Scan barcode
A review by lavendermarch
Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
3.0
3, 3.5 stars. The plot was interesting, involving a series of ritual murderers of children. We eventually found out why, and other pertinent information. This part, along with the intricacies of the Barrani, Old Ones, Leontines, etc. confused me. But I liked the characters a lot. They were great. It was just that I was thrown into the deep end of this world's swimming pool, and I really could have used a glossary on all the different species. I really hope book two clears things up more. Overall, it was a decent, if confusing, read, with endearing characters and an interesting plot line. 3.5 stars.
Oh, and for the record, there was no romance. I think by the end, Severn was a definite possibility, but there was weird stuff happening with Lord Nightshade, too. I'm lost.
Reread May 1st-2nd, 2022
I was a bit apprehensive about rereading this since I remembered really enjoying the series (having read 12 books in it) but also being confused for the first few about the world building and the way certain things were explained. I am happy to report that because I recalled a decent amount of things about the characters and the world building, this book was far less overwhelming on those fronts!
So that really propelled the world building from incredible but overwhelming/confusing to intricate and well done for me. I don't remember a lot of details, just the broad strokes, so I'm really excited to explore the world and characters (read: DRAGONS!) more deeply as the series continues.
Aside from that, I really liked Kaylin in this book. The first book in The Chronicles of Elantra is very much a coming of age book for her, as she overcomes childhood trauma and learns more about herself and her mysterious powers. That's not to say that clearcut answers are necessarily delivered - on the reread, I can say that it's only the tip of the iceberg - but it's definitely a strong start to unravelling their mystery. As with the world building, I look forward to further exploring both Kaylin's powers and her character growth in general.
I do want to say on the character growth front that I was actually fine with her actions and reactions in this book - they felt very in line with her age and the bits of her character that were revealed, so factoring all of that in, I really enjoyed her character. She was caring, protective, and had good instincts, but was also a little mouthy - my kind of MC. She wasn't great at school, and that was something that did bug me a bit - she lacked knowledge, first and foremost, and that is something I sincerely want her to remedy so that she can negotiate her place in the complex web of politics and magic that makes up Elantra.
Speaking of which, I just want to fangirl about Nightshade for a moment. He's so enigmatic and it's so much fun! That said, his relationship with Kaylin feels unbalanced right now since she doesn't have enough information about him, the Barrani, her own powers, etc. To be fair, they barely know each other at this point, so that makes sense, but I do look forward to seeing them interact on a more even keel later on.
As for Severn, I don't hate him, which is nice. If you read the book, you'll understand. But seriously, I'm grateful that I have relatively neutral feelings on him right now because
triangle aside, he's just not my fave type of character - I prefer funny guys over silent strong types.
What about the other characters? Well, I love Marrin, Marcus, Tiamarus, the Hawklord, Teela, and Tarin. I also trust most of them to a point, which is nice.
The plot of Cast in Shadow was also quite good - there was enough of a mystery to keep me guessing a bit (I'd remembered the characters but forgotten the specific plot of this book, haha), the actions scenes were strong, the descriptions were rich but not so wordy as to lose me (I have a propensity to over-focus on dialogue, oops), and the story intertwined well with the world building.
So, overall, I found this to be a very strong read in general, and particularly nicely, a fantastic reread (especially among a spate of disappointing rereads this year), with a likable, easy to root for main character, intricate world building, fantastic, immersive, flowing writing, and characters I could gush about for hours, not to mention to well-executed plot. 4.5 stars. On to book 2!
Oh, and for the record, there was no romance. I think by the end, Severn was a definite possibility, but there was weird stuff happening with Lord Nightshade, too. I'm lost.
Reread May 1st-2nd, 2022
I was a bit apprehensive about rereading this since I remembered really enjoying the series (having read 12 books in it) but also being confused for the first few about the world building and the way certain things were explained. I am happy to report that because I recalled a decent amount of things about the characters and the world building, this book was far less overwhelming on those fronts!
So that really propelled the world building from incredible but overwhelming/confusing to intricate and well done for me. I don't remember a lot of details, just the broad strokes, so I'm really excited to explore the world and characters (read: DRAGONS!) more deeply as the series continues.
Aside from that, I really liked Kaylin in this book. The first book in The Chronicles of Elantra is very much a coming of age book for her, as she overcomes childhood trauma and learns more about herself and her mysterious powers. That's not to say that clearcut answers are necessarily delivered - on the reread, I can say that it's only the tip of the iceberg - but it's definitely a strong start to unravelling their mystery. As with the world building, I look forward to further exploring both Kaylin's powers and her character growth in general.
I do want to say on the character growth front that I was actually fine with her actions and reactions in this book - they felt very in line with her age and the bits of her character that were revealed, so factoring all of that in, I really enjoyed her character. She was caring, protective, and had good instincts, but was also a little mouthy - my kind of MC. She wasn't great at school, and that was something that did bug me a bit - she lacked knowledge, first and foremost, and that is something I sincerely want her to remedy so that she can negotiate her place in the complex web of politics and magic that makes up Elantra.
Speaking of which, I just want to fangirl about Nightshade for a moment. He's so enigmatic and it's so much fun! That said, his relationship with Kaylin feels unbalanced right now since she doesn't have enough information about him, the Barrani, her own powers, etc. To be fair, they barely know each other at this point, so that makes sense, but I do look forward to seeing them interact on a more even keel later on.
As for Severn, I don't hate him, which is nice. If you read the book, you'll understand. But seriously, I'm grateful that I have relatively neutral feelings on him right now because
Spoiler
I have an inkling on who might win the love triangle eventually, although I can't say for sure. Also, lovetriangle aside, he's just not my fave type of character - I prefer funny guys over silent strong types.
What about the other characters? Well, I love Marrin, Marcus, Tiamarus, the Hawklord, Teela, and Tarin. I also trust most of them to a point, which is nice.
The plot of Cast in Shadow was also quite good - there was enough of a mystery to keep me guessing a bit (I'd remembered the characters but forgotten the specific plot of this book, haha), the actions scenes were strong, the descriptions were rich but not so wordy as to lose me (I have a propensity to over-focus on dialogue, oops), and the story intertwined well with the world building.
So, overall, I found this to be a very strong read in general, and particularly nicely, a fantastic reread (especially among a spate of disappointing rereads this year), with a likable, easy to root for main character, intricate world building, fantastic, immersive, flowing writing, and characters I could gush about for hours, not to mention to well-executed plot. 4.5 stars. On to book 2!