of Fiefholds, Baranis and Dragons—the tale continues!

There’s an empty tower in the middle of the Elantra fiefs, formally captained by Candallar. That equates to a place where the Shadow can gain a foothold. Kaylin’s Barani misfit Lords want it and it seems so does her friend the Dragon Bellusdeo. Surprise, surprise! The dragon court of course wants Kaylin to keep an eye on Bellusdeo’s movements. They “would like to know where Bellusdeo has been going in the past two weeks.” To Kaylin, “It was clear that the gold Dragon was doing something with her day—something that Kaylin couldn’t see.” The dragon emperor has ordered Corporal Kaylin Neya to accompany Bellusdeo. Severn is sent to support(moderate?) Kaylin.
Bellusdeo has troubled me since the beginning. Why? Because she’s fiercely independent and yet carries the weight of being the last female dragon in Elantra. She arrived from the somewhere Other fleeing the Shadow, and now in Elantra, the continuation of dragonism just might be her burden.
The Emperor has been wise in allowing her distance. Currently Bellusdeo lives with Kaylin in the sentient House Helen. (What else can the Emperor do?) His patience is not measured as others measure. And I ask myself is Bellusdeo a significant part of his hoard? The other dragons are as usual confused by her. Except maybe the Dragon Sanabalis now the Arkon.
Bellusdeo wants to continue to fight the Dark. She wants to take charge of a tower. But then there’s the cohort of Barani’s living (loose term) with Kaylin, and they too are looking for somewhere to go.
Kaylin of course falls from one situation into another. We must remember this is as Severn reminded her, “Kaylin, Kaylin Neya, Lord Kaylin Neya, Corporal Neya or just Corporal”, and we’re never sure, neither is Kaylin, which identity will surface. Lord Nightshade is as ever his sartorial self.
Another great return to Elantra, one of my favorite spaces.

A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I enjoy this series. I like the characters and the story line. I do forget what has happened prior and get some of the characters confused. I do recommend reading the series in order. But I found it an enjoyable read even though I don't remember a lot from previous books (my fault - not the authors).

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cast in Conflict is the newest addition to Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series. I have followed this series since the beginning and I still thoroughly enjoy the books and Sagara's writing. Cast in Conflict returns Kaylin Neya and her many friends and acquaintances. I really love her characters, but I will say that I struggled remembering all of them. Sagara does little to give us a refresher on their background. I think if I had read each of the books back to back, I would recognize all of the names, but I had difficulty recognizing characters by name. A quick search online and book synopsis helped a bit. This book, like the others in the series, moves at a slow steady pace. Of course, once the story gets into full swing, the pacing picks up quite a bit and is completely engaging. The over all story arc of the story does move forward a bit. I'm eagerly looking forward to the rest of the series and see where everything comes to a head. Overall, good read and definitely a must if you are a fan of the series.

Michelle Sagara continues her Chronicles of Elantra with Cast in Conflict. Kaylin Neya is working with her colleagues and friends on a replacement for the Lord of the sentient tower of Candallar. The towers protect Elantra from the shadows at the heart of the fiefs. Dragon Bullesdeo, the only female dragon, wants the job, but so does one of the ten Barrani that are also sharing Kaylin's home. Kaylin has to use all the skills and knowledge she has learned as a groundhawk for the Emperor to mediate the competition and keep the Dark at bay. Eighteenth in the series but still a superb story. Read and enjoy.

The publisher asked me for my honest opinion of CAST IN CONFLICT (Book 16 of the Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series) by Michelle Sagara. After the events of the last book, one of the fief towers stands empty. The Arkon is no longer the Arkon and is now the Chancellor of the Academy. Lord Sanabalis is now the Arkon. Kaylin’s resident cadre of Barani are all now Lords of their court. Lord Bellusdeo is avoiding Kaylin and disappearing into the fiefs where the Dragon Court’s spies cannot follow. The Dragon Court, concerned for Bellusdeo, second Kaylin and Severn to follow Bellusdeo where the Dragon Court’s spies cannot. This book takes Kaylin and her friends back to the Academy, into the fiefs, and again to an empty tower. Kaylin will learn more about the nature of the towers and shadow. Will the tower find an acceptable captain before it falls to a shadow incursion? This time, Kaylin’s role of counselor to the troubled will make more of a difference to the outcome than all of her magic.

I enjoy this series; overall, it’s one of my favorites. I’m not in the best frame of mind right now, so I’m not sure whether it was Kaylin’s relative passivity and tag-along role in this book that caused a lessening of interest or if it was my personal distraction. So, I recommend this book to fans of the series. It advances the story to where it needs to go for the next tale. Newcomers, start with the first book, CAST IN SHADOW.

#CastinConflict #NetGalley

Cast in Conflict by Michelle Sagara, the latest in the series does not disappoint. Kaylin is once again thrust into the thick of things against Shadow and its attendant tricks, this time deeper and darker than before. Will her luck and optimism be able to pull her out of it this time?