![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Sagara, Michelle - Cast in Shadow and Cast in Courtlight
Sat, Oct. 10th, 2009 11:25 pmCast in Shadow
Kaylin Neya is a private in the Hawks, something like the city of Elantra's police. (I'm still confused as to the difference between the Hawks, the Wolves, and the third group whose name I forgot.) A series of murders is taking place, and each victim is found with mysterious marks on their bodies. They're remarkably similar to the series of murder that took place when Kaylin was still an urchin in the lawless fiefs, and the markings are similar to the ones on her own body, which are a complete mystery to her.
I was reading this very slowly, so I didn't find it as intense until I finished 2/3s of it in the course of a day. I'm still not that fond of Kaylin as a character. She's perpetually late, cannot keep her temper, swears like a sailor, and has no filter between her mouth and her brain. Normally this wouldn't be a turn off, except in the beginning of the book, all the characters joke about it, and it feels like the traits are just there to make her likable, a la the clumsy YA/shoujo/kdrama heroine. I, being contrary, immediately disliked her.
However, things get much more interesting as the plot gets darker, and I began to love Kaylin when she realized being a Hawk was the center of her life.
I also admire how Sagara handled Severn; I was prepared to have the dark secret be something that I initially rolled my eyes at, since he is clearly set up to be Not Evil. What I like is how Sagara leaves things unresolved.
Overall, neat world although I still am confused about the worldbuilding. I blame that on my own brain and not the writing; I haven't been able to keep track of complicated stuff for a while, which is why I haven't read epic fantasy for a really long time.
Cast in Courtlight
Kaylin's now sent to the Barrani court, which is very political and full of intrigue and completely antithetical to her entire personality.
I didn't find this as interesting as the first book, largely because the plot is not as closely tied to Kaylin's past. And while I like books about courts and secrets and intrigues and plotting up the wazoo, it's nowhere near as fun when you have a heroine who kind of sucks at all those things.
( Spoilers )
So, hrm. Entertaining reading, and occasionally really good (I very much like the last half of book 1), but they aren't on my best of lists.
Kaylin Neya is a private in the Hawks, something like the city of Elantra's police. (I'm still confused as to the difference between the Hawks, the Wolves, and the third group whose name I forgot.) A series of murders is taking place, and each victim is found with mysterious marks on their bodies. They're remarkably similar to the series of murder that took place when Kaylin was still an urchin in the lawless fiefs, and the markings are similar to the ones on her own body, which are a complete mystery to her.
I was reading this very slowly, so I didn't find it as intense until I finished 2/3s of it in the course of a day. I'm still not that fond of Kaylin as a character. She's perpetually late, cannot keep her temper, swears like a sailor, and has no filter between her mouth and her brain. Normally this wouldn't be a turn off, except in the beginning of the book, all the characters joke about it, and it feels like the traits are just there to make her likable, a la the clumsy YA/shoujo/kdrama heroine. I, being contrary, immediately disliked her.
However, things get much more interesting as the plot gets darker, and I began to love Kaylin when she realized being a Hawk was the center of her life.
I also admire how Sagara handled Severn; I was prepared to have the dark secret be something that I initially rolled my eyes at, since he is clearly set up to be Not Evil. What I like is how Sagara leaves things unresolved.
Overall, neat world although I still am confused about the worldbuilding. I blame that on my own brain and not the writing; I haven't been able to keep track of complicated stuff for a while, which is why I haven't read epic fantasy for a really long time.
Cast in Courtlight
Kaylin's now sent to the Barrani court, which is very political and full of intrigue and completely antithetical to her entire personality.
I didn't find this as interesting as the first book, largely because the plot is not as closely tied to Kaylin's past. And while I like books about courts and secrets and intrigues and plotting up the wazoo, it's nowhere near as fun when you have a heroine who kind of sucks at all those things.
( Spoilers )
So, hrm. Entertaining reading, and occasionally really good (I very much like the last half of book 1), but they aren't on my best of lists.