Cast in secret (edition 2007)

Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 4 1/2stars
Style: 4 stars
Pace: 4 1/2 stars

I think this may be my favorite of the Elantra books yet. It was hard to put down for bed last night. ( )

Well worth reading from the library if you liked the earlier books in the series. ( )

Private Kaylin Neya is still the lowest of the low in the Order of the Hawks, but she believes wholeheartedly in what the Hawk stands for. Called to investigate the theft of a mysterious box from the street of mages, Kaylin finds herself once again thrust in to places where a mere private - and one with no tact, at that - has no business being. But with not only the box, but two missing children on her plate, Kaylin has no intentions of slowing down or stepping aside. Not for anyone.

Kaylin's bumbling refusal to pay attention to anything she doesn't want to and her predictable response to any type of guidelines (the rules are there to be broken, unless they're the Law) is beginning to pall slightly. But somehow I keep coming back to this series anyway. ( )

This review is from: Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)
Sometimes I wonder why I've stuck with this series for so long. I've never been particularly excited about it, but something about Kaylin and Elantra intrigues me. Plus, I've been reading so much urban fantasy/paranormal novels lately that something a little more high fantasy is welcome.

Cast in Secret picks up not long after the ending of Cast in Courtlight, and, just like in previous installments, Kaylin, the Hawk from Nightshade with the mysterious magical markings, must track down a missing girl. Meanwhile the city's Oracles predict that Elantra will be destroyed in two weeks. Kind of interesting, but tends to feel just a little cliche and somewhat like a retread of previous books.

While the writing has improved in Cast in Secret, the characters continue to feel incredibly stagnant, particularly Kaylin. While I understand that there are still more books in the series to come, there hasn't been any change or maturity in her character, which makes her feel unrealistic and hard to like.

I enjoyed this book for what it was and will probably continue the series just to see what happens next, but I wouldn't recommend it to readers who didn't enjoy the previous books ( )

I am absolutely enthralled by this series. I was actually brought to tears in this book as Kaylin faced one of her biggest fears. The events at the end of the book were just so moving and well written that I couldn't help but cry. Michelle Sagara West is fast becoming one of my favourite authors out there today! ( )