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A review by tmdavis
Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
3.0
This novel suffered from a massive case of too much world building. The main character, Kaylin Neya, is a human who lives in the city of Elantra along five other races. From what the author wrote and then what I could find online (since what the author wrote was confusing), Kaylin lives alongside five different races: the Barrani (immortals), the Dragons (also immortals, who can appear human), the Tha'alani (mortals who can discern the truth by touching you with the stalks growing out of their foreheads), the Leontines (lion-like mortals), and the Aerians (mortals with wings who can fly).
The city of Elantra is run by the three Lords of Law under the direction of the Emperor. The Lord of Hawks, the Lord of Swords, and the Lord of Wolves all have teams of people (made up of different races) who help run the city. The Swords are the city's peacekeepers, the Wolves its hunters/killers, and the Hawks its eyes and ears--the people who actually solve crimes. Kaylin Neya is a Hawk and has been for the past seven years.
The novel begins with Kaylin being given an assignment by the Hawklord to investigate the deaths of children in the fief of Nightshade. She is paired with a Severn, a past friend who she no longer trusts and hasn't seen in seven years, and the first Dragon to become a hawk.
Kaylin grew up in the fief of Nightshade and witnessed the similar deaths of children over a period of three years. In addition, when she turned 13, she noticed that tattoos had appeared on her forearms and thighs--tattoos just like the ones the dead children had. She has no idea who put them there or why she has them or why they keep changing as the murders continue. After receiving the tattoos, she has an unexplainable ability to heal. This power grows but also has a dark side, which after she joins the Hawks she wears a bracer on her arm to contain. At 13, after an especially traumatic event, she runs from Nightshade to the safety of the Hawks where she has been ever since. And now she must go back.
The fiefs of the city of Elantra are not bound by the law of the Emperor but by their own law, their own armies, and their own lords. Each fief is ruled by a different fieflord, who rules with money and power. Kind of like the slums of the city where unruly and "illegal" things happen but the law enforcers turn a blind eye. Not a happy place to be.
The story, the first in a series, is intriguing, but the author confuses details and there is so much exposition that it makes it really hard to follow. There were parts that I had to reread to make sure I understood what was going on. In addition, the copious worldbuilding and some of the dialogue pulled me completely out of the story instead of drawing me into it--and this continued throughout the book. The beginning and end seemed to drag while the middle was the quickest read in the book. In addition, the explanation for the murders (while given) is not made fully clear which left me with a feeling that I must be missing something. I am hoping that the author will at least clear up some questions in the next book.
I think I will give the series one more book and if it doesn't improve, then I'll move on.
The city of Elantra is run by the three Lords of Law under the direction of the Emperor. The Lord of Hawks, the Lord of Swords, and the Lord of Wolves all have teams of people (made up of different races) who help run the city. The Swords are the city's peacekeepers, the Wolves its hunters/killers, and the Hawks its eyes and ears--the people who actually solve crimes. Kaylin Neya is a Hawk and has been for the past seven years.
The novel begins with Kaylin being given an assignment by the Hawklord to investigate the deaths of children in the fief of Nightshade. She is paired with a Severn, a past friend who she no longer trusts and hasn't seen in seven years, and the first Dragon to become a hawk.
Kaylin grew up in the fief of Nightshade and witnessed the similar deaths of children over a period of three years. In addition, when she turned 13, she noticed that tattoos had appeared on her forearms and thighs--tattoos just like the ones the dead children had. She has no idea who put them there or why she has them or why they keep changing as the murders continue. After receiving the tattoos, she has an unexplainable ability to heal. This power grows but also has a dark side, which after she joins the Hawks she wears a bracer on her arm to contain. At 13, after an especially traumatic event, she runs from Nightshade to the safety of the Hawks where she has been ever since. And now she must go back.
The fiefs of the city of Elantra are not bound by the law of the Emperor but by their own law, their own armies, and their own lords. Each fief is ruled by a different fieflord, who rules with money and power. Kind of like the slums of the city where unruly and "illegal" things happen but the law enforcers turn a blind eye. Not a happy place to be.
The story, the first in a series, is intriguing, but the author confuses details and there is so much exposition that it makes it really hard to follow. There were parts that I had to reread to make sure I understood what was going on. In addition, the copious worldbuilding and some of the dialogue pulled me completely out of the story instead of drawing me into it--and this continued throughout the book. The beginning and end seemed to drag while the middle was the quickest read in the book. In addition, the explanation for the murders (while given) is not made fully clear which left me with a feeling that I must be missing something. I am hoping that the author will at least clear up some questions in the next book.
I think I will give the series one more book and if it doesn't improve, then I'll move on.