What exactly is a shadow?  And why did one renegade dragon to into the shadowlands?  I love this series because it carries me away into an alternate reality for hours.  These novels by Ms. Sagara are lengthy, meaty and feels like a full immersion which then takes me days to come out of.  I definitely experience a major book hangover after submersing myself in this series.

In this latest installment, we see a little more of Emperor.  Not as a rule, but as a possible suitor trying to "relate" to Belusdeo.  I find this amusing.  We also see more of Akron.  What I want to learn more about is Kaylin's handy dragon companion.  I have so many questions going all different directions about this world.  There are so many complexities to it and so many wonderful characters to delve into.  I am thrilled that a spin off series was created specific for  Severn.  Now I want to see more movement for Kaylin to either uncover the mystery of the Shadows or we move on to another character to develop more fully.  As much as I adore Kaylin, she seems to be stuck in a rut.  Her house "mother's" her.  Her friends are all developing and becoming adults.  Yet Kaylin is still not sure what she is doing.  She is still constantly rebelling against ... well, who knows? 

She does have the kind heart and does the right thing but it feels like she is all instinct and absolutely no brain.  When will she be able to start leading people instead of trying to get through the next emergency by the seat of her pants?  When will she decide for herself what it is she wants in life?  Hopefully in the next book we will see some growth in her.  Because Severn seems to be decades ahead of her.  She will never catch up at her pace and will she ever forgive and finally talk with Severn instead of having him as her babysitter?

This epic fantasy is highly recommended to readers who love complex worlds and like to have many questions... unanswered

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed getting to understand this universe. I do enjoy how Ms. Sagara writes.

This series just continues to get better. Each book adds a layer to the previous books, building a world so complete that the reader is able to feel themselves present in it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. 

This was another book that I didn't realize was a part of a series but I will say that I enjoyed this book. I will check out the first book.

Fifteen books in and every time I read it a little too fast, each installment becoming the next years most anticipated read (until you realize your getting two books in one year, hello The Emperor's Wolves!).

No matter how much I adore the cohort, I'm grateful that we are returning to the heart of the story, Ravellon. Shadow is escaping, one in particular, and someone let them out, Kaylin's duty is therefore to investigate the fiefs that surround the home of shadow and find the crack, along with Severn and, unfortunately for Kaylin, Bellusdeo. While investigating, they find in the gray area between the fiefs what feels to Kaylin like a living building, much like her home Helen. Now people are disappearing and they seem to be inside. With The Arkon leading the investigation of this new, old, building, the group is about to find a new world.

Cast in Wisdom brings the history of my favorite character, the Arkon, to the forefront, and while some of the timeline got a little skewed for me, I will easily say this is going to be a favorite. I enjoyed learning more about him, but also the history that overlaps with his life. We got to learn more about the fall of Ravelon and other people that lived there, that coexisted with the Dragons and Barrani, one of which i don't think I could personally handle, and more of what happened to the dragon lords. Loved and highly recommend this installment, and pretty much all before it. Also, if you haven't tried before, check out the audiobooks, I was pleasantly surprised by Kristine Hvam's performance.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I got it in January. As I started to read the story, I realised I barely understood what was going on. Sagara world-builds very intensely in each book, and I could not remember much from the previous 14 books. 

I have enjoyed this series, and was frustrated, so, taking a deep breath, I went back and reread books 5 to 14 before reading this one. Hence the delay in writing this review. Each book weighs in at around 500 pages. So I have just read 5000 pages of this series.

The upshot of this exercise is as follows: 

1. Do not even try to read this book without reading the previous books. You may understand what is happening, but you will only have about a quarter (If that) of the experience. 

1.5 Do read this series.

2. This series improves with rereading. 

2.5 Having said that, an encyclopaedia of Elantra would be welcome. I asked the internet if there was one, but apparently not.

3. The events which occur in the last few books occur back to back. The story in this book starts 2 days after the events in the last one. 

4. Some reviewers mutter about the lack of character growth in Kaylin, the MC - but it makes sense in the context of events occurring over a matter of weeks. She is growing and evolving as a person still, and it’s very enjoyable. As she is becoming an adult, everything isn’t so much all about her anymore.

