Book and Audio Review: Cast in Conflict by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Conflict
Author: Michelle Sagara
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Series: Chronicles of Elantra (Book 16)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (June 29, 2021); Harlequin Audio (June 29, 2021)
Length: 461 p.; 17 hours and 38 minutes

Description: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER

A Dragon and ten Barrani wouldn’t be anyone’s ideal roommates if a person wants peace and tranquility at home. The residue of three Draco-Barrani wars can make things pretty awkward—on a good day. Kaylin Neya has run out of good days.

In the upheaval surrounding the Academia, the Tower in the fief of Candallar is now without its lord. The Towers were created to protect Elantra against Shadow. Dragon Bellusdeo wants to captain the Tower and continue a war she’ll never be able to abandon. But Sedarias, leader of the Barrani cohort, wants the Tower for the cohort. And Barrani and Dragons don’t negotiate, even when they’re living under the same roof.

If there were ever a time for Shadow to strike, it’s now, when alliances are fractured and the Tower is vulnerable for the first time in centuries. More than ever, Kaylin needs her friends to work together if they’re going to be able to stop the threat to Elantra.

My Thoughts: Things are changing for Kaylin and her housemates. Now that Candallar has died his tower is in need of a new captain. Two of Kaylin's housemates want the tower for themselves. Bellusdeo, the only female dragon, wants the tower to continue her war against Shadow since she feels that she failed in her previous battles. She hasn't been happy in Elantra where she feels she has no real purpose beyond being the mother of her race. 

Sedarias, the leader of the Barrani cohort, wants the tower to provide a place of safety for the cohort. She is having difficulties with the cohort who are starting to develop their own interests including Serralyn and Valliant who have become students at the Academia. Sedarias feels that she can't protect the cohort anymore if they are all going off in new directions. Her very dysfunctional childhood is coloring all her relationships.

Meanwhile, the tower itself has an ancient dragon at its heart and doesn't seem to be in a hurry to pick a new captain. But threats are growing and the outcaste dragon in Ravellon is eager to take advantage of the confusion to snatch Bellusdeo for his own and spread Shadow in Elantra.

This was a great story. I enjoyed all the information about the towers. I also enjoyed meeting a new race of beings even though their physical appearance of being very large spiders gave Kaylin the creeps. I also enjoyed the discussions of guilt and grief and was glad to see that Kaylin is learning to move past her guilt. 

Fans of the series will enjoy this episode and be eager for more. 

Favorite Quote:

"But failure defines and shapes us--and not solely because we fail. How we deal with failure, how we deal with what it means about ourselves and our own capabilities, says more about us than almost anything else could. He does not know who Bellusdeo is, in the wake of catastrophic failure. But dear, neither does she."

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