Cast in Fury (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 4)

This book is a continuation of a series, and not an abject waste of copy like Monings 3rd installment. The book is about prejudice against the Tha'alani with the intersecting of Marcus and his issues. The only disappointment I had was it wasn't longer, with more detail about Nightshade (and Kaylin and Nightshades apparent attachment)who really intrigues me. I really would have liked more action with Kaylin and her men, and less with Marcus. But, this is my selfishness coming through. The book leaves me waiting and wanting more. This series is addictive, and my chief complaint is that they aren't all available so I can get to the end. I guess I should disclose I open my xmas gifts early....

I liked this book. I am a big Fan of Michelle's starting from the Sundered Series. This book was better than the last but not as good as the first two in the series.

Cat and Leslie have written two very eloquent reviews which I agree with completely. I want more Nightshade! The story really picks up for me in the latter 1/3 when Kaylin goes to the fiefs. The climax was awesome. I know this is not a romance book, and I am not expecting any loev scenes, but I would love a little of the romantci tension between Kaylin-Nightshade-Severn that was present in the first two books.

The first half of the book was ho-hum. The plot line about Rennick writing the play about the the Thalaani was a bore. The origin of the Leontine race was interesting. The side characters, particular Arkon, Marcus,Sanablis,Tiamaris are wonderful.Severn is reduced to nothing more than someone who follows Kaylin, holds her hand on occasion and brings her food.

I agree we need some growth to Kaylin's character. Enough already about the impetousness, the interupting people, forgetting to eat, being tough on her uniform, etc. This has been rehashed ad infinitum and is now tedious. I am ready for some serious character growth, and I agree an adult relationship with a man (Severn or Nightshade) is appropriate by book 4.

Michelle- if you read these reviews, please, please ,please can you expand on the Nightshade/Kaylin relationship in the next book! A year is so long to wait.

This book is as amazing as the frist three series. It just gets better and the character build-up is just wonderful. However, I hope that for the next series there's more character development of the Dragon caste system and Severen. I mean we get hints of Severen's life but no more and I'm really wanting to know more. Thanks for this wonderful series!!!

This book is about the Leontines, their culture, history, how they fit into Kaylin's life and how she interacts with them -- and of course the usual end-of-the-world scenario where Kaylin typically saves the day. That's it. There's no plot resolution of any kind. No character development, no budding romance, pretty much nothing of interest except the Leontines. To be honest, I was bitterly disappointed by this. Yes, Ms. Sagara's expansion on her world building was great, her take on the Leontines was original and interesting...but that's it? That's all??? This is the fourth book in the series!! I guess I was just expecting there to be MORE.

Problems with this book:

1.) Kaylin, as a character, does not seem to grow in any discernable way.
a.) Yes, she (shockingly) manages to keep her mouth shut a few times so as not to be summarily ejected from the Hawks, but ONLY a few times. She still opens her mouth at inopportune moments and lets slip important info because she can't keep her mouth shut. She still has no brain-to-mouth filter and still believes tact and diplomacy don't apply to HER, but are things that OTHER people do.

b.) She still remains ignorant and is content to exist that way and does not bestir herself to remedy her ignorance unless her life, or another's, is in immediate peril. You would think from the previous novels where her lack of knowledge has almost caused her to die, and others with her, that she would be motivated to learn more about her world. Kaylin has practically been raised by Marcus Kassan's wives, has been adopted into his Pridelea, and yet never once in all that time did she think to ask anything about Leontine history? Cultural practices???? Leontine Laws?? Honestly, this is getting a little tiring. She didn't think to ask about the Barrani, the Tha'alani, and now the Leontines...it just makes me want to slap her upside the head and yell "pick up a book already!! do some research for once and just maybe you wouldn't find yourself in these dicey situations!!"

2.) Ms. Sagara has a tendency to ignore her wonderful secondary characters. Tain and Teela make almost no appearance in this book. Neither does the Lord of the High Court, or the Lord of the West Marches. Nightshade only has two small (but admittedly important) scenes that don't occur until the last quarter of the book. Andellen and the Hawklord make a nominal appearance. I understand that this book is meant to deal with the Leontines, but I don't think that excuses excluding other great characters that we've seen.

3.) There is no romance of any kind. Admittedly I would prefer to see Kaylin end up with Nightshade (not Severn because he's too bland and definitely too much like a brother), but really any love interest would be good at this point since its the fourth novel and there's no romantic tension. Also, we still have no idea about her mysterious "erenne" status with Nightshade, what it means and what it entails.

4.) We still don't know much about Kaylin and her magic. In this novel she "sees" Words as they are being spoken, but that's not a big revelation since she "saw" the word hanging around the dead dragon's neck in the last novel. I get it. Its all about the ancient Words. She has them written on her body, she sees them when no one else does, she can even speak them. She "tells" people their story as part of her magic. But how and why remains an unanswered mystery. Incidentally, I found it beyond incredible that Kaylin mid-way through the plot suddenly realizes that she knows the True Name of the Outcaste Dragon, has in fact known all this time, and then does nothing with this knowledge.


This is not a bad book, don't get me wrong, it just does not really advance the series plotwise. In fact there seems to be no end in sight. The heroine remains essentially the same (possessing no tact, ignorant of things it seems EVERYONE else knows, and generally is obnoxious). It appears, at least in my opinion, that the series is stagnating, focusing too much on each individual race and not enough on the characters themselves. Its becoming just a little too formulaic. Its always about one race, their history and culture, and how Kaylin thinks/interacts with them. There's always a doomsday scenario. There's always a child's life in danger that Kaylin desperately tries to save..etc...If the formula holds true then the next book will be about the Aerians with another endangered child and another everyone-is-going-to-die-horribly situation. I sincerely hope this is not the case. That there will be some deviations from this formula in the next book, hopefully, a conclusion that will wrap up all the loose ends. I will buy the next book simply because, having read all four books, I must know how this series ends. I just hope the plot moves along a little bit faster.

Whenever another of the Elantra books comes out, I'm there. I wish I never had to leave. I wish I could see all the cases that Kaylin and Severn investigate and all the politics of the Castes and the Court. If you are a fan, this book didn't disappoint. It got back to the idea of investigation, with the usual interesting spotlight on how cultural differences can muck things up. You can see Kaylin's growth through the series as well as the development of important and real relationships, not just an obvious romance. All my favorite characters are back, with different emphases this round. I hope there are going to be 20 more!