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Cast In Courtlight (Chronicles of Elantra #2)
In Elantra, a job well done is rewarded with a more dangerous task. And so, after defeating a dark evil, Kaylin must enter a place of deceit and treachery. A world where silk and jewels hide deadly secrets....
Kaylin goes before the Barrani High Court, where a misspoken word brings sure death. And Kaylin's never been known for her grace or manners. But the High Lord's heir
...morePaperback, 488 pages
Published
August 1st 2006
by Luna Books
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I cannot remember the last time I have wanted to like a book so much & wound up being so incredibly annoyed with it. I was deeply disappointed in this book! The author spent so much time reminding us about what the eye colors of the Barrani mean ... and how Kaylin struggles to keep a rein on her temper ... and switching between languages (and mentioning how certain ones are suited for swearing and others are not), the book would've been half the length if she'd edited all of those things out. Ma...more
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Casey
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I HATED this book. Well, to be fair, I only made it through the first 15 pages, but I hated the writing style so much, and felt so strongly about it, I returned the book to the store. (I've never done that before, but I guess there's always a first time!) The back cover seemed interesting; a fresh twist on the fantasy genre. Maybe so, but I couldn't bring myself to keep going. Every other page seemed to have lines like this:
"She was lucky. Very lucky." or
"S...more
"She was lucky. Very lucky." or
"S...more
This series has a contemporary voice and is set in a fantasy world inhabited by 5 different races, which is why I feel like it most closely compares to the kinds of worlds I'm used to in comics. This particular book focuses on the politics and culture of the Barrani, an immortal elf like race. The Barrani themselves are highly obtuse, which is frustrating to no end. And as we are constantly reminded of, Kaylin wasn't the best student when it came to cultural relations and history, so there's a l...more
This series is so different that it is hard not to like it. The setting is interesting, the races are unique, and the main character is unlike any I've read before. Some of the problems that plagued the first novel still apply to Cast in Courtlight. Mainly, there is not enough information. Everyone knows more than the main character, and even if the main character somehow figures something out she never shares it with us. For example, say there are two characters, one says, "I have a big se...more
As much as I liked the first book in this series, I liked Cast in Courtlight even more. Don't be fooled by the cheesy, romance novel-y cover. While there are romantic threads to the storyline here, romance is NOT what the book is about. In fact, I think people looking for romance might be a little disappointed - there are many potential love interests for the main character but they all remain potential (i.e. hinted at but unexplored) through the end of the book. Instead, this book delves de...more
Kaylin Neya is in over her head. After defeating age-old magic bent on destruction (when is it ever not?) she is summoned to the Barrani High Court to heal the Lord of the West March, second son of the powerful Lord of the High Courts. Being summoned to the Barrani courts (especially when you're not Barrani) is never a good thing and Kaylin must remain on her toes to come out unscathed when dealing with this arrogant and treacherous race. Never far from her side is the enigmatic Severn who I for...more
The more I return to this book, the more I like it. I adore the clash of cultures, the utter failings of imagination, and of the strength of character each portrays along the way.
Here's a quote for you:
... "Because not all weakness has to be weakness. Weakness, strength, power, failure - they're just words, and we can define what the words mean if we have the will or the courage."
"You can rewrite a life?" he asked, his smile heavy with iro...more
Here's a quote for you:
... "Because not all weakness has to be weakness. Weakness, strength, power, failure - they're just words, and we can define what the words mean if we have the will or the courage."
"You can rewrite a life?" he asked, his smile heavy with iro...more
Oh, I really liked this book! I thought that the plot was strong, though perhaps not as strong as _Cast in Shadow_. I admit that Sagara's writing style does take some getting used to, but once you are accustomed to it, it's very entertaining and certainly unique! Though each book has a self contained plot, for the over-arching character plots, I am starting to feel like I am rooting for her further involvement with a villain... I am certainly the most intrigued by Nightshade. I can't wait to rea...more
The second novel helps understand the world a little better, although I still feel like I missed the bigger picture on how this world functions. I think West purposefully does it, however, so she can build the world as she goes along and keeps it a mystery (she does this through the main characters lack of interest in academics and failing most of her classes). The reader (and the main character) are often left out of the loop, sometimes feeling forced (the characters refuse to answer most que...more
Wow, intense-Kaylin and Severn grow closer, old scars are healing, slowly. They find themselves demanded in attendance to attend the High Court. There is a great Lord Dying, and it must be keep secret. Saving him could put Kaylin and Severn in danger, the Barrani guard their secrets. There is more than their secrets to be discovered behind the High Walls, something much darker and older. They go where no mortal has ever gone.
I could read this book 5 times and still not get all of it. Ther...more
I could read this book 5 times and still not get all of it. Ther...more
This will be the written review for Cast in Shadow Chronicles of Elantra Book 1 by Michelle Sagara West and it's series partners, Cast in Courtlight Chronicles of Elantra Book 2, Cast in Secret Chronicles of Elantra Book 3, Cast in Shadow Chronicles of Fury Book 4, and Cast in Silence Chronicles of Elantra Book 5.
