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alassea's review against another edition
3.0
Another book where the focus is on the journey and everything happening along it, rather than the goal the story sets out with. This is very much a prologue to the next book, or a bad second book looking to get you on to the finale. As usual Kaylin knows very little of what she actually is doing.
If it wasn't for the fact I like the people in the story, I don't know if I would keep reading the series. Terrano and Bellusdeo pulled this book to a 3 instead of a 2 for me.
I would only recommend this book to fans of the series, which is fair at 13 books in.
If it wasn't for the fact I like the people in the story, I don't know if I would keep reading the series. Terrano and Bellusdeo pulled this book to a 3 instead of a 2 for me.
I would only recommend this book to fans of the series, which is fair at 13 books in.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
5.0
It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for the next installment of the Chronicles of Elantra to come out and it’s finally here! Cast in Deception is the thirteenth book in the series (unless you’d like to also count the short story as one, in which case it’s actually fourteen), and thankfully there’s still titles left that start with ‘cast in’ which is a huge relief!
The longer this series goes on, the more I find myself wondering how long it’ll end up being. Am I coming upon the end? Or will it just continue? I’m assuming Michelle Sagara has a planned ending (which I think is a fair assumption, based on her writing techniques), but I haven’t the faintest clue what it’ll entail or when it’ll be. So if somebody else has any ideas, please share? I tried going hunting in the internet for an idea how many books we had left, and I couldn’t find anything (maybe I didn’t look hard enough?). I would love to know how many more I have to look forward to (though I’m totally going to devour any books released, regardless of this knowledge).
Speaking of my search online however, I found a listing on one of the wiki pages, talking about the next installment being a short story…which focuses on Severn. I seriously hope this is true (and a quick peek at Michelle Sagara’s blog indicates that it is – yay!), and I can’t even begin to describe how excited I would be about this happening. Severn is by far one of my favorite characters, but the last few novels I’ve felt like he’s been less involved (which I get – more magical issues result in him having less he can do, no matter how much he’d like to be able to help). Having a novella or short story from his perspective would go a long way to helping with my feelings of abandonment right now (yeah, I may be a little too attached to his character, I know).
I’ve probably spent enough time talking about book numbers and theoretical short stories, time to talk about Cast in Deception. First, I think this may be one of my favorite titles so far. Probably second only to Cast in Courtlight (I think it’s the alliteration I enjoy so much for that one). Upon seeing this title I immediately knew it was going to be a political heavy story, which to an outside may sound boring, but for this series is fantastic (not to mention it’s hard to find a solid fantasy series that also includes inter-racial politicking to this level).
When I think politics and Chronicles of Elantra, my brain immediately jumps to the Barrini. While I know they’re not the only race to have extensive politics (I feel like the last novel proved that pretty well), I do enjoy theirs the most. In many ways Barrini politics reminds me of the politics in classic vampire societies (think White Wolf’s World of Darkness). The fact that they’re immortal just adds to the complexity and intensity (not to mention the time to build up grudges). Anyway, my point is I wasn’t terribly surprised to see that Barrini politics were the driving force behind Cast in Deception; in fact I pretty much expected it (and was thrilled to see it).
One would think that after thirteen novels (and a short story); I would be tired of reading about Private Kaylin Neya and her tendency of taking dangerous risks. But one would be wrong. I love Kaylin’s sense of innocence and naiveté, despite everything she’s gone through. She’s the epitome of hope (and no, I’m not talking about her familiar here).
What is so wonderful about Michelle Sagara’s work here is that she was able to infuse the world with so much emotion. You really feel for all of the characters, not just Kaylin. There are characters we love, ship (cough Severn cough), loathe, love to hate, etc. Together they help to flesh out the world and add context to the events happening around them.
I imagine with such a varied supporting cast that each fan has their own set of favorites. The downside to such a large cast (which is constantly growing, mind you), is that not all of the characters will get their moment to shine, or much screen time every single novel. Which is a shame, but it’s the cost of this writing style. Personally, I’m conflicted here. I adore Bellusudo and loved seeing more of her (especially in the given context), but I very much hated how little Severn appeared. It was wonderful to see more of the cohort – while we’ve gotten to know (and perhaps grow a little tired of) of a couple of them in particular it was refreshing and fascinating to see the rest of their group; particularly as a relaxed unit.
As for the plot itself – it was wonderfully intricate and complex. While there were times it felt like the plot either dragged or was rushed, on the whole it was really enjoyable. It was difficult to know who was behind what, but as that is how politicking frequently goes, I think that means Michelle Sagara did a great job here.
Reading this novel reminded me of some of my favorite moments and extra characters I haven’t thought about in a couple of years. It was a fun reminder, to say the least. I’d like to say that I plan on going back and reread the whole series, but to be honest I’m not sure I can promise I’ll have that much time anytime soon. Which is a shame. Regardless, I can’t wait until the Severn short story comes out. Hopefully we’ll get the title of the next novel sooner rather than later.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The longer this series goes on, the more I find myself wondering how long it’ll end up being. Am I coming upon the end? Or will it just continue? I’m assuming Michelle Sagara has a planned ending (which I think is a fair assumption, based on her writing techniques), but I haven’t the faintest clue what it’ll entail or when it’ll be. So if somebody else has any ideas, please share? I tried going hunting in the internet for an idea how many books we had left, and I couldn’t find anything (maybe I didn’t look hard enough?). I would love to know how many more I have to look forward to (though I’m totally going to devour any books released, regardless of this knowledge).
