Book and Audio Review: Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Courtlight

Author: Michelle Sagara
Series: The Chronicles of Elantra Book 2
Publication: MIRA; First Time Paperback Edition (June 1, 2016)

Description: In Elantra, a job well done is rewarded with a more dangerous task. And so, after defeating a dark evil, Kaylin must enter a place of deceit and treachery. A world where silk and jewels hide deadly secrets….

Kaylin goes before the Barrani High Court, where a misspoken word brings sure death. And Kaylin's never been known for her grace or manners. But the High Lord's heir is suspiciously ill and Kaylin's healing magic is the only shot at saving him—if she manages to dodge the traps laid for her.

Only to discover that the healing might turn out to be the simplest of the tasks before her…

My Thoughts: The second book in the Chronicles of Elantra has Kaylin Neya going into the Barrani High Court to try to heal the heir to the courts. Naturally, there is a time crunch. She just has a couple of days to sort things out before all Hell breaks loose. 

In the course of the story, Kaylin learns vastly more about the role of the High Courts and what they were designed to contain. She gets a name even though humans don't have names in the sense that the immortal species do. Kaylin also comes to terms with what Severn did that caused her to flee the fiefs and to flee Severn and build a new life for herself in Elantra. 

This story is a richly detailed fantasy filled with fascinating characters and wonderful worldbuilding. I love the dragons and the Barrani. I also love the leontines and aerians. I think Kaylin is a wonderful character who is growing and learning more about herself in each of these stories. 

I both read and listened to this story. Khristine Hvam does a wonderful job with the voices and with the pacing in the story. 

Favorite Quote:

"Success and failure are two edges of the same blade, two sides of the same coin. To fear the one is to forever deny the possibility of the other."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec. 7, 2020)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading... 

As usual in this pandemic, I have had a quiet week. I think I went out only once to go to a grocery store. I must have been away from home for less than half an hour. I stocked up on flour and sugar because I'm planning to do some holiday baking.

I started this baking binge by making chocolate chip pumpkin bread. The recipe made two loaves. I cut each in half and froze three parts. I am still trying to limit the sweets that I eat since I don't want to sabotage my healthy eating regime. My brother tells me that it is a recipe that I can keep since he liked it too. He has his slice of bread with a scoop of ice cream. I skipped the ice cream with mine.

I also made a batch of stew using a Mrs. Dash Salt-free stew mix. It makes a lot so my brother and I will be eating stew all week unless I decide to freeze half. His schedule for the coming week has him working during dinner time three of the five days he's scheduled to work. 

Today we are having hamburgers on homemade buns and potato salad for supper. It is sort of a picnic in December. We've been having nice weather for December with temperatures a bit above average and no snow. Unfortunately, we have had quite a few cloudy days and made very little electricity. Last month's power bill arrived and ate up half of the credit we have been banking since March. We only made half of the power we used in November.

November Reading

I read 9506 pages which were contained in 25 books in November. I read eight review books and listened to 14 audiobooks. Twelve of the audiobooks were rereads. Four of the books were from my TBR pile by which I mean that I have had them for more than one year. 

I added 39 books to my LibraryThing account. Ten were audiobooks. Fifteen were new review books. Twenty were Kindle books. The numbers don't add up because I got a number of audiobook/Kindle book combinations because I've discovered I like to read along while listening. 

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh Rowland (Jan. 12) - Fifth in Victorian mystery series with a great setting and interesting characters. My review will be posted on Jan. 5.
• Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook reread

• Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook reread
• Necessity's Child by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook reread
• Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook reread

• Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook reread
• The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook reread

Currently

• Deep Into the Dark by P. J. Tracy (Jan. 12)
• Neogenesis by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook

Next Week

• A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany (Jan. 12)
• The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C. M. Waggoner (Jan. 12)

• Accepting the Lance by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook
• Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - if the audiobook has been released

• The Bone Jar by S. W. Kane - Audiobook and Kindle
• Star Runner by B. V. Larson - Audiobook and Kindle

Reviews Posted

• Tie Die by Max Tomlinson
• Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

• Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
• Ashes of Victory by David Weber

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

• The Cat's Job by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
• The Awakening by Nora Roberts

• Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - hardcover
• Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - Kindle

• In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - free from Tor.com
• Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire - free from Tor.com

What was your week like?