I read this series three times. It was engaging but had a few annoying issues. The world of Elantra was well created and very detailed. I admired the multiple species and...more
I read this series three times. It was engaging but had a few annoying issues. The world of Elantra was well created and very detailed. I admired the multiple species and...more
This book is getting only a 3, because here is where the author starts to fall into the same pattern of most fantasy authors. We get to see in Cast in Courtlight how 'special' Kaylin is, and while I am still enjoying the story, I like characters that are special more because of what they DO than because of what they ARE. Now granted, Kaylin is still doing things that show her tenacity, forthrightness and passion for justice and defending the weak, so I'm still enjoying the books, but I feel it's...more
Karenshaller
added it
I am drawn to this series due to the magical writing on the main character's arms. I enjoy the author's use of first person style; the running color commentary, the connections she Kaylin makes. I also savor the technique that while we are informed of things that occur in Kalin's absence- they are not interpreted for us at all. There are so many provocative similes and metaphors in her writing, I underline them as I go through. Excellent imagery. Mind reading is also part of the storytellin...more
When I finished this book, my first thought was that it was good. Sagara gave the reader a fun ride full of twists and turns, and the characters did their part in the story. However, I just couldn't make the leap in my mind from good to great.
Don't get me wrong, I read the entire book and just had fun with it (plus I'll probably read the next book), but I didn't rush out to suggest the book to friends. Cast in Courtlight is a good if you liked Cast in Shadow or high fantasy, but reader...more
Don't get me wrong, I read the entire book and just had fun with it (plus I'll probably read the next book), but I didn't rush out to suggest the book to friends. Cast in Courtlight is a good if you liked Cast in Shadow or high fantasy, but reader...more
I actually was kind of bored through the first half of the book, but felt it picked up in the second half. Kaylin annoyed me a little more in this one than in the first one, but she definitely has potential to grow and mature as a character. Like the first book, I found a lot of repetitiveness in this one. While I like reading about the color of the eyes of the different species as it conveys what they are feeling, I did not need to be told repeatedly that Severn's eyes were a steady brown. I...more
FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK
NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED
In Elantra, a job well done is rewarded with a more dangerous task. And so, after defeating a dark evil, Kaylin must enter a place of deceit and treachery. A world where silk and jewels hide deadly secerts....
Kaylin goes before the Barrani High Court, where a misspoken word brings sure death. And Kaylin's never been know for her grace or manners. But the High Lord's heir is suspiciously i...more
NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED
In Elantra, a job well done is rewarded with a more dangerous task. And so, after defeating a dark evil, Kaylin must enter a place of deceit and treachery. A world where silk and jewels hide deadly secerts....
Kaylin goes before the Barrani High Court, where a misspoken word brings sure death. And Kaylin's never been know for her grace or manners. But the High Lord's heir is suspiciously i...more
I think this book improved on the first one, and I thought the first one was pretty good, so that's a good indication. Kaylin is still as ignorant as ever, but unlike the first book she actually does away with some of it and in turn gives the reader some background information in the process.
I also really like the Kaylin/Severn storyline and I think that it really adds to both characters. I guess in this book I see Kaylin as more of a thinking adult, instead of the last one where she...more
I also really like the Kaylin/Severn storyline and I think that it really adds to both characters. I guess in this book I see Kaylin as more of a thinking adult, instead of the last one where she...more
This 2nd book in the Chronicles of Elantra series was a bit of a disappointment. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was looking forward to this one. It's a traditional fantasy series written in a modern voice, instead of the pseudo-historical voice so many fantasy writers are fond of. It also has a strong police-mystery side to it, which is entertaining, and lots of interesting sentient species living together. I thought this book would be a continuation along those lines, but ...more
When I got this book from the library, I was excited. I had enjoyed the first book, Cast in Shadow, and was eager to read the next installment. But I found that when I started the book, I felt rather lost through the first 250 pages or so. The issue, I've determined, is that I waited a month and a half between reading the first and second books, and in that time, I forgot many of the things that played a role in this novel. The color of Barrani eyes, for example, plays a key role in indicati...more
I LOVE this series so far! I believe most people would call the Elantra series either high fantasy or epic fantasy. Whichever you choose, it's fantasy for sure! It takes place in a world called Elantra that is populated by at least five different races: the humans, the lion-like Leontine, the elvin-like Barrani, the wing-bearing Aerians, and the psychic Tha'alani.
The protagonist so far, is human Kaylin Neya, but I'll leave it up to you to learn more about Kaylin as you read.
...more
The protagonist so far, is human Kaylin Neya, but I'll leave it up to you to learn more about Kaylin as you read.
