Cast in Ruin is Live - and this is the discussion thread

September 20, 2011 at 10:21 pm

B&N also lists Sept. 20th as the release date, just as an FYI.

Sadly, there was not a copy of Cast in Ruin in the B&N near my work. Put in an order for a copy, which I hope arrives by Friday, as I had planned for it to be my airplane book for my trip to Europe… since sleep is out of the question, I might as well read.

Susan E says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:01 pm

From the sounds of it, many of us fans pre-order and I wonder how that effects the best seller lists. Is it like Ti-Vo and the popularity of tv shows being cancelled? I would hope it is overall sales.

Mary S says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:19 pm

Found Cast in Ruin in Coles in Mississauga today. One here and 1 in Burlington.
Read it already. My favorite to date. Fabulous story line with lots of surprises.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:23 pm

@Susan: for the publisher, it’s overall sales. For the lists, it’s density of sales.

For instance, let’s say I sell 20k copies of the book over its first year. If I sell 15k of those during the first week, it’s going to hit some of the lists (in trade paper).

If I sell 20k evenly over the year, it will make as much money, but it won’t hit the lists. But for the purposes of the publisher, it’s still considered good.

The difficulty at the moment is this: B&N isn’t carrying very much backlist, in comparison to what it once carried. So it’s much *harder* to sell the books over the course of the year, because…it’s hard to *find* them.

It occurs to me that I should write a post about how the collapse of Borders and the shrinkage of floor space for books in B&N is going to affect — is already affecting — the midlist.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:23 pm

@Mary: Thank you :D.

H.Renee says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm

Ebook pre-order from B&N is still listing as pre-order and refuses to download as of 10 tonight. I’m not upset, just letting you know! :)

Peg says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:26 pm

I’ve pre-ordered all but the first book, so I imagine it does make some impact. Or do they count the books as they are shipped?

Amelia Ann Dobogai says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:32 pm

I just checked B&N for a nook copy and it listed Oct 1, 2011. I am looking forward to the release, I buy in both paperback & ebook.

ElizabethN says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:41 pm

Got Cast in Ruin from Amazon yesterday which was my day off for the week. Reading Cast in Ruin was much more enjoyable than any of the tasks I should have done.

Now I want Cast in Peril even sooner, hopefully it will stay a summer release and not get moved back. I’m ready for more of the new character, especially when Teela is encountered.

I can’t remember, is Cast in Peril the book set in the West March or the book before the West March?

I need to hunt through previous posts, I have a vague memory of possible Cast audiobooks unless that was a hallucination.

Another great read. Thanks!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:46 pm

@H.Rennee: Yes — the ebooks are held to a strict pub-date schedule =/. I know it’s particularly frustrating for Amazon readers, because they can see that the physical book is available — but the ebooks at any venue are released simultaneously. For bookstores, there’s no way to ensure that — they ship from the warehouse and reach stores on a different days, or weeks. So they have a pub date which is the date by which every store that ordered the book should have it in stock, and it’s the reason they can and often do arrive ‘early’.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 20, 2011 at 11:48 pm

@ElizabethN: Cast in Peril heads to the West March.

Audible.com has paid for the rights to the first five CAST novels; I was told — by my editor, though, not Audible directly — that the would be released in September. Given that it’s not that long ago that I spoke with the narrator (she wanted a pronunciation guide, bless her), I wasn’t certain, because I have no clue at all about the production schedule/necessary lead-time for audio books.

But, they’ve paid me, so they are going to do them.

MaryW says:

September 21, 2011 at 2:46 am

Fortunately my copy arrived around 5 pm on the 20th. I just finished. Thank you!

Mary S says:

September 21, 2011 at 3:39 am

My rant is the way Chapters and Indigo dedicated 1/4 of floor space from books to
plush toys, blankets and other items because they have a higher markup value.

If you discover a author on their third book, the first two are never in the store.
That means ordering in store or online. The Sci-Fi and Fantasy section has shrunk to less than half of what it used to be.

Okay, rant over.

Mary

Auraya says:

September 21, 2011 at 3:39 am

I’m waiting for october 1st. I tend to buy the ebooks since I’m getting short on shelf space. Slightly jealous now at all the people who’ve already received their paper copy.

Checking availabily (again) :)

Aaron says:

September 21, 2011 at 4:00 am

Just finished and quite enjoyed the story. For those who asked for it, there’s definitely a boatload of Dragons. Also, a lot of chuckle-worthy moments, especially towards the end, and particularly nice that Kaylin wasn’t the butt of every single joke. Speaking of which, I’m glad that the grown up Kaylin tone in the first few chapters carried on through the rest of the story.

After the first hundred pages I was baffled on how all the different plot bits would come together — but they did. It would have been nice to know what came of that Exchequer business, but I suppose since it probably plays a part in Peril’s plot, we’ll find out in a year. All-in-all a nice, fast-paced, fun read.

H.Renee says:

September 21, 2011 at 5:03 am

I didn’t know that; thank you! I’ll just be careful not to spoil myself while waiting. :)

H.Renee says:

September 21, 2011 at 5:04 am

I have the same issue! My fiance has forbidden more hardcopies in the house without a removal policy. :)

Auraya says:

September 21, 2011 at 5:39 am

Whimper. All the paper copies I have are favorites. Those are the only ones I still permit myself to buy. I can’t remove those. It would be like throwing friends out of the house. I’ve gotten quite good at making use of the space I have, but I can’t make it any bigger. I’ll probably buy the mass market paperback of cast in (chaos) ruin though. Those are quite handy and fit everywhere.

Michael says:

September 21, 2011 at 5:56 am

I’ll definitely end up buying those. Like I’ve said before, *great* for car trips.

(Of course if it’s one of *your* books, it will have to be a looooong car trip…)

Flowerlady says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:25 am

its not available on the Amazon UK website, there are some american sellers but its at £10 and more :( out of my budget will dig around

Theresa says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:44 am

Speaking of libraries… I know that a lot of libraries are now lending ebooks via Overdrive Media (which is available on Nook and will do be available for Kindle). Will your Cast ebooks be available for “lending”?

Laura Foxworth says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:47 am

Speaking of ebooks — you mentioned a while back that The Sun Sword books and Hunter duology would soon be available for Nook — but looks like they still aren’t there. Any idea when they will become available? I’ve got them all in paperback but I love my Nook so much I want an electronic copy as well. Looking forward to re-reading them.
B&N website lists Cast in Ruin date for Nook is Oct 1. I’m making myself wait even though I want to read it NOW! :-)

Theresa says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:48 am

Lol. I’m in the same boat. My husband bought me a Kindle for the express purpose of not buying more paper books. Of course I now have to clear out space on my shelves to make room for children’s books (Please God, let my son be a reader)

Estara says:

September 21, 2011 at 8:33 am

This is where I envy the paper people. The ebook will be released everywhere October 1st as far as I can see, so that’s when I’ll be getting it.

Iain says:

September 21, 2011 at 9:51 am

@flowerlady:

As you say, not available in the UK from Amazon but bookdepository.co.uk do have stock.

I mailed them to check that the web comment about ‘usually dispatched within 48 hours’ and they confirmed that they have them on the shelf.

That said, I ordered yesterday lunchtime and it’s still marked as processing. Never bought from there before so fingers crossed they keep to schedule…

cynthia emery says:

September 21, 2011 at 10:20 am

just four chapters and am torn between going back and rereading everything and simultaneously finishing the New Book! really enjoying this and it is a great escape. I know what you mean about meltdown time. My grandson Nix is autistic and we have a very short list of places we can go. major celebration two weeks ago – Red Robin Restaurant latish on a Wednesday night and we finished a meal!!!

sascha says:

September 21, 2011 at 10:56 am

My RSS reader is subscribed to blog comments and has the first line of each comment visible. I will probably get to the ebook sometime next month. Hopefully no one will post something like “OMG I can’t believe you killed Severn!” in the first line.

MaryW says:

September 21, 2011 at 12:01 pm

I
I had/have many of the same space constraints but our oldest son married and he and his wife both read the same books I read. I have just been reading for a longer time and have more books. Many of those books have moved homes but at least they can be visited.

Hilda says:

September 21, 2011 at 12:16 pm

Amazon finally came through and delivered earlier this morning after I paid extra postage. Son’s dog barking in attack mode through my sidelight front door made the happy announcement.. I had the patience to wait until the car driver left to grab the box. Yesterday, I called B&N in Rockville, MD, really a very major city, with no Border’s to do competition anymore. They don’t have it, and the earliest they could get me one was in two weeks. It sounds like they were not expecting any delivery. I mentioned before, if the books are not on display, it would be very difficult for authors to get new fans, and to sell more books. Readers won’t even know good authors names to then look for possible websites and find more information.Sad times. Except, I’m now rushing to my book.

Stephanie says:

September 21, 2011 at 1:58 pm

Loved the book. Can’t wait for the next one. I can’t believe we didn’t find out what is inside the egg. I can’t believe I am going to spend another whole year waiting to find out what is in the egg.

Mary Allen says:

September 21, 2011 at 3:04 pm

I am in Flower Mound Texas north of Dallas and was told yesterday that the book was in the warehouse (Barnes and Noble) and would be in the store in about three days. I just finished the Warlord on my nook and am about to read the Weapon. This is the only thing keeping me from tearing my hair out as I wanted The Ruin book to hold me over til the next House book.

Genna Warner says:

September 21, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Well I broke down and order the paper book this morning, so I will be reading it this weekend. I will still get the eBook when it is released on Oct. 1st. I don’t know why I torture myself like this. I should have just pre-ordered the paper book when I pre-ordered the eBook. Sigh.… :) Thankfully, this is the only series that I feel I must have the day it is available to anyone. Although, I think I will find myself not wanting to wait for Skirmish’s eBook either. Who do I have bug in the publishing world to make them just release the eBook at the same time they are shipping the paper copy? It just not fair that they hold to the publication date for the eBook but not for the paper copy.

w-b says:

September 21, 2011 at 5:25 pm

Im ready to cry. I have been waiting and waiting and waiting. Now I find none of the stores in my area have it the digital version won’t have till the first and the copy that was ordered for my b‑day present… we received an email saying the release date had changed, so the ship date has changed. I was so patient to…sigh

Amy H. says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Oct 1 is the digital release. Sept 20 is the paper release. I couldn’t wait so I got the paper. FYI: It was listed as a romance novel at Books-A-Million which was bizarre as the rest of the series is in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section. So check your romance sections!

Finished it, loved the new character and I’m eager for the plotline left dangling. I’m also sad I have to wait so long!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:28 pm

@Theresa: I would assume they’d be available for lending in libraries, but I honestly don’t know what permissions would be required on the publisher side. With paper books, obviously, the library buys a paper copy (or several, if you’re J. K. Rowling).

If it were entirely up to me, the answer would be yes.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:31 pm

@Cynthia: We could not go out to eat with our oldest until he was five, and even then, we had about twenty-thirty minutes, max, before one of us would leave the table to take him outside and let him run around. Until he was four years old, we didn’t *eat* a meal together, even at home. He’s ASD (my son); I’ve written a little about his earlier years at school on my Livejournal, under the tag “Asperger child”.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:34 pm

That’s the *biggest* problem authors are now facing with the loss of Borders and the floor-space cut-backs at B&N. Instead of increasing their orders to pick up the sales that Borders was getting, B&N has cut back floor space — and orders — further. So…yes. If they used to order 8 of a book, they now order 5; if they used to order 5, they order 3. (I believe Joshua Bilmes made a long blog post about this).

If they sell out, they don’t automatically reorder.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:34 pm

@Stephanie: I’m sorry. There’s a reason the egg didn’t hatch in this book (besides the usual This Book Is Too Long), which will be immediately clear in the first two chapters of the next book >.<.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:39 pm

@Genna: they used to hold to the publication date for both paper and ebooks, at least on Amazon and B&N and the other on-line venues. But because there’s no way to hold the brick and mortar stores to that deadline, Amazon eventually flipped a gasket (reading between the lines), in part because people would cancel their Amazon orders if they found the book in an actual store first.

There’s no way to change the release date of the ebook, though. Put the ebook out earlier, and the paper readers will be upset; put it out at the same time as the paper copies, and the *other* ebook vendors, who don’t warehouse and ship paper books, will be furious.

Amazon is willing to let the ebook date stand because none of their competitors can sell the book any earlier than Amazon can, so they don’t lose sales that way. This wasn’t true for the paper books.

What it means is the publisher would have to guess at a date that the books would arrive at the big box warehouses, and move ebook sell dates forward — but the book hasn’t arrived in all of the physical bookstores yet. September 20 is the date that Amazon expected to receive it.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:40 pm

I’m so sorry =/. I’m not sure why they’d be saying the release date had changed, though =/

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:41 pm

@Amy H. Thank you :). I don’t know why it was listed as a romance novel — it’s possible that it was done automatically because Luna is a Harlequin line.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:44 pm

@Laura: they still aren’t there yet.

What I know: They’ve been scanned and OCR’d. The resultant files, however, still have to be proofread before digital ebook conversion can take place. With the exception of the first book (Hunter’s Oath), they are not short books, and the proof-reading is being done in-house as far as I can tell. So…I know they’re definitely coming; I don’t have a solid date =/. I’m sorry >.<

yen says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:47 pm

Hmm, I just called the B&N here in NYC and she said it was sold out! I said that’s impossible it just came out. She said 4 days ago and it’s sold out. They could only order it for me. I don’t think I can wait until Oct. 1 for the e‑book, although I read all the others that way. :(
Same thing happened to me with Cold Fire too! I would have thought it not even possible for a book to come out earlier than they say.

Audrey O. says:

September 21, 2011 at 6:59 pm

I live in Phoenix and none of the bookstores out here have received their copies of the book. They don’t anticipate receiving the book until at least the 26th. I’ve placed my order with Amazon yesterday and will have the book tomorrow as one of the Amazon distribution centers is across town! I’ll be ordering Skirmish the same way. I miss being able to walk into the bookstore, go to the sci fi section and pick up the book. I still go to the bookstores to find new authors to read, but for my favorites, I’m going to just order online in advance. Totally adore all of your work Michelle!

Krenn says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:13 pm

Just finished reading the book. I love Bellusdeo already, and I appreciated having a book which focused so much on dragons. Now all we need is the second half of the story about Kaylin’s new houseguest, and a book focusing on the Aerians… I think they’re the only mortal race that hasn’t been covered in detail yet.

Kathy says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:15 pm

I live in Western Mass and the only way to get the book out here is by (1) having it ordered at B&N or (2) ordering it online. I was very sad about that since I had planned a special day to read it. I went so far as to tell my entire family that there would be NO MOM on the day I get it. My kids are all adults so that is a lot easier than it sounds.

Then my son who just got out of the Army special ordered it for me and I am expecting it in the next two days! Yay Amazon!

ae says:

September 21, 2011 at 7:22 pm

I have to say, I was smart (learned from previous experiences) and pre-ordered mine so I got it at 10:30a yesterday and finished it a few hours ago. I am SO excited about the new character, mainly due to her perosnality and the simple fact that she’s a female and I felt they were being just a wee bit outnumbered lately. On the other hand, two pages wasn’t near enough to satisfy my craving for Nightshade-Kaylin interaction, but I’m guessing Cast in Peril will make up for that. Also, I realize there are probably limits set by someone as to the length of these books but I for one would be ecstatic if they were longer! (*ahem* feel free to scatter that furniture straight into the back yard..and then the neighbor’s) ;D

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 8:00 pm

@Peg: I am embarrassed to say that I honestly don’t know or understand the mechanics of the bestseller lists. I don’t know which stores are involved for the NYT list — no one does, because if they did, they could (in theory) game the system.

If Amazon is part of the actual print list aggregation (they *have* to be for the ebooks; I don’t see any other way around it), then yes, all the preorders do count, but they count when they’re *charged or cashed out*, not when the order is placed.

There is no magic to release week. The NYT aggregators don’t care when the book’s release week is. They just tally the register sales, on a weekly basis, from their sources. The top 35 titles are listed in order of sales, although only the top ten are printed in the paper.