Book and Audio Review: Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Shadow
Author: Michelle Sagara
Series: The Chronicles of Elantra (Book 1)
Publication: MIRA; Original Edition (June 1, 2016)

Description: Book 1 in the Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series by  New York Times bestselling author Michelle Sagara

Seven years ago Kaylin fled the crime-riddled streets of Nightshade, knowing that something was after her. Children were being murdered—and all had the same odd markings that mysteriously appeared on her own skin.…

Since then, she's learned to read, she's learned to fight and she's become one of the vaunted Hawks who patrol and police the City of Elantra. Alongside the winged Aerians and the immortal Barrani, she's made a place for herself, far from the mean streets of her birth.

But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging. Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can't trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers—powers that no other human has. Her task is simple—find the killer, stop the murders…and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!

My Thoughts: The first book in the Chronicles of Elantra introduces Kaylin Neya. She is the youngest member of the Hawks - one of three branches of law enforcement in the city of Elantra. She was born and raised in the lawless fiefs but escaped them as a young teen ager. She bears strange and potentially dangerous marks on her arms and thighs. 

She left the fiefs after her protector. an older boy named Severn, killed the two younger children who lived with them. He believed that their deaths were necessary to save Kaylin from being found and sacrificed because of those strange marks. 

Kaylin has made a new life for herself among the Hawks. She has learned to read and write. She has learned the two languages she needs for her job as a Hawk. She has learned weapons. She has also learned to use her magical ability to heal even though she doesn't understand it. What she hasn't learned is magic or politics or anything else that she doesn't believe has a practical use in her work as a Hawk.

But now the murders of children have begun again in the fief of Nightshade and Kaylin is sent back in with a dragon named Tiamaris and that boy she ran from now grown and also a member of the Hawks. She has to deal with the Barrani outcaste who is Lord Nightshade and she has to track down the ones who are killing children.

To do her job, she has to confront her own magic and learn more about it when little more is known by anyone currently alive. 

This was an excellent start to a new fantasy series. I combined reading this one and listening to the Audible recording of the book. Khristine Hvam did an excellent job with the narration. I liked her distinctive voices for the characters. The pacing was also excellent.

Favorite Quote:

Silence had never been her strength. She might have hated people who felt the need to cram a lot of words into a silence just to fill it, but she was honest enough to know that she hovered on the edge of being one of them. Silences were barbed in unexpected ways, with words, you generally knew where the traps were.

But there were some times when words were so inadequate it was almost obscene to use them.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Black circles under her eyes were not, Kaylin decided, a very attractive statement. Neither was hair matted with old sweat, or eyes red with lack of sleep. She accepted the fact that on this particular morning, mirrors were not going to be her friend.

Friday 56: 

In fact the only intimidating thing in this room was the fieflord himself. Unfortunately, he was the only thing that needed to be intimidating. He ware a lot of black. And a smile.

This week I am spotlighting a reread. Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara was originally published in 2005. It is the first in a series that has grown to 15 books. I know that it has been on my stack since before 2008. It was brought back to my attention when I read The Emperor's Wolves by Michelle Sagara which is a spinoff/prequel to that book. Here is the description from Amazon:

Book 1 in the Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author Michelle Sagara

Seven years ago Kaylin fled the crime-riddled streets of Nightshade, knowing that something was after her. Children were being murdered—and all had the same odd markings that mysteriously appeared on her own skin.…

Since then, she's learned to read, she's learned to fight and she's become one of the vaunted Hawks who patrol and police the City of Elantra. Alongside the winged Aerians and the immortal Barrani, she's made a place for herself, far from the mean streets of her birth.

But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging. Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can't trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers—powers that no other human has. Her task is simple—find the killer, stop the murders…and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!

Book Review: Tie Die by Max Tomlinson

Tie Die
Author: Max Tomlinson
Series: A Colleen Hayes Mystery Book 2
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (June 16, 2020)

Description: When the music stopped, it was murder

Back in London’s swinging '60s, Steve Cook was teen idol number one. But that changed when a sixteen-year-old fan was found dead in his hotel room bed. Steve’s career came to a crashing halt after he was dumped by his record company and arrested. Now, in 1978 San Francisco, Steve works construction, still dreaming of a comeback.

Until his eleven-year-old daughter is kidnapped.

