Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This is the kind of book that makes me forget I like reading. It is so excruciating for me to get through that I don't only not want to read it, I don't want to read at all.
Action happens. It's kind of incomprehensible and jumbled. Then since Kaylin hasn't gotten any sense of politics, magic, history or anything else, she has to have someone else inform her of the greater significance of what just happened. So then she relates the events that just happened in detail to another person so they can explain to her/the audience what just happened. I was like, "I JUST READ THAT. EITHER EXPLAIN IT AS IT IS HAPPENING OR DON'T GIVE US THE ENTIRE SUMMARY OF WHAT I JUST READ." It was aggravating. Step it up, Kaylin. I don't want to have things explained to me like 6 times just because you are too ignorant to draw conclusions by yourself.
Action happens. It's kind of incomprehensible and jumbled. Then since Kaylin hasn't gotten any sense of politics, magic, history or anything else, she has to have someone else inform her of the greater significance of what just happened. So then she relates the events that just happened in detail to another person so they can explain to her/the audience what just happened. I was like, "I JUST READ THAT. EITHER EXPLAIN IT AS IT IS HAPPENING OR DON'T GIVE US THE ENTIRE SUMMARY OF WHAT I JUST READ." It was aggravating. Step it up, Kaylin. I don't want to have things explained to me like 6 times just because you are too ignorant to draw conclusions by yourself.
Skimmed through a lot of the "action" parts of this -- so called, because they weren't really action-y at all -- so I could get to the Kaylin/Severn parts of this. Would be more like a 2.5 if I weren't already invested in this relationship. Also, take my impression with a grain of salt because the Barrani are essentially high Fae & I hate most every kind of story involving Fae. But I've read the author saying that she wrote each book in almost an episodic manner, similar to a TV series -- so I'm willing to stick around to see how the next one plays out & hope that maybe this one just wasn't for me.
Even though I found it confusing, I got more out of this book than Cast in Shadow. I think knowing more of the characters and the world and how things worked together helped a lot. I still don't quite get how magic works, among other things, but hopefully as I read along, my understanding (along with Kaylin's) will improve.
This book was really well written. I think Michelle Sagara is a beautiful writer. However, she leaves a lot implied in this sequel that I had trouble following. It was good, but not nearly as wonderful as the first book in the series.
Cast in Courtlight takes place in the most beautifully intricate and detailed fantasy world that I have never imagined. The unique blend of races, magic, and law enforcement makes this story epic in every sense of the word.
What I Loved
Kaylin Neya is one of my favorite fantasy characters of all-time. She works on gut instinct and pushes everything else to the wayside, making her frustrating to most people in her life. She is unique, but no one is certain as to exactly how and why. Kaylin has her own moral compass that, more often than not, leads her straight into trouble and dire situations but ultimately allows her to make a massive difference in Elantra's world.
The world-building is exceptional, with every nuance detailed down to the meaning of eye color changes in the races other than human. Even some of the buildings are sentient, making them characters in their own rite.
The world feels so real like you could turn a corner, walk into it, and know exactly where you are and where you need to go. It is a complex world that holds a wide variety of races, such as Dragons, Barrani, Leontines, and Aerians, who all have attributes that resemble their names.
It is a world that is foreign but instantly relatable.
I love the mystery that has to be solved by professional investigators – The Hawks- of which Kaylin is one. She must use her professional investigator abilities as well as her newly blooming magical abilities to figure out the attempted murder of two Barrani brothers, one of which is destined to rule the Barrani people. What she discovers leads to danger and peril until she finally solves the mystery and saves the day.
I love how the story pulls at your heartstrings with Kaylin and Severn's back story that they have to work through to solve the Barrani mystery. This gives the characters so much more dimension and layers that stick with you long after the book closes. I shed a tear during the closing scene as they finally lay a defining moment to rest and move on to what will most definitely be their next adventure.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love fantasy stories, you must have this series on your shelf. It is a world you will want to visit over and over again.
What I Loved
Kaylin Neya is one of my favorite fantasy characters of all-time. She works on gut instinct and pushes everything else to the wayside, making her frustrating to most people in her life. She is unique, but no one is certain as to exactly how and why. Kaylin has her own moral compass that, more often than not, leads her straight into trouble and dire situations but ultimately allows her to make a massive difference in Elantra's world.
The world-building is exceptional, with every nuance detailed down to the meaning of eye color changes in the races other than human. Even some of the buildings are sentient, making them characters in their own rite.
The world feels so real like you could turn a corner, walk into it, and know exactly where you are and where you need to go. It is a complex world that holds a wide variety of races, such as Dragons, Barrani, Leontines, and Aerians, who all have attributes that resemble their names.
It is a world that is foreign but instantly relatable.
I love the mystery that has to be solved by professional investigators – The Hawks- of which Kaylin is one. She must use her professional investigator abilities as well as her newly blooming magical abilities to figure out the attempted murder of two Barrani brothers, one of which is destined to rule the Barrani people. What she discovers leads to danger and peril until she finally solves the mystery and saves the day.
I love how the story pulls at your heartstrings with Kaylin and Severn's back story that they have to work through to solve the Barrani mystery. This gives the characters so much more dimension and layers that stick with you long after the book closes. I shed a tear during the closing scene as they finally lay a defining moment to rest and move on to what will most definitely be their next adventure.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love fantasy stories, you must have this series on your shelf. It is a world you will want to visit over and over again.
this book was much better than the first, she really found her voice and picked up momentum.
I wish I could give her publisher a 1 star rating, though. this book - like the previous one - had a really horrible teaser at the very end of the last chapter. Seriously - after a hundred pages of high stress fast paced good vs evil action, it is INFURIATING to read "but so-and-so's story is not yet over! look for the next installment in the series!" IMMEDIATELY below the last paragraph of the book. it's amateur at best.
I wish I could give her publisher a 1 star rating, though. this book - like the previous one - had a really horrible teaser at the very end of the last chapter. Seriously - after a hundred pages of high stress fast paced good vs evil action, it is INFURIATING to read "but so-and-so's story is not yet over! look for the next installment in the series!" IMMEDIATELY below the last paragraph of the book. it's amateur at best.
The second novel helps understand the world a little better, although I still feel like I missed the bigger picture on how this world functions. I think Sagara purposefully does it, however, so she can build the world as she goes along and keeps it a mystery (she does this through the main characters lack of interest in academics and failing most of her classes). The reader (and the main character) are often left out of the loop, sometimes feeling forced (the characters refuse to answer most questions, which just creates more questions). It is interesting, though, and I'll keep reading the series in hopes if finding out what is going on.
More of a 3.5, better than the second, but you can tell this is one of those series where everything is going to draaaaaaaaagggggg. Too bad since the world in this series is really interesting.
(Also, would it kill the protagonist to be professional? Cursing a lot isn't cute or edgy.)
(Also, would it kill the protagonist to be professional? Cursing a lot isn't cute or edgy.)
RTC
Previous book reviews:
✦ Cast in Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra #1)
✦ Cast in Moonlight (Chronicles of Elantra 0.5)
Previous book reviews:
✦ Cast in Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra #1)
✦ Cast in Moonlight (Chronicles of Elantra 0.5)