Some authors ask readers to *wait* until release day, because they want the pent-up demand for the book to occur within the *same week*, and release day is the day in which, in theory, the book is available at all stores that ordered it. Because they don’t expect their readers to buy multiple copies, they want the readers they can reach to buy copies during the same week-long “accounting” period, in the hopes that that’s enough to get them onto the list.

For authors who want release week to be observed, pre-orders are not a good thing, because the preorders will ship will in advance of the actual release week date, and those sales will count as early sales. As I said in the post, I’m just happy that readers are buying the books at all, and frankly, given the enthusiasm here, I can’t imagine telling you all to wait another ten days.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 8:01 pm

@MaryW: I really think the thanks should flow in the other direction — so, thank you :)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 21, 2011 at 8:05 pm

@Yen: What happens is: the books are shipped from the central warehouse to Ingrams and other distribution warehouses. From those warehouses, they’re separated into the smaller quantities most stores order and they’re sent to the stores. They go by ground, so they reach different parts of the market on different days, with a week’s gap between the first shipments to arrive and the last.

Which means the release date is an approximation — the date at which everyone should have already received copies.

What is stressful about this (for me!) is that they sold out in four days, but it doesn’t sound as if they’re going to reorder the book without a special order. Hmmm.

Adenike says:

September 21, 2011 at 9:57 pm

I got my book on Monday (surprising because they said delivery date was the 21st). Regardless, I gave in to the sweet sweet temptation. I have reread 4x, it is fabulous. I think feel like with this and Cast in Chaos there have been major changes to the status quo. I expect to see further fallout as we get more than a week out. I loved the egg, I look forward to the hatching.

I loved how so many of my questions about dragons were answered, but now I have a ton of new ones.

So… cast in peril ? When can I pre-order? :)

Erika says:

September 21, 2011 at 11:39 pm

I am bouncing up and down as I read all of your posts and debate ordering a paper copy from Amazon. I was being so good and patient waiting for the Kindle release, but if I can get a copy in two days…My husband is looking at me and shaking his head. I’m really not completely insane, but I could be reading it this weekend!!! Hmm, I’ve been good about exercising, so I must deserve it. Yep, time to hit Amazon. :) (Yay, yay, yay!!)

Wendy Good says:

September 21, 2011 at 11:57 pm

Aaaaaargh! I didn’t pre-order the book but still set aside the evening of the 21st for reading. I even got a babysitter! Alas, the book was not at B&N. The front desk couldn’t even give me a date of when it was expected in, if ever. Not promising for a bookseller, in my opinion. Don’t they want to sell books? You would think not from the way B&N is responding to Borders going out of business. I did order the book from Amazon as a last resort. Waiting till Oct 1st is just not an option. I have read this entire comment stream twice as a way to get a quick fix from the people who mention new characters or plot twists. Does anyone want to tell me if dragons have a sense of humor? How they name their babies? Are there female dragons? Does Kaylin learn how to curse in Dragon? What is Sanabalis’ hoard? Does he have one? Is the egg a dragon? A new species? Does Kaylin learn the name of air and learn how to fly? Argh! I HATE WAITING! It’s all my fault, I know. Bad me.

I just can’t wait till the new book. I am already dreading having read (and re-read!) Cast in Ruin and having to wait a whole year or more for Cast in Peril. Sometimes I wonder if I am going to look back and mark my life by Cast book release dates!

Queen says:

September 22, 2011 at 12:37 am

I think i asked this before and i’m sure you’ve been asked this before but i cant remember, will Kaylin have a love life in the near future? most of her relationships seem fairly platonic at this point even though Nightshade seems to show curiosity some times…

Christy says:

September 22, 2011 at 12:55 am

O.M.G. Just finished Ruin & I’m already dying for Peril. I don’t gush at authors often (read ever) but holy cow, I love this series! And the quality is superb — seven books in & still going strong! I love the romantic tension — much as I root for Kaylin to make progress, I’m so glad that you’ve drawn things out in a way that doesn’t feel contrived. And am so glad Kaylin is getting a little credit for her accomplishments — the new character made me squeal with glee! Thank you for sharing the stories with us!

Aaron says:

September 22, 2011 at 1:25 am

I don’t mean to be a tease, but I think you’ll enjoy it more if your wait for those questions to be answered by Ruin (and many of them are) — it *is* the Dragon book, after all.

jhime says:

September 22, 2011 at 4:07 am

I live in illinois in the southwest chicago suburbs I checked like 7 b&n’s and still no book have ordered from amazon. Am ready to tear out my hair cause they say it should arrive by the 26th. I knew borders closing would be hard, but I was so sure b&n could pick up the slack. I mean I started reading when the 1st 4 were already out and finished all 4 in a week borders had the other 2 silence and chaos. On the shelf on the release date when I walked in the door at opening. Now I have to wait a week after the release date to get my book?! Not cool barnes and noble not cool. Not your fault ms. Sagara just iindulging in a rant. I love your books I actually picked the 1st one up on a whim because I needed a new author to tide me over and now I’m totally addicted to your books. I love kaylin she reminds me that we can still have a sense of justice no matter how many bad things you see or do in life and that people can change. So thank you. But barnes and noble… Could reall kill bthe people who decided on less floor space

Christina says:

September 22, 2011 at 7:27 am

The book depository are going to feel my wrath if they don’t deliver my copy soon :( I neeed it!!!

H.Renee says:

September 22, 2011 at 12:44 pm

I only keep hard copy now of things I loan out, and I often have e‑copies of them as well. :)

H.Renee says:

September 22, 2011 at 12:46 pm

That’s why I have a Nook! I move too much for a large book collection. :C

Maurynne M says:

September 22, 2011 at 1:20 pm

Pre-ordering does not affect sales reports; you are not charged until shipped, so the statistics go with that week’s sales from the reporting bookstore.

susie (@azsmdrake) says:

September 22, 2011 at 1:38 pm

Just checked the tracking info & discovered my copy is being delivered TODAY! Texted my dad & my sister (I’ve got them both hooked on the Cast books) to tell them it’s going to be a loooooong day at work today and this was my dad’s response:

“Let me help with a synopsis. Bad guys do bad things. The sergeant growls a lot. She complains about the mirrors. She says things she shouldn’t. The dragons’ eyes turn orange when she does. Etc.”

Bahahahaha! Total ready to get home & read!

Kerri Knorr says:

September 22, 2011 at 3:44 pm

Ahhhhhhh! I read Cast in Ruin too fast. I really need to learn to savor the books by authors I love. But I can’t, I really can’t. Unlike a sweet, luscious dessert, however, I CAN revisit the books over and over.

The egg and the West March, I am just gonna have to wait for the next book to have resolved. Only one of which I have any assurance WILL be resolved in the next book. Also, Kaylin and Severn actually talked about issues about each other and Nightshade that have been eating at my brain for a few books now. Kaylin even came up with confusion for exactly the same reasons I have.

But the BEST part is the addition of Bellusdeo. She fills me with glee. Especially when the resemblance between her and Kaylin was remarked on and by the Archon, even! I was nearly bouncing off the walls with delight by that part.

(I am too enthused to stop long enough to read other posts before posting this, and the content might make that obvious.)

Mikaela says:

September 22, 2011 at 4:56 pm

Why is Cast in Ruin not available on diesel-ebooks for UK??? The rest of them are…this is so frustrating!!! :( Can’t wait to read it…

Kirsten says:

September 22, 2011 at 7:22 pm

I usually order 2 copies of all the Cast books (one for myself and one for a friend) so usually I order a copy from Amazon and a copy from the B&N in downtown Seattle. In the past, the B&N started selling your books about a week before the release date, handily beating Amazon which seems to ship your books so that they arrive exactly on the release date. This time my preorder at B&N has not yet arrrived. When I went to go tell them they had lost the race with Amazon, they told me:

a) they didn’t order any paper copies for any of the local stores (in the past the stores had something like 5 copies each)

b) they didn’t know when or where my preorder would come from because the local warehouse didn’t have any copies

c) they weren’t getting paper copies in the store this time around because the last book sold much, much better in e‑book format

I’m having a hard time believing that last point. I know I’m in a high tech area, but still.…

I don’t know if the customer service lady knew what she was talking about, but the conversation was strange enough I thought I’d pass it on.

Wendy Good says:

September 22, 2011 at 7:28 pm

Scoooooooore! I was laughing and bouncing through Suzie’s post. I even read it out loud to my husband and mother-in-law. My husband reaches behind me and says, “Like this one?” Woo-Hoo!!!! There is was, in my hand at last! My husband told my mother-in-law that I was now going to disappear for the next 5 hours.

Ms. Saraga, the cover is beautiful! The best ever! Is that a piece of hair bisecting Kaylin’s right eye, or is it a scar? Why does Nightshade’s mark never appear on the cover pictures? Kudos to the art team. This is the most evocative book cover I can remember.

I am gushing. I am going to stop now, leave my son with my mother-in-law, and GO READ!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:11 pm

@Audrey: With the closing of Borders and the strong shareholder push to modernize, and the success of the Nook because of Agency Pricing models on ebooks, B&N is content to let people order on-line, because so many people already do it on Amazon.

B&N has actually cut in-store space and front-list orders since Borders’ closing; I’m honestly not sure why. I would have increased them to take into account the lack of books on a competitor’s shelves, but what do I know about big business?

Ummm, so, I’m sorry the books aren’t yet available, and thank you for buying them anyway :)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:13 pm

@ae: there are, indeed, length limits applied. Longer books cost more to produce, copy-edit, etc., and you can’t really charge much *more* for them; if you break the NYT top 10 list, all bets are off — but that’s not where I am at the moment :)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:14 pm

@Adenike: You’ve already read it four times? O.o

And Peril is not quite finished yet >.>

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:18 pm

@Queen: Given Kaylin’s background, it’s complicated. Do I intend and hope that she be happy in a relationship? Yes, I really do. But I honestly feel that her interaction models in that regard are broken and she is struggling to accept and deal with the damage so she can move past it — and if she had rushed headlong into anything, I think she would have broken it.

This headlong rush-into followed by breakage is probably the most realistic thing to do — but it’s also fiction, so I have some leeway there, and I would like her to reach a point where the risks she takes don’t ultimately get sabotaged by past trauma she hasn’t fully expressed yet.

Gosh, that wasn’t really a good answer >.>. Yes.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:21 pm

@Christy: I liked the new character, and I’m hoping to be able to write something in the future involving — actually, it occurs to me that I can’t say that without spoilers no one will see for almost a year >.<.

I intend for the new character to be a fixture in Kaylin’s life for at least a little while.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:23 pm

I knew borders closing would be hard, but I was so sure b&n could pick up the slack.

Agents and publishers also expected this, but B&N has done the opposite — they’ve cut orders and floor space back. I guess possibly because they can’t lose the sale to someone else now >.>.

You can rant all you’d like, and it will not upset or frustrate — believe that authors across the continent, as they become aware of this, are doing the same. Or weeping

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:26 pm

“Let me help with a synopsis. Bad guys do bad things. The sergeant growls a lot. She complains about the mirrors. She says things she shouldn’t. The dragons’ eyes turn orange when she does. Etc.”

@azsmdrake: LOL! I love your dad. I would, of course, whack him upside the head if he were standing right beside me while I read that — but I would also be laughing at the same time, which I know sends mixed messages >.>.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 8:28 pm

@Kirsten: Thank you for reporting that. It’s not, of course, news to fill my heart with delight — but it is very useful, very practical information looking forward.

I really will be doing a post about the shape of the post-borders landscape, but I’m thinking I might post it on my LJ instead of here, because it might not be of interest to readers in the same way.

Jenny Schwartzberg says:

September 22, 2011 at 9:31 pm

I loved Cast in Ruin and now am looking forward to Cast in Peril. I’m guessing it’s off to the Western Marches for Kaylin. Since it gets her away from Diarmat she might not mind so much…

I wanted to ask, why did you call the new dragon Bellusdeo? I think that means God’s war or War God, which sounds rather masculine and she’s definitely feminine. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of her!

I also pre-ordered Cast in Ruin from Amazon. I no longer trust B&N to stock books right away. I’m finding more and more that I have to order online to get books I want. Very annoying since I like to browse in bookstores! I really hope you do a post on the post-Borders landscape, especially for genre books, i.e. science fiction, romance, mystery, and children’s books. I’m finding less of the newest books and they stock much fewer of each book. Sigh.……

Any hints you can drop about Cast in Peril, and is it expected for Sep. 2012 or sooner? Thank you so much for your wonderful books!

Aaron says:

September 22, 2011 at 9:42 pm

I actually found the Kaylin/Severn scenes a bit awkward — as if they were inserted after the fact. There were two, not counting Severn’s reactions in Nightshade’s Castle, but they didn’t jive with the rest of the story. Maybe it’s been too long since I’ve read Chaos that I didn’t get the context?

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 9:51 pm

@Aaron: I think it’s not so much Chaos as Kaylin; for her these are awkward; they are entirely outside of a context in which she’s comfortable and her feet are under her. It is not natural for her to talk about these things at all. She is trying to talk about them because she feels she owes at least that much of an explanation, and because she has reached the point where she feels emotionally almost safe enough to do so. But until it’s natural to her, no, they aren’t part of the way she otherwise interacts with story or event.

w-b says:

September 22, 2011 at 9:57 pm

It was B&N that sent the email about the release date. There is a reason that I always prefered boarders, and that is they ALWAYS stocked your books. I have always been able to get your books there. Now I have to rely on B&N for real time books and they don’t have my authors. I am so going to Amazon from now on. Live and learn tho and take it with a smile. I will get the book soon :)

David Y says:

September 22, 2011 at 10:03 pm

Michelle:
I found a copy at Chapters today — 13 listed in the Romance section but they had to search the back offices to get one.
I don’t think this has been covered anywhere yet: is interspecies romance possible/legal/moral/tolerated?

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 11:13 pm

@w‑b: I liked Borders, when I was in the US, mostly because they seemed to have more books. Or a much larger poetry section, at any rate >.>.

Aaron says:

September 22, 2011 at 11:14 pm

Maybe it’s cuz I’m just a dumb guy, but why did Severn insist on bringing it up to begin with? I’m specifically referring to p51 & (I can’t find the page) later when she talked about her dating mishap.

Usually, it’s the girl who (incessantly) needs clarification of the nature of an intimate relationship. Is it because he’s now recently in her life? Or, because of her reaching out to him in Chaos? Except, there’s just been no overt/physical aspect of their relationship presented in the story aside from their past mutual comforting in stressful situations.

Even Nightshade has at least attempted a kiss. Why should, at this point, Severn feel that he has any sense romantic intimacy with Kaylin?

< — confuzzled, please help

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 11:17 pm

@David Y: I think — and I have never worked at a Chapters so this is a guess — that the receiving is done separately from the shelving. So someone in the back room received the books, but they hadn’t made it out to the shelves yet.

I know that our store only got them a couple of days ago, as well.

I don’t think this has been covered anywhere yet: is interspecies romance possible/legal/moral/tolerated?

I can’t imagine it would be illegal, fwiw, in the broadest sense of the word; as long as the citizens aren’t killing each other, the Emperor is unlikely to care too much.

I can imagine that the various racial enclaves would take a dim view of it. It’s not one of the things I’ve thought a lot about, but given the way the various races interact (or don’t), I can imagine the couple themselves would face a serious uphill battle. It would depend on whether or not they could interbreed. Hmmm.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 22, 2011 at 11:25 pm

@Aaron: Oh, that. Yes, that’s in response to Cast in Chaos.

Usually, it’s the girl who (incessantly) needs clarification of the nature of an intimate relationship.

I have not, fwiw, found that true in real life; it depends — as it always does — on the relationship and the people involved, but I’ve seen the need for clarification on both sides. That said: Kaylin specifically asks him why he loves her, and he answers in Chaos and she needs the anchor of that because the rest of the world has pretty much ceased to exist where she’s standing.