...more
My husband bought me this book because, as he said "it looked like something you'd read." I put off reading it until I bought the first one (i hate starting a series in the middle). From the first page the story pulled me in and got better and better with each book (i've only read the first three so far) I don't think this is a stand-alone kind of book. The whole story makes more sense when read together as a series. Definitely something enjoyable for fantasy fans.
I'm going with a "meh" here. I jumped into the series with this book, and I don't have any desire to go back and read the first one. The later books...maybe if they dropped into my lap. I found it to be a fairly formulaic rendition of the classic fantasy coming of age tale but without a character I wanted to root for. I also got a bit tired of the word "Barrani". I finished it, which is more than I can say for some books, but this isn't one I would recommend.
Unfortunately this is going to be another one of those short and snappy reviews because I really didn't like this book.
If you've read my review of Cast In Shadow you'll know that I love the writing style of Michelle Sagara West. It kept me reading and made the story seem like a fairytale with it's poetic tone.
In Cast In Courtlight though, it became very, very tedious. It just became so long, repetitive and drawn out that I started to really not like reading it. I was so dis...more
If you've read my review of Cast In Shadow you'll know that I love the writing style of Michelle Sagara West. It kept me reading and made the story seem like a fairytale with it's poetic tone.
In Cast In Courtlight though, it became very, very tedious. It just became so long, repetitive and drawn out that I started to really not like reading it. I was so dis...more
Continuation of the series that started with Cast In Shadow. There is a mystery surrounding Kaylin in that she has strange tattoos on her arms and she has unknown power. In this book she is told to study magic by her commander but Kaylin is a stubborn pupil. Meanwhile something is going on in the Barrani court - the Lord of the West Court is dying because someone has his name, and Kaylin gets involved. Really well written like all of Sagara's works. I particularly enjoyed the politics and descri...more
I'll admit, I was skeptical of this book. I thought it would be just another labored sequel, but I ended up enjoying it immensely. I couldn't exactly follow some parts of what happened, but I'll just attribute that to the fact that I had pneumonia while reading this.
This book expands more on the world of Elantra, focusing mainly on the race of the Barrani. There wasn't too much development of the relationship between either Kaylin and Severn or Kaylin and Nightshade as I had hoped th...more
This book expands more on the world of Elantra, focusing mainly on the race of the Barrani. There wasn't too much development of the relationship between either Kaylin and Severn or Kaylin and Nightshade as I had hoped th...more
Although well written and very imaginative, the plot involves the characters going into one of those strange off-kilter philosophical worlds where it is almost impossible to figure out what is happening and especially, why. I'm not fond of that kind of fantasy, but that is just me. I enjoyed the imagination of the plot and characters. I'm not driven to read another, but if it comes up I will.
The second book in the Chronicles of the Elantra. You really should read these in order. While each individual story is self-contained, the backgrounds of the characters and the events of the first book help make this one more understandable.
This book didn't move at quite the breakneck speed of the other, but was still highly enjoyable. The world building and characterization is outstanding. I very much enjoyed her delving into the Barrani, a race of beautiful and immortal beings. It...more
This book didn't move at quite the breakneck speed of the other, but was still highly enjoyable. The world building and characterization is outstanding. I very much enjoyed her delving into the Barrani, a race of beautiful and immortal beings. It...more
This was the second book of the series. I disliked the first book, but had already gotten the first 4 books out from the library, so I decided to give the author a second chance. I quit by about halfway in.
The characters are one-dimensional, everybody is always annoyed, suspicious, and usually caricature-like.
I utterly do NOT recommend this book.
The characters are one-dimensional, everybody is always annoyed, suspicious, and usually caricature-like.
I utterly do NOT recommend this book.
I liked this book even better than the first. I thought the writing in and of itself had grown. I didn't 100% understand what was happening sometimes, but that may just be because I had to read it in so many increments (it took me almost 8 weeks to read because I started it 3 days before I had my daughter.) I'll definitely continue reading this series.
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She has published as Michelle Sagara (her legal name), as Michelle West (her husband's surname), and as Michelle Sagara West (a combination of the two).
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“Success and failure are two edges of the same blade, two sides of the same coin. To fear one is to forever deny the possibility of the other.”
—
2 people liked it
“Teela turned to Severn. "I'm having trouble remembering why I haven't
strangled her yet."
Severn shrugged. "I have that problem myself some days. At the moment,
though, the only betting pool in the office seems to be on the Sergeant."
"Ha-ha." Kaylin said with a distinct lack of cheer. And then, because she
was a fiefling, "What odds?" He cuffed the top of her head.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
strangled her yet."
Severn shrugged. "I have that problem myself some days. At the moment,
though, the only betting pool in the office seems to be on the Sergeant."
"Ha-ha." Kaylin said with a distinct lack of cheer. And then, because she
was a fiefling, "What odds?" He cuffed the top of her head.”