Speaking of my search online however, I found a listing on one of the wiki pages, talking about the next installment being a short story…which focuses on Severn. I seriously hope this is true (and a quick peek at Michelle Sagara’s blog indicates that it is – yay!), and I can’t even begin to describe how excited I would be about this happening. Severn is by far one of my favorite characters, but the last few novels I’ve felt like he’s been less involved (which I get – more magical issues result in him having less he can do, no matter how much he’d like to be able to help). Having a novella or short story from his perspective would go a long way to helping with my feelings of abandonment right now (yeah, I may be a little too attached to his character, I know).
I’ve probably spent enough time talking about book numbers and theoretical short stories, time to talk about Cast in Deception. First, I think this may be one of my favorite titles so far. Probably second only to Cast in Courtlight (I think it’s the alliteration I enjoy so much for that one). Upon seeing this title I immediately knew it was going to be a political heavy story, which to an outside may sound boring, but for this series is fantastic (not to mention it’s hard to find a solid fantasy series that also includes inter-racial politicking to this level).
When I think politics and Chronicles of Elantra, my brain immediately jumps to the Barrini. While I know they’re not the only race to have extensive politics (I feel like the last novel proved that pretty well), I do enjoy theirs the most. In many ways Barrini politics reminds me of the politics in classic vampire societies (think White Wolf’s World of Darkness). The fact that they’re immortal just adds to the complexity and intensity (not to mention the time to build up grudges). Anyway, my point is I wasn’t terribly surprised to see that Barrini politics were the driving force behind Cast in Deception; in fact I pretty much expected it (and was thrilled to see it).
One would think that after thirteen novels (and a short story); I would be tired of reading about Private Kaylin Neya and her tendency of taking dangerous risks. But one would be wrong. I love Kaylin’s sense of innocence and naiveté, despite everything she’s gone through. She’s the epitome of hope (and no, I’m not talking about her familiar here).
What is so wonderful about Michelle Sagara’s work here is that she was able to infuse the world with so much emotion. You really feel for all of the characters, not just Kaylin. There are characters we love, ship (cough Severn cough), loathe, love to hate, etc. Together they help to flesh out the world and add context to the events happening around them.
I imagine with such a varied supporting cast that each fan has their own set of favorites. The downside to such a large cast (which is constantly growing, mind you), is that not all of the characters will get their moment to shine, or much screen time every single novel. Which is a shame, but it’s the cost of this writing style. Personally, I’m conflicted here. I adore Bellusudo and loved seeing more of her (especially in the given context), but I very much hated how little Severn appeared. It was wonderful to see more of the cohort – while we’ve gotten to know (and perhaps grow a little tired of) of a couple of them in particular it was refreshing and fascinating to see the rest of their group; particularly as a relaxed unit.
As for the plot itself – it was wonderfully intricate and complex. While there were times it felt like the plot either dragged or was rushed, on the whole it was really enjoyable. It was difficult to know who was behind what, but as that is how politicking frequently goes, I think that means Michelle Sagara did a great job here.
Reading this novel reminded me of some of my favorite moments and extra characters I haven’t thought about in a couple of years. It was a fun reminder, to say the least. I’d like to say that I plan on going back and reread the whole series, but to be honest I’m not sure I can promise I’ll have that much time anytime soon. Which is a shame. Regardless, I can’t wait until the Severn short story comes out. Hopefully we’ll get the title of the next novel sooner rather than later.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
emlickliter's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Cast in Deception (Chronicles of Elantra #13) by Michelle Sagara – So the first half of this book, I flew through. But then the Water kidnapped Kaylin and her dragon shadow, and I was so stressed out with the plot shift! My ability to handle stress in the middle of a pandemic makes for reading difficulties. So this was still a great book, but the urge to wrap Kaylin in bubble wrap intensified greatly. I will tell you my favorite part of this book was the fact that Severn wasn’t right next to Kaylin on this adventure, so we got to see them chatting through her name. That was a chef’s kiss triumph! Have fun with the Barani drama! Happy Reading!
mistressop's review against another edition
5.0
This series is wildly underrated. It could partly be due to the storytelling and lyrical style of the author. The simple fact is if you're a word nerd and believe in the power of words this is the series for you. It works as a YA series but has a lot of court intrigue that might turn on young readers but can also turn them off.
For this book, I think I love Teala. She's my favorite character in the series besides B. Something about the interactions between her and B tickle me. The more layers that get added to this series doesn't make the series worse. It seems like everything gets put together thoughtfully. A lot of artistry is in this series and I am just enjoying the hell out of it.
I am currently rereading the whole thing for the 4th time this month.