She’s not an idiot. Well okay, about some things she’s not entirely on the ball — but she can’t fail to understand what Severn feels. She can avoid it, for a variety of reasons, and she has — but in Chaos the emotional attachment is important. And he answers. There is very little that she asks that he wouldn’t answer — although this is in part because there are some things she knows far better than to ask.

She understands that in answering he is, in fact, making himself as vulnerable as he can — and it’s not a vulnerability she herself has explicitly shown, so the discussion in Ruin is a response to that. But it’s uncomfortable, and a huge effort, to do so.

Aaron says:

September 22, 2011 at 11:26 pm

Okay, I obviously need to go back and read Chaos after having read Ruin. Thanks.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 23, 2011 at 12:08 am

@Jenny: I don’t have a release date yet for Peril. The book is almost finished — which is my positive way of saying it’s not finished yet >.>.

In years when they’ve done mass markets, it’s Sept/Oct, but in years when they haven’t it’s frequently July/August — but that’s about as specific as I can get =/.

Hints, hmmm. The egg hatches. Actually, I don’t want to spoil a book that isn’t out yet >.<

susie (@azsmdrake) says:

September 23, 2011 at 12:20 pm

You might have to stretch a bit to reach his head, he’s pretty tall. :o)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm

@Mikaela: I’m not sure; I admit I don’t understand fully how the UK rights are handled, because they’re handled entirely *by* HLQ (Boon and Mills?) in the UK. I have emailed to ask — but I’m not sure I’ll get a useful or helpful answer >.<

Wendy Good says:

September 23, 2011 at 1:11 pm

Hasn’t it been written than Barrani Lords are not to take human consorts or Erenne? Would that be like an interspecies marriage?

Michelle Sagara says:

September 23, 2011 at 1:16 pm

@Wendy: no, it’s not the same. What’s been forbidden, for reasons of Imperial Law, is the taking of the Erenne because it almost always implies or involves strong magical coercion; it is a type — in the eyes of the Barrani Court — of exalted, and favoured, slavery.

Slavery is a harsh word, and probably the wrong one — but that’s the reason Teela’s reaction was so strongly negative; were a Barrani to bear that mark, it would signify a strong dominance on the part of the one who is unmarked.

On the other hand, Teela has relaxed because she sees no clear change or obvious subjugation in Kaylin, and she is aware of what it commonly meant among the favoured — and the entirely inferior — mortals.

LizM says:

September 23, 2011 at 2:23 pm

Found Cast in Ruin in the romance section of Coles. Only halfway through it, it’s awesome!

Hilda says:

September 23, 2011 at 3:31 pm

I knew Teela was upset and angry, but I always thought it was because of Nightshade himself doing such a move, which brought him to the forefront of events (CHOSEN). He seems to have been way back in the mind of Barranis until Kaylin came up. Still, he needs more action. What happened with Kaylin’s visit to the heart of his castle. I’m still looking forward to his Avatar.

Hilda says:

September 23, 2011 at 4:13 pm

Read it !WOW! and WOW!! Great book. What is amazing is that the same characters do not make the books boring. The plots are always so different, so new. I’m trying to be like other readers and not do spoilers in my comments, but I think the cat is out of the bag (cat???) now. Thank you and thank you. I have been asking about the new character for so long, I think it’s a gift to me. Too bad about the other sisters. We need more. The book is sooo good. Now I’m looking forward to Kaylin’s trip; hopefully Teela won’t be a spoiler.

LizM says:

September 23, 2011 at 5:57 pm

I’m a bit confused by the chronology. HUMONGOUS SPOILERS: In Kaylin’s world’s past, B and her sisters get their fake names through the Outcaste. Then they fell into shadowstorm, and ended up in the People’s world, where B ended up the Queen. The dragons in that world “died” out, including B. The Ascendent there and his sword fall in battle, fall into Ravellon, and end up in Kaylin’s world. So from where did B and her sisters enter Kaylin’s world? Where did the mortal B come from? I thought she “died” in the People’s world. Or did B and her sisters fall into shadow from the People’s world, and tried to enter Kaylin’s world when the People came? Very confused.

DG says:

September 23, 2011 at 5:57 pm

Bought and currently being shipped to my doorstep. I can’t wait to read it! *Team Nightshade Powers — Activate!!*

On a side note, and I hope you can answer this Michelle, will there be a re-printing or ebook of The Sun Sword books? I’m missing 1 book in the series, “The Riven Shield”! The ebay prices (and used book prices) for it are high. Yeah I know this isn’t exactly the right section for this question, but it’s killing me to be missing that one book! I’d hate to break down and spend double the cost on a used book just to find out I could have waited a few weeks and got an ebook.

Self-Proclaimed President of Team Nightshade,
DG

Aaron says:

September 23, 2011 at 6:37 pm

My take:

I believe B and her sisters got shadowstormed into the People’s world before they had their adult Names. In the absence of proper guidance from their elders, they were tempted and received “crude” Names from Outcaste.

When they realized what was happening — that Outcaste had control over them — it was too late. So, they split their “crude” names and bestowed them upon the Ascendants (selected from the People they found in the new world) to fight against the Shadows. But, they all eventually lost. The People left their world to find sanctuary and traveled among the stars, and the Ascendants were left behind to stave off the Shadow.

Meanwhile, I think B and her sisters tried to find their home world (Elantra), and they did, eventually. After the People arrived in Elantra, B and her sisters tried to follow them, but failed. The “crude” Names from the Outcaste withered and died (or maybe, succumbed to his will?), which was the source of the B bodies in Ruin.

In the end, Kaylin rewrote B’s name with her sisters’ names and that allowed her to survive in Elantra, free from the Outcaste’s leash.

Danita says:

September 23, 2011 at 6:48 pm

Grin- Keep this up and you will be! I’m rereading this evening since I gulped it down the moment it came from amazon. I confess afterward, I went to my bookshelves and compared spines. It couldn’t be over yet! The spines seemed to be larger, but the page numbers weren’t. Oh, wait a minute. That would be because I’ve read them so many times, the pages are looser in the binding. Thank you for a lovely read. Waiting for Cast in Peril now, even more desperately than usual. Danita

Bob says:

September 23, 2011 at 7:51 pm

Are there any other areas having problems with late delivery on Cast in Ruin? I live in the western suburbs of Chicago and I checked 3 B&Ns and also the local small vendor (as of 9/23). No one has received their shipments. I’ve been getting burned recently with long mail deliveries on books (both Amazon and B&N), so I thought I would go back to the real stores. After this, I guess I’ll have to go back to internet ordering.

Meagan says:

September 23, 2011 at 10:03 pm

I posted before this…‘section’ was here because I got my copy of on the 19th. Again, I will say I loved Ruin and am eagerly awaiting the next book (which, I often tell myself, is how I know I have no patience what-so-ever).

On the plus side I finally managed to get a friend to start the series, but she is only on Cast In Secret…so it will be a while. In the mean time I can admit with embarrassment that I have now read the book 10x and 4 of those times were on the very first day. According to said friend I read too fast…I still think ‑she- reads too ‑slow-.

Suzy says:

September 23, 2011 at 10:38 pm

B&N isn’t planning on stocking them in Colorado in the foreseeable future. I wrote them a… friendly critique mentioning that if they got rid of their ridiculously overpriced movies & music & actually stocked books they might be able to compete with the smaller, local bookstores. Most of the small bookstores around here had it (and most were sold out by the 21st), though it makes sense that those will vary greatly. The libraries here all ordered multiple copies so that’s another place to check, if your library does have it you can just buy it when it’s actually in stock near you after reading it. :( Good luck, I hope you can get it soon.

Peg says:

September 23, 2011 at 11:35 pm

I also wish that the question of the egg had been answered. Another whole year (please not more!!) to find out!!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 24, 2011 at 12:32 am

@LizM: The Ascendants were, like Maggaron, possessed of a sword, and the sword contained the essence of the sibling. When the Norannir at last fell, the Ascendants, again like Maggaron, had been lost to the heart of the Shadows, and the heart of the shadows is connected to Ravellon — because there is a strong intimation that Ravellon reaches all worlds. They entered Kaylin’s world from Ravellon; they entered Ravellon from their own world.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 24, 2011 at 12:34 am

Yes, the books will all be released as ebooks — they’re in process now, but the hold-up is the proofing (before formatting) =/.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 24, 2011 at 12:37 am

@Meagan: you have now read this book more often than I have — and in a much shorter period of time! O.o.

Suzy says:

September 24, 2011 at 12:59 am

The problem is that Borders closing significantly reduced the competition for physical bookstores, giving B&N a good amount of monopoly power (not true monopoly since there are still local stores). Many local book stores have better selections, but chances are many people who would have shopped Borders only really think of B&N or Amazon now. By having fewer books on the shelves/fewer copies of each book they push people to buy the books from their website or have the store order it for you, which means they didn’t need to use the shelf space to sell that particular book. This works particularly well for a later book in a series since everyone who wants to buy the book is likely to buy it one way or another, they don’t need to see the book to be interested in it. When Borders was around they had to try to have it so that we’d buy it from them, not from Borders. Now they only have to compete with local stores & online stores.

DG says:

September 24, 2011 at 1:10 am

Awesome. Thank you! :D

Meagan says:

September 24, 2011 at 1:43 am

Well now I am concerned O.o .…Sorry?

I am, however, one of those people who read books over and over — it’s why I buy them instead of picking them up at a library. I have already had to replace every book in this series other than Ruin at least once due to re-reading them until they fall apart, so I fully expect to replace Ruin at least once as well.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 24, 2011 at 4:57 am

LOL! No, I’m just really surprised :). After the book is finished, it’s reread in full for a final edit, and submitted; it’s reread in full for revisions after editorial comments; another reread for line & copy-edits, and another reread for the HLQ version of page proofs. So that would be four.

And then, usually reread in parts (as are all books) when I’m desperately trying to find the one thing I’m certain I said about a character .

Elayne says:

September 24, 2011 at 6:46 am

Enjoyed the book. Wished there was more Nightshade.…really hoping he can go with her to the West March. How exactly is he going to manage that with his outcaste status? Guess we’ll see one way or another in a year or so.

I did find the couple of line hint in the middle of the heat of the battle that Severn met up with someone or something of power 7 years ago to try to obtain enough power/knowledge to protect Kaylin and that sounds like that is where he got his chain. And who knows what else.

Genna Warner says:

September 24, 2011 at 9:34 am

Loved, loved, loved the book. So many questioned answered and then replaced with new questions. But this book makes me wonder if the original direction you wanted to go with Kaylin/Nightshade and Kaylin/Severn has changed and how significant of a change in direction it is. I found Nightshade’s tone in this book to be different from the last books. Something about it just struck me as odd and made me go hmmm.…

Aaron says:

September 24, 2011 at 10:29 am

So the shadowstorms are wholly an aspect of Ravellon, which is some sort of dimensional nexus?

Cindy says:

September 24, 2011 at 10:54 am

admittedly was a fairly brisk meal and we had a stellar young waiter who CLEARLY had kid managing skills. Spotted Nix and Aurora and not only asked if we would like fries immediately but SPELLED the magic word! not something we care to try and replicate but once in a great while would be nice to try again.

Alan says:

September 24, 2011 at 11:15 am

I can see kaylin ending up with either (or neither) of S/N depending on the lady Sagara’s tastes, but I admit I like the symbolism/feel of the N choice better. He seems an adult that she could be equals with and not have to stifle her own adulthood. S on the other hand might accept her, but doesn’t have the same potential for growth.

Ruin was great, although I’d have appreciated getting a bit further in etiquette with diarmat, simply to make room for more interesting story in peril. Perhaps the plan is to offstage some of the etiquette lessons? I did like that etiquette lessons weren’t just “list of proper addresses and similar”.

Michelle: Did kaylin forget emmarian/makkurion when she was totaling up dragons for magguron? She says “I think there are 5 total” but that’s the count of arkon/sanabalis/tiamaris/diarmat/emperor. (If this is just a random editing error, that’s ok too) I’ve reread Ruin and that was the only thing that struck an odd chord both times. Incidentally, I love marcus’s reaction to the egg. My wife howled with laughter at it as well.

w-b says:

September 24, 2011 at 1:08 pm

My husband did the same thing with my e‑reader. I put in a clause tho… any series in hardback must also have a hardback follow up. He still blames me for his back problems tho.

Sharon Brodbeck says:

September 24, 2011 at 3:11 pm

I was greatly thrilled with the book, all the plot twists certainly kept me interested. And I see that Kaylin really is using her midwifery skills again to help a dragon this time. Sort of the same way she did with the Barrani.

Yes, I also wondered how well Nightshade would be able to travel within the West March since he’s outcase. It did not seem like the Lord of the West March was fond enough of him not to try to kill him outright if he sees him there in his territory. Well, I guess that answer awaits us in Cast in Peril. Very good book. Thank you.

Karen Kersley says:

September 25, 2011 at 12:51 am

Absolutely adored the book. Wished it was twice as long (at least) & can’t wait for Peril.
After learning about female dragons, I’m now wondering what it would take for Kaylin to become either Dragon or Barrani.
Mind you my speculation before this book was whether the emperor was female.

Theresa says:

September 25, 2011 at 9:03 am

I wanna cry. I just realized that I am not going to be able to read Cast In Ruin when the ebook is release because Evan has swim class on Oct 1 and after than I have to get the family read for a wedding reception afterwards.

The temptation to read all the discussion comments is so great. :(.

Erica Issermoyer says:

September 25, 2011 at 9:12 am

R we ever gonna find out who kaylin’s dad is. im going crazy wondering if it something big and then wondering if u dont mention it because its no big dea!!!! Great book though, by the way :)

Kathy says:

September 25, 2011 at 11:09 am

There was a phrase in “Ruin” that I didn’t understand and I was wondering if Ms. Sagara would explain it. The phrase was “she shed splints”. This was in reference to Kaylin’s removing the bracer in the shadowstorm fight scene.

hjbau says:

September 25, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Michelle, i found Cast in Ruin in the Romance section as well. I laughed out loud when the guy told me.

Kerri Knorr says:

September 25, 2011 at 3:52 pm

As such, they have to be the most subtle, slow-building romances I have ever encountered (in-genre or out, really). So subtle, I wasn’t sure about Nightshade until he kissed her (third book? or was it the fourth? Although even now, I am with Kaylin, questioning his motivation.) and Severn until Cast in Chaos. That’s not meant as a criticism, by the way, because I consider it a selling point.

hjbau says:

September 25, 2011 at 4:13 pm

I would definitely consider it a selling point as well. I enjoy the slow moving relationships though i am not sure if i would call either of them Romances as in Romance novels.

citrouille says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:19 pm

Loved Cast in Ruin (along with the rest of the series), but was confused about one detail. When it’s stated that Barrani lords don’t need a leave of absence to attend a certain event, but Kaylin does, it’s confusing because I thought that Kaylin was technically a Barrani lord, so why does she need permission for a leave of absence?

Michelle Sagara says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:28 pm

@Karen: Re: Female Emperor:

OMG, that is such a good idea. It’s too late now, but! Such a good idea >.<

Michelle Sagara says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:30 pm

@Erica: Kaylin’s father isn’t a mystery to Kaylin; she doesn’t know who he is, but where she grew up, that wasn’t as uncommon as it should have been. It’s one of those bits of background that may or may not have relevance later, but at this very moment, given that the next three books are spoken for, plot-wise, I don’t see it coming up soon. Sorry >.<

Michelle Sagara says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:35 pm

@Kathy: Sorry >.<. Sometimes the use of a word, for me, is partly based in the reading I did as an omnivore child. I think this is probably considered archaic usage now, having looked it up in 4 online dictionaries; this is the OED definition (which is not online for free that I know of).

1. a.1.a One of the plates or strips of overlapping metal of which certain portions of mediæval armour were sometimes composed; esp. one of a pair of pieces of this nature used for protecting the arms at the elbows.

