Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara - 4.5 stars

Book 6 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Chaos (#6) by Michelle Sagara

4.5 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2) | Cast in Secret (#3) 

Cast in Fury (#4) | Cast in Silence (#5)

I have a difficult time giving these books 5 stars and I think it's because sometimes I get confused and I have to go back and reread in order to understand it. 

This was a really good book. This book doesn't focus on one particular race but I was hoping it would. I would really like to learn more about the Aerians. Cast in Ruin focuses on Dragons and Cast in Peril is another Barrani book. When do we get the Aerians? I want to know!!

Anyways, something weird is happening on Elani street. This street is popular for it's love spells and fortune telling and basically all the fake magic that you can think of. None of the magic actually works...until one day it does. This, of course, starts a whole new kind of craziness for the Hawks. Later, Kaylin and Severn head to Evanton's shop. Kaylin stops to talk to Evanton's apprentice while Severn and Evanton proceed to go into the garden. When Kaylin goes to follow, she winds up in a garden that is not really the garden. When she attempts to leave, the shop door gets farther and farther away and she ends up in a gray place. She is rescued by Nightshade but not before she is almost killed by the creature known as the Devourer. They later discover that this being destroys worlds and right now it's headed towards Elantra. The portal that is opening will allow the Devourer through and it threatens to destroy the world. 

There are many things that start to happen all at once. The Oracles are seeing visions and Everly, the boy who paints prophecies, has started painting again and on a very large canvas. This does not bode well for Elantra. They also discover that there are people, of what race they do not know, that are walking through the inbetween space, and the Devourer is on their tails. They will come through the portal and bring the creature with them. 

In the end, we learn what the Devourer actually is and it's Kaylin who saves Elantra (view spoiler).*

The characters are really interesting in this book. We get a new development between Severn and Kaylin. Severn is the one who helps Kaylin in the end so she doesn't get lost in what she is doing to save the world (view spoiler).** It's a little bit of a blow for those who are Team Nightshade which is the team I belong to. It's exciting to see Arkon leave his library and the climax of the book is really good. I couldn't put it down. Ybelline makes another appearance and I love her. I also love that the fief Tiamaris is starting to be rebuilt. Tara is so interesting and I like that we are starting to know her more. Morse makes appearances too and while I didn't like her when we were first introduced to her character, she has grown on me. 

Overall it was a good book and I enjoyed it. I liked it better than Cast in Silence. In each book we learn more and more about the world of Elantra and it's fascinating. 

Review on Goodreads. 

Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara - 4 stars

Cast in Silence (#5) by Michelle Sagara
4 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2) | Cast in Secret (#3)

Cast in Fury (#4)

I am really enjoying this series. It's just so interesting because it's a whole different world with different species and  I love it.

This book focuses on Kaylin's past. We know from previous books that after she ran from Severn in Nightshade, she disappeared for six months before she showed up to become a Hawk. Kaylin always dismissed those thoughts and focused on other things, leaving the readers wondering. Cast in Silence finally explores those six months.

While on patrol with Severn, Kaylin runs into an old acquaintance, Morse, from the fief of Barren, the fief she had run too after she fled Nightshade. Barren, the fieflord, has a message for Kaylin and Morse is there to deliver it. Of course this freaks Kaylin out because she had worked for seven years to forget about the six months she had been in Barren. She has been keeping a secret from everyone except the Hawklord why she left Barren and became a Hawk. I won't spoil it but it's pretty good.

There is trouble in Barren. Shadows are spreading and Barren cannot hold the borders. Something odd is going on and if these shadows breach the border of Nightshade, they will eventually make their way into Elantra, destroying everything. Tiamaris becomes a Hawk again and Kaylin's partner as she investigates what is wrong with Barren. The shadows are releasing creatures and killing humans or infecting humans. There are also shadowstorms. These storms can change Barrani and dragons because of their names.

