Cast in Secret
Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3)by Michelle SagaraWell, this third book in the Chronicles of Elantra took me a while to get through. I found it very slow and dull for the first half of the book. I kept on reading though because I had a feeling that it would pick up, but I didn't realize until once it did that I was over half done!I love Kaylin, I really do and I know she's a softy when it comes to children, but what I don't like is how she can get away with her inappropriate behaviour all the time. Book 3 delves deeper into the lives of the Tha'alani, whom Kaylin is known to loathe. But upon her first visit to their, um, enclave (is that the right word?) she is greeted by a small Tha'alani child who runs over to her in glee. Rather than recoil as she would have done with an adult Tha'alani she picks up the child and then spends the next however long romping around in a fountain with him and other children. And the people escorting her just stand there and wait for her to rejoin them! I get that Kaylin loves children and sort of loses herself with them, but I found that scene in the story so aggravating. It seemed out of character for Sevren and the guard to just let her play in a fountain for a half hour or more. And for Kaylin to not see a difference between the Tha'alani child and human children when she makes such a big deal about that race - she even let the children touch her with their little antennae thingies and it was FINE.That wasn't the only scene that bothered me in this story, there are a couple of other Kaylin/children scenes that I found set my teeth on edge. The fact that they live in a society so focused on protocol and respect, it seems odd that anyone would accept this behaviour from her. Yes, she gets away with many things because she "failed that course" in school, but after a while I think people should stop accepting her ignorance and maybe start teaching her the hard way. She's supposed to be in her mid-20s I think based on information provided about her past, and I don't think people should let her get away with acting as much like a child as she does.Most the time I love her sarcasm and ability to speak what's on her mind without thinking (makes me feel like she's a kindred spirit) but there are just some instances in this story where I felt that the reactions or consequences were out of character for the other characters in the book. Argh!Ok, so other than my frustrations with Kaylin in this book, I found it pretty enjoyable for the last half of it. There was much more action and less frolicking with children. The plot focuses on the kidnapping of two children, which of course Kaylin must save. As I mentioned, we learn more about the Tha'alani in this story as well as learning more about the Oracles, whom Kaylin also has no love for - until she meets a child oracle that is!We also learn more about Kaylin's power in this story and what the words on her body mean. I had trouble following some of the elemental magic storyline, but over all I liked what was discovered.I find these books difficult to follow for me since there is so much information and it is at times technical. This is ME personally, and my difficulties with reading, not that the books are hard to follow. I find the information provided so thick and rich, making it similar to a textbook in my mind and my mind doesn't like to understand textbooks all that well. ;) I feel my little dyslexic brain stretching and working hard when I read the Elantra books, which is a good thing, but sadly I tend to miss some important revelations and have to reread parts.This is one of them "smart book" type series, a-yup! I have to really focus when I read in order to follow the plot. Normally I stay away from books like this because it hurts my head (ha) but I enjoy the world and story lines so much I have to keep reading.My biggest problem right now? The next two books are in TRADE format and not mass market and I don't know if they will ever be out in MM! Gah! I can't buy two books that don't match the rest of my series! Luna Books! *waves* Please publish Cast in Fury and Cast in Silence in mass market format as soon as possible!! *begs*The Chronicles of Elantra
- Cast in Shadow
- Cast in Courtlight
- Cast in Secret
- Cast in Fury
- Cast in Silence
- Cast in Chaos (August 2010)