Cast in Secret

By Michelle Sagara

Still avoiding magic whenever possible, Private Kaylin Neya relished investigating a run-of-the-mill theft. Until she found out the mysterious stolen box had been taken from Elani Street, where the mages and charlatans mingled, and it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two. And since the box was ancient, without a keyhole, and held tremendous darkness inside, Kaylin knew unknown forces were again playing with her destinyand her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Luna
• Release date: Aug 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781426820144

Michelle Sagara

New York Times bestselling author Michelle Sagara writes as both Michelle Sagara and Michelle West; she is also published as Michelle Sagara West. She lives in Toronto with her long-suffering husband and her two children, and to her regret has no dogs. She can be found @msagara on Twitter or http://msagarawest.wordpress.com

Reviews for Cast in Secret

[Sharol · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

holds you intwined with the characters andbtheir struggles. cover to cover you read only to be left wanting more.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Private Kaylin Neya has a thing for children. When she sees the reflection of a young girl in a pool in Evanton's secret garden, she has to try to rescue her while trying to locate a missing reliquary that was the reason Evanton called for the Hawks in the first place. Then a young child from the Tha'alani also goes missing and Kaylin is certain that the two cases are connected. In order to rescue the missing Tha'alani child, Kaylin has to learn much more about magic than she would like. She has spent years trying to ignore the strange magic that appears as writing on her body. But Kaylin has to deal with the Elements - especially Water - and a missing Arcanist who spent years experimenting on the Tha'alani with the Emperor's approval and who really wants to continue his work despite the fact that his experiments were terminated and he is being hunted by the wolves.This is a richly complex fantasy set in a wonderfully detailed world. I really enjoyed learning more about the Tha'alani and their history. I also enjoyed watching Kaylin learn more about her strange powers and the world she lives in. The narration by Khristine Hvan was excellent. She has a great sense of pacing and a way of making each character's voice distinct.

[jami_leigh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 4 1/2stars
Style: 4 stars
Pace: 4 1/2 stars

I think this may be my favorite of the Elantra books yet. It was hard to put down for bed last night.

[julie_loves_to_read · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well worth reading from the library if you liked the earlier books in the series.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Private Kaylin Neya is still the lowest of the low in the Order of the Hawks, but she believes wholeheartedly in what the Hawk stands for. Called to investigate the theft of a mysterious box from the street of mages, Kaylin finds herself once again thrust in to places where a mere private - and one with no tact, at that - has no business being. But with not only the box, but two missing children on her plate, Kaylin has no intentions of slowing down or stepping aside. Not for anyone.Kaylin's bumbling refusal to pay attention to anything she doesn't want to and her predictable response to any type of guidelines (the rules are there to be broken, unless they're the Law) is beginning to pall slightly. But somehow I keep coming back to this series anyway.

[theyodamom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Intense, action filled with a tease of romance. Wow. Some spine tingling moments that had me in goosebumps. They just keep getting better.

Kaylin and Severn visit's the elemental garden, (not it's real name) and see thing she is told not too. Her vision sends her down a dangerous path of water and death. Her heart aches for children, she must save the child she feels is in danger, no matter what the cost. She has to face her fears and hatred to accomplish this, it is not an easy thing to do. She must overcome her past to save this child and the town from utter destruction. Severn, always at her side, takes whatever he must, he will alway be by her side. (but when will she love him back ?) There is something old dead and carrying a huge burden in the library. This finding will awaken many in the town with a great roar not heard for decades. With all these new discovers everything will change for Kaylin and others.

[bookaholiccat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. 4 ½ Stars
Great book and an even better narration by the amazing Khristine Hvam.

[cynical_ames · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cast in Secret follows on a few days after the second book in the series, Cast in Courtlight. In this instalment a prophetic dream so strong that all of the Oracles even the apprentices receive the same vision, the end of life itself. One very powerful Oracle focuses on Kaylin and begins painting a picture of her on his wall. He is so powerful that he is disabled by his gift. He doesn't speak, he doesn't sleep and he doesn't react like a normal person, his only form of expression is drawing and painting so Kaylin and co. have to determine who or what could be behind this and how to stop it.