5. In this story Kaylin is involved and important, but she is along for the ride, which we experience from her point of view - and what a ride it is! The series has evolved a bit this way, but I think it’s great. We know all the supporting characters, some better than others, and this story is a little bit more the worlds’ and others’ than hers. 

This review is going up on amazon, goodreads and b & n. 
--

I've been following this series for a while and there have definitely been weaker and stronger books, this was one of the weaker ones. It was nice to get some worldbuilding info and I liked the premise and seeing the Arkon being involved, but it just seemed to take longer to read than some of the other books of the series did. The writing was good, so I'm not sure why it felt like it dragged on, but maybe it was just me. The cohort have annoyed me almost since they joined the series, so their increased presence could also have been part of the issue.

Book 15 in the series. It was okay.

This one fell a bit flat for me. While on the one hand I was happy to see the Arkon feature in a book, it just felt like it dragged. Kaylin feels a little static, there's not really been much growth to her lately,  <spoiler>despite the fact that she's finally promoted to Corporal.</spoiler> 

And don't get me started on the cohort. They're getting on my nerves. I'd like to see some of them do anything but squabble and plot. They are overwhelming the plot with nonsense and I'd really like to once more see something of Elantra besides dragons and barrani.

The publisher and Netgalley provided me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 

Kaylin Neya has a nose and a knack for trouble. She attracts it like gum on the bottom of a shoe. The fifteenth installment in the Chronicles of Elantra poses new challenges for Kaylin. She's still caught in the middle of the masters she serves ... the Hawks and the Emperor, her inner compass and the political intrigues she must navigate. 

Her assignment appears simple- but it turns into an adventure of epic proportions. Against the backdrop of the fiefs that shaped her, Kaylin must uncover the seed of chaos that threatens to overwhelm the entire kingdom. The task calls for her to confront and conquer the demons of her past and truths she has long buried and ignored. 

Kaylin is a snarky, gutsy heroine like no other, and the world of Elantra is incomparable.

Michelle Sagara is a new author to me and although I noticed that Cast in Wisdom was the 15th book in the series, it was the cover and synopsis that got me interested. 

I know they say don't judge a book by its cover but I was intrigued by this one because of the choice of colours on it and the title just sounded really magical. 

Sagara wastes no time in getting into the story and has an amazing attention to detail and worldbuilding skills I was amazed by. I was transported into the story and swept along by the quick pace. 

Given that there are so many books before this, I did feel quite  out of my depth as far as getting to know the characters was concerned and would have appreciated some backstory because they weren't very visual to me and because there were so many of them. 

The one that stood out to me was Kaylin and I thought she was fearless, strong and a fighter and this was clear from the outset of the book. 

Overall, Cast in Wisdom was an authentic novel that made me want to explore the rest of the series and I feel privileged to have discovered Michelle Sagara's work. 

After only having listened to (so far at the time of this review) the first book in The Hunger Games series as well as all of the Twilight Saga novels,  I'm glad I've discovered another fantasy series. 

Although Cast in Wisdom was arguably the darkest fantasy novel I have reviewed so far, it was written in a way that has left me curious to discover the rest of the series. 


Thanks to Michelle Sagara and MIRA Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. 4 stars.

When I requested this ARC I didn't know this was the last instalment in a long series and I was a bit lost at the beginning.
As I loved the style of writing and the story promised to be an excellent one I looked for a wiki and learn about the world and the characters of this book.
I'm more than happy I did it because this is a gripping and entertaining story, full of twists and turns, that kept me hooked till the last page.
The world building is amazing and complex, I appreciated how well it was developed and how vivid it is. 
The cast of characters is well though, I loved Kalyin who is a strong and interesting character.
The story flows and it never bores.
Even if there are some useful wiki on the net I think it would be better to read the other books in this story because it can be a bit hard at the beginning it you read this book as the first one.
On my side I am more than happy that I have a lot of books to read as I fell in love with this world.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you to Mira Books/Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review.

[DNF @ 31%] Disclaimer: I did not know "Cast In Wisdom" was the 15th book of a series when I requested this title. But I was still interested in reading it because of the synopsis and cover art.

"Cast In Wisdom" was hard to get into. Usually, I’m able to orient myself if I start a series out of order. Eventually come to understand this new world and the most prevailing plot points thus far. But I felt disconnected from what was happening. Again, my mistake.