I like Morse as a character. She's tough and she doesn't care about anything. When Morse found Kaylin, Kaylin told her that she wanted to learn how to kill a man. Morse didn't ask any questions. Morse took Kaylin under her wing and began to train her. Kaylin lived under Morse's roof for those six months, learning from Morse and eventually doing Barren's bidding. Morse told Kaylin that she too wanted to kill a man but she had to wait until the right moment.

There are some subtle hints that Barren sexually abused Kaylin but this is not elaborated upon. Barren occupies white towers but for the past ten years he has not truly held the fief. It has been in name only. A fieflord has to be connected to the fief in some magical way. We learn why at the end.

I enjoyed this book because I learned about Kaylin's past that had only been hinted upon in the previous books. I did really like the ending and it made me very happy. Tiamaris is one of my favorite characters and his  what happened in this book just made me so happy. I think I gave this book four stars because I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous two books. It is written well and the character arcs are progressing. There isn't really a romance element in these books so far and I am wondering there ever will be. The detail the Sagara puts into this world makes it almost seem real. I love it though I would not want to be part of it.

Obviously I will continue on with this series and still recommend it to readers.

Review on Goodreads.

Cast in Fury by Michelle Sagara - 4.5 stars

Book 4 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Fury (#4) by Michelle Sagara
4.5 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2) | Cast in Secret (#3)

You have no idea how much I wish Goodreads had half stars. Thankfully I can do whatever I want on this blog and this book gets 4.5 stars!

As in Cast in Courtlight and Cast in Secret focused on two different races, Cast in Fury focuses on the Leontine race. This is super interesting. The fact that something from a previous book is a major plot point in this book is actually really awesome. J.K. Rowling did these small things all the time in Harry Potter. I love when authors do that. Kaylin helped a Leontine mother give birth to her child. It was a difficult birth which is unusual for the Leontines. Kaylin licked the birthing fluids from the baby's eyelids and he is named after her. This is extremely important because by Leontine and Pridlea law, the baby is also hers.

Kaylin and Severn have a new assignment in this book. When the giant tidal wave threatened to drown the city in Cast in Secret, the Tha'alani went to the docks to try and help Kaylin stop the water. Now the humans believe that the Tha'alani were responsible for the tidal wave and there are riots and unrest. Tha'alani are being attacked. Kaylin and Severn have to help the Imperial Playwright with his play. The Dragon Emperor demanded a play to explain some of the Tha'alani and their actions. Since Kaylin and Severn know the Tha'alani best, they have to help him make the play more realistic. While at the palace, Kaylin hears of attacks at the Tha'alani Quarter. She instantly goes to their aid. Four Tha'alani have been injured and at least two of them are in critical condition. Kaylin heals them right in front of the playwright. Her healing powers have been kept on the down low so it's not too good that it was witnessed by someone who works for the Emperor.

While Kaylin and Severn were in the Quarter, Marcus was arrested by the Leontines for murder. Kaylin can't believe this of course even though it is true. She visits the Pridlea. A pridlea is the home of a male Leontine and his wives. Yes the Leontines have multiple wives. Ever since Kaylin joined the Hawks, Marcus brought her to the Pridlea and she soon became a part of it.

Basically this means Kaylin has two jobs in this book.She must help this playwright get his play correct so he doesn't offend the Tha'alani but also helps calm the public and she also has to find a way to save Marcus from his fate at the hands on the castelord of the Leontines.

We get Timarias back in this book and we also get more information of the fiefs, the history of the Leontines and how they came to be. If a Leontine child is born with amber colored fur they are considered marked and are put to death immediately. This was not true for one of Marcus' wives because she was a female. Her sister was also marked but the two were saved because they were female. As long as they didn't birth a male it would be okay. Her sister did birth a male and by the law, the child should have been killed. These marked children have certain abilities and they are dangerous.

What I really enjoyed was finding out about Marrin's history as a Leontine outside of the city. She gave birth to a marked cub and she was put to death. Marrin left her husband and came to the city of Elantra. She created the foundling hall because even though she couldn't save her baby, she could save the human children who were abandoned by their parents.