PV says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:35 pm

I pre-ordered from B&N in early September but when I stopped by on Tuesday they didn’t have any copies and told me that I would be notified when it came it. I thought it was really strange because normally if you pre-order you get the book by the release date listed on their website. I decided to wait a few days but when I checked on Thursday that none of the stores in MN had copies, I caved and bought the book from Amazon with one-day shipping.

SPOILERS:

Finally started reading it yesterday afternoon and I finished at almost 2am this morning. It was really great and I too love the new character and the eventual plot twists that will come with her presence! I wasn’t surprised the egg didn’t hatch, it’s only been three days since the end of Chaos when Ruin starts and the egg is probably only a little over a week old by the end of Ruin? Having been raised on a farm, I know to expect between three to four weeks for our various chicks/ducklings/goslings to hatch. Mind you, since the circumstances around the egg are so strange, I’d be really hard to say when to expect the egg to hatch.

I’m also really very much looking forward to Peril because I want to see more Nightshade/Kaylin interaction and also because I’m curious to know more about the Barrani’s Regalia. Perhaps we might even find out what Nightshade did to be declared Outcaste? Plus, I’m with Kaylin, how can he even travel to the West March being outcaste and what will happen to his fief while he’s gone? Ah, all things to ponder during the next year…though I’d be divided about reading the first chapter that you mentioned possibly posting. It’d be a torment to read it knowing there’s still so long to wait but then, the temptation might be too hard to resist!

Anyway, another great book and I look forward to the next installment! Good luck with the writing!

ae says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:40 pm

perhaps because she’s an anomaly and not really a Barrani? also, I believe she has made it clear that her first loyalties are to the Emporer and therefore she would probably need to request that leave of absence…just my take on it!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:41 pm

@hjbau: It seems to have made its way into the romance sections of at least Books a Million and, in Canada, Chapters/Indigo. It’s not the first one to end up there; I think one of the early books did as well, although I believe it was shifted.

Because it’s published by Harlequin, sometimes the title gets lost in the database entry shuffle, because the don’t have the actual book in front of them when they assign a store section for it >.<.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 25, 2011 at 8:44 pm

@citrouille: Kaylin is, as far as the High Lord is concerned, a Lord of the Barrani court.

She is not, however, as far as Human Resources in the Halls of Law are concerned, a Barrani. The Barrani are, of course, Barrani, and as such, are given required leave for caste court customs/obligations. It hasn’t occurred to Kaylin to try to get her racial designation changed, and the exceptions required to grant her the same general rights the Barrani naturally receive would require lots of paperwork, which is why it hasn’t been done by anyone it has occurred to.

David Y says:

September 25, 2011 at 9:22 pm

I have been quietly moving a couple of copies from romance to the Fantasy/Science Fiction section when I’m in Chapters. (with your bookstore hat on: does this horrify you?) Found copies in both sections today.

David Y says:

September 25, 2011 at 9:25 pm

Michelle: I haven’t been back through the series yet, but how much time has elapsed since the start of Cast in Shadow?

hjbau says:

September 25, 2011 at 10:01 pm

Yes. It was a Books a Million. Like i said on the forum i had no idea that the books were assigned sort of randomly. They do seem to get them in the right place by the time they arrive in mass paperback. Though they only had two copies of Fury and none of the rest of the series. But the store is only three years old and not really worked in. They had a copy though even if the place it in a different section every time one comes out.

citrouille says:

September 25, 2011 at 10:35 pm

Thanks!

Angela M. says:

September 26, 2011 at 1:40 am

I couldn’t wait for the Nook edition to come out, so I ordered it on Amazon. Read it already, and loved it. Now I want to know what’s next! Can’t wait for the next book!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 26, 2011 at 2:24 am

@David: I would actually have to go back and count; I think about six months, definitely less than a year.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 26, 2011 at 2:27 am

@David: In this particular case, with bookseller hat on, I think it’s helpful because it will make it easier for readers of the previous books to find it. However, it will possibly make it harder for the staff at said stores to find it if they look it up at someone else’s request.

Hmmm. I think the jury is ambivalent >.>

Beanz says:

September 26, 2011 at 5:47 am

My book was delivered on Saturday, unfortunately it was delivered to a packaging station. This is where I usually retrieve my mail from. But there stupid terminal is defect and now I have to wait till tomorrow (if I am “lucky) until it is repaired and I am able to get the book. I am so frustrated because there is no other way to get the book here in Hamburg Germany before tomorrow now.
And the ebook won’t be delivered until Oct. 1st. And here I am actually at home, not working with a bum foot and with nothing to read.

Tarun Elankath says:

September 26, 2011 at 9:12 am

Hi Michelle,

I love all your books and I am frustrated that “Cast in Ruin” is as of now only in paperback. That rules it out for all of your international readers :(

One small rant: I believe your ebook readership statistics is low because your ebooks always tend to come late and consequently most people read or borrow the paperbacks and never buy the ebooks. Also many of books (The Sun sword series for exampe) is not even in ebook form. If your ebooks released the same day as the paperbacks, I am quite certain you would find that readership percentage drastically increasing :)

Aaron says:

September 26, 2011 at 11:14 am

Did I just read that you have the plots for the next 3 books, post Peril, already sketched out? Zoiks!

Leanne Powner says:

September 26, 2011 at 1:34 pm

Michelle — The end of the book leaves me with one pressing question. Are we going to get to see Kaylin (and possibly Bellusdeo) go shopping for ‘appropriate’ clothes for their lessons with Diarmat? Just the idea leaves me laughing.

Alan says:

September 26, 2011 at 5:14 pm

Leanne — Can you imagine Teela’s response to that little babysitting assignment?

Leanne Powner says:

September 26, 2011 at 6:14 pm

I thought about that… :-D

The thing on that one is, there are definitely some protocol issues with introducing a Dragon to a Barrani Lord. The implications of that make me think that the Hawklord probably wouldn’t permit such an assignment. Though I *definitely* agree that it would be an incredibly great scene. :-)

os says:

September 26, 2011 at 6:40 pm

Please forgive my rant since it stems from the fact that I am envious that you have already received “Cast In Ruin”.
I never would have thought it would be so difficult to get a hold of your latest book. I pre-ordered “Cast In Ruin” from Amazon in May and still have not received it. Previously, when I have per-ordered books from Amazon they have usually arrived within 2 days from its release date. I also looked for copies in the local Barnes & Noble bookstores because I was getting impatient and they were nowhere to be found. On Saturday the 24th, I had the store to see if there were any available in the San Diego area and there wasn’t any. If I wanted a copy, they would have order the book and it would have to wait 10 days for it to arrive. It appeared that they had no plans to stock your latest release since there was no date for them getting that book in stock. I thought it was pretty strange since the stores had copies of both “Cast in Fury” and “Cast in Silence” on the science fiction shelves for new books.

Silverfrost says:

September 26, 2011 at 6:55 pm

I noticed that too. Thought it was just me.

Kat says:

September 26, 2011 at 8:26 pm

For some bizarre and unholy reason (that I should probably follow up on, because it disturbs me) I ordered Cast in Ruin a day or two before Sept 20th from B&N. I checked the email to see when it was supposed to get here (eager beaver that I am), and was shocked to find that the book was not scheduled to ship until January. I had also ordered copies of the second and third House novels (since my local B&N refuses to stock them), so maybe that has something to do with it, but yikes! I know I live in Alaska and all, but I’ve never had that sort of long-term order issue before.

As I am desperate to read the book, I think I might just buy an ebook copy as well. I will go to whatever lengths I have to in order to hold it in my hands!

Michelle Sagara says:

September 26, 2011 at 8:51 pm

@Alan: No, the embarrassing thing is I forgot the Arkon. Which is to say: the Arkon almost never leaves the Library, so when the Dragon Lords go abroad, is it were, they number four >.<.

David Y says:

September 26, 2011 at 10:15 pm

I was in Orlando when House Name came out. The B&N there said they had no plans to stock it, so I ordered a copy — risky when you’re only a tourist. The book arrived and before we left (we were just there a month) the store had a few more copies on the shelf. So don’t believe everything they tell you.
(I’ve just bought and read the whole series in a month; now I have a year’s wait!)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 26, 2011 at 10:23 pm

@David: Sometimes, though, they’ll order store copies of something new that they didn’t plan to stock (i.e. that there were no orders from head office for) if a customer special orders the book.

I don’t know what the ordering policies for B&N are, but they vary greatly by chain. At some chains, the managers can order nothing that isn’t flagged as “re-order” by head office, unless they get a customer order for it. At some chains, you can’t even special order a book, regardless. At some, the managers can order whatever the heck they want, because they know their clientele and each store is different.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 26, 2011 at 11:00 pm

@Kat: I’m going to guess that B&N is holding the book until January because shipping to Alaska is more expensive?

I know the B&N web-site lists the book as a 20th September release date, so I would definitely follow up on that >.<

H.Renee says:

September 26, 2011 at 11:07 pm

Book unavailable in Barnes and Nobles in Madison and LaCrosse in Wisconsin (second is hearsay from my mother searching). The face you can’t see through the internets is disgust for poor planning on this company’s part. (Not yours. You’re doing your part fantastically!)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 26, 2011 at 11:09 pm

@os: No need to apologize for the rant at all. Believe that it is just as dismaying for me

Mysterious Galaxy lists the book as “on the shelves”: http://www.mystgalaxy.com/search/apachesolr_search/Cast%20in%20Ruin

They’re in San Diego.

Melissa R says:

September 27, 2011 at 1:17 am

Cast in Ruin was amazing and worth the extra two day wait! I’ve been picking up my copy the day of the release at my local B&N since Cast in Fury. Well, imagine my surprise when I show up there, after a long day of work, and they don’t have it. I gave them another day, they couldn’t give me a timeline and kept trying to get me to order from their online system…which irritates me since they can’t offer a delivery date estimate for that either! So I signed up for a free 1 month of Amazon prime, ordered Cast in Ruin with one day shipping only costing 3.99 and had it the next evening. So take that B&N!

But it was an amazing book, a great read, and worth the wait! I have different book cases for high fantasy and urban fantasy, but the Cast series goes on the “important” bookcase with my favorites, genre busters, and lots of Philip K. Dick, Neil Gaiman, and Octavia Butler…so you’re in good company!

I read somewhere on this blog…about possibly posting a chapter of Cast in Peril already…pretty please yes? School makes the months fly by, but since it seems Cast in Peril will take place outside of the city…I’m dying for it! Just a snippet, just a taste? I loved Cast in Ruin, but I didn’t get my Nightshade fix!

Kyra says:

September 27, 2011 at 1:52 pm

I’m getting the idea that Barnes and Noble has jumped the shark, so to speak, in terms of quality.

Four years running (after discovering the first two at random B&N crawls) I’ve come in on the release date, found it in the New Arrivals shelves, and pounced on it; this year I had to special-order it. I did go ask for it at Customer Service twice (well, three times, but the first was pre-release-date and I asked out of the hope that they’d have it sitting in a stockroom and would hand it over when asked nicely), and I would’ve gone around to the other local stores and asked (just to make my displeasure known) but the guy told me the nearest store that had it was eight hours away so I ordered it.

The book itself was wonderful, especially the Dragons’ emotions, and I was very pleased to see that the “identical corpses” thing had a reasonable, interesting, and non-cliche explanation (not that I expected any less from you). I’ll look forward to more Teela, more Nightshade, and hopefully more Hawklord in later books. Diarmat has become quite solidly interesting to me, though I’m not sure I dare try to articulate why. I’m going to venture a guess that he doesn’t have a hoard of his own, and that’s part of why he reacted so angrily to Kaylin’s claiming of the term, though it could be just because he’s Diarmat.

I’m tempted to nitpick that you misspelled Makuron this book, but I’m somewhat sleep-deprived (picked up the book last night and I didn’t come up for air until I was finished) and half anticipating returning to Cast in Shadow to find it spelled Makkuron there too. Regardless, I am the type of person who can’t listen to live music because the tempo’s always slightly off, so take the complaint with a grain of salt; I’m oversensitive to the little details like that.

All in all, wonderful, and I’m looking forward with great eagerness to the next one, but one of the awesome things about this is that I now have one more book to divide my attentions between to keep me occupied in the coming months.

Hilda says:

September 27, 2011 at 9:19 pm

David, what a great question. I started the seriess a little over a year ago; bought as many as i could out of order. Maybe because of that, i thought time has passed when Kaylin didn’t have adventures. So, she is really very young still and events happenning too fast. She has grown a lot emotionally, but no wonder she is confused.

Hilda says:

September 27, 2011 at 9:55 pm

Michelle, I decided to read all previous messages to avoid repetition. However, what came across was an incredible disgust from readers with B&N, not including mine and others which were in another section, and some anger with Amazon too. Extremely poor customer service for such major companies. None of us has the connection you probably have with them,and maybe you can find a way to make them read these and other comments.Board of directors can’t be too happy about it. And you are clearly, a very well liked author. If some other authors have similar anger in their website against these publishers, maybe things will improve. They are after all bookstores.They have to do better, Publishing companies and stores can’t continue losing readers.

w-b says:

September 27, 2011 at 10:03 pm

One of my guilty pleasures is writting, I know you wouldn’t be able to tell that from my spelling or gramer. Just sayin. At any rate when I read anything now it is double edged. I read it as the reader who enjoys the story but a part of me is sitting back and reading it as the wannabe writter. It is that part of me that just dosn’t see kaylin with nightshade. She wants many things and given her past I don’t see her finding any of that with nightshade, possibly with severn but not nightshade. she would always see in nightshade what she saw in barren, unless he shows her more then he has so far. (she said herself that he dosn’t love her and she holds his name so i give thta some weight even tho she often only see’s what she wants) and as for him, i think he wants her not just for the power but also because she brings a bit of life back into his neverchanging existance. He said himself that he looks for the flaws and imperfections and as it has been pointed out more then once she is all of those espcially as the chosen one. If there is room for grow it is not only on kaylins part it is also on nightshades part. Even immortals have something to learn. but he is not the only one. while severn did explain his love for her I sometimes think he loves the idea of her being saved by him and the fact that he is evermore her protector and she will always look at him as such.

sorry.. way to much there just random thoughts.

but one question because it is driving me bonkers. what was the proper response when she was to first report to lord dermamont and sorry im to lazy to get up and find the correct spelling of his name. or for any that i misspelled … please tell me it is really … i haven’t yet figured out what he wants her to learn besides self control. gaaaa

my only excuse is lack of sleep sorry.

DG says:

September 27, 2011 at 11:12 pm

Just finished! I love the Arkon, I love Sanabalis, and Iove a good read. :)

One thing that did bother me was that Bellusdeo did not remark on Nightshade’s mark on Kaylin once. To Humans it’s just a tattoo. To a Baranni it’s pretty much a full on challenge/insult. To a Dragon it must reek of magic and that magic must be known to be Baranni in origin…a people who were in B’s time mortal enemies. Not one comment from her? It seemed really odd, especially since she’s so incredibly outspoken.

This book was really light on Nightshade interaction, but honestly that didn’t bother me. I think Kaylin and Severn’s talk about love/desire regarding themselves, Barren, and Nightshade spoke volumes. I also nearly fell out of my chair when Nightshade used the Exchequer scandal to get Kaylin to the West March with him. How he is going to get to the West March and not be killed on sight by the Lord of the West March has me on the edge of my seat, lol. Teela wasn’t kidding when she said he likes to play dangerous games.

I already loved Sanabalis before, well I love him more now. :) Actually, there isn’t a dragon I don’t like, including Diarmat (the “Mallory” dragon, lol).

On another point (and I’m biased I know), but if she does end up with Severn I’ll be very disappointed. It’s just too obvious in every way. Typical “knight in shining armor” fodder that is just trite and overdone. Mr. Perfect at his finest with a single flaw (the killing of her “children” those many years ago). Ugh, it makes my head hurt. And no, it’s not that I don’t like Severn. I like him just fine as her partner and her family.

If she doesn’t end up with Nightshade, which is highly possible since Kaylin sincerely doubts his capacity to love anything but power, then I hope that whoever she ends up with won’t be “the obvious choice”. That would ruin the story in a big way for me I think.