Steve turns to one person for help: Colleen Hayes. She was quite a fan herself, back in the day. And she knows what it’s like to be on the wrong side of the law and live in judgement for the rest of your life.

It doesn’t take Colleen long to realize something fishy is going on with the kidnapping of Melanie Cook. What transpires is a harrowing journey through a music industry rife with corruption and crime. Colleen’s search takes her through San Francisco’s underbelly and all the way to '70s London, where she discovers a thread leading back to the death of a forgotten fan in Steve’s hotel room.

My Thoughts: The second Colleen Hayes mystery has Colleen trying to solve the kidnapping of a former rock star's eleven-year-old daughter. She's still working on getting her PI license which isn't easy for an ex-con who is still on parole when she gets a call from Steve Cook. Steve was the lead singer and songwriter for The Lost Chords. 

Colleen was once a fan of Steve and The Lost Chords but complications in her own life kept her from hearing the story when they dropped off the charts. She is surprised to find Steve in San Francisco, doing construction, and fighting with his ex. She is immediately sympathetic when she learns that his daughter has been kidnapped. After all, she is struggling to rebuild her relationship with her own daughter who has become a Moonie. 

It doesn't take long for Colleen to realize that something strange is going on. The plot twists back to those days when The Lost Chords had their troubles. The only thing Steve has of any particular value is his music catalog but it has been tied up in lawsuits with the band's former agent for years. But now, someone wants the right to one of those songs and there are people who will do anything to get those rights. 

I liked the story. I really liked the 1960s San Francisco setting with all the fashions, cars, and music I remember. I also really like Colleen who has a soft spot for kids in trouble and a firm sense of justice. 

Favorite Quote:

"I was married with a kid when The Lost Chords fell out of the top forty. Too busy watching Sesame Street." And going to prison for killing her ex.

"Then it's not my place to tell you," Deena said with a smirk. "I have to respect Steve's privacy."

I received this one for review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook: Ashes of Victory by David Weber

Ashes of Victory
Author: David Weber
Narrator: Allyson Johnson
Publication: Audible Studios (Dec. 15, 2009)
Length: 25 hours and 45 minutes

Description: REPORTS OF MY DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED . . .

The People's Republic of Haven made a tiny mistake when it announced the execution of Honor Harrington. It seemed safe enough. After all, they knew she was already dead.

Unfortunately, they were wrong. Now Honor has escaped from the prison planet called Hell and returned to the Manticoran Alliance with a few friends. Almost half a million of them, to be precise . . . including some who know what really happened when the Committee of Public Safety seized power in the PRH.

Honor's return Schfrom the dead comes at a critical time, providing a huge, much-needed lift for the Allies' morale, for the war is rapidly entering a decisive phase. Both sides believe that victory lies within their grasp at last, but dangers no one could foresee await them both.

New weapons, new strategies, new tactics, spies, diplomacy, and assassination. ... All are coming into deadly focus, and Honor Harrington, the woman the newsies call ''the Salamander,'' once more finds herself at the heart of them all.

But this time, the furnace may be too furious for even a salamander to survive.

My Thoughts: This episode concerns itself with with happens after Honor returns from imprisonment along with 400,000 other former prisoners including a Peep Admiral who knows what really happened at the time of the Harris assassination and the role the current leaders on Haven played in it. This is a very bad public relations problem for the Peeps just when they are starting to amass some military victories under Admiral McQueen.

Meanwhile on Manticore, Honor is getting ready for all sorts of medical intervention to fix the nerves on her face, reinstall her artificial eyes and manage a new prosthetic left arm. Nimitz is also going to undergo repairs of his injuries but the loss of his telepathic connection with his mate and the other treecats isn't as easy to repair. However, Honor's mother has an idea based on an old Earth language called "sign language" which might give Nimitz a way to communicate again and will open a whole new way of interacting with all the treecats who have adopted humans. Honor is also tasked by the Admiralty to teach at Saganami Island and take over as Commandant of the Advanced Tactical School while she is on convalescent leave and is supposed to be resting.