I liked Bellusdeo the most. One, she’s a dragon and, two, she carries herself almost royally but cool, calm and collected.

I also liked the idea of buildings having sentience that sometimes is or isn’t consciously independent. Helen was my favorite embodiment of sentience. I just like her sweet, motherly nature and how homey she was.

The story felt 95% discussion, rehashing, or theorizing – a huge info dump with very little action taking place or any forward momentum. The pace slowed, if not dragged. And so blocked me from building a connection with the story or characters that I grew bored.

I can see aspects of this book’s potential and appeal but I don’t think it was the right book was for me.

This novel is well written with characters (and a bit of complex relationships) that are interesting and keep the novel moving.

This is the 15th, and I would not recommend this as the first novel as you will be very confused for the first few chapters (I thought there were multiple personalities at first, there aren’t), but Sagara has created a very interesting world and a really different approach to dragons in a society.

Overall, I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys an adventure novel that includes some court complexities as well.

If you enjoy high fantasy, and can keep a lot of names straight, there is a good chance you will enjoy this novel.

Towers, Fiefs and Borderlands. A puzzle!

Once again Kaylin Neya is tasked by the Hawklord to investigate problems occurring in and around the fiefs, along with Bellusdeo and Severn. Shadow is the fear.
This time it's the Borderlands, those spaces on the edge of and between the fiefs. These areas exist "around a central Tower, and the Towers were created to stand sentinel against the fief of Ravellon—the only fief that had neither Tower nor lord... Ravellon was the home of the most dangerous of the Shadows."
Reality doesn't hold in the same way in the Borderlands and shifts of time and location can occur.  “The border zone wasn’t solid."
The threat of Shadow to the whole of Elantra is real and the Borderlands might be harboring it. The Dragon Bellusdeo wants to investigate, as does the Dragon Emperor. 
Magic follows different rules in these areas. People have disappeared and as the group's  search unfolds this becomes a dominating factor. Speculation gives rise to the idea that that the outcaste fief lord of Candallar is involved. 
The cohort is still as troubling as always and yet their peculiarities are helpful as Kaylin, her familiar Hope and her companions unwittingly enter into strange places in the Borderlands. What they find is the Acadamia which is not anchored, causing the group giant headaches as they step into what becomes dangerous situations. The Dragon Lord Arkon, a seeker of knowledge, recalls the Academia. It was "a great school, that once existed just outside of the heart of Ravellon." A place where all groups could learn and study. A wellspring of scholarship. A place of nostalgic interest and memories for Arkon.
Now Kaylin as The Chosen will become part of Acadamia's problems and solution.
In some ways anticlimactic in relation to the whole series, and yet the ending was just so fitting!

A Harlequin / Mira ARC via NetGalley

Shadow escape, new worlds to explore and a border zone with secrets that can destroy them all, Kaylin knows one thing, trouble is brewing but she has her gang at her back.

Nothing like jumping into a series 15 books in, but that is exactly what I did… and I really enjoyed it! Michelle Sagar writes a complex, compelling and totally original world that blew me away. Magic, mayhem and mythical secrets take center stage when a group of highly engaging characters make Cast of Wisdom a great book-cation into another world.

I received this ARC copy of Cast in Wisdom from HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Each book in this series offers an in-depth look into a new segment of the Elantran world, and I loved what I learned in this new entry. Bonus factors: magic school with a magic library and library protectors that live in books.

Cast in Wisdom, the fifteenth book of Michelle Sagara's epic fantasy series involving Kaylin Neya and her ever-expanding band of cohorts, follows in precisely the same vein as the previous novels.  Stationary things are sentient, the fiefs and the kingdom are in trouble, and Kaylin's powers and responsibilities are expanding while she remains clueless about life in general.  If you're still a fan of the series after this many installments, Cast in Wisdom won't disappoint nor surprise.  If you petered out on the series a few books back ... well, let's just say that Cast in Wisdom won't be the book to draw you back in.

Title:  Cast in Wisdom
Author:  Michelle Sagara
Genre:  Fantasy
Rating:  5 out of 5

In the aftermath of the events in the High Halls, there are loose ends. One of those loose ends is the fieflord, Candallar. In an attempt to understand his involvement—with the Barrani, with the High Court, and with the much hated Arcanum—Kaylin has been sent to the fiefs.