This addition does have a kinda cliff hanger ending but she does these 2 or 3 book arc thing. Which isn't bad at this point because there are so many books in the series.
For this book, I think I love Teala. She's my favorite character in the series besides B. Something about the interactions between her and B tickle me. The more layers that get added to this series doesn't make the series worse. It seems like everything gets put together thoughtfully. A lot of artistry is in this series and I am just enjoying the hell out of it.
I am currently rereading the whole thing for the 4th time this month.
This addition does have a kinda cliff hanger ending but she does these 2 or 3 book arc thing. Which isn't bad at this point because there are so many books in the series.
puria's review against another edition
4.0
I love this series, while I wish the story had progressed in the direction of the test, this was an unexpected and interesting twist of turns.
Kaylin was unexpectedly rational, she actually thought (occasionally) and honestly that has been 12 books coming. Her signature I think it should be this way and I am going to argue about it was somewhat missing. I thought that would change the book but it actually made it better.
This book was easier to understand or maybe for a change I read at a more even pace rather than trying to inhale the books to find out what happens and get to the next one.
There were a few editing errors, I can usually overlook those if I can figure out the sentence and it makes sense, but in a couple of places it just didnt.
Kaylin was unexpectedly rational, she actually thought (occasionally) and honestly that has been 12 books coming. Her signature I think it should be this way and I am going to argue about it was somewhat missing. I thought that would change the book but it actually made it better.
This book was easier to understand or maybe for a change I read at a more even pace rather than trying to inhale the books to find out what happens and get to the next one.
There were a few editing errors, I can usually overlook those if I can figure out the sentence and it makes sense, but in a couple of places it just didnt.
priyastoric's review against another edition
3.0
I just realized I never put in a review for this book. I liked this installment in the Chronicles of Elantra - it just wasn't one of my favorites. Now that we are thirteen books in I am happy to see some forward movement, but was hoping for maybe a little bit more (of what I'm not sure!).
Anyway - this review isn't very helpful, mostly because even when I thought it was just an ok book, it was still a book set in Elantra with Kaylin and crazy dragons and crazy issues with magic. Funtimes.
Anyway - this review isn't very helpful, mostly because even when I thought it was just an ok book, it was still a book set in Elantra with Kaylin and crazy dragons and crazy issues with magic. Funtimes.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Loved reading this book again, and I had to, because we got the cover of Cast in Oblivion, which is going to be an important follow up to this book! Can't wait!
*First read November 3rd, 2017*
Oh, yeah, this book was just so amazing! I loved reading it, Kaylin's adventures were so epic! Such a great book, and I can't wait for the next one, plus the Severn novella!
*First read November 3rd, 2017*
Oh, yeah, this book was just so amazing! I loved reading it, Kaylin's adventures were so epic! Such a great book, and I can't wait for the next one, plus the Severn novella!
squirrelfish's review against another edition
4.0
Another book in a long running series, I enjoyed it but wouldn't advise it unless you're already a reader of the series. This particular book felt more like an installment in a serial novel than a series, in that the mystery wasn't fully solved. Annarion's test of a name, which seemed like the problem in the beginning of the book, is still pending. The dinner party that didn't happen...
I'm okay with all that because I expect there will be another book and there wasn't a cliffhanger - just unresolved issues that I expect she'll get around to in the next book. The series is an auto-purchase for me.
I'm okay with all that because I expect there will be another book and there wasn't a cliffhanger - just unresolved issues that I expect she'll get around to in the next book. The series is an auto-purchase for me.
laurla's review against another edition
5.0
"joy is not a characteristic of my people; it is considered too youthful, and therefore too easily destroyed."
"you have entered into a political arena. what matters is not what YOU believe, here; it is what will be seen and believed by others."
"Kaylin wanted to put a head-shaped dent into the nearest piece of wood."
"it is the truths we hide that have the capacity to destroy us should they see light."
"carriage or no, by the time Kaylin stumbled out of the door she was sore and tired. sitting still, or sitting as still as a moving cabin allowed, took a lot of energy."
"people in power wanted more power, and people in power often felt that the rules that applied to others could safely be circumvented, rules being meant for the powerless."
"you have entered into a political arena. what matters is not what YOU believe, here; it is what will be seen and believed by others."
"Kaylin wanted to put a head-shaped dent into the nearest piece of wood."
"it is the truths we hide that have the capacity to destroy us should they see light."
"carriage or no, by the time Kaylin stumbled out of the door she was sore and tired. sitting still, or sitting as still as a moving cabin allowed, took a lot of energy."
"people in power wanted more power, and people in power often felt that the rules that applied to others could safely be circumvented, rules being meant for the powerless."
katekat's review against another edition
5.0
MIchelle Sagara's The Chronciles of Elantra series is one of my faovrites and this title did not disappoint, A few of the books in this series have not been as strong in my opinion but the last few, including this title, have been excellent. The story was engaging and helped to move the plot along. I felt like I learned more about many of the characters including the protagonist in this volume. I highly recommend this book. I am reviewing this book based on an ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.