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rachelini's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot going on in this book and a lot hinted at (for future books?) but I think it's well balanced and entertaining. Will read the next one!
prairiewolf's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
The author clearly has a huge world in mind, and this story gives us a small glimpse of it. That said, this glimpse is a bit of information overload. The main character is a wise cracking teen whose mouth gets her into trouble. All in all, a mixed bag.
First the information - this is one of those books that one would follow better on a second reading. It is also part of a series. I'm not exactly pushing for a glossary, but this world is different enough from ours that *some* introduction to it would help immensely. Another reviewer compared this to fan fiction for a show we've never seen, and that unfortunately rings true.
The main character is caught in the middle of some huge plot and starts out nearly clueless about it. This is good, she discovers the story. I just wish she could discover it with fewer emotional outbursts and without so much whining.
Finally the plot - the mystery was good. The investigators were well written, with their own motivations and responses. The ending seemed overly large to me - without spoilers, I can say it seems more like of the ending of a series.
So I liked it, but for me it wasn't amazing. This is the 9th of 10 books snagged from the "top" lists of friends.
First the information - this is one of those books that one would follow better on a second reading. It is also part of a series. I'm not exactly pushing for a glossary, but this world is different enough from ours that *some* introduction to it would help immensely. Another reviewer compared this to fan fiction for a show we've never seen, and that unfortunately rings true.
The main character is caught in the middle of some huge plot and starts out nearly clueless about it. This is good, she discovers the story. I just wish she could discover it with fewer emotional outbursts and without so much whining.
Finally the plot - the mystery was good. The investigators were well written, with their own motivations and responses. The ending seemed overly large to me - without spoilers, I can say it seems more like of the ending of a series.
So I liked it, but for me it wasn't amazing. This is the 9th of 10 books snagged from the "top" lists of friends.
bellatora's review against another edition
2.0
Unnecessarily confusing.
For one thing, I couldn't understand why there were so many different types of humanoids mucking about. There’s Barrani (aka, fey), Leontines (lion people), Dragons (who usually seem human but can transform into Dragon Classic), Arians (winged people) and Tha'alani (who I thought were just psychic humans but are actually psychics with head tentacles). To add to this madness, any of these races may belong to the three guard organizations, all of which are named after animals (Hawks, Wolves, and something else). So there’s animal-esque people who belong to organizations named after other animals. Oh, and there's at least two types of magic users, three if you include the Tha'alani.
Politics and geography are also muddled. Everyone is ruled by the Emperor. Except for within the fiefs (which are slummish, hell-hole places), which are ruled by fieflords (who may or may not all be outcast Barrani. This was also unclear). The main character, Kaylin, is an ex-fief denizen who is now a Hawk (one of the guard orders. Who despite the name don’t go airborne. Unless they’re Arians who naturally have wings). The Hawk place (town? Citadel? Castle?) is a stone’s throw from the fief. Kaylin and her companions keep walking/running to the fief so it’s probably less than 5 miles away. Maybe one mile? It is just so absurdly close I don’t understand.
I don’t like being confused. I really, really don’t. I liked the concept of a fantasy-mystery, and there were actual creepy parts, plus the ultimate reveal of the reason behind why Kaylin keeps trying to kill childhood friend-turned-enemy Severn is an emotional punch in the stomach. But when I can’t quite keep straight who everyone is and what is going on, I am too distracted trying to make sense of things to appreciate the story.
Also, ultra-powerful immortals need to stop falling in love with heroines for NO GOOD REASON. Stop going mushy for humans because you find the mix of ignorance, sarcasm and defiance cute or whatever.
For one thing, I couldn't understand why there were so many different types of humanoids mucking about. There’s Barrani (aka, fey), Leontines (lion people), Dragons (who usually seem human but can transform into Dragon Classic), Arians (winged people) and Tha'alani (who I thought were just psychic humans but are actually psychics with head tentacles). To add to this madness, any of these races may belong to the three guard organizations, all of which are named after animals (Hawks, Wolves, and something else). So there’s animal-esque people who belong to organizations named after other animals. Oh, and there's at least two types of magic users, three if you include the Tha'alani.