I am really happy with this book and it deserved my 4.5 stars. This series is starting to become one of my favorites. I have many favorites of course but I am enjoying this series immensely.

Next up, Cast in Silence.

Review on Goodreads.

Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara - 4.5 stars

Book 3 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Secret (#3) by Michelle Sagara
4.5 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2)

I really enjoyed this book. I read it so quickly. It was suspenseful but also extremely informative. Cast in Courtlight focused on the Barrani. Cast in Secret focused on the Tha'alani. I wasn't ever sure what my feelings were on the race but I definitely didn't have the aversion Kaylin had. It was nice to see her get over her suspicion and embrace them.

The Tha'alani don't really want to interact much with humans and other races. They fear the fears of humans. They share a connection with the Tha'alaan and everyone's memories, thoughts, feelings, everything is given to the Tha'alaan. It takes a special Tha'alani to be able to touch the mind of another race and keep it from the Tha'alaan.

When Kaylin first visits the Tha'alani Quarter, she is stared at by the children that were out. One little boy ran to her and Kaylin wasn't fearful at all. Kaylin has a soft spot for children and that is something I love about her. I love children as well and I like the fierce protectiveness Kaylin feels for any child no matter the race.

The focus of this book is a missing Tha'alani child and a missing human child. This, of course, motivates Kaylin to do something to find them. We are also introduced to the Keeper. He makes sure the garden is kept under control. If the city is wiped out, the garden and his shop would still stand. In the small garden are the four elements. Kaylin is already learning about fire with Sanabalis but when she looks into the pool of water, she sees a child who calls her by name. This is the human child she is looking for. Something was stolen from the Keeper's garden and it is up to Kaylin and Severn to find it. If the box is opened then bad things will happen.  On top of everything else, the Oracles have made a prediction that the city will be drowned in water. Basically this book is one bad thing after another.

I loved this book. I loved learning about the Tha'alani. I was always curious about them and why Kaylin feared them so much. Honestly there is nothing to be afraid of. If anything, they are more afraid of humans. Ybelline is the Caste leader. She can read human minds and keep it from the Tha'alaan. This is something only very skilled Tha'alani can do. It's very difficult to explain the culture and race of the Tha'alani without reading the book. I just find them fascinating.

This book received 4.5 stars from me. The writing was better in this book and I enjoyed the plot. As the series continues, I am learning more about the world of Elantra. I am enjoying it immensely and I can't wait to see what is in store.

Next is Cast in Fury.

Review on Goodreads

Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara - 4 stars

Book 2 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Courtlight (#2) by Michelle Sagara

4 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Review

Cast in Shadow (#1)

I really am enjoying this series. I'm a little behind on my reviews because I am having a hard time putting them down. I'm currently almost finished with Cast in Fury which is book four in the Chronicles of Elantra series. They're very good and very addicting. 

Cast in Courtlight focuses on the elf/fey-like immortals. Kaylin is suddenly called upon by Teela, a Barrani Hawk who is also Kaylin's friend. When Kaylin arrives, Teela is dressed in court clothing which means a fancy dress. She brings Kaylin to the Barrani High Court to heal the Lord of the West March. He is always called Lord of the West March. Talk about a mouthful. It is very hard to kill an immortal but someone almost manages it. Kaylin is able to heal him but he forced to give her his name. As we learned in Cast in Shadow, the names for the Dragons and Barrani are who they are and they can be controlled through their name. It's not an unknown concept among the faerie world but I like that there is more to the name. Their names are essentially their entire being. This is important later on. When someone knows their name, they can also communicate silently however, they cannot lie when the are speaking like that.

Kaylin is later called to the court because the High Lord's heir is ill. Because she was able to heal the Lord of the West March, they believe she might be able to heal Lord of the West March's elder brother, Lord of the Green. It is crucial that he be healed because the High Lord needs to give his power to Lord of the Green and the Consort needs to pass on her power to the future Consort, her daughter (view spoiler).* The High Court has it's secrets and the High Lord and his Consort play important roles. It's actually very interesting. More magic, more history, more danger.