On Grayson, Steadholder Mueller is continuing his campaign to undermine Benjamin's reforms and he has a new partner from the religious fanatics on Masada financed by the Peeps though Mueller doesn't know all those details. Mueller just sees them as subordinates funneling illegal funds to him in his campaign to undermine Benjamin's reforms. They have a bigger plan though: they plan to assassinate Benjamin and Queen Elizabeth of Manticore to throw the Alliance into chaos. Honor is able to save Benjamin and Queen Elizabeth but she is unable to save the Prime Ministers of either Star System. The lack of the Prime Minister on Manticore means that those who opposed his plans finally get a chance to form their own government and they are sure the Peeps are just misunderstood and really want peace with Manticore.

The Peeps need the chaos! Manticore and its allies are finally ready to debut their new weapons which will give them a strong tactical advantage and finally let them bring the war to its conclusion. And the leaders of the Peep government are ready to get rid of their successful military leader before she decides to overthrow them. Their policies have been working against them as a number of military leaders and the spies they set on them are finally coming to realize just how bad the Peep government is and a quiet revolution is growing.

While this episode still had quite a few space battles and descriptions of weapons, I felt like the focus on this one was more political. The government of the Peeps was imploding and the military was coming together to oppose all the government abuses. Honor becomes much more politically astute even though she really doesn't want to. I'm eager to see where the story goes next.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Trader's Leap
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Series: Liaden Universe (Book 23)
Publication: Baen (December 1, 2020)

Description: The only bridge between past and future is a leap of faith.

Pursued by enemies, exiled Liaden clan Korval is settling into a new base on backworld Surebleak. Moving is expensive, as is war, and Korval is strapped for cash. Delm Korval has therefore instructed Master Trader Shan yos'Galan to design and implement new trade routes, quickly.

But this is no easy task.Dutiful Passage is targeted by Korval's enemies, denied docking at respectable ports, and cheated at those less respectable. Struggling to recuperate from an attack on his life, while managing daughter Padi’s emerging psychic talents, Shan is running out of options—and time. His quest to establish the all-important trade route puts him at odds with his lifemate, while doubting crew desert the ship. Facing the prospect of failure, Shan accepts the assistance of chancy allies and turns the Passage toward a port only just emerging from Rostov's Dust and awash with strange energies.

Without trade, Clan Korval will starve. Will a trader's leap of faith save everything—or doom all?

My Thoughts: This twenty-third book in the Liaden Universe focuses on Shan, Priscilla, Padi and the Dutiful Passage though it doesn't begin with them. 

We begin on a planet we haven't seen before which is divided into two main cultures - Civilization and the Haosa - and which has recently had an attack by Reavers who wanted to kidnap and steal the power from some of the people. There is a lot of psychic talent on the planet and the Oracle is telling them that Great Ones are coming.

Back on the Passage we find Shan trying to recover from the depletion of his psychic talent after he healed and was healed by Tarona Rusk - a dramliza in the service of the Department of the Interior. We also find Padi who is learning about her new and unwanted dramliza powers which are getting in the way of her desire to become a Master Trader.

Shan's mission is to find new and profitable trade routes to benefit his clan but he is having trouble because of the continuing interference of agents of the Department of the Interior. He does have some hope when he connects with a representative of the Carresens-Denobli family who are another non-Liaden trade family which a long history. He also has more luck when he determines to explore a new region of space which has recently come out from behind Rostov's Dust. 

We also get to see Tarona Rusk on her new quest to destroy the Department - get revenge on the Department - the co-opted and used her for their gain. And we see one of the other results of Shan's healing of Tarona in that the talents that survived the severing of Rusk's control have their own plans for the dissolution of the Department of the Interior.

And finally, we see the results of the final defeat of the ancient enemy that forced the escape from the old universe and how that effects Moonhawk and Lute and their current vessel Priscilla and descendant Shan. 

This was an engaging and entertaining story that I just gulped down and which will stand up to any number of rereads. Of course, there are threads left dangling and questions left unanswered for long-time fans of the series. But this story also brings to an end some of the long-running plot threads. Hopefully, we have seen the last of the Department of the Interior. And there are so many new possibilities for Korval...

Favorite Quote:

"Is Trader Denobli your father?"

"No, worse! He's my mother's double-brother - from the Carresens and Denobli! Great deeds are expected of me daily, if not by the hour."

He shook his head and looked at her.

"The master trader - is he your father?"

"He is, indeed, and I am his heir. You understand, great deeds are not expected from me, for it is no great thing to achieve the amethyst, when so many others have done so."

Trader Vanz did not withhold his laugh.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Baen Books. You can buy your copy here.