Politics and geography are also muddled. Everyone is ruled by the Emperor. Except for within the fiefs (which are slummish, hell-hole places), which are ruled by fieflords (who may or may not all be outcast Barrani. This was also unclear). The main character, Kaylin, is an ex-fief denizen who is now a Hawk (one of the guard orders. Who despite the name don’t go airborne. Unless they’re Arians who naturally have wings). The Hawk place (town? Citadel? Castle?) is a stone’s throw from the fief. Kaylin and her companions keep walking/running to the fief so it’s probably less than 5 miles away. Maybe one mile? It is just so absurdly close I don’t understand.
I don’t like being confused. I really, really don’t. I liked the concept of a fantasy-mystery, and there were actual creepy parts, plus the ultimate reveal of the reason behind why Kaylin keeps trying to kill childhood friend-turned-enemy Severn is an emotional punch in the stomach. But when I can’t quite keep straight who everyone is and what is going on, I am too distracted trying to make sense of things to appreciate the story.
Also, ultra-powerful immortals need to stop falling in love with heroines for NO GOOD REASON. Stop going mushy for humans because you find the mix of ignorance, sarcasm and defiance cute or whatever.
kir's review against another edition
Cast in Shadow reminded me of The Craft Sequence - secondary world urban fantasy, where the reader is thrown past the shallows, if not fully into the deep, of the world, along with Politics and machinations and more ordinary people just trying to do their job and remain in as few pieces as possible at the end.
emtees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The premise sounds exactly like the kind of thing I would enjoy - it’s basically urban fantasy, but set in something more like a traditional fantasy world. And there were things about it I enjoyed, but ultimately the writing style and characters just put me off too much.
The worldbuilding is both intriguing and confusing. It may just be that this is the first book in a very long series, and Sagara was going for an immersive feel, but I never felt like I got a clear grasp on what this world is. There’s a city, and there are parts of it that are controlled by an Emperor and parts that are fiefs, controlled by what are effectively crime lords. What, if anything, exists beyond this one city is unclear. There are a huge range of species living in this city - not only humans, but Barrani, who seem to be basically dark takes on elves, Leontine, who are lion people, Aerians, who have wings, Dragons, who are a whole big myster, etc - all of whom should have at least the potential to be interesting. And then there are the Hawks, a sort of multi-species police force that are the center of the story, and who combine modern police tropes with fantasy city guard type tropes in fun ways. The main character, Kaylin, is a human (maybe) who grew up in the fiefs but escaped their horrors to become the youngest member of the Hawks. The story centers around Kaylin being drawn in to a case, a series of sacrificial murders that strongly resembles a similar case from her childhood.
All this sounds great, but in the execution it just did not work for me. The writing style was just confusing. I’m all for being immersed in a new world and told to keep up, but that requires that the author have the skill for doling out information about the world as the story progresses, and that didn’t feel like it happened here. There was a lot that was just left vague, like the world and magic system ran on vibes instead of any kind of real depth. And the characters were… flawed, yes, but mostly in ways that were annoying rather than intriguing. Take Kaylin, the main character. Kaylin is either a badass fighter who can survive anything or a helpless child who needs to be coddled by everyone around her, in the rudest way possible, depending on the scene. Her defining feature is that she is always late; I don’t mean that is a cute quirk that gives her something unique, I mean that is literally the first thing everyone seems to know about her. That, and that she failed most of her classes for becoming a Hawk, not out of lack of ability or difficulty learning but apparently just… disinterest, I guess?… and yet we’re told over and over (and I mean really in almost every scene) that being a Hawk is not only extremely important to Kaylin, it’s her whole identity. She fights with everyone she meets, whether they are friends or enemies, but to be fair, everyone in the book seems to be like that. I don’t know if this is supposed to be a cop book trope, but everyone in this book is in a bad mood all the time. It actually undermines the later chapters, when they are all stressed and snippy because they are working on a very dark case; we’re meant to think that the pressure is getting to them, but they were all so grumpy to begin with it’s hard to tell the difference. And it doesn’t help that all the non-human characters seemed to be defined by species. There are Barrani, who are cold and mysterious, Leontine, who are so short-tempered I kept wondering how they could even be part of a functioning society, Dragons, who seem to have trouble getting along with the other species... Most of these characters seem to have very few personality traits apart from their species, and the same is true of the Hawks. I lost count of how many times a character’s behavior was excused or explained with “s/he’s a Hawk.” There didn’t seem to be much individuality in these people at all.
