Book Review: Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Honor is the 11th book in the Chronicles of Elentra series by Michelle Sagara. This is a series that definitely needs to be read in order. If you jump in at this point you might enjoy the characters and chaos, but you will not understand who or what most of the characters are and how they relate to each other.

Elantra stands strong, but countless numbers of Hawks, the city's staunchest protectors, were lost in the brutal attack in the previous book Cast in Flame. Humans, Barrani, Aerians, Leontines—none of the races emerged unscathed from the defense of the city. Homes were lost, families were scattered, and the outcast Barrani Lord Nightshade is missing from his castle in the fiefs. Yet as the chaos surrounding the battle begins to wane, Private Kaylin Neya's duties must resume, despite her grief. Called in to investigate a triple murder in a quiet part of town, Kaylin and her companions are soon embroiled in a case that is anything but routine. Evidence of the deadly Shadows that still threaten the city leads to hints of ancient, forgotten magics. Everything can be traced directly to Ravellon, the heart of the Shadows and the darkness they contain. It is there that Lord Nightshade will be found.

Cast in Honor is a solid and fairly dense continuation of the Elentra series, and I liked the majority of the book. Each book in this series is very much about the main players coming to understand more about themselves and the world around them. There are also large sections that are theoretical and about the complications of magic and the unique aspects of their world. It seems like in this installment there was more of Kaylin trying to figure out the abstracts and less of her personal development, which disappointed me a little. However, there are plenty of  emotional struggles and strained interactions to meet my expectations, just not as much as I was hoping for. I do not want to talk too much about particulars, because I read the book cold- with no description reading, simply because I love the series. So readers that are as invested in Elentra and Kaylin will need to read the book, and enjoy it for the most part. Readers that have not started this series need to begin at the beginning, and I highly recommend doing so.

Cast in Honor is a must read to fans of the series. It is not as good as some of the others in the series, but I have high expectations for Sagara. It is still a solid read, but I want to see more character growth rather than explanation in the next installment.