Kaylin learns more about the Tha'alani, a telepathic race who can search a person's memory which most find unnerving including Kaylin, and to a lesser extent the Dragons and the Oracles. Kaylin sees Severn in a slightly different light as a Wolf instead of as a Hawk but also how he approaches the Tha'alani - without fear and with a little envy I think. She also learns more about herself, and of the others that have had the marks she has. We are introduced to the elements earth, air, fire and water with the emphasis on water but I won't go into this as I don't want to give anything away.

In every book so far (this is the third - the first being Cast in Shadow and the second, Cast in Courtlight) Kaylin has been working through her harrowing past and has been trying to move on. We see her grow not just in her power but as a person and that for me made this an interesting read.

There is still plenty of danger surrounding Kaylin especially since it looks like she will be meeting the Dragon Emperor soon. I really enjoyed learning about the Tha'alani, and their history as a people, they are a very interesting race. This series is progressing really well and I'm looking forward to reading the next book, Cast in Fury.

[steph1203-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It took me way too long to read this book, reading shouldn't be a chore.
Thankfully the ending made up for the dragging pace of the rest of the book. Although I'm still going to take a break from this series for awhile

[merrymeerkat · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Definitely not as good as the first two in the series. I still intend on reading the others in the series.

[jlsbibliomania · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well worth reading from the library if you liked the earlier books in the series.

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is from: Cast in Secret (Chronicles of Elantra, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)Sometimes I wonder why I've stuck with this series for so long. I've never been particularly excited about it, but something about Kaylin and Elantra intrigues me. Plus, I've been reading so much urban fantasy/paranormal novels lately that something a little more high fantasy is welcome.Cast in Secret picks up not long after the ending of Cast in Courtlight, and, just like in previous installments, Kaylin, the Hawk from Nightshade with the mysterious magical markings, must track down a missing girl. Meanwhile the city's Oracles predict that Elantra will be destroyed in two weeks. Kind of interesting, but tends to feel just a little cliche and somewhat like a retread of previous books.While the writing has improved in Cast in Secret, the characters continue to feel incredibly stagnant, particularly Kaylin. While I understand that there are still more books in the series to come, there hasn't been any change or maturity in her character, which makes her feel unrealistic and hard to like.I enjoyed this book for what it was and will probably continue the series just to see what happens next, but I wouldn't recommend it to readers who didn't enjoy the previous books

[animeshon_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am absolutely enthralled by this series. I was actually brought to tears in this book as Kaylin faced one of her biggest fears. The events at the end of the book were just so moving and well written that I couldn't help but cry. Michelle Sagara West is fast becoming one of my favourite authors out there today!

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book in the Chronicles of Elantra series by Michelle Sagara. It has been getting mixed reviews but I have to say I really enjoyed it. I mean you couldn't barely pry me away from the book, so that should say something about it.In this book Kaylin and Severn are trying to track down a couple young girls that have been kidnapped. There is some nice character development between Kaylin and Lord Nightshade. You learn a lot more about the race of the Tha'alani, which is pretty interesting. In fact a lot of the book focuses on the Tha'alani. Kaylin learns, much to her dismay, more about her magic.Overall I really liked this book. It was interesting to learn about the Tha'alani and you get to learn some more about the history of Elantra. I really don't like Kaylin as a character too much, she has kind of grown on me like a fungus, but I love the supporting cast. I think the different races in the book are very interesting. I also really like the elemental magic in this book; it was a neat idea and fun to read about.There are a couple of things that did irritate me about this book. We all know that Kaylin has a weak spot for children, we get it. I really don't need that beat into me anymore than it already has been. It also kind of bothers me that this book is never quit sure about Kaylin's relationship to the men around her. For some reason all the guys are very protective of her yet, you can't figure out if there is any romance there; they all treat here like she is a young teenager or something. Maybe this ambiguity in Kaylin's relationships with the men around her is part of the charm of the book.I am interested to see how all of the story arcs tie together; the overall series sometimes seems like it doesn't know where it is going. Still I really enjoyed this book, even though I am not really sure why. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

