Reviews

Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara

katelin00's review against another edition

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4.0

Originally posted to A Bookworm's Confessions

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.

chawlios's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lassarina's review against another edition

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5.0

I think this is one of my favorite books in the series so far. Kaylin is really starting to grow into herself, and have a better idea of what she's doing and why. She's learned a lot of things the hard way, but she is learning, and this book, in a lot of ways, ties together all the things she's learned so far. It brings in themes from other books, particularly the themes relating to names, and also Tiamaris is amazing. Both he and Nightshade loom large in this book, to the benefit of both, and the way everything wrapped up was intensely satisfying.

b00kdragon's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

santonss's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked this book and this series. But it has been months since I read the first 4, almost a year, and it is hard for me to remember the details. I keep wanting and waiting for Kaylin to develop a romantic relationship with one of the characters or a new one, but it never would fit into the plots. As for the plot of this one, it seems more lost than the last. The everydayness of police work is not in this one but for the very beginning, for the rest of the book it seems to be flashbacks( which were insightful) and mind games( which was a little tedious). At least now we know why she changed her name when she crossed the bridge. I would love to see a map of the city. I have an idea of what it would be in my mind, then something says, "then they went north" or similar. So I'm trying to refigure it. Mostly I would need to re-read these books.
It was not my favorite, but then my favorite character is Nightshade. I can never decide if hes " evil" or " opportunist" or "good" most likley he is a bit of all in the mix. So I can not wait for the next book, Cast in Chaos.

peppermintbat's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

reading_ninja's review against another edition

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5.0

i really love this series Kaylin is awesome!!! love the world Michelle has created and the people and races she has peopled it with!! another great book in the series!!

shai3d's review against another edition

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5.0

Love this series. Kaylin is a rather unlikely heroine. She always manages to save the day however she seems to just fall into the solution.

annarella's review against another edition

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5.0

I think I’m bit late to the party but, my fault, got the date wrong. This is my stop of the rereading of the Chronicles of Elantra, a great fantasy series I just discovered last year.
This is the 5th book in the series and we learn about Kaylin’s past and how it relates to the present.
There’s a lot of world building in this story: we learn more about what the real name means to Dragon and Barrani, the relationship between the fief and their lords, the Towers and what they are.
I start to read the series last year but this book was a new one for me. I can say it’s a page turner I couldn’t put down and, even if relates to past events, it’s one you can comfortably read without too much knowledge of the world and the characters.
Mrs Sagara is a master storyteller and once you are hooked you cannot stop reading and following her characters.
The richness of the world building is amazing as she creates a universe with different races, lores and mythologies. It’s so rich and fascinating that you don’t want to stop reading and return to your everyday life.
The characters are well thought and I loved the Tower and I loved Tiamaris. I loved to learn about Kaylin’s past and how she lived in the fief of Barren.
It’s a book that I strongly recommend, it can be read as the first but it’s better to read the previous in the series.
An excellent and highly entertaining reading experience, highly recommended.
Many thanks to MIRA for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

thechaoshour's review against another edition

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4.0

Reread: Sept 17,2015

Quick Thoughts:
1. This series is still really confusing. But I'm still addicted.
2. I really like the complexity of all the characters. They're so different.
3. I like how direct the main character is. It makes the story easier to read.
4. The plot is pretty confusing at times. I'm not really sure what to think of it.

First read: May 22, 2012