Self-Proclaimed President of Team Nightshade,
DG

Michelle Sagara says:

September 27, 2011 at 11:42 pm

@Hilda: Authors really don’t have connections with booksellers in that way. Publishers can, but the relationship in general works in the opposite direction:

B&N is one of the most important *single* customers to the publishers. So, B&N can often dictate a large number of terms, because with they refuse to buy a book a publisher is offering, especially if it’s not a bestseller, it can all but kill a series.

For B&N, readers are the customers. So in this particular case, readers have more leverage than authors.

Angela M. says:

September 28, 2011 at 1:32 am

I agree, I wonder how the heck Nightshade is going to the West March without getting into a fight about it. I also wonder what the heck he WANTS to take her there for. But my other quesiton would be, since Bellusdeo is following her around so much, is she going to try to go to the West March with Kaylin, and how would that affect things since she’s Dragon?

Aaron says:

September 28, 2011 at 1:52 am

Given Michelle’s recent complaint about Peril growing “too long” too long due to Teela and another “character” she didn’t want to mention for spoilery reasons, I would bet Severn’s money that Bellusdeo is coming along for the ride.

Which makes me laugh, because I can only just imagine what sorts of hi-jinks they could possibly get involved in. Not to mention Nightshade’s reaction when he meets his first female dragon.

DG says:

September 28, 2011 at 2:27 am

I was wondering about that too! Bellusdeo doesn’t seem like the sort of dragon that is going to be happy being left behind. But, I can see the Baranni in general going completely nuts about having a dragon in the West March, period. Especially for their special “ceremony” (how the heck Nightshade is going to attend that without getting jumped is beyond me). Like the High Halls I get the distinct impression that the West March is does not welcome dragons.

Honestly, I’m pretty sure Nightshade already knows about the female dragon and that she’s staying with Kaylin. I just can’t wait to see Bellusdeo’s reaction to him! She has no qualms about what comes flying out of her mouth, lol. Between Teela, Bellusdeo, and Kaylin I really hope they don’t start a war. :D

I can guess that Nightshade wants to take her there to expose her to their “stories”? Or maybe it’s something you do when you have an Erenne? (lol, honeymoon?) Who knows.

Aaron says:

September 28, 2011 at 11:02 am

A honeymoon in a jungle filled with insects the size of rodents and your only dinner guests are a bunch of sarcastic Barrani? Sign me up!

Hilda says:

September 28, 2011 at 11:14 am

DG, AAron, Angela: I’m with you in all that. I knew Bellusdeo has to go to the West March too. I think N will learn a thing or two about women which he so clearly needs.The reason he was probably so curt with Kaylin has to be her conversation with S. He must have heard all that. She was very at the Fief entrance, she touched the mark (always a way to communicate), and S held her for about 5 minutes. However, N deserves it. She will never be his Erenne, her feelings are clear; but she will consider and may accept Consort. She has changed Erenne for Consort, twicw at least. If , as Michelle said, the books cover a period of about 6 months, the situations move very fast, It’s less than a year since she met N, and found S again. Michelle seeds her books with hints. Because I read them out of order and I read going back and forth before I end each book, I believe N was once the Lord of the West March, which would make him a close relative to the Caste Lord family. This visit to the WM will be a major event. Also, I don’t think we have met yet Kaylin’s parents. The lady with her was probably a caretaker. S is clealy the classic SF Guardian, set there to protect Kaylin. Go back to his conversations with her caretaker; his killing of the children, the reason while the major characters just look at him and not question his presence, including Diarmat, and even N trust S to protect Kaylin and look at his chains (not made by mortals he said). And guess about the new one Michelle just drop like a seed.The other Chosen who has been looking for her. Don’t forget him. He may show up one day and become a rival. What are your guesses? Michelle could be enjoying all our guesses and not saying one word.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 28, 2011 at 12:36 pm

I admit I find this explanation a little at odds with the source material, since every time Nightshade has used the word, he seems to inflect it with Great Importance. (Mostly I’m thinking of CAST IN FURY, when she goes with Tiamaris. I was never sure why he makes a point to bring up the fact that she’s the Erenne when she goes looking for information, but it seemed to mean something. Additionally Andellen seems to take it fairly seriously, something I wouldn’t necessarily expect from a Barrani Lord, even one in service to another Lord, if it’s just slavery, even favored slavery.) But perhaps that has been PURELY wishful thinking on my part. ;) I’d be glad to be disabused of this notion, unless you’re just trying not to spoil future books?

Wendy Good says:

September 28, 2011 at 12:46 pm

I wonder if Nightshade, who chose to be the fieflord “for strategic reasons” could possibly plan to use Kaylin’s presence and unpredictable yet predictable actions (read “well-meaning interference in other’s affairs) to get himself accepted back into the High Court. The current Lord of the West March speaks Nightshade’s name, when no one else at court will, so I wonder at their relationship as well.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 28, 2011 at 12:51 pm

..that part of me that just dosn’t see kaylin with nightshade. She wants many things and given her past I don’t see her finding any of that with nightshade, possibly with severn but not nightshade.

Personally, I’m rooting for Rennick. ;) ;) Maybe it’s just me, but I loved that grouchy playwright.

As much as I love Nightshade, and I really, really do.. I agree. It pains me, but I agree. Frankly I don’t see Kaylin with either men. Nightshade’s simply a Bad Idea. While I can understand why Kaylin might find his imperviousness attractive, I don’t see it as something you could build a lasting relationship around. At the end of the day, I think you want to have some effect on your mate. Nightshade does seem to have changed somewhat in response to Kaylin, but if she truly believes the Barrani incapable of love, I don’t see that relationship going anywhere. (Though I’m not sure why she thinks the Barrani can’t love. She has plenty of examples from The Castelord and his brother, to Teela’s love for HER that the Barrani clearly ARE capable of love, even loving mortals.)

With Severn, I kind of see it as a relationship between parents who’ve lost a child. Maybe they still love each other, maybe Kaylin can even forgive Severn his part in Steffi and Jade’s deaths.. but often those relationships break up because it’s just too hard to look at that person every day and remember what happened. I, for one, could never forgive Severn. Even though I could understand his motivation and forgive him for feeling that way, I’m not sure I could *ever* forgive the act. That was one thing that bugged me in RUIN, when Kaylin sees the Shadowstorm and wants to run into it, in the hopes of protecting Steffi and Jade.. from what, exactly? Makuron? She may be stronger now than she was then, but she still couldn’t protect them from him. The only person she would be strong enough to best would be the very guy whose arms she was standing in for comfort. I just can’t wrap my head around having those two thoughts simultaneously.

Aaron says:

September 28, 2011 at 12:52 pm

In retrospect, it’s also possible that the “unnamed” character Michelle mentioned could be Nightshade — simply because she did not want to give up the fact that they were going to the West March *together*.

I mean, I suppose Bellusdeo and Nightshade both arriving at the Barrani equivalent of the Hamptons might be a *bit* too much to handle in one book. I guess we’ll just have to RAFO.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 28, 2011 at 1:40 pm

You’re not crazy, it is Makuron. At least in CAST IN SHADOW and CAST IN FURY. ;)

Michelle Sagara says:

September 28, 2011 at 1:46 pm

And, of course, I’m going to cry >.>.

In my overall world-building notes (I have a large wiki) it’s always been Makkuron, with the double K. So, of course, since it’s been a while since I’ve used the name, I went and looked it up in the Elantra bible — but not in the books T_T.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 28, 2011 at 1:53 pm

@Tarun: In *theory*, they’re both available on the same date: 1st October, 2011. That’s the official pub date for the book.

In practice, because books can’t be teleported instantly to each location that orders them, the books arrive earlier because they have to be physically shipped. The publisher can’t change the ebook on sale date for Amazon without changing it for everyone.

Amazon (probably — this is my guess) won’t *take* the books if they can’t sell them as they arrive in the warehouse — because for books like mine, they were losing sales if customers could find them in bookstores first. But if you tell Amazon that they can sell kindle books as soon as they receive paper books, you’re tying ebook sales to physical shipping/receiving dates — which means any ebook seller that doesn’t order paper books is going to suffer.

Amazon doesn’t care if the on-sale date for the ebook is later, because they don’t lose sales. No one can buy an ebook from someone else because it’s on sale earlier somewhere else. And readers just get mad at publishers, not Amazon, if they can’t buy the ebook earlier.

I want to make one thing clear: Publishers make more money on ebooks, per unit sale. The idea that publishers are withholding ebooks in order to shore up physical print books is last year’s model. But they are still invested in print sales, because print still makes up the majority of their unit sales for most (but no longer all) genres.

This is likely to change in the future.

Michelle Sagara says:

September 28, 2011 at 1:59 pm

Erenne has weight and meaning, yes. But it denotes ownership, even if exalted. Teela doesn’t give a rat’s ass about its weight and meaning, because she feels some territoriality herself, and she generally cuts to the heart of the matter.

Ownership of mortals is not, for someone who left the world centuries ago, in any way unusual. It was one of the ways in which, in a heavily Immortal population, one could guarantee survival of said mortal: if you harmed the mortal who was claimed, you would suffer. If the person who had marked the mortal was powerful enough, the mortal’s status was hugely elevated, and it was clear that the mortal was of far more import than regular Barrani to the person who placed the mark.

It was not done lightly, no. It’s not, however, a matter of equality, although in cases where ownership is passionate and obsessive, it’s of course complicated because emotions are just like that >.>

Hilda says:

September 28, 2011 at 2:59 pm

DG, I have felt for a long time that if N gets into some legal businesses, like shipping (that big shipfront, who benefits?), importing products (all those Barrani that came from all over the wold) mining, banking, etc., he is always busy, and closes all those illegal joints, and then open a school for children, Kaylin will play along. She will never fall for a criminal. But in Ruin, N even questions her as to what Tiamaris will do for $$$. He seems to have no clue as to non criminal work. But even the Hawklord entrusted Kaylin to him before. N is not alll that he has shown, but then 6 or 7 years of books have gone for little more than a6 months. A lot can still happen. I still go for N too.

Angela M. says:

September 28, 2011 at 3:13 pm

I always end up wondering if when Kaylin finally meets the Emperor, something happens with him, and they end up together or something. You just know something important’s gonna happen when she finally meets him.

ae says:

September 28, 2011 at 4:19 pm

I can see Nightshade as “a bad idea” but wouldn’t it be really great if it happened and they BOTH grew/changed becasue of it? From the small glimpses we’ve seen of his “inner” personality – not the outer facade he always wears – I think he has some definite potential. And it is specifically because he isn’t the safe/easy answer that I am hoping they end with a more personal relationship..Severn would just be too easy, too safe (i.e. far less interesting reading) despite the issues that he and Kaylin would have to finish working through. But this is just my opinion on the matter; hopefully I won’t have to rethink all that in the future! *fingers crossed*

ae says:

September 28, 2011 at 4:21 pm

amen!

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 28, 2011 at 5:07 pm

If it makes you feel better, I didn’t remember how many Ks were supposed to be in it until it was mentioned here. ;)

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 28, 2011 at 5:28 pm

I’ve always said that if it could be done in a believable fashion, no one would be happier than me to see it happen. ;) I just can’t imagine how, and I count that more as a failure of my imagination than a measure of its difficulty. And I think if Michelle can make Stefanos and Erin believable, she could do it for Kaylin and Nightshade.. but I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

natasha says:

September 28, 2011 at 5:47 pm

it is so hard not to read these comments. i have not read the book yet (i am at college and my book was shipped to my parents house and it can be while before i go home) but am just dyeing to read it. to bad i do not know anyone who reads this book, does anyone live in Lincoln, Nebraska?

w-b says:

September 28, 2011 at 6:41 pm

don’t forget the west march “stories” can change ppl… wonder how it will change her hmmm.

w-b says:

September 28, 2011 at 6:50 pm

lol I could actually see her with rennick to easily, they have alot in common :) I do agree tho… at the end of the day neither N or S is who I see her with. I am guessing not an unknown but an unrealized if any “partner” for her.

DG says:

September 28, 2011 at 6:58 pm

That’s a really excellent point. Just because you live forever doesn’t mean you know “everything”. It is highly possible that all Nightshade knows is essentially “how to be a crook” when it comes to running a fief. Especially since that method seems to work for others (and him), just fine. His pointed questions to her about Tiamaris is a way to assess that fief’s strength (he is Baranni after all), but it might also give him some insight into what she likes in those changes.

The one thing that struck me as I went through the books is that in the first book it’s very clear Kaylin doesn’t like the torture cages in front of his castle at all. I’m sure he knows about that and in the past 6 months there hasn’t been a single person in those cages when she’s been around. Actually, I think those cages were gone in one of the books. I think it’s highly possible he’d change his fief to please her (and of course himself…because he’s a Baranni :D).

Also, in one other point you made below: “The reason he was probably so curt with Kaylin has to be her conversation with S. He must have heard all that.” That’s also a good point. He was chilly with her (and was annoyed when she left too, lol) probably for a) almost getting herself killed again and b) because of that conversation. What part of the conversation did he possibly not like? I have no idea. I don’t think it was Severn per se. I don’t think Nightshade sees Severn as any kind of threat at all.

From Severn’s and Kaylin’s conversation I think it’s pretty clear that she does not have 100% clarity about Nightshade and their weird relationship. He went from some fief lord “boogeyman” to this lord that now desires her for reasons unknown or misunderstood.Their link makes it even more confusing for both of them (on different levels). I believe (and I may be dead wrong) that he originally wanted her for the power. He’d be an idiot not to, and he’s no idiot. However, with the link they have, and with the way Kaylin is, I think it’s gone well past that in his mind over the past 6 months maybe even longer than that.

In Cast in Courtlight, Andellen (basically the closest Nightshade has to a best friend) said she was worthy to be Nightshade’s Erenne. I really don’t think he fully meant her power, especially since right after that Nightshade asked him about Severn (man I wish we could have heard THAT conversation).

w-b says:

September 28, 2011 at 6:58 pm

I agree I too would bet Severn’s money !!

DG says:

September 28, 2011 at 7:04 pm

lol, yeah…sounds great. I’m sure it also includes tests of resolve and fortitude that could kill you as well.

DG says:

September 28, 2011 at 7:06 pm

No I haven’t. He said she was currently in the middle of creating her own story and dragging a bunch of folks along with her in the process. Maybe going to the West March will not change her but change her story?

Wow, I really can’t wait for the next book. lol.

DG says:

September 28, 2011 at 7:07 pm

Go Team Nightshade! :D

MJW says:

September 28, 2011 at 7:58 pm

Not one of the B&N Stores, nor any of the independants in the Pasadena / Glendale / Los Angeles area have a copy of Cast in Ruin in stock. This is making me CRAZY… I am an off-the-grid — no credit card / cash only book lover.

AAAAAARRRG.

jennie says:

September 28, 2011 at 9:19 pm

michelle, on your blog…you mentioned that you’d thought of posting the first chapter of cast in peril but not until cast in ruin was out..so it wouldn’t be a spoiler. i was wondering/hoping that you would do it…soon (?)… now that cast in ruin is out. i understand many of your fans are having problems getting the book (i was so disappointed that i couldn’t get it locally that i ordered it online from amazon and paid extra to get it delivered in 2 days) so it might be too early and i might be wishful thinking but i thought i’d ask…

jennie says:

September 28, 2011 at 9:34 pm

i’m with melissa! please post chapter 1 of peril!

Angela M. says:

September 28, 2011 at 11:44 pm

While I tend to agree, if it’s going to be a year until the book comes out, maybe we should wait a while to give us something to look forward to? Maybe just a few paragraphs of the book might be nice?

*waits to be blasted by other fans*

Chris says:

September 29, 2011 at 5:30 am

Mysterious Galaxy is also now in Redondo Beach, CA (a bit to the southwest of the city of Los Angeles, but still in the county of Los Angeles). I was there last Friday and found no Michelle Sagara books (and I was definitely looking). For Michelle West they had Mass Market Editions of the first two House Wars, Hidden City & City of Night, and nothing else.

