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| Cast in Fury (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 4) | 
 enlarge | Author: Michelle Sagara
Publisher: Luna
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.80
You Save: $6.15 (41%)
New (29) Used (9) from $8.52
Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 0373802692
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780373802692
Publication Date: September 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When a minority race of telepaths is suspected of causing a near-devastating tidal wave, Private Kaylin Neya is summoned to Court—and into a PR nightmare. To ease racial tensions, the emperor has commissioned a play, and the playwright has his own ideas about who should be the focus.…But Kaylin works her best magic behind the scenes, and though she tries to stay neutral, she is again drawn into a world of politics…and murder. To make matters worse, Marcus, her trusted sergeant, gets stripped of his command, leaving Kaylin vulnerable. Now she's juggling two troubling cases, and even magic's looking good by comparison. But then nobody ever said life in the theater was easy.…
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Hooray for Murray! November 8, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I used to be a big fan of this series - the first two books were really gripping - but now I'm reading it mostly out of curiousity: I want to see what happens next. This book didn't really answer that question.
As usual, Kaylin knew less than anyone else about anything at all, she had to be polite to various people against her better (?) nature, and the end of the world was nigh. This is becoming annoying - surely something in this cycle must change. Since the book largely features the Leontines, I thought for once Kaylin will know more than Severn. I mean, she practically grew up in a Leontine pride, while he has apparently only been through the Leontine quarters a few times as a Wolf. But no - as usual, she is completely oblivious to all cultural subtleties.
When her beloved Sargeant was replaced with a typically rigid bureaucrat, the emotion this is apparently supposed to evoke in the reader is an easy dislike of the stereotypical martinet and sympathy for Kaylin. All I could think was "Yes! Finally someone will force her to take all those classes she needs to be a real copper!" Unfortunately that doesn't quite happen, but I'm hopeful that by the start of the next book, she will be a bit more informed and a more mature and intelligent character. It's not likely, but I can hope can't I?
Beyond that pet peeve of mine, the plot line was thin (although the book wasn't), and the doomsday scenario was the weakest yet. Sadly, some of my favourite characters made only cameo appearances. The magic was the least interesting it has ever been, although I have a feeling that Sagara dropped quite a few hints for the eventual end/showdown (whenever that might come about). I shall keep reading this series in the hopes that the author will recapture the brilliance of the first book, and that she will soon bring this long series to a climax.
 Love this series October 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Cast in Fury is the 4th book in this series and they just keep getting better. While I believe that it could be read alone, most of the sub-story would be lost since each book proceeds upon the previous ones.
Kaylin is a Hawk, one of the three branches of the Lords of Law. She is the youngest and least educated of all the Hawks, having failed all classes but the extremely practical. She is a private because there isn't a lower rank.
She is defined by her great love and protectiveness for children (any children), the words in an ancient language which appear as tatoos on her skin, the great power which the marks have given, a power she uses mostly for healing with a reluctance to use the power in any other way, and nack fot making unusual friends.
This is a world of many races called casts here. The Dragon Lords, who can change from human to dragon but are forbidden to do so by the Emperor, also a Dragon Lord. They along with the Barrani are immortal, though they can be killed. The Barrani are annoying to most other races because they are perfect, perfectly beautiful, perfectly graceful, perfectly arrogant and long lived.
The mortal races include the humans, the arian who have wings and can fly, the Tha'alani who are telepaths and the Leontine who are lion people. Kaylin has friends among all of them and doesn't find it remarkable, She is most close to the Leontine.
There are two main themes to the story. The first is that she and her partner Severn are assigned to assist the Imperial Playwrite to write a plan showing that the telepathic Tha'alani are human to the human population. At the end of Cast in Secret. the Tha'alani leave their quarter and march to the port to stand in the way of a giant tital wave. They were trying to save the city, but it appeasred to the human people that they called the tital wave. Kaylin is not the person who would be the first choice for Imperial Palace duty, except that she knows the Tha'alani.
The other major theme is the Leontine and their pridlea. Kaylin's sargent is Marcus, the first and only Leontine to serve the Empire in the Halls of Law. He has been arrested for murder. Kaylin is part of Marcus' "office pride" and is essentially an adopted daughter in his Pridlea. She can't believe that he murdered anyone, has only 5 days to prove it and Marcus is not cooporating. Cast in Fury contains a lot of fascinating detail about the Leontine as does her other books about the other races.
There is more though. From the beginning of Cast in Shaddows to the end of Cast in Fury there is only a few months in time. Someone is waking up the old ones who have been gone for a long time and change is coming. There have been battles in each of the books, but they appear to only foreshaddows. And Kaylin will play an important role because she was Chosen.
Kaylin is an interesting character. She grows in each of the books. She has great power, doesn't understand it, doesn't want to understand it or use it and pretty much wishes it would go away most of the time. Except when she needs it to heal. She has powerful friends, ties to the Barrani High Court and to Lord Nightshade, the outcast Barrani Fifelord, she's the last student of the DragonLord Mage Lord Sanabis and she's come to the attention, too often of the Emperor himself.
I want to read the next one. I want to know what happened during those 6 months between the time she lift Nightshade and before she showed up at the Hawks. I want to know what is Lord Nightshade's plan, because it's obvious he has one and it's devious. Unfortunately, I expect that we will have to wait until 2009 before the next one comes out...
superb investigative fantasy October 11, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The abnormal size and intensity of the tidal wave that almost destroyed the city has ignited racial tension. Many in Elantra assume the Tha'alani deliberately caused the disaster as they were seen going to the water and almost immediately the water rose in what appeared to be a cause and effect. Though the Emperor wants to ease the tension before a race war explodes, the Swords have replaced the Tha'alani at key security posts and are stationed near the Tha'alani sector albeit to keep mobs out yet also to contain the accused.
To calm things down the Emperor commissioned royal playwright Richard Rennick to scribe a play about the Tha'alani. Lord Sanabalis orders Private Kaylin Neya and Corporal Handred to insure Rennick remembers his mission is to ease tension not enflame it. At about the same time Hawks Leontine Sergeant Marcus is arrested on the charge of murder. Kaylin is told to ignore her "Pridelea" superior officer's plight and stay focused on the bigger issue; she believes in Marcus so she investigates not realizing the dark terror that awaits her and the Elantra Empire.
The fourth Cast in ... fantasy (see SHADOW, COURTLIGHT and SECRET) is a superb investigative thriller as the heroine uses her special magic to prove her military mentor his innocent and to help abate the racial divide that looks almost certain to turn deadly. The story line is fast-paced yet focuses on the destructive nature of de facto (and to a lesser degree de jure racism) in a Rovian way of abusing the strengths of the Tha'alani and using them as a negative to emphasize their differences. Kaylin is at her best in this thought provoking cautionary tale.
Harriet Klausner
Cast In Excellence October 9, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is a continuation of a series, and not an abject waste of copy like Monings 3rd installment. Anyone confused should read the two and judge the difference in getting a wonderfully crafted tale that actually is a book, and a glorified press release for the next book. I would definitely and look forward to #4 from Sagara. Waiting for Goodwill or bargin bin for the other metioned author. I really want to capatilize using my money on things worthwhile.
 Great last half October 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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