SOMETHING IS WAKINGThe fiefs that exist at the heart of the city of Elantra are home to sentient Towers that guard the world against the incursion of Shadow. But between the fiefs exists the gray world of the border zone. In it, geography changes between one passage across a border and the next. The rules of magic are different there—and yet somehow familiar to Kaylin Neya.When a Shadow escapes, … Neya.
When a Shadow escapes, Kaylin must find out how…and why. If Shadows can breach the barrier erected by the Towers, the whole of Elantra will be devoured. It’s happened on other worlds. Bellusdeo, Kaylin’s Dragon companion, absolutely believes it can happen on theirs.
The border zone holds secrets and ancient histories, and people are gathering there in search of its power. Without even understanding what that power is, or why it exists, Kaylin is in a desperate race against time to find those secrets first. She doesn’t know who her enemies are. She doesn’t know how many she’ll face. But she won’t face them alone.
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I can’t believe we are already at book number 15! One of the things I like best about Michelle Sagara’s Cast series is that the character development happens at a normal pace. 15 books seems like a lot, but what it really does is allow readers to experience character growth naturally, through the situations the main character encounters. And in this book we finally see the payoff of all of that growth. *Someone* gets a promotion. And the scene is delightful. Go read it for yourself.
In Cast in Wisdom, it has been some time since Kaylin has been to work. She serves as the equivalent of a street cop in the world of Elantra, but events continuously conspire to prevent her from doing her job, much to the annoyance of her boss. At the beginning of this book, we think she might be about to return to work. And she does. For about one day. A patrol assignment turns into confinement in what amounts to a semi-sentient haunted house.
Of course, Kaylin is not alone on her patrol. Her roommate, Bellusdeo, who also happens to be the last female dragon (read: a very important person), is trapped as well, along with several members of the Barrani cohort who were freed from the Heart of the Green in previous books. In their attempts to escape from the building, they discover more about what the building used to be and its particular importance to one of the members of the Imperial Dragon Court.
Despite most of this book taking place while trapped inside various buildings, there were some real bright spots. We got to see more of the fiefs and their respective Lords- some of whom I very much hope will make appearances in future books. Lord Emmerian comes back, and I got some more fuel for my personal theory that Emmerian might be the answer to Bellusdeo’s problem of who to eventually have a clutch of baby dragons with. We hear more about the Arkon’s past and how he spent his youth. We also delve a little bit further into Kaylin’s mysterious healing ability, which she tried to use on more than just living creatures.
An enjoyable addition to the series that contributes to the overall forward motion of the story arc. Not my absolute favorite, but a solid installment of a great story. Available January 28, 2020. I already can’t wait for the next book (keeping my fingers crossed for more relationship development).
I would recommend this book to any past fans of the series and fans of Illona Andrews (though you should start at the beginning- Cast in Shadow). 4 stars.
Every time I pick up the next book in this series, I expect that the author is going to run out of ideas. She has created a world with distinct races and a back story which are amazing detailed, consistent and engrossing and to which she adds additional depth with each novel. Surely she is going to run out of ideas sometime. Not in this book. The author gives us a story about kidnapped children, power-hungry politicians, coerced school attendance and for a particular dragon, the chance to turn back his history and live the dream that he thought had been destroyed. Now if only Kaylin would grow up a little – just enough so that I stop feeling the overwhelming need to smack sense into her!
This series is really good. Complex plots and characters with great world building.
I love this series, great world building but mostly I love the character development.
This is so good…
Favorite Character: Kaylin Neya
Even though Kaylin is the main character for the entire series, she shares the spotlight in this novel. Her personality still shows through, though, loud and clear. She has powers but doesn’t know how they work or has even the most basic control of them – relying on instinct to use them in the right way at the right time. She is very relatable with her endearing quirks, as well as her mortality. I can’t wait to learn more about her in other novels in the series.
What I Liked
The world of Elantra is so amazingly complex, detailed, and nothing short of brilliant. It is nothing like our world except for a few basic things, but it is alive in a way that makes you able to easily suspend disbelief and marvel at the wonders contained within the pages. There is so much detail, large and small, and no gaps to fill in using your own imagination. From the changes in eye color that reflect emotion to the way the dragons change form to the description of the few sentient buildings – I can see and hear it all. My five-star rating is based mostly on world creation in this novel; it is that good.
I also love that the main character is the Elantra equivalent of a police detective called a Hawk. This element brings mystery and suspense into the fantasy world that I love reading. The story is full of action that keeps the pages turning, as Kaylin Neya works to solve the mystery of the building with one eye.
As I stated earlier, Kaylin Neya is my favorite character. I love that she is Chosen and all but ignores this fact unless she needs to find a power in her runes that will help her fight the bad guy. She is unique, but it is not in her to acknowledge that or act in a way that shows it. She routinely skips any training on how to use her magic, instead preferring to be out there fighting the evils that exist in her world. Interestingly, she lives in a house that chose her, as it is sentient, and is called Helen.
Helen is the family that Kaylin never had. She takes care of Kaylin – from the everyday tasks of making sure she is fed and gets rest to the more complex help of giving her advice about different situations. Helen is a close second for me when it comes to a favorite character. I particularly enjoyed the part of the story that takes place in Kaylin’s home and am glad that Kaylin has that kind of motherly figure in her life.
The plot in this story is interesting as it appears to be a shift in the series storyline. It is an opening for a whole new tomorrow. I wonder if Kaylin will finally get the training she needs but does not seem to desire except in small flickers of want that, if you are not paying attention, you will miss.
The dialogue flows naturally, even though it technically is in many different languages – translated, so the reader understands it, of course. And, all the characters are well-developed no matter how fantastical they are – and they can be pretty fantastical as Elantra contains many different races – Dragons, Barrani, Aerians, and mortals, to name a few.
What I Wish
There are many named characters in this book and series. Even if I start a series from book one, I tend to get lost in a lot of names. A simple glossary, which I ended up making myself, would be a significant help.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love high (or epic) fantasy, you will want to add this series to your bookshelves!
Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and a special thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Justine Sha for my spot on the blog tour.