This was my first exposure to Mysterious Galaxy, and I must say that I wasn’t terribly impressed. It’s nice that the store is open and roomy, but there were a *lot* of books that weren’t present that I was hoping to see and I found their Sci-Fi Fantasy Selection on par with my local B&N (maybe a sliver better, but if so, not by very much at all).

Hopefully their San Diego store is better, if not, I really can’t see where their reputation came from.

Sue Ivey says:

September 29, 2011 at 7:05 am

I loved it! I’ve only read it twice, but I’ll read it again when the e‑book is available, and again, and probably several more times. Michelle, Thank you for your amazing stories, any other series of stories would have totally lost my interest by now. Not only that but we won’t have to wait YEARS for the next one. After all, Skirmish is out in January, so it’s really only six months until your next book comes out ;-)
I probably couldn’t NOT read a chapter of Cast in Peril.…but OMG the wait for the rest would huurt!
Here’s my thought, the Emperor falls for Bellusdeo, she protects Kaylin from the Emperor.Why else would she take the lessons with Kaylin? After all, she is the one and only female dragon around, how could the Emperor eat her? Also, the egg is another dragon, it burnt Teela?, or inside is someone else who has come from another world sneaking in that way while the magic was high.
As for Severn and Nightshade, I think they both love her as much as their psyches will allow, but perhaps a third choice will arrive?
I love all the speculations, it’s a sign of how much we adore Michelle’s work!
Thanks again, Michelle.

Hilda says:

September 29, 2011 at 12:29 pm

Michelle, on 9/24 you address Liz M. and Aaron questions regarding how Bellusdeo and sisters and the Ascendants connected with Makkuron in their world. We know the Arkon knew B and he and Makkuron used to be friends.The loud argument between B and Diarmat brought out very old issues.We may not figure out how everything worked in the past until Makkuron is defeated. I’m assuming some of them traveled through the Old Ways the Devourer used to follow. Perhaps in a future book, B and the Arkon can talk about that, and clarify: why there are so few active dragons, what happened to those sleeping, can they come back? It’s really very strange to think that 5 or 6 dragons managed to defeat or contained thousands of Barrani who are still living. Perhaps some book will address their war.

Hilda says:

September 29, 2011 at 2:37 pm

This little bit more to speculate while we wait. Tiamaris, as the youngest and B are expected to mate (just think of Sanabalis or the Arkon, please); however.…. we may find a very jealous TARA . We know, we need to give Michelle something to have fun too..

Hilda says:

September 29, 2011 at 2:58 pm

DG, if I remember correctly, N told her he got rid of the cages as a present to her. In fact, at some point, I did not like her saying or thinking that something was as black as N’s heart. He is a unique type of character, but she forgets the many times he’s been good to her, almost tender, and very protective. Not ownwership.
There used to be a Hispanic term “La Querida” (the loved one). In the old times, men used to marry for duty and they had their “queridas” too. I think Erenne is that versus Consort.

ae says:

September 29, 2011 at 3:14 pm

this is my question as well, especially given the few references to the issue of Kaylin’s mortality, how long will she really live, etc.

ae says:

September 29, 2011 at 3:17 pm

**commence with blasting** just a few paragraphs! in truth, a whole chapter wouldn’t be enough, especially as Ms.Sagara’s tend to end in total cliff-hangers (resulting in a bunch of hyper, whiney fans!). altho i wouldn’t complain AT ALL if a Peril chapter was put up, i think there’s plenty of postulating to do on the book we just read and all the theories we have so far. it would be great to have a blog spot to just talk about that stuff (or is there one already and i just dont’ know of it?).

Kerri Knorr says:

September 29, 2011 at 3:21 pm

To my mind, N is protective because he’s possessive. He’s even out-right said it, in relation to Barren (whether man or fief wasn’t clear to me — maybe both). With that in mind, I am rather impressed with how little he does to try to control her — but then, what he may feel possessive about is that she’s so very interesting and the only way she will remain so is if she’s left to be herself. Either that, or he’s actually wise enough to know he can’t control her without breaking her.

Kerri Knorr says:

September 29, 2011 at 3:23 pm

.… and that did NOT end up as a reply to the comment I intended it for.

Genna Warner says:

September 29, 2011 at 4:49 pm

I get the distinct impression that the Emporer plans on mating with B. I don’t think B is very happy at her prospects. But as it was pointed out that the Dragons have servived centuries with out any dragon childern so they can servive with out B. My question is if female dragons are so rare, why wasn’t better care taken to ensure thier servival during the wars? At least I am assuming there are none because of the wars. The more we learn about the people in these books, the more questions arrise. I would love to know more of the back story on how the Dragons have ended up with just 6 dragons in the world. 7 if you count B and 8 if you want to count Makurron.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 29, 2011 at 6:54 pm

Well, previous to now, we know that Nightshade was attempting to interfere in Kaylin’s life as little as possible because he was trying to preserve the timeline. He knew she would go to the High Halls, he knew he would mark her, and he knew she would somehow gain his name. He made sure each of those things happened, and he made sure to preserve her life when it was threatened, but other than that, he had no way to know what else he could possibly do without messing up the circumstances that lead to her travel to the past.

And he warned Kaylin that now the gloves are off, basically. ;) That he’s no longer bound to the events of the past, he can do whatever he wishes in the future. And so I think we’ll see him interfere in her life more actively. I still suspect he won’t try to control her. His interest in the story she’s telling would be poorly served by trying to dictate her actions. He’s curious, and controlling the story she tells would do nothing to satiate that curiosity. That’d be like us telling Michelle what to write, and I for one would find it deeply unsatisfying to have an author write a story the way I’ve asked.

That doesn’t mean though that Nightshade won’t attempt to influence Kaylin. He’s not the type of guy to just sit back and watch things happen. He says something like, “I will be tested by [the story], and I will test it.” He likes a challenge.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 29, 2011 at 6:56 pm

My question is if female dragons are so rare, why wasn’t better care taken to ensure thier servival during the wars?

Bellusdeo said the exact same thing to Diarmat in her fight with him, before Kaylin and Sanabalis beat a hasty retreat. ;)

Kerri Knorr says:

September 29, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Lyssabits, I have to agree with you on all points. I hate wishing my life away, but I am so very much looking forward to the next book.

Aaron says:

September 29, 2011 at 7:37 pm

@lyssa: The protection thing would hold true up until the fief of Tiamaris was created, because those are the events he would’ve had the potential to influence. All bets are off after she returned from the past.

Unless, of course, sometime in the future, Kaylin travels back in time again and interacts with a more recent past version of Nightshade. *cue time traveling paradox headache*

DG says:

September 29, 2011 at 7:37 pm

Ah Stefanos. He could carve a bloody swath of destruction and take slaves for sacrificial rites yet still come off as a really great love interest. I don’t know know how Sagara manages it but she does. I’d be lying if I said that the “Books of the Sundered” universe didn’t influence my choice in Nightshade over Severn in the Elantra universe a wee bit. ;)

jennie says:

September 29, 2011 at 9:38 pm

you have a very valid point. and ruin isn’t even out on ebook yet. it was just wishful thinking on my part. i am a fast reader and read the book twice in the following two days since i got it. i will find it hard to wait a whole year for peril. sigh. and a chapter will satisfy me for the length of time it takes to read it. then greedy me will want more…sigh.

jennie says:

September 29, 2011 at 10:05 pm

if i would only read slower!!!. michelle takes the time to plan, prepare and craft a gourmet reading feast for us. and i woof it down. and ask for seconds of a totally different meal. now! bad jennie! maybe next time i’ll read a chapter a day. ahh…phooey, who am i kidding?! but i would like to know about the egg. i think its a dragon too…and i’m also curious about kaylin’s mortality/immortality…and i’d love to know if michelle gets a kick out of all the speculation we have about her characters and plots and how invested we can get in the world she is creating…but of course, not while she’s writing/working! only if/when she comes up again for air.

Kathy says:

September 29, 2011 at 10:37 pm

I’m with B on the whole meeting the emperor thing. I mean is his ego really that fragile that he can’t meet Kaylin without worrying about being insulted? Although I did think of an alternative to this problem. I’m sort of wondering if Sanabalis hasn’t been stalling the meet for another reason… like keeping them apart so that Kaylin can fulfill her tasks?

One thing about the books does frustrate me : Kaylin should be afforded a great deal more respect than she gets, especially, from the dragons. On just these counts Diarmat should have afforded her some respect:
1. She is a lord of the Barrani High Court.
2. She has brought an element into the elemental keep and convinced it to stay there voluntarily. (This is something no other being in Elantra could do.)
3. She has wounded the only outcaste dragon in Elantra.

I know this is not all she has done. But these three things, according to Diarmat’s own words, have proved she is worthy of more respect than she has been shown.

DG says:

September 29, 2011 at 10:53 pm

I also agree with B about the Emperor, but honestly since we know so little about the Emperor in general I can’t really say if she’s right. Essentially he pulled together all of these different races under his “hoard” no small feat considering he had to display power over not only his own kind but other immortals as well. He’s either a cranky dragon or perhaps he’s just touchy with other immortals. :) In my mind, and I’m sure the later books will destroy my mini-fantasy, I always picture the Emperor being one of the younger dragons (if not the youngest). A ridiculously powerful dragon, but not anywhere near the Arkon’s age, hence all the melodrama whenever you have to deal with him.

Diarmat is essentially a snob. He looks down on her because she’s mortal. It doesn’t matter that she’s literally saved all their immortal butts more than once. He still thinks she’s “lesser” because she’s not one of them. He’s a crotchety old snob, but I do like the fact that not everyone Kaylin runs across is going to be her best buddy.

Kerri Knorr says:

September 30, 2011 at 3:37 am

“… I always picture the Emperor being one of the younger dragons (if not the youngest). ”
I seem to remember that being directly stated — he’s the youngest remaining (waking) dragon save Tiamaris.

“… I do like the fact that not everyone Kaylin runs across is going to be her best buddy.”

Say’s who? ;)

Elaine says:

September 30, 2011 at 9:52 am

Found Cast in Ruins (last one) on the shelf at the Chapel Hills B&N in Colorado Springs yesterday and read it yesterday afternoon / evening. My favorite in the series so far. (I used to find Kaylin’s determined childishness exasperating, so I am glad she is starting to outgrow the need for the defense.)

I nearly held out for the Kindle version but have all the other trade paperbacks so I told myself I would buy it if it was in stock. (I’ve had some disappointments with our B&N recently but obviously not as many as other people.)

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 30, 2011 at 12:41 pm

@Aaron re: Nightshade

I know all bets are off. ;) I said that very thing in my post. (Well, okay, I said the GLOVES were off.) I cheered when I read that line in CHAOS, I felt that it presaged some very interesting new Nightshade stories. If what we’ve seen up til now is RESTRAINED Nightshade, I’m deeply curious to see what unrestrained Nightshade will do, and how that will change our perception of him.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 30, 2011 at 12:45 pm

Re: the contents of the egg. A Dragon seems too.. obvious. I agree that whatever is in there, it did seem to be hostile to Teela in a way it isn’t to Kaylin or the midwives. But it was birthed by a human and I don’t think that even in a zone of enhanced magical potential a mortal could birth an immortal. I was curious if Bellusdeo would touch it so we could see how the egg reacted to her, but alas.

jennie says:

September 30, 2011 at 1:22 pm

you have a point. a dragon is obvious. but my mind is not quite creative enough to come up with anything else but…a chicken? with human parents birthing it…what do you think it could be?

jennie says:

September 30, 2011 at 1:42 pm

not that i’ve met any emperors lately but i imagine all that power does go to their heads and they do expect a certain degree of pomp, circumstance and displays of respect…lots of power. lots of ego. but besides that, it creates more suspense and anticipation for when kaylin and the emperor finally do meet. plus, some really good scenes between kaylin and diarmat. conflict makes a good story, right? and i did wonder what in the world she did wrong at that first etique class? yes, kaylin could be afforded more respect but she’s still learning to respect herself, don’t you think? and if others respected this “youngster” more the story wouldn’t be half as interesting!

jennie says:

September 30, 2011 at 1:46 pm

AND she accomplishes all those things in 6 months…my hero! we’ll respect her enough for all those characters in the book!

DG says:

September 30, 2011 at 2:30 pm

“I seem to remember that being directly stated – he’s the youngest remaining (waking) dragon save Tiamaris.”

I don’t remember that being said specifically. See? Now I have to go back and re-read. :D

““… I do like the fact that not everyone Kaylin runs across is going to be her best buddy.

Say’s who? ;)”

Says the author. :) Mallory is still not her “best buddy” in the series. Neither is Lord Evarrim. I would be disappointed if Diarmat becomes her “best buddy”. It’s not realistic (even in the realm of fantasy). Not everybody adores everyone. If they did, life in general would IMHO be pretty damn dull.

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 30, 2011 at 3:20 pm

@DG I MISS Evarrim. No, really! He always seemed to be up to something interesting, there’s clearly some history with him and Nightshade.. man, it would be great if he’s there in the West March.

And if Andellen doesn’t go with them in PERIL I’m going to cry. CRY I SAY. Please say it is so, Michelle!

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

September 30, 2011 at 3:22 pm

I have NO idea either, Jennie. I’m not even sure I want to hazard a guess. I’m not sure what would be more interesting, a member of a species that already exists and will confound its parent-species by this unorthodox birth.. or something completely unique. I’m leaning towards something completely unique. Maybe it’s a weird, fun new pet for Kaylin. ;)

Audrey O says:

September 30, 2011 at 5:19 pm

Wasn’t there referencess to dragons that didn’t accept the Emperor’s rule that took the long sleep? Could any of those be female dragons?

jennie says:

September 30, 2011 at 6:15 pm

yeah, i thought of a pet of somekind too. that would be cool. and would maybe fit her character because she cares so much about kids and wants to protect them…that could be extended to a pet that was part of her life on a daily basis. oh well, all just speculation. michelle probably has something else “up her sleeve”. its hard to be patient.

Hilda says:

September 30, 2011 at 6:34 pm

Audrey O, you open a new can of.… dragons.
lyssabits: Andellen is one of the reasons I believe N used to be Lord of the West March, uncle of the new one. Andellen said he spent a very long time there.
lyssabit and jennie: I do believe like others that it has to be something new, not a dragon, but hopefully something that won’t eat too much; K can’t afford it.
I used to think that the Emperor would be a female, but Michelle nix that; then, I thought that when K finally meets him they will become buddies. I question, how come S has never said anything to K about the Emperor. he has met the E, and knows how to behave. On this, he hasn’t help her at all; no one has ever questioned S excellent behavior.
About help, why the “unrestrained” N hasn’t helped K to become a better mage. i’m sure he can teach her how to light fire and other circus (dragon) tricks. She would like him much more. Didn’t you all like him laughing at her trying to call the Ascendant’s name? I really thought that came from the good side of him, a sense of humor. Oh, I would love to see K finally in a good house with B. Please, with a bathroom, and a place to hang the dresses that N will give her.

Hilda says:

September 30, 2011 at 8:04 pm

Andellen is the only one that can help K walk around all the dangerous plants in the WM; that’s how he doesn’t squash Tara’s carrots. Of course he will be there. However, who will care for the Fief? Will we finally discover who is the Avatar at the heart of N castle?

Edward says:

September 30, 2011 at 8:15 pm

Tis having that slight annoyance in waiting for those of us on the wrong side of the Atlantic. Although the release date still shows as 20th September, it seems the only way to get it is to order via american sites and (unless you’re willing to spend triple the cost of the book on improved postage) the 16 – 30 day wait for it to meander across the pond… It’s these sorts of occasions that make me want to grab an ebook version to read while I wait for the dead tree to arrive..

jennie says:

September 30, 2011 at 8:24 pm

i was soooo thinking the same thing about kaylin not having the money to feed “egg baby”! but then she and severn took care of their “family” in the nightshade so she could manage now. somehow. someway. and you know severn would help.

jennie says:

September 30, 2011 at 8:30 pm

i feel your pain. sometimes anticipation is half the fun. but not this time!

