeping things from her. And since we only know what Kaylin knows, this can be a little frustrating. Or, if you are more like me, intriguing. I don't mind the dangly carrot method of story telling, personally. As long as you give me answers eventually, I can wait.
Overall, I am excited for this series and these characters and look forward to diving straight into the next one right now!
4 Stars! ★★★★
I also struggled to get a clear answer on what genre this is, and having now read it, I can see why it was hard to categorize. The cover looks like a standard Urban Fantasy, but it's not. I would say it's definitely full or high fantasy, but not the swords and sorcery type I'm used to. It's set in an alternate world and we focus specifically on the City of Elantra. There are a wide variety of species: humans, winged Aerians, half-man half-cat Leontines, ethereally beautiful Barrani and Dragons to name but a few. The city has a law system split into three branches- the Swords, the Wolves and the Hawks. Our main character, Kaylin, is a Hawk. The city is also split into two specific sections; the law abiding side, and the Fiefs. The Fiefs are a dichotomy of the very rich and powerful but outcast Biranni, and the pitifully poor humans, the dregs of society.
The world-building is quite complex and there is a lot to absorb. It feels like you are sort of expected to hit the ground running and pick things up very quickly as you go along. You really have to pay attention and memorize all these new races and hard to pronounce names. But I didn't really mind all that. I'd rather have to pay close attention at first than to have pages and pages of info-dumping. And a complex world, if done well, is worth it in the end, as it really captures you and stays with you long after you finish the series. And that's what I predict for this series once I get further in.
By far the best thing about this book for me was the story of Kaylin and Severn's relationship and just what he did when she was 13 to make her want to kill him on sight. This also links nicely to the current case Kaylin is assigned, involving strange markings showing up on murder victims' bodies in some kind of sacrificial killing spree that the Hawks- including new Hawk, Severn- have to investigate.
The main negatives for me were that the lead character doesn't seem to eat or sleep or wash or do any kind of mundane, inconsequential stuff that, whilst maybe not the most riveting thing to read about, is nonetheless necessary to make your character seem more real. And the other thing was the writing at the end section. I got kind of lost. I realize it was meant to portray the chaos of the situation, but I was quite confused about who what and where at one point. Which was a little annoying. Oh, and one other thing that might annoy some people is that no one tells Kaylin anything. She's largely treated like a bratty little sister by her fellow Hawks who are all older than her and have known her since she was 14 (she's now 20), so they try to protect her by keeping things from her. And since we only know what Kaylin knows, this can be a little frustrating. Or, if you are more like me, intriguing. I don't mind the dangly carrot method of story telling, personally. As long as you give me answers eventually, I can wait.
Overall, I am excited for this series and these characters and look forward to diving straight into the next one right now!
4 Stars! ★★★★
chelseavbc's review against another edition
4.0
The strong, engaging voice of CAST IN SHADOW kept my attention, but its the worldbuilding in this one has me so intrigued that I'll be immediately hopping into book two.
lassarina's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this. I loved Kaylin's stubbornness, her sass, and her willingness to work damned hard in pursuit of what she wanted, as well as her compassion. At the same time, I shook my head a lot at her temper and her complete inability to hold her tongue when she needed to--but those things are important to her as a character. I loved her relationships with the other Hawks, and the complicated relationship she has with the foundling hall.
I suppose there's an argument to be made that she's a little too "chosen one," but I'm fine with it. This isn't a grinding low fantasy; it's clearly epic in scale and I'm excited for it. I immediately went back to the library for the next three books and I may have to pick them up to add to my permanent collection.
I suppose there's an argument to be made that she's a little too "chosen one," but I'm fine with it. This isn't a grinding low fantasy; it's clearly epic in scale and I'm excited for it. I immediately went back to the library for the next three books and I may have to pick them up to add to my permanent collection.