Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Michelle Sagara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

Still avoiding magic whenever possible, Private Kaylin Neya relished investigating a run-of-the-mill theft. Until she found out the mysterious stolen box had been taken from Elani Street, where the mages and charlatans mingled, and it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two. And since the box was ancient, without a keyhole, and held tremendous darkness inside, Kaylin knew unknown forces were again playing with her destiny—and her life.…

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Sagara's lively third romantic fantasy (after 2006's Cast in Courtlight), scruffy Kaylin Neya, a private in the branch of law enforcement known as the Hawks in the city of Elantris, has a vision of a forlorn little girl while investigating the theft of a strange box from a local mage. As a result, the Hawks get on the trail of a missing child of the secretive, telepathic Tha'alani. Meanwhile, Elantris's Oracles warn that the city will be destroyed in two weeks. Could the mage Donalan Idis, a former inquisitor known for his brutal experiments on Tha'alani, be behind it all? Even before her likeness appears in an Oracle's predictive painting, Kaylin knows she can't avoid getting involved, no matter how much she hates using her powers. The impressively detailed setting and the book's spirited heroine are sure to charm romance readers as well as fantasy fans who like some mystery with their magic.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A fast-paced police procedural, deadly magics, five very different races and a wickedly dry sense of humor -- well, it doesn't get any better than this!" -- Bestselling author Tanya Huff

"Readers will embrace this compelling, strong willed heroine with her often sarcastic voice." -- Publishers Weekly on Cast in Courtlight --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Luna; Reprint edition (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373802838
• ISBN-13: 978-0373802838
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I have no idea where this is going, but I am enjoying the journey. 3.5 - 4 stars, July 26, 2007

By 

lwd (California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3) (Paperback)

This is the third book of Ms. Sagara's "Cast In" series, and I am fascinated. The characters are absolutely unique. The heroine (Kaylin) has a very dark past, an unknown future, and a consistently tenuous present. The heroes (Severn, Nightshade, Tiamaris) can be either villains and/or saviors depending on the circumstance. Secondary players are similarly complex. You are never quite sure what anyone is going to do, and when you reach the end of the book, you're never quite sure how you got there, or why.

Cast in Secret focuses mostly on the Tha-alani race, the people Kaylin fears the most, and the one we know least about. What we do know is that with a touch of their forehead appendages, they can ferret out all secrets, all lies, all memory, and are used by the Emperor as interrogators. If the answers they find are not to the Emperor's liking, the one being interviewed becomes a dragon snack. (A very good reason to avoid these folks at all cost, since the Emperor is a dragon.) Unfortunately, to save a child (and the world), Kaylin must overcome her extreme prejudice of the Tha-alani by working with them, and learning who and what they really are.

There is, surprisingly, very little actual action in Cast in Secret, more world and species building, more character development for Kaylin, the Tha-alani, the Dragons, the Oracles. Previous plotlines are firmly in the background, and are not advanced in any obvious way. Kaylin's Barrani "Lord" status is referenced, but seemingly unimportant. Severn is an occasional sidekick and/or bodyguard, yet rather dimmed in status. Nightshade becomes more an information source, less a main character. The story in this chapter is complete, but feels almost separate from the previous books. The lack of continuity is a little disconcerting, but I trust that Ms. Sagara will, eventually, tie it all together.

If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, and can handle a whole lot of mysterious purpose, I happily recommend this novel.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Grow up!, October 30, 2007

By 

Shaheen (West St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3) (Paperback)

I loved book one and book two in this series. I had high expectations for the third book in this trilogy. Unfortunately, it's not a trilogy, it's a quintet (to quote the author's web site these are "5 linked books - not a pentalogy," although how five books all based around the life and development of one character are not a pentalogy I do not know) and thus this is not the final book in the series, but the middle book. So it suffers the dreaded "middle book syndrome": the characters do not really develop, the plot is not much advanced, and not much happens in any substantive way. (It also the shortest of the books so far.)

Like some of the other reviewers, I really wanted to give the main character a good shake. Behavior that was quirky in the first book, and idiosyncratic in the second, merely came off as bratty in the third. Yes, we know that she failed almost all her courses the first time round, but by now since we all know she is the saviour of the world (in every book) and will eventually go to the Imperial court, her superiors should have taken her off the streets, put her back in the classroom and force fed her some of the knowledge that every one else seems to have except her. The plot device of mysterious markings and power that "no one understands" and yet everyone knows more about than her is wearing thin. People who supposedly don't know much more about the situation than she does, keep giving her tests that presuppose a great deal of knowledge on their part, and then patting her on the head when she passes them. Infuriating!

Don't get me wrong, I actually like Kaylin quite a lot, but I do think that the experiences she had in the last book should have matured her slightly in terms of the way she relates to others.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Chronicles of Elantra, July 31, 2007

By 

Elaine C McTyer "avid reader" (Dawson, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3) (Paperback)

I have enjoyed the previous two books in this series and this one is just as good. Each book reveals abit more about Kaylin Neya and her place in this world. I love the world and it's inhabitants and this novel tells us of a different species on this world. The Barrani, the Dragons, Hawks and the rest are joined by the Tha'alani mysterious beings with great mental abilities.

Kaylin is an orphan raised on the streets by Severn Handred and later joins the Hawks. She is also connected to Nightshade, a exiled Barrani Sorceror. She hates magic but somehow always seems to fall into it. Her abilites make her a blessing to the mid-wives and she is called on many time to help with births. She wears a magic braclet from the Dragon Emperor which inhibits her magic use. Her body is covered with glyphs and she has various and unknown magic abilities.

Severn Handred saved Kaylin from the streets and the ferals when she was young. He has always looked out for her even when she did not know he was there. Now he is her partner in the Hawks and always there to help her face the unknown.

This time Kaylin and Severn are facing a great unknown that threatens to demolish their world or at least the city and country they occupy. The world of magic is based on the elementals of fire, water, earth and air. Now Kaylin must match powers with an evil sorceror from the Arcanium. A sorceror who can control the elements and maybe the elementals. Kaylin never one to look before she leaps finds herself in very deep water.

I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. Michelle Sagara has a wonderful immagination and only she knows where we will end up next. Do not miss this one.