Some of this I think is that this is an older urban fantasy novel that I’m getting to late, and a lot of what rubbed me wrong was tropey stuff from the urban fantasy boom period. So many tough, shit-talking but secretly vulnerable female main characters; so many allies and love interests who argue all the time but really love each other; so much throw-it-all-in worldbuilding that doesn’t leave a lot of room for nuance. The two… well, I can’t really call them love interests because there is no significant romantic plot with either, but it’s clear that’s where the series will go… anyway, the two future love interests fit this perfectly. Nightshade is dark and mysterious, a supposed enemy who marks Kaylin as his own, a mark she both resents and takes advantage of. Severn is a guy from her past, someone she once loved but whom she has a dark history with, though it will not shock anyone to discover that Severn ultimately has a good (if, in my opinion, not good enough) explanation for the things that drove him and Kaylin apart. All of this feels so predictable that I was bored reading it.
There was stuff to like here. The actual plot of the novel is pretty great, and the mystery of who Kaylin really is is one I’m almost tempted to read the rest of the books to solve. But I doubt the style of them will change and ultimately that was enough for the lower rating.
The worldbuilding is both intriguing and confusing. It may just be that this is the first book in a very long series, and Sagara was going for an immersive feel, but I never felt like I got a clear grasp on what this world is. There’s a city, and there are parts of it that are controlled by an Emperor and parts that are fiefs, controlled by what are effectively crime lords. What, if anything, exists beyond this one city is unclear. There are a huge range of species living in this city - not only humans, but Barrani, who seem to be basically dark takes on elves, Leontine, who are lion people, Aerians, who have wings, Dragons, who are a whole big myster, etc - all of whom should have at least the potential to be interesting. And then there are the Hawks, a sort of multi-species police force that are the center of the story, and who combine modern police tropes with fantasy city guard type tropes in fun ways. The main character, Kaylin, is a human (maybe) who grew up in the fiefs but escaped their horrors to become the youngest member of the Hawks. The story centers around Kaylin being drawn in to a case, a series of sacrificial murders that strongly resembles a similar case from her childhood.
All this sounds great, but in the execution it just did not work for me. The writing style was just confusing. I’m all for being immersed in a new world and told to keep up, but that requires that the author have the skill for doling out information about the world as the story progresses, and that didn’t feel like it happened here. There was a lot that was just left vague, like the world and magic system ran on vibes instead of any kind of real depth. And the characters were… flawed, yes, but mostly in ways that were annoying rather than intriguing. Take Kaylin, the main character. Kaylin is either a badass fighter who can survive anything or a helpless child who needs to be coddled by everyone around her, in the rudest way possible, depending on the scene. Her defining feature is that she is always late; I don’t mean that is a cute quirk that gives her something unique, I mean that is literally the first thing everyone seems to know about her. That, and that she failed most of her classes for becoming a Hawk, not out of lack of ability or difficulty learning but apparently just… disinterest, I guess?… and yet we’re told over and over (and I mean really in almost every scene) that being a Hawk is not only extremely important to Kaylin, it’s her whole identity. She fights with everyone she meets, whether they are friends or enemies, but to be fair, everyone in the book seems to be like that. I don’t know if this is supposed to be a cop book trope, but everyone in this book is in a bad mood all the time. It actually undermines the later chapters, when they are all stressed and snippy because they are working on a very dark case; we’re meant to think that the pressure is getting to them, but they were all so grumpy to begin with it’s hard to tell the difference. And it doesn’t help that all the non-human characters seemed to be defined by species. There are Barrani, who are cold and mysterious, Leontine, who are so short-tempered I kept wondering how they could even be part of a functioning society, Dragons, who seem to have trouble getting along with the other species... Most of these characters seem to have very few personality traits apart from their species, and the same is true of the Hawks. I lost count of how many times a character’s behavior was excused or explained with “s/he’s a Hawk.” There didn’t seem to be much individuality in these people at all.