She has mixed feelings about this. There’s nothing mixed about her feelings when she discovers a very unusual building in the border zone between two fiefs, and far more questions are raised than are answered. Her attempt to get answers leads her back to the Imperial Palace and its resident Dragon librarian, the Arkon.

Things that were lost in the dim past were not, perhaps, destroyed or obliterated—and what remains appears to be in the hands of a fieflord and his allies—allies who would like to destroy Kaylin’s friends, the Emperor, and possibly the Barrani High Court itself. This is bad.

What’s worse: The librarian who hates to leave his library has a very strong interest in the things that might, just might, have been preserved, and—he is leaving his library to do in person research, no matter what Kaylin, the Hawks, or the Emperor think.

He is not the only one. Other people are gathering in the border zone; people who believe knowledge is power. But power is also power, and it might be too late for the Empire’s most dedicated Historian—and Kaylin and her friends, who’ve been tasked with his safety.

As always, I love the books in this series! I feel like Kaylin, with her fierce desire to help others, tendency to speak—and act—without thinking, and ability to find trouble even when not looking for it, could be me. The relationships in this series grow deeper and more complex with every novel, and the world and cultures more vibrant. I was eager to see where this adventure led---and of course it did not disappoint! Highly recommended!
Michelle Sagara is the author of The Chronicles of Elantra. Cast in Wisdom is the newest book in the series. 

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

The City of Elantra is surrounded by fiefdoms, each surrounding a sentient Tower. Between them are border zones, places of erratic and unpredictable magic. Even so, Kaylin seems to understand how that works, and is trying to understand the secrets surrounding the border zones before others do.

Cast in Wisdom is the fifteenth novel in the Chronicles of Elantra, but the first one I'd heard of, so I was woefully unprepared to be diving into this book. Because of that lack of understanding on my part, I often had to reread sections to try to get a sense of what's going on. There were relationships explained to some extent, others glossed over. I did like the touch of eyes changing color to reflect internal emotional states, as well as the descriptions of sentient buildings and the powers they wield to keep citizens safe. It's fascinating, and I was drawn into the mystery of odd sentient buildings popping up where they don't belong that contain people who refer to the location in archaic terms.

It was fascinating to see the different races and the explanation of magic in this novel, as well as the interactions between the characters. They argue over the nature of magic involved in this novel's story. The border zones had never been something that people bothered to examine before, and now it takes on a whole new importance not only for the present day to hide conspirators but involving the past. Some of the crotchety characters were actually fairly endearing to me, even if they bothered Kaylin a lot. I didn't like how sometimes she felt insulted merely for not understanding what was going on, but I did eventually gather that some of that was because she missed lessons that they had considered important. Oops. Willful ignorance is a whole other category, and as the novel progressed, some of that was smoothed over a bit, too.

I think I would have enjoyed the novel a lot more if I had read the earlier books in the series. From the amount of world-building and descriptions that I had seen here, I think I would have loved them.

Elantra Menaced by Danger in the Borderlands

The sentient towers in the fiefs at the center of Elantra are designed to protect the city from Shadow. Between the fiefs lies the gray borderlands. However, one of the fief lords has allowed a Shadow to cross from his fief into Elantra creating a danger to the city. 

Kaylin is a Hawk, a function like a detective. The Hawklord assigns her and her compatriot Severn to enter the borderlands and survey the fiefs to make sure there are no other ways for a Shadow to gain entrance. There they discover an ancient sentient building that once house the Academie and which now seems to be the center of activity. 

This is the fifteenth book in The Chronicles of Elantra. It’s a good continuation of the saga, but if you’re new to the series, the opening may be confusing. Many characters are introduced, and it takes awhile to sort out their roles. If you want to get the most from the series, I would suggest starting at the beginning.  

Kaylin is my favorite character. She wants to fight the evil in the world and puts herself at risk to do so. She is one of the Chosen, but rather than spend time to get training on how to use her magic, she works in the world stopping to learn magic when she needs it.

If you enjoy world building fantasy, The Chronicles of Elantra are excellent. Elantra is complex, filled with magic, adventure, and interesting characters. The details are designed to make the world real.  It’s a long book, but well worth the time to get to know this unusual world. 

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.