In this book we see the relationship between Kaylin and Severn grow and eventually she comes to understand why he killed the two children (view spoiler).** Severn has to deal with the guilt everyday even though he did what was necessary. Kaylin could never have done it and in the end the world would have been destroyed. I'm glad that their relationship was repaired because Severn is always there for Kaylin. He watches her back and he cares about her.

Kaylin has some character development in this book which I am happy for. I believe she will grow in each book even though she is extremely stubborn and a horrible student. I like that she now has Sanabalis as her teacher. Her magic still has unknown qualities and it's pretty interesting. I also love Sanabalis. He's awesome and he's a Dragon.

As I continue to read the series I am falling more and more in love with it. I am starting to see more of the world of Elantra and I like that it is unlike any world a lot of authors have created. My next review is of Cast in Secret. Hopefully I'll get to it soon. That will only happen if I manage to put my book down.

Review on Goodreads

Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Book 1 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Shadow (#1) by Michelle Sagara
4 stars

So this has been on my to-read list for the longest time. It sounded interesting when I bought it at least a year or two ago. I don't know why it took me so long but hey, I finally read it.

There are some negative reviews for this book but I found myself enjoying it. Some world building had to occur for this book and it was difficult to understand when I first started reading. I felt like Sagara needed to have a glossary in the book so I could understand the world a little better before I started reading. Basically this world is an alternate universe. Elantra is a big city. This world isn't technologically advanced and they rely on horses and carriages. It's almost medieval but this world also has magic. There are 5 different races that we are introduced to. You have the immortals: Dragons and Barrani. Then you have the mortals: Leontines (Lion type humans), Aerians (People with wings), Tha'alani (creatures with probe things on their heads. They can read you mind and memories and can almost show you images), and humans. Each race has a different culture and it's pretty interesting.

Kaylin Neya is our heroine. She is a chronically late person who is also a little special. When she was younger there was a series of murders of children around her age. Each child who was found dead had strange markings on their arms and thighs. One day marks appeared on Kaylin but she was never killed. We learn why later. Kaylin’s marks have given her some power that no one understands. She knows she can heal and she does what she can for the midwives. She helps mothers and children in danger from complicated births. She also can heal injuries. Her powers are not always in her control and it's had some deadly consequences. Because of this the Hawklord requires her to wear a bracer that tamps down her powers.

When the murders begin again, Kaylin must face her childhood home in the fiefs. The fief that Kaylin grew up in is Nightshade. It, like all the other fiefs, is run by one person and they are named after the person in charge. Lord Nightshade is in charge of the fief and even though he is an an outcaste Barrani, the Lords of Law do not mess with him. The laws have no control in the fiefs. He gifts Kaylin with a mark on her cheek. It is a nightshade flower. The Barrani and Dragon's can see this mark even if Kaylin tried to hide it. This mark protects her within Nightshade but puts her in danger outside of it.

To help Kaylin find the culprit behind the murders, she is forced with work with a Dragon and Severn. Severn betrayed Kaylin in the worst way even though he did what was necessary at the time (view spoiler).* Because of what he did, Kaylin doesn't trust him. She can't help but feel their old companionship because Severn was part of her life for so long. I find it funny that the first time she sees him she basically tries to kill him (view spoiler).**

I really liked this book but for some reason it took me awhile to review it. I don't know why but oh well. I will reread it sometime in the future. I like to reread because I know I miss things. I would recommend this book. My only problem is that you don't really get a full explanation of the world of Elantra. It's difficult to figure things out sometimes. I have a feeling that there will be more explanation as the book progress but I think that there should have been more of an introduction or world building. I like that we are dropped into the middle of the story but I wish there was a little more background. I would have at least liked a glossary.

Review on Goodreads