[mmillet_7 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When Kaylin Neya is called to investigate the theft of a stolen box from one of the (surprisingly enough) actual mages on Elani Street, home to fakes and real mages alike, she's not overly concerned with magic being a factor in this particular case. Until she looks into a pool of water while investigating the scene of the crime and sees a battered looking young girl - who calls her name. Kaylin has more than a small soft spot for children in trouble so it's no surprise when she makes this unusual case her only priority even though she has to face many, many unpleasant facets of her past to gain the information she needs to save her. Only when she begins to dig deeper does she understand the magic at work may not just threaten the life of one child but the entire city of Elantra.This being the third installment in Michelle Sagara's engrossing series, I feel like I've got a good handle on her characters and the world of Elantra itself. Sagara's world building is practically mind-blowing. Each of her five races are so distinct with rich, deep histories that the reader learns right along with Kaylin. Cast in Courtlight dealt primarily with the imperious and crafty Barrani and this book zeroed in on the mysterious Tha'alani - mortal creatures who have stalk-like appendages that can 'read' a person. Both were fascinating and I have a sneaking suspicion the next book will force Kaylin to learn about the Dragons...Despite its thickness (over 500 pages!) I'm seriously appreciating Sagara's style: the slow buildup of action so really doesn't make much sense until all the pieces of the puzzle neatly fall into place, leaving you basically stunned with the sheer intelligence of the entire setup. The easiest reads, they ain't - but well worth any effort you put into them.

[jedimarri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Cast in Secret" is book three in the "Chronicles of Elantra" by Michelle Sagara. In this book we join Kaylin Neya as she investigates two missing children. Kaylin has always had a soft spot for children, and protects them fiercely, so the cases have even more urgency for her than she normally would show. Of course it's much, much more complicated than simple a couple of missing person's cases. A magician has stolen an artifact in hopes of controlling the elements. Unfortunately opening the box would destroy the city, but he doesn't really care much about that. Kaylin soon realizes that the missing children are mixed up in all of this, and that she alone has the power to save the city.Along the way Kaylin pulls of some incredible stunts that should have gotten her killed, but with her usual clumsy charm she manages to get through them. She also confronts one of her deepest prejudices and discovers that the race she's always feared, is a race she can love and embrace.I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what the next one holds!

[lewispike · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The continuing saga of Kaylin and her various entanglements. This builds on, but it's really dependent on knowing the earlier books as all the characters are fairly well drawn in (at least well enough to remind me of what was going on without rereading the earlier books, and I think for the first time reader too).Someone has abducted a couple of children, and Kaylin investigates. Of course it's not that simple, and there are oracles predicting disasters, unpredictable major magical adventures (several of these, where Kaylin wins through with her naivety and her open willingness to interact mostly) and all the rest of the complications. Lord Nightshade has a larger part and his part is becoming a bit more defined too, but I'm still hoping he'll have a really big bit in the next book.Kaylin is starting to mature a bit, and know herself. There is still a distance to go, but she is starting out on the journey. There is also an understated, but quite nicely thought-provoking, little section about power and the desire for power and what that causes people to do.This book fairly bounced along and I found myself really regretting I'd reached the end. I remember the series having a less than stellar start, but I've got used to the style, love the world and enjoy the stories now.

[lalawe_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'll admit, first of all, that I have a total girl-crush on the main character, Kaylin. Her emotions and (sometimes bad) decisions feel human, and I love her prickly-ness. First of all, despite the "Kaylin must save the world!" premise, there's a lot of investigating and world-building and just a little touch of action. Also, none of the plot threads from the previous book are resolved, and some new ones are created - something I was a little disappointed in, but had expected none the less.