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jaironside 's review for:
Cast in Courtlight
by Michelle Sagara
The three stars is for the world building, which is excellent. In this episode Kaylin Neya is sent into the Berrani high court on a quasi diplomatic mission. No, I can't think of a more unlikely choice either. While she's there, the High Lord's son grows ill - unlikely in an immortal and perfect Berrani - and Kaylin's healing abilities might be the only thing that can help.
Honestly, I didn't love this episode. The bits I was interested in - Kaylin finally getting tuition in magic and the activities of the Hawks - were sparse and thin on the ground, whereas the main plot held little interest for me. Of all the different Elantran races, the Berrani are the least interesting. It's even canon that they all look somewhat alike in their perfection, hold similar attitudes and opinion and act somewhat the same. Basically this is the High Fey/ Angel class and they are so boring. So for me the plot centring around them wasn't great. Add to that a court setting and a very slow pace that isn't even used to explore a real intrigue and this was a bit on the snoozeworthy side.
Look I like a slow burn fantasy with space to stretch out and really build the world, unwinding a grand design in the plot. Keep me on board with gorgeous prose, deep themes, emotive characterisation - I will go at your speed. And to be fair the lore here was really interesting; the Berrani relationship with words, power and the exchange of names for the latter was great. But that was it and it wasn't really enough. I quite liked Kaylin in the first book but I was hoping for more character growth here and instead she is just sort of whiny, stubborn in the most irritating way and self involved when it comes to her past. I don't have any feelings about Severn except that I hope he's not being set up to be the love interest because he has less character than a stick of wood. I get that he did something terrible to save Kaylin years ago but so much of this book was dedicated to Kaylin wrestling with her feelings over not being able to forgive Severn but still feeling he was family, that I lost any sympathy I had for the situation. The problem is, that was sub plot. A good sub plot enhances the main plot. This one competed with and almost drowned the main plot, making the structure of the book wobble. I don't know what we're supposed to feel about this conflict but it's still not solved by the end of the book and I'm pretty sure mentally screaming 'just get over it' is not what the author intended. Added to that I'm having difficulty with Sagara's prose. There is A LOT of repetition and a few infodumps scattered around, plus my number one bugbear - expositionary dialogue full of infodump. At a brisker paced, 200 page shorter book with some humour thrown in to alleviate the melodrama, this would have been a solid 4 stars. Right now this is 3 stars for the world and a hasty prayer that book three deals with some of these issues.
Honestly, I didn't love this episode. The bits I was interested in - Kaylin finally getting tuition in magic and the activities of the Hawks - were sparse and thin on the ground, whereas the main plot held little interest for me. Of all the different Elantran races, the Berrani are the least interesting. It's even canon that they all look somewhat alike in their perfection, hold similar attitudes and opinion and act somewhat the same. Basically this is the High Fey/ Angel class and they are so boring. So for me the plot centring around them wasn't great. Add to that a court setting and a very slow pace that isn't even used to explore a real intrigue and this was a bit on the snoozeworthy side.
Look I like a slow burn fantasy with space to stretch out and really build the world, unwinding a grand design in the plot. Keep me on board with gorgeous prose, deep themes, emotive characterisation - I will go at your speed. And to be fair the lore here was really interesting; the Berrani relationship with words, power and the exchange of names for the latter was great. But that was it and it wasn't really enough. I quite liked Kaylin in the first book but I was hoping for more character growth here and instead she is just sort of whiny, stubborn in the most irritating way and self involved when it comes to her past. I don't have any feelings about Severn except that I hope he's not being set up to be the love interest because he has less character than a stick of wood. I get that he did something terrible to save Kaylin years ago but so much of this book was dedicated to Kaylin wrestling with her feelings over not being able to forgive Severn but still feeling he was family, that I lost any sympathy I had for the situation. The problem is, that was sub plot. A good sub plot enhances the main plot. This one competed with and almost drowned the main plot, making the structure of the book wobble. I don't know what we're supposed to feel about this conflict but it's still not solved by the end of the book and I'm pretty sure mentally screaming 'just get over it' is not what the author intended. Added to that I'm having difficulty with Sagara's prose. There is A LOT of repetition and a few infodumps scattered around, plus my number one bugbear - expositionary dialogue full of infodump. At a brisker paced, 200 page shorter book with some humour thrown in to alleviate the melodrama, this would have been a solid 4 stars. Right now this is 3 stars for the world and a hasty prayer that book three deals with some of these issues.