Just the Facts:
Overall Rating: 3 ½ stars
Addiction Level: I
ignored the hubby and puppy until I finished the book.
Believe-ability: I
daydream about the created world and wonder how I fit in.
~~~
I didn’t know I needed a new series
until I was introduced to Chronicles of Elantra. (Thanks Tori & Lynn!) The last complete series I read was Harry Potter. I am in the midst of many series as authors
write and publish them. There is something
to be said about already published series or at least having more than one book
in a series published.
I have been yearning for a good
fantasy story since I read Eon and Eona. The Chronicles of Elantra follows Kaylin, a
young woman who escaped the bad side of (the fiefs) and is now an officer of
the law (Hawk). As she solves crimes she
has to face her past and learn about herself.
What I liked:
- The story – An orphan girl who ran away from her past gets to start anew.
- The characters
- Kaylin & Severn – They used to trust one another. They still do to some extent. They have to trust one another to conduct an investigation. The dynamic of their relationship is interesting, especially since Kaylin tries to kill Severn several times!
- Nightshade – He is the creepy, evil fief lord who rules “the bad part of town.’ He marks Kaylin with his symbol, a nightshade flower…on her cheek…for the whole world to see! In magical ease it means he owns her. Despite his creepiness he intrigues me, and I even liked and trusted him.
What I was annoyed with:
- It felt like the narrator kept switching between first and third person points of view. The flip-flopping was confusing.
- Some of the dialogue was confusing. I had to reread several passages.
- I had to wait until the middle (of a 500 page book) to discover why Kaylin wants to kill Severn.
- The pieces of the story took a while to fit together.
Cast in Shadow
felt like a rough draft. Despite its
flaws I loved the characters enough to want to continue in the series.
P.S. Book 2 rocks!