Silverfrost says:

September 30, 2011 at 8:57 pm

I had thought about that, too. Then I remembered a line from Courtlight, between Andellen and LOTWM. He said “I remember him and still speak his name. Andellen will understand what this means, even if you dont” or something similiar. I think that there may not be as much animosity between West March and Nightshade. Could be wrong though.…

Betty Hyland says:

September 30, 2011 at 9:31 pm

I have not read it yet but I have my copy of Cast in Ruin. I live in Winnipeg. I went in to pick up another book by another author and casually asked about C.I.R. They said it was on the shelf. Costs 30$Canadian here.I have my as yet unread copy!!!!!

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 12:35 am

I had an experience of this today at Barnes and Noble in the Galleria near Southdale in MN. Very sadly I could not find a copy of Cast in Ruin on the floor (I’ve already gotten my copy from Amazon pre-order and love it) but the reprint of Cast in Silence was in the new SF paperback section. There were single copies of three of the series in the regular SF section, but none of the West series. CIR was not in straight fiction either. Urban fantasy and paranormals had there own small section in romance but it wasn’t there, it had one stack dedicated to it. On the other hand Young Adult paranormals took up four stacks (sets of shelves is how I am using the word) but none of Cast in Ruin. The inventory seemed random, not very well organized and while there seemed to be backlists just one or two of a series and not either the most recent or earliest. No rhyme or reason. I can’t see how they can carry on much longer either. I left the store not buying anything. I’m afraid they are following the bankruptcy wagon train. Lots of Manga and “graphic novels” though.

DG says:

October 1, 2011 at 2:07 am

Yeah, I really hope we see more of him in later books. The Arcanists in general are interesting to me, but I like him in particular. :D Evarrim and Nightshade definitely have some seriously “old beef” between each other that’s for sure. Makes me wonder if they wanted him to join and he told them, in High Baranni, to “get bent”. Especially given his answer to Kaylin when she asked if he was one of them.

Mark Galpin says:

October 1, 2011 at 3:48 am

So after an agonizing friday night of waiting (I finished Cast in Chaos early) I ended up staying up to read Cast in Ruin. It is, of course, awesome. Belusdeo adds an interesting wrinkle in the whole thing, particularly with regard to Kaylin’s relationship with the Barrani court. Overall, its good to see Kaylin growing up. I’d say “finally” but, in fact, it hasn’t been all that long in Kaylin-time. Also very interesting to discover that Arkon is a title of specific draconic significance, and it will be fascinating to learn more about that.

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 10:07 am

I just received an email from B&N saying they acquired Borders customer list and made a pitch for my “business” and that they’ll send me email offers unless I opt out to have my DVD and video sales info switched to them. 1) I never bought DVDs from Borders, 2) I had a membership for B&N too until last spring when they downgraded member privelages and pre-order discounts so they were no longer as appealing as Borders or Amazon at the time and renewed my Borders not knowing they were going to actually go belly up. Borders bookstores were well organized and their staff both knowledgable and communicated they CARED about the reading public.

I suspect they really are switching emphasis to Nook and ebooks, they mentioned them about six times in the email. I did buy a kobo and have a number of ebooks on my computer that I have bought at odd times mostly from authors websites but certainly haven’t made the switch.

I hope they give me a chance to complete a survey allowing me the chance to let them know how they have turned me away as a customer.

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 10:13 am

I noted the comments about the resemblance. Kaylin was certainly acting as her “midwife” but in a profound sense she is also her mother besides her new clutch mate and sister. (Thinking ducks bonding with the zoo attendant standing over them when they are born). Their new attachment seems much deeper than gratitude. Seems to me Kaylin keeps enlarging her family. That is definitely a recurring theme and her lost nestlings are not haunting her as much.

jennie says:

October 1, 2011 at 11:53 am

get readin’, girl! then enjoy a good re-read and get that cpr down! (cost per read)

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 11:58 am

Your point about gestation time of eggs of chickens and such before they hatch is well taken, but for your consideration on the other hand, the egg was “laid” by a human after an otherwise seemingly normal length pregnancy (although in the midst of a shadowstorm so lots of bizarre things were showing up in the babies). So it already has gestated for 9 months inside. Could hatch any time. LOL

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 12:07 pm

Barnes and Noble has a policy I have run into before if there are different release dates in your order they will wait until they are all ready to ship before any are shipped. While unless you are a member your “free shipping” is based on a sale of at least $20. When I was a member this meant the only work around it was I would buy each book separately and then they would ship as they were available. Rather tedious. If you didn’t order various titles, I can’ t imagine what their problem is. Their warehouse didn’t order enough books?

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 12:19 pm

My take on what has been revealed about Nightshade is very different. I thought when Kaylin traveled into the past and “knew” Nightshade (while she was saving Tara) he at that time was relatively in his youth and he was fascinated and obsessed with her, and I think fell “in love” and gave up his position in court and took over the fief etc to make sure that everything would happen as it had happened in that past so “his Kaylin” would develop in exactly the same way. That is why he was always so reserved with her and afraid to act, because he didn’t want to disturb that timeline, but I think he has become frozen while he has waited over the centuries too, but is now rather devestated because she doesn’t respond to him the way he dreamed over those self same centuries. He still has always been doing what he can to “serve” her. Which for a Barrani I think is interesting. And at the very least he hopes to observe her rewriting the “story” of the world.

Cynthia Emery says:

October 1, 2011 at 12:22 pm

I tend to agree with Susan E about Nightshade and his past interactions with Kaylin. I really enjoyed the past N a great deal.

Susan E says:

October 1, 2011 at 12:36 pm

I was sort of thinking it was implied that once the emperor was fully aware of her magical ability and value she would be shut up in his tower — with the other imperial mages at the least. at any rate she would no longer be able to be a Hawk with all those who love her, and she would go nutz. so her friends are trying to delay it as long as possible.

Denis T de V says:

October 1, 2011 at 6:01 pm

I read the Elantra series on my iPad and I pre-ordered CiR a month ago. So, this morming, waking at 9 am ( at Toulouse, France), I opened my Kinde app and the ebook was charging.
I quitter my bed only at 11 am for buying food in town, taking my iPad on the bus.

On the book itself, good! I like that Kaylin will have better lodging. I had that fantasy precedently, that agents of the daughter of the Chanceller destrroyed her apart and force the emperor to lodge her in a ms skink with orphans as employees.

More later

BAM says:

October 1, 2011 at 7:19 pm

Got my copy last wk and read it the same day. I loved B and thought she brought a much needed new voice to the series. I’m confused though by a couple of things There have been 5 Dragon Lords mentioned so far in the bks + the Emperor yet K says there are only 4 Lords. Also, at the End of C in C I thought all 5 Lords took to the skies in response to the Outcast’s?Shadows? challenge, Certainly all 5 were on the streets as Sibalias & Arkon joined Tiamaris Diamad & Emmerian to confront the Incoming Refugees. Yet Kaylin & Nightshade both, as well as the redrawing of the scene in the Ruin’s opening chapter both have 4 dragons taking flight Did I skip over a line somewhere that leaves 1 of the Lords on the ground?

Marlson says:

October 1, 2011 at 8:24 pm

I have read and enjoyed all the books. I’m also a firm member of Team Nightshade, but can see the addition of a new character for Kaylin. Since the mention of the other Chosen and “his” search for Kaylin, maybe this will solve the my dilemma over the love interest problem. Maybe he’s in the egg! lol

Marni says:

October 1, 2011 at 9:03 pm

I live in Australia. It is now 2 October and amazon as well as Luna both won’t let me buy Cast in Ruin ebook.

I don’t buy actual books anymore as I haven’t got any more room and my community library is .… well let’s just say it is not a shining beacon of hope for fantasy readers. It is largely computers, cds, dvds and jigsaw as well as video games for kids. There are books there, it just seems the selector and I are diametrically opposed in tastes. But I digress…

I can’t seem to buy CiR ebook. Amazon says ‘not currently available’ eharlequin let’s me get to checkout and then says ‘we can’t process your order’. I think the issue is my location. Please tell me where Australians can buy a legal digital copy of Cast in Ruin? I’ve been very patient. :)

Hilda says:

October 1, 2011 at 9:22 pm

Bam, MIchelle mentioned in two earlier messages that she missed counting the Arkon because she knows he never leaves his library.This is a very long string of messages, very funny and informative, but full of guesses and wishes. Great read, too..

Jlea says:

October 1, 2011 at 9:29 pm

Marni I’m having the exact same problem!!, i was hoping I’d wake up this morning (the 2nd) and it would have just been a time difference problem, but its not :( Knowing where to buy a digital copy in Aus would really be great if anyone has any ideas

CaliforniaKath says:

October 1, 2011 at 10:16 pm

I feel a little guilty because I got my book on the release date from Amazon (I’m in Northern California) and loved it so much I sent my daughter one at her college in SoCal and she got it two days later (I’m an Amazon Prime addict) so on the delivery front, for us, all went well.

Loved the book SO MUCH that I went back and read ALL the other ones, and didn’t want to dig them out of the garage so bought them all on Kindle (I read on iPad but am contemplating Fire). Then read the new one again. Wonderful fun.

I really have to tip my hat to Michelle who is creating these wonderful arcs that I, at least, can only really appreciate when I read the whole series in order (my brain is too full to remember all the subtle details over time). There’s such wonderful continuity of character, plot, and essence. I can’t think of another series that has sustained its crisp characterization while allowing its leads to change and grow so much. I absolutely love these books!!!

Regarding who Kaylin ends up with, or starts with, or whatever, I’m pretty open still. I think we’ve not seen some huge chunks of what happened with Severn during those seven years (and I think the name is a hint), and if Michelle chooses to plumb those depths we may not see him as so safe after all. Still water, you know.… I also think the possibility of Nightshade is an interesting one particularly because there’s been some doubt expressed about whether or not Kaylin, bearing the marks, is still mortal. I also adore Lord Andellan as a character and think that Bellusdeo is a fascinating foil for Kaylin, maybe prompting some interesting growth, as well as a wonderful chance for us to see more Dragon.

In all, I have about five favorite authors, and my spending last week re-reading the whole series has cemented Michelle’s name on that list. Thank you, thank you, thank you for crafting this all so carefully! Since the hard copy came with NO future releases advertised in the back, I was really relieved to see that you’ve got a new contract and we can look forward to another book next year. Hooray!

DG says:

October 2, 2011 at 12:04 am

*hands Marlson the officially unofficial Team Nightshade pledge pin*

On behalf of Nightshade fans everywhere I welcome you to Team Nightshade. :)

Self-Proclaimed President of Team Nightshade,
DG

DG says:

October 2, 2011 at 12:10 am

I’ve given up on what I think “egg baby” is. I thought it would be a baby dragon when Kaylin first got it. When Teela was burnt by it I really thought it was a dragon. However, when Bellusdeo didn’t say one thing about it being dragon when Kaylin snuggled up to it and went to sleep I’m doubting that theory now. If it were a dragon egg I can’t see B not telling Kaylin about that fact. Then again, maybe B didn’t think it was important.

Johan says:

October 2, 2011 at 6:53 am

I found it in my local fantasy bookstore here in Oslo, Norway two days ago. Great continuation from the previous one. Please let us have the next book as soon as dragonly possible. I am looking forward to read about the long awaited meeting with the dragon emperor, hopefully it will be soon.

Edward says:

October 2, 2011 at 10:14 am

Yeesh, since my dead tree copy won’t arrive till potentially the 20th of October due to getting shipped from the States.. I went looking for the ebook version to satisfy the craving to read. And I get told “it’s not available to download in your territory”… >_<
Since when is the UK held apart from getting copies of a book?

Jo O says:

October 2, 2011 at 11:29 am

The UK is often restricted from getting ebooks. I’m finding it the norm from the big 6 publishers especially as I have a Sony reader rather than a Kindle.

I have always been able to buy from eHarlequin (Luna) and Baen but the price is in dollars and my bank charge a fee to convert the currency!

EHarlequin seems to be the only option for the ebook though. I have bought from there within the last 3 weeks and there was no problem with me being outside the US but perhaps things have chaged recently :(

Also the Book Depository is despatching free within 48 hours (according to its website) from the UK for the paperback edition ( I got mine from Amazon UK because I pre-ordered back in April!)

Kathy says:

October 2, 2011 at 4:19 pm

I don’t think Nightshade was Lord of the West March. The last Consort told Kaylin that her husband was the only surviving male of their family and I tend to believe that. I think Nightshade cast himself out after he met Kaylin in the Shadowstorm. I remember in Chaos when he was telling Kaylin about the Regalia that he thought her life was the beginning of one. I think that is why he wants her to go to the gathering so badly. He is taking a terrible personal risk to get her there as all his enemies will be there as well.

What I’d like to know is what his relationship to Teela is. I keep remembering that Teela recognized the mark on Kaylin’s cheek and she knew who put it there before Kaylin said anything.

I also wonder why Lord Sanabalis has never spoken of the Emperor to Kaylin but I have a feeling the issue there is less about personalities than it is about magic. I’ve been giving this some thought and I wonder if Sanabalis isn’t keeping Kaylin away from the Emperor to give her time to become more certain of her magic so that it doesn’t get away from her. I think that is what Diarmat’s test was all about, seeing if Kaylin could meet the Emperor without her brace on.

Auraya says:

October 2, 2011 at 5:23 pm

I’m really liking ‘phoenix’ right now. Dragon would be too obvious. I discarded that theory as soon as we got an actual seize of the egg. I’m guessing it would be the correct seize for phoenix. It burned Teela (Phoenix=fire) and glowing red, orange, yellow I’m hoping I’m right even if phoenixes have never been mentioned in the books. But hey, we’ve got dragons. So any other mythological creatures can exist as well. :)

Auraya says:

October 2, 2011 at 5:30 pm

The last consort said that her husband was her only surviving brother. No other mentioned was made of the extended family. I’m not completely on board with the theory that Nightshade was Lord of the West March, but I do consider it a possibilty. If it’s true, I think Nightshade is the son of the dead brother. It would also make him a cousin of Teela and the High Lord.

jennie says:

October 2, 2011 at 5:47 pm

good observation…but then i think michelle wrote something indicating dragons did not care much or as much about their children or families as kaylin does…so it could be totally in character for belleusdeo to not say anything or not care that much too say anything..

jennie says:

October 2, 2011 at 9:27 pm

auraya, phoenix is a good guess! but, i’m kind of leaning towards lyssabits thought that since the egg was born of human parents and the other magical births had human aspects to them that the egg baby will have some ‘human’ to it. and dragons can metamorphis to human so dragon would still be a good guess too even though its obvious. something phoenix-like could be interesting! how ’bout gryffin? lion/bird could be hatchable!

Kat says:

October 2, 2011 at 9:46 pm

I also couldn’t get the ebook when I checked on the weekend (Australia — hello!). I’m hoping my hard copy arrives soon. However, my friend in Melbourne waltzed into a bookstore on the 27th and they got a copy out of the box for her, the lucky so-and-so.
I’m rereading the earlier books to pass the time (tapdancing with impatience over here) and in Cast in Courtlight there is a line saying Nightshade was not equal in rank to the Lord of the West March before he was outcaste. So unless he stepped down as LotWM for West March before becoming outcaste (so very unlikely), he was never the LotWM. Or maybe he acted as Regent until West March was old enough? Damn. They could still be related either way I suppose. Anyway Michelle will let us know this eventually.

Please let my copy be waiting when I get home from work, please please please.

