Cast in Fury

 

Hullo Ladies and Gents, welcome to this week's book, Cast in Fury, still by the lovely Michelle Sagara.

I'm only a few pages in and I've been held up. There are only 4 Dragon Lords? Are their Dragon Ladies or other ranks? Does this include the Emperor? Are there really only four of them that could stand to be under the Emperor's rule rather than die or go into the long sleep? O.O

And, backing up to just a bit before that, why is Ironjaw giving Kaylin paperwork??

There's.. a play. A play. XD This is going to be amusing, and possibly chalk full of jewelry ideas.

Oh, oh dear.... I can see how that would be a bad thing.

I have a love hate relationship with the fact that Kaylin is actively worried about being eaten if she messes up at the Palace. XD

"Wondered what a Barrani  romance looked like, and decided she probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and one of their assassination attempts."  oh wow, that's good.

This guy, Rennick ... he's like sarcasm and angry writer personified. If you stuffed me into a room, with a deadline and no mirror, and no human contact except people twittering at me, I'd be just like this. 

Yebelline- Earth-brown with green edges, robes.  I'm just going to track her outfit changes here... Simple cream gown, I'm thinking with an aline skirt.

Both the Tha'alani and the Leontines have their own Quarters. For both groups it's for an obvious reason, but do they live outside of the capital as well? Or are the ones that are here, are they it for their entire races?

If Kaylin's power is supposed to be a secret, and not get used... how can she be saving people? Is it because these people owe her and are inclusive communities?

  Ex. The midwives aren't going to tell anyone, they need her. The mothers and fathers of the children, most likely aren't going to remember. Callie was a child, and part of the Foundling Hall, definitely not telling anyone.. But saving people in the Tha'alani Quarter, with this Imperial Playwright there? That... that might be a problem I am thinking.

"...or her hairpin, since she didn't own a hat." Ok, for us, hats are (primarily) a fashion thing. I know this isn't always the case, but most of the time. Is that the way it is for Kaylin's world? Do the Barrani have big fancy schmancy hats? Or the human castelord?

Mallory??? Gah! No! It's Mallory! This just is not right! Gah. I've got half a mind to skip this book now, but I can't.... I reallllllllly hope this gets fixed ASAP.

Severn! You cannot go using the past tense. It's not right and Marcus isn't dead. Now stop.

O.O no betting? What's going to happen to the office if there's nothing to bet on? O.o This is just surreal now.

For the past three books I've had issues with the nameless, faceless Quartermaster. I understand his job and all though, which is why I can't outright dislike him let alone despise him -coughMallorycough- Now, I like him. ^^

"5. The Official City languages will not be used to promulgate obscenities." I can die laughing now right? He's trying to ban cursing and betting? What will Kaylin do?

Why am I totally unsurprised that Kaylin standing in the middle of the Aerie causes several Aerians to come and check what she's up to? I am more surprised by the fact that there is an Aerian that's a Wolf. I hadn't expected that.

Caitlin has rank? 

He is ordering her, without ordering her, to be his eyes and ears. >< !!! I do so love the Hawklord.

Marcus has multiple wives and sons. However, just as with actual lion prides apparently they don't live with Marcus once they become of age. Interesting....

"the long ears that are hard to kill" I'm gasping and wheezing, gah, I can't. XD

I totally don't get the Leontine social rules here. Can someone explain this please?

Why is Kaylin allowed in, even though she's female, and Severn is not. Why could another Leontine male not work for the Hawks but another female sure as hell couldn't?

In order, Kayala, Tessa, Graylin, Reesa, Sarabe. (Lion king much?)

Graylin doesn't leave the Pridelea much.. is that just in reference to Kayala's den or to the Leontine Quarter? Eeesh, someone needs to start a wiki for this series...

I want to do jewelry for each of them, and for Marai, russet-gray Marai... And maybe something for Roshan as well.

So, each of them seems to mother their own kits, but they also can mother each others' ?

=whistles= Red fur is bad among their culture. Got it.

Well there's that question answered. There are indeed other Leontine 'tribes' elsewhere apparently.

Finally a (possible) answer to why Marcus is considered a kit? Because apparently  he only hunts/kills if he has to, not merely because he can, and...possibly also because he is more concerned about the happiness of his Pridlea than himself?

I love that a fight is considered an introduction. It's a pity Kaylin wasn't allowed to introduce herself in this way, and strange.  I hope the book explains more about the complex customs and gender roles...

"You will say it when the skies darken and the Emperor lands" In other words, You might be able to say it, but a whole lot of trouble is going to land on your furry head.

"murder morning" Hrm.... I wonder how that could happen?

Ok.. so why exactly are there no Leontine mages? I get that they're scary powerful, but... that doesn't mean they shouldn't be around does it? I mean they do let  Arcanists exist after all...

O.O Sanabalis, what are you doing?

So... In total there are (as I know, as of pg232) at least six Dragons in the world. That... is not a whole lot. What happens when the race dies? Will there be no more Dragons? D:

Adar has blue eyes... the same as Roshan... So doesn't that mean that he should be dead too?

More and more I realize that Marcus is spiffy. ^^ He dared be hostile to a Dragon. go Marcus!

'Even to the first born, the Dragons, the Barrani and the ones I will never name".... I wonder who/what those are? The shadows? Or something else?

Only Sanabalis would carry a second set of clothes. Yeesh.

I find Kaylin's threat of telling a story interesting.... Speaking of, I wonder if she'll ever get to tell another story to the fire?

Nightshade! :D  (yeesh, I really am fangirling XD)

O.O Kaylin might be able to speak the tongue of the Old Ones? Is she even human??

I wonder where the mirrors would take Kaylin if she ever decided to try her luck? Will it ever be attempted? Oh! There's a jewelry idea, handy dandy wrist mirror. :D I wonder why that's never been invented in this world...

The Outcaste.. ruling a portion of the fiefs? oh... that sounds really really bad, even given the itsy bitsy bit we know about the fiefs. And what in the world is Barren? O.o

Given the Leontine family structure, is Horus Marcus' father's name or his mother? Or the Matriarch of the Pridlea he was born from?

There are apparently seven fiefs, whose boundaries don't change, even if the fieflords do. Three of the known fieflords are Barrani... We know Nightshade, but that means that the other two are Outcaste as well?

Andellan! :D I want him to get more screen time, I really do.

Oh, list of the Fiefs, sort of..?

Nightshade,

Barren

Liatt

Farlonne- ruled by Barrani

Candallar- ruled by Barrani

Durant

Unnamed

So, the 'heart of the fiefs' that we've heard about and feared since the first book, is where the library of this ancient city was?  What if this whole thing, the entire series is centered around a book. One great, big, HUGE book in the heart of the fiefs that is pouring out the shadows, and all Kaylin has to do is shut it. XD That would be very anti-climactic.

Round 2!

Dark stylized armor,  tines rising from the bridge for their masked faces, small thorns adorning their mailed hands, their mailed shoulders. All in a deep grey, lacking color.

Some type of magic, somewhere, somewhen, was done over the two of them, that gave him extra senses about her, other than just the gift of her name.

Don't mind the random Leontine attempt. I just wanted to attempt that....

As always, please feel free to comment in the sections below. Comment on the post, my thoughts, the books, suggestions for down the road.