This book continues the amazing and engaging series by Sagara. This entry features a strong protagonist and is an excellent YA book.

Cast in Honor is the Eleventh installment in author Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series. This series follows the adventures of Private Kaylin Neya, a young woman who serves the Hawks in the towering Halls of Law. She’s Elantra’s version of a police officer, a mortal in a city ruled by Dragons. Cast in Honor story picks up three weeks after the narrow defeat of the Ancestors in Cast of Flame. Elantra stands strong, but countless numbers of Hawks, the city's staunchest protectors, were lost in the brutal attack. Humans, Barrani, Aerians, Leontines—none of the races emerged unscathed from the defense of the city.

Homes were lost, families were scattered…and the outcast Barrani Lord Nightshade is missing from his castle in the fiefs. Yet as the chaos surrounding the battle begins to wane, Kaylin's duties must resume, despite her grief. Because of her ability to see magic, Kaylin and her partners are called in to investigate a triple murder in a quiet part of town. When she nears the scene, she is drawn to the house across the street where she meets a young girl named Kattea and her guardian Gilbert who is apparently one of the shadow creatures that the city fought against.

Kaylin is soon embroiled in a case that is anything but routine. Evidence of the deadly Shadows that still threaten the city leads to hints of ancient, forgotten magics. After a visit to the Oracular Halls, evidence points directly to Ravellon—the heart of the Shadows and the darkness they contain. The one positive is that Kaylin now has a home of her own thanks to coming across Helen, a sentient building, a gardia, much like Tara. Of course, she has others staying with her as well including Barrani Mandoran of Casarre and Annarion of Solanace, and the only female Dragon, Bellusdeo, and her bodyguard.

While some things are different in this story, including the addition of two key characters from the future, Kaylin is the Chosen and no one has any real idea what it means. Hope is her familiar, the little dragon, who first appeared in Cast in Peril. Kaylin has no clue what Hope is saying most of the time unless she is seeing through Hope's wings. Corporal Lord Severn Handred grew up with Kaylin in the fiefs. He went into the Wolves and was then seconded to the Hawks to partner up with Kaylin; he provides the diplomatic side of their partnership.

He also holds her magical bracelets whenever Kaylin decides to toss it into the nearest river, or uses her marks on her body in order heal someone, or find something others can't see. One of the biggest things I like about Kaylin is her heart. She truly wants the best for her colleagues like Barrani Corporal Teela, and Sergeant Moran dar Carafel, an Aerian, runs the infirmary, who lost her wing. While Moran refuses to allow Kaylin to heal her, getting Kaylin to stop begging her to come home with her is even harder to resist. Between a sentient house, a shadow in human form, the Keeper losing control of his garden, mirrors spreading chaos, and spells cast for unknown reasons that are destroying the city, Kaylin has a very busy time of it.

One final comment: I am tired of the alleged powerful treating Kaylin like a child. She's literally saved their asses time and time again, including in this story. Yes, she makes some silly mistakes. Yes, she asks some basic questions about being Chosen, and how her marks actually work. Considering nobody has taken 30 minutes to tell her what it means, I'm giving a pass

Michelle Sagara has created a completely unique and compelling world and populated it with human and humanlike creatures that take on a life of their own. I am totally invested in their storylines. I want the story to move faster to see how it will end and I also want the author to keep this series going because I love it so much! These books are always an immediate yes for me. The only part I hate is when they end.