Jlea says:

October 2, 2011 at 10:16 pm

I remember that from one of the books as well. I suppose it depend on where the Lord of the West March gets his rank from — either his being the 2nd son of the High Lord, or actualy being the LotWM. I’d also assume that if there was only one son of the High Lord that someone else would need to take the title, so its possible Nighshade could have taken it after the brother died.
@Auraya: I dont think the consort saying her other brother was dead indicates that it definately wasn’t Nightshade, because i think that they would concider him dead to them as an outcaste.
Personally i dont think that Nighshade ever was LotWM, but Auraya’s theory that he could be the son of the dead brother, who probably was LotWM, could be possible.
Anyway its now 10am and I’ve been up all night studying for an exam so I apologise if this makes no sense :P

Kat says:

October 3, 2011 at 12:55 am

That’s true Jlea. If it works the usual way then the son of the High Lord should out rank everyone else regardless of how titled they are. If Nightshade was the cousin who held the West Marches after the High Lord killed off his brother(s) I guess I just can’t see him giving it up to the baby West March without a fight. Although he would if he meets time travelling Kaylin before West March was born. Eek! Can we get a timeline of important dates in the next book?

P.S my first response went awol so apologies if this ends up a double post.

Edward says:

October 3, 2011 at 11:47 am

Managed to snag an ebook copy while waiting for the dead tree to arrive. Then spent about 4 hours of my afternoon reading it rather then conducting proper work.. A fun little romp there, with some very nice expansion on the dragons. Definitely looking forward to how things shake out with the new roommate in the next few books… And the question of what will go on in the West Marches…

Genna Warner says:

October 3, 2011 at 12:20 pm

Okay all these comments are making me want to write cliff notes for the books. I am going to re-read Ruin first and then do a complete re-read of the whole series. Maybe even force myself to do cliff notes for the books. :)

Cynthia Emery says:

October 3, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Cliff notes is a really super idea!

Theresa says:

October 3, 2011 at 3:42 pm

Ok. I apologize in advance for typos and junk nut I am typing on my phone while holding my 5 month old.

I LOVED B. She’s like the dragon version on K but instead of children, the Noranir are her “hoard”.

I also wish that we had more scenes with N. I really REALLY hope K ends up with him. I don’t think it would work out so well with S because he is so over protective of her (and I think she sees him as a big brother). Whereas N treats her like an equal.

I think that N is a cousin to the LOTWM and possibly the for LOTWM (until he became an outcaste). Remember that in “Secret”, K visits the castle abd there are paintings of a golden haired Barrani. From what I remember of “Silence”, N was traveling through the fief in a carriage. I think he wasreturning to the WM. But upon meeting K and hearing what she said he “abandoned” the WM (which made him an outcaste) and took the castle. As he said in “Chaos” he behaved how he did because he didn’t WA t to change the timeline but now that K knows they met in the past, I think we will see N revert to a more “youthful” self.

jessica says:

October 3, 2011 at 4:04 pm

alright all you self proclaimed fans of Nightshade, we can do better then copying twilight! be more creative. team nightshade reminds me to much of twilight and twilight reffrences are in insult, just saying.

anyways, michelle you have no idea how excited i am for the book regarding the west march, i have been waiting for an adventure outside the city, and with nightshade!! that makes it all the better :)

i cant wait for kaylins next adventure, keep up the good work.

Leanne Powner says:

October 3, 2011 at 4:44 pm

I’m up for Cliff Notes… Tell me which book to do and where to dump the result (and/or reach me off list to coordinate). I’d also love to see someone collect everything we know about Dragons, or Barrani, Norannir, etc. — the lore, the eye colors, the naming rituals, history, etc.

Hilda says:

October 3, 2011 at 4:46 pm

I have said that Michelle like to seed her books with facts or hints that I believe will come out later. I seem to remember that in one of the earliest book, when K was in the Castle, N had on a shelf a portrait of a lady K could not see clearly, It must be of some relevance later. Could it have been the Consort of the previous Caste Lord? Why did she touch K’ face and I think mentioned N’s name softly. Why does he have a throne in his castle? Why would the LWM called her Kyuthe and then told her to ask N about it. He also touched her mark and spoke through it. I think when N goes to the WM he may find some enemies, but also a few friends. My copy of Courtlight is taped and wrap in rubber bands. I’m careful with it.
I think that Michelle may be back by now. Welcome back Michelle. I hope you had a great time.

DG says:

October 3, 2011 at 6:02 pm

LOL, offended? It’s a joke. :) Take it in the spirit for which it is. Basically, don’t like it? That’s cool, nobody is asking you to join in. What I don’t want is for people to take it so seriously that they feel the need to belittle others. I hope you get my meaning on that. Let’s just be civil, yes? We all love the author and her work.

Self-Proclaimed President of Team Nightshade,
DG

Billie says:

October 3, 2011 at 9:38 pm

Finished your book and loved it. I live in a two bedroom one bath bungalow with my husband and two little girls. So, I waited for the ebook release. Space is more precious then time in this case. I love all of your cast books and I after reading the above I am going to dive into your other series as well. I just wanted to thank you for publishing your books new and old in e‑format. With all the complaints about release dates and etc I wanted to make sure to let you know how glad I am to have it in e‑format.
P.s. I am so LOVED that we found a dragon with a sense of humor!

Billie says:

October 3, 2011 at 9:42 pm

*am = iPad touchscreen + autocorrect (not sure what happened).

Jlea says:

October 4, 2011 at 10:24 am

I think that there should be a wiki page or something set up. We could do a read through :P I’m sure it may answer some questions and possible result in many more :P but it’d be fun. None of my friends read these kinds of novels so I have noone to talk to them about :(

EN says:

October 4, 2011 at 12:28 pm

Finished your latest book in the cast series! Loooveed it! I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment, which hopefully (cross my fingers) will be out next year. I hope your creative juices are running and that the next book will involved the egg hatching :)

PaulaL says:

October 4, 2011 at 1:23 pm

But what about when Teela saw Severn and in effect went “Yummy!” and told Kaylin, not aware than Kaylin and Severn had lots of history, the Severn was no sort for Kaylin to be get involved with?

DeDe says:

October 4, 2011 at 3:08 pm

phoenix is a good guess — I hadn’t even thought about bringing in another creature. For some reason I’d been thinking that the egg was some sort of fire elemental…The way water seemed like a little girl — maybe the elementals can be ‘shaped’ in some human way. Fire was lonely — so perhaps the elemental’s desire + the human ‘carrier’ + magic = fire baby?

DeDe says:

October 4, 2011 at 3:20 pm

Hmm — I think I managed to mess up my reply — It’s not where it’s supposed to be. (I’m guessing only a blonde could mess up clicking on the ‘Reply’ button?) Oh well…
.
Just so it doesn’t get completely lost — I like the phoenix- fun guess – I hadn’t even thought about bringing in another creature.

For some reason I’d been thinking that the egg was some sort of fire elemental…The way water seemed like a little girl – maybe the elementals can be ‘shaped’ in some human way. Fire was lonely – so perhaps the elemental’s desire + the human ‘carrier’ + magic = fire baby? Definite trouble maker I’m sure…Will B help babysit?…And what happens when the ‘baby’ starts to walk? Explores the stacks in the Arkon’s library?

ae says:

October 4, 2011 at 3:45 pm

I think fans of the Cast series should take a cue from Robert Jordan’s fan…there are sites full of dictionaries, reference books (by page, topic, etc), theory strings, fan art, timelines, xenobiology, etc.

Having said this, I must admit I don’t have near enough time to make any of these pages…although I’d be glad to help if someone is ambitious enough to get anything concrete started!

Teri C. says:

October 4, 2011 at 3:47 pm

The fire elemental sounds like a good possiblility-it would explain the colors when Teela touched it, and Kaylin did say something about about calling and talking to it/him again :-)

Hilda says:

October 4, 2011 at 7:56 pm

I just ordered Skirmish in Amazon to be delivered on January 3rd. I’m so looking forward to it. I may have chance to read Ruin 2 or 3 more times. Let’s hope all bookstores do better with this one than they did with Ruin.

Genna Warner says:

October 4, 2011 at 8:54 pm

Actually i am thinking of setting up a fan page for the not just this series but for the West novels as well. I need to get my thoughts together on what I want to do with it and then get permission from Michelle to do it. If people want to collaborate on this I would love it.

Laura Nichols says:

October 5, 2011 at 1:37 pm

Nightshade couldn’t be uncle to the current Lord of the West March, if I remember Courtlight properly. I believe that book said that previous Lords of the West March were cousins of the monarch.

Wendy Good says:

October 5, 2011 at 3:44 pm

I bet if all of Michelle’s fans pre-order her next book from B&N, B&N will get the hint and start stocking her books on the shelves. She said B&N listens to readers more than publishers, so we have to do our part to make them know how important these books are to us. I, for one, do not want a repeat of not having the book in my hands on the release date and then finding out that it wasn’t even ordered by the store. The best way to get their attention is to show a big number in the pre-order category.

Shannon says:

October 5, 2011 at 4:24 pm

I finished Cast in Ruin at 3:00 this morning and I loved it. I loved Bellusdeo. I too thought Nightshade was a little “off,” irritated and less patient somehow. I can’t wait for Cast in Peril. It promises to be very exciting even if it is so far away. Lol

One thing I noticed is that the names Maggaron and Makkuron are remarkably similar, at least they are when I pronounce them in my head. While there is no confusion reading the names, it seems like this might be an issue when the time comes to record the audiobook. Then again no one else has mentioned this so maybe it’s just me *sigh*. Is there a “correct” way to pronounce both names?

I love how each book reveals something that shows the events from the previous books in a new light. I think that is truly amazing. I have read the Sundered series and I am in love with the Cast series. I think I will look for your other works.

Kerri Knorr says:

October 5, 2011 at 7:01 pm

Oh, I noticed it. There’s Caitlyn and Kaylin, too. ;) Yeah, I bet the audio versions will be interesting.

shadowkindrd says:

October 5, 2011 at 7:18 pm

FINALLY. My B&N got Cast in Ruin in. Gar. I should have ordered it online from bn.com.

Kaylin looks like a young Jodie Foster on thsi cover. That’s not a bad thing. Just…distracting. And yes, I know that the author doesn’t have control over the cover art. it’s still a very cool cover.

I love Kaylin to bits. She’s the perfect example of one of my favorite tropes: You’ve got super gifts/talents/abilities? Boy are you boned! *grin* Thank you for this awesome series. More please! *grin*

And *sulk* at having to wait for the next one. :p

jessica says:

October 5, 2011 at 10:21 pm

It really does not surprise me that nightshade has an “I dont care attitude” towards Kaylin. Im voteing for kaylin and nightshade to be together but I cant help realizing that she uses him in every way and never gives him anything in return for all the help he has given her. Nightshade has time and time again saved her life (more then severn has quite frankly), and given her information that has aided her greatly(again more then Severn has).
Kaylin fails to acknowledge this fact and still thinks of him as this evil hearted individual. Also she told severn that she loved him for always being their and helping her (which im sure nightshade heard that conversation with severn), but Nightshade has helped her in so many more ways then Severn. I see Severn as being “just there”. Kaylin has not said but has deffinatly implied that Nightshade is vertually worthless to her except for extracting information from him, and when she is in a sticky position and her life is on the line who does she call, not severn she calls Nightshade.
If I where Nightshade and had heard that conversation I would be really hurt, jealouse, and legitamately pissed off, Nightshade would probably be thinking to myself wait a minute chick I have been there for you, saved your life lets see four or five times, the last time involving the destroyer at personal risk to myself (severn again it always seems like he is mainly been there), given you information without question (or really much of a price to her) as to why I am still not granted any credit for my efforts not even a thank you just a you make me really uncomfortable because your a barrani and a fief lord is insulting.
And Severn is not only given credit for all the same things Nightshade has done for Kaylin twice over, even when he has in the past been the one who has completely torn down her world and hurt her so deeply. Nightshades probably thinking now Severn has been forgiven, but im still and always have been viewed as this monster, screw you Kaylin.
personally im surprised Nightshade hasnt stopped caring sooner, honostly Kaylin treats him like dirt, so why would he at this point not give to shits either way? She loves Severn.

Heather says:

October 5, 2011 at 10:42 pm

I love the new book and the insights on the dragons etc. but I really hope that we will learn more about the Aerians.

As for the S/N thing — I am more of an N person but think that it will eventually be someone from left field we have not met yet. Possibly someone who can take her flying daily without causing problems with the emperor.

The Chapters store here said that they had 11 copies on order and Indigo downtown had two in stock (which sold quickly) but as of today Chapters still haden’t received their copies. — Wonder if there was an issue in production/shipping?

Thanks for all of the wonderful stories

DG says:

October 6, 2011 at 2:28 am

For what it’s worth the Wikipedia entry for Michelle lists her books, but there are no individual pages for those books (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Sagara). Don’t know how authors feel about wikipedia entries though.

Jlea says:

October 6, 2011 at 5:43 am

Great rant Jessica!!!! I agree with almost all of what you’ve said. He gets very little thanks from her and although theres probably an alteria motive for most things he has done, he probably deserves a bit of gratitude. I dont think that he has stopped caring though…He did say “And you will absent yourself entirely from the fief of Tiamaris until any present danger is past?” “no” “Then it is not irrelevant”. I think its more frustrastion (spelling is not my strong point) than lack of caring

Jlea says:

October 6, 2011 at 5:46 am

Something more like a Tangler forum maybe… i use one for the Sookie Stackhouse Series and its pretty good, u can google it to have a look. I know theres a yahoo group around but I find it very had to read cause all the previous replies get put into the new ones and u end up reading the same message over and over…or maybe i just have it set up wrong

Leanne Powner says:

October 6, 2011 at 9:22 am

I did set up a fan page/encyclopedia for the West (Sun Sword) novels, with Michelle’s permission (and a contribution or two from her!), but it didn’t get very far. I’m happy to resurrect it and add a section for the Elantra books if there is interest…

@Jlea, I agree with the difficulty on reading the Yahoo group. If only people there would learn a couple basic rules of message group etiquette… like when to take discussions off-list, and to delete all but the most relevant bits of text that they’re replying to, and to use relevant subject lines (and change them as necessary)… You can’t thread the discussion, you can’t follow threads, you can’t even figure out which are new posts and which are mis-copied, un-deleted two-line replies buried in three screens of quoted text…

DG says:

October 6, 2011 at 3:43 pm

I agree about the Yahoo group. I’ve never liked the layout of Yahoo groups in general and I avoid it for that reason really. Never heard of Tangler before, looked at the Sookie Stackhouse page. Seems like it would work, but I guess the question is…would anybody use it? Laurell K. Hamilton has her own forums on her website, but she also has moderators for those forums.…that’s another concern, you need folks who are on top of the moderation as well.

Laura Nichols says:

October 6, 2011 at 4:33 pm

For those of you complaining about Yahoo, have you gone to the groups site instead of getting individual emails? If you call up a story, you see links to the whole thread.

The daily emails also group threads together.

DG says:

October 6, 2011 at 4:52 pm

I’ve used/read/followed Yahoo groups for more than just Sagara’s work in the past. Yes, I’ve gone to the sites instead of getting the emails. Yes, I’ve gone to Sagara’s in particular. I just don’t like the layout. It’s a preference thing for me. :)

Genna Warner says:

October 6, 2011 at 5:33 pm

I have an active forum for a guild group going on VBulliten right now. It is a lot of work keeping up with moderation but with enough volenteers that really shouldn’t be an issue. But I am only one that has full admin access to everything and access to the files/db for the site. I was planning on using VB as part of the site, because, I too hate the way the yahoo group does threading. I will look around at other author/fan websites over the next few days and get ideas together to present to Michelle. Anyone with ideas is welcome to email me at: glwarner@glwarner.com (I have a spam filter setup on this account)

hjbau says:

October 6, 2011 at 10:50 pm

I think the reason they do not afford Kaylin the respect she deserves is because she is mortal. Her life is so short that they do not care about offending her. It does make me a little crazy too, but i could understand that from their perspective.

hjbau says:

October 6, 2011 at 10:55 pm

I have always thought that the Emperor was one of the younger dragons too. Like older then Tiamaris but younger then the rest.

hjbau says:

October 6, 2011 at 11:24 pm

I think the biggest issue with the yahoo group is just that it isn’t flat. Like when you reply to something it doesn’t show up at the end, but instead after what you replied to. I also dislike that it quotes everything from the previous post. And that people then interject their comments in that post which makes it difficult to know what was the