#10: Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara
This is the second book in Michelle Sagara’s (aka Michelle West) Chronicles of Elantra series. While the Sun Sword series she writes as Michelle West is epic fantasy focusing on women and with cultures based on a broad variety of cultures, Elantra is more urban fantasy in a high fantasy setting.
Our heroine, Kaylin, is a Hawk-the equivalent of a police officer-who was once a street child. Currently, she’s chafing against expectations that she learn magic after coming under the wing of one of the city’s lords. She gets pulled into the affairs of the Barrani-the immortals who rule the city-when Teela, a Barrani who works with the Hawks, and so is something of a black sheep, asks her to help with a private matter that turns out to be saving the life of the High Lord’s heir.
Cast in Shadow focused on Kaylin’s backstory and developing the world of Elantra’s lower classes. Cast in Courtlight focuses more on the upper classes and the Barrani (a society that chafes at Kaylin’s delicate street sensibilities) and the history of the city, kicking off what seems to be the main plotline of the series.
I like the Elantra books, and how they catch the better aspects of urban fantasy and use them in a high fantasy setting, but I miss the scope of the Sun Sword books, and the larger world and how it bends genre expectations for the roles of women. And am I the only person to read both series and think that Kaylin is a lot like Jewel? Especially when confronted with arrogance?