Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara

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Cast in Shadow (The Chronicles of Elantra, Book 1)

"Cast in Shadow" is a fast paced fantasy that keeps you turning pages and wondering what's going to happen next! In this story we follow Kaylin Neya, a girl who grew up in the fiefs, but escaped and now works of  branch of the law known as the Hawks. Kaylin's history is complicated, and forever marked by the killings that happened 7 years ago. Now, similar killings are taking place, and Kaylin's heart is breaking.

Kaylin knows that somehow these killings are connected to her because she's known every single victim and because of the strange symbols that connect them. Each victim is found, disemboweled, with their arms and legs covered in symbols that look like tattoos, but weren't formed in ink. Kaylin bears the same symbols on her body, and no one knows why. 

Now, the Hawk Lord is sending her back to the fiefs to discover why the killings are happening, and he's saddled her with some unusual companions. One, Severn, is a man from her past. Someone she tries to kill on sight, but it takes a long time for us to learn why. Their other companion, Lord Tiamaris, is of the rarely seen dragon race. Each of these strange companions has their own secrets to keep, and each holds a piece of the puzzle. Will they be able to trust each other enough to reveal their secrets? Before more deaths occur?

I found this book to be fascinating. I love reading fantasies that explore their own set of races, and there are many in this book! It was definitely a page turner, but it was also confusing at times. The quality of writing wasn't super-high and it depended more on the action that it's literary quality. Having said that, I'm curious to see what else the author puts out and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!