Some of this I think is that this is an older urban fantasy novel that I’m getting to late, and a lot of what rubbed me wrong was tropey stuff from the urban fantasy boom period. So many tough, shit-talking but secretly vulnerable female main characters; so many allies and love interests who argue all the time but really love each other; so much throw-it-all-in worldbuilding that doesn’t leave a lot of room for nuance. The two… well, I can’t really call them love interests because there is no significant romantic plot with either, but it’s clear that’s where the series will go… anyway, the two future love interests fit this perfectly. Nightshade is dark and mysterious, a supposed enemy who marks Kaylin as his own, a mark she both resents and takes advantage of. Severn is a guy from her past, someone she once loved but whom she has a dark history with, though it will not shock anyone to discover that Severn ultimately has a good (if, in my opinion, not good enough) explanation for the things that drove him and Kaylin apart. All of this feels so predictable that I was bored reading it.
There was stuff to like here. The actual plot of the novel is pretty great, and the mystery of who Kaylin really is is one I’m almost tempted to read the rest of the books to solve. But I doubt the style of them will change and ultimately that was enough for the lower rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment and Child abuse
Fantasy violence, including a significant amount against children. Themes of child abandonment and neglect.chocodile28's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
pages_and_procrastination's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a series that I have had on my bookshelf for a very long time. This is a long series and some of the titles I have received for review. I am mad that it has taken me so long to actually start this, but, also very glad that I finally picked this up,. I love characters like Kayling - completely imperfect but determined to do the right thing. And the magic system? It doesn't completely make sense, but we learn as Kaylin does. Her failure to pass the majority of her classes -because she deems them unnecessary -is a hindrance to her in the current case. But it's also a source of humor. That and her inability to be anywhere on time. Kaylin is my favorite character. but you get to know a handful of the secondary and other characters, so much so that you're almost a part of this world. The world is fleshed out very well, but there are pockets that are not explored. Kaylin's relationship with the other characters is indeed complicated, but this adds a depth to the story. I really liked this world and wouldn't mind visiting - even knowing that everything isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The way that the mystery unravels , Kaylin learns about the different castes and magic. Her last may not be resolved, but she is able to confront it. I don't want to say that she runs into danger half cocked - but she does. It's not always her fault. Her partner(s) are not always the most forthcoming with information Instead of wallowing or being angry, Kaylin accepts this and acts based on what she knows. Is this still half cocked? It may not make her the best partner to work with, but it makes for an interesting read- waiting to see how it all works out. I am looking forward to what develops with these trio of characters and their unusual partnership.
dapper's review against another edition
2.0
There is a good story here but it’s buried beneath so much “mystery” that the reader is left completely out of the story.
Her past with Severn is hinted at many many times but never does it give me anything to go on. Any way to feel even an iota of the depth the book keeps telling me should be felt.
I have no clue what the magic system here is. None at all, so whenever magic anything is brought up I just have to accept it. There are mirrors and bracers (I have no clue what the bracers do) and there’s a seal.. and crusty Barri-bois who drink blood. And she’s got ancient magic but is a human? Idk.
And perhaps one of the most annoying things is how many times “I’m a Hawk!” Is said and still having no idea what the fuck a Hawk actually is. Is it a race? A govt branch? A clan? A species? Whatever.
I feel like with a bit of information this would have been a highly enjoyable story, unfortunately as a reader I was left on the outside looking in
Her past with Severn is hinted at many many times but never does it give me anything to go on. Any way to feel even an iota of the depth the book keeps telling me should be felt.
I have no clue what the magic system here is. None at all, so whenever magic anything is brought up I just have to accept it. There are mirrors and bracers (I have no clue what the bracers do) and there’s a seal.. and crusty Barri-bois who drink blood. And she’s got ancient magic but is a human? Idk.
And perhaps one of the most annoying things is how many times “I’m a Hawk!” Is said and still having no idea what the fuck a Hawk actually is. Is it a race? A govt branch? A clan? A species? Whatever.
I feel like with a bit of information this would have been a highly enjoyable story, unfortunately as a reader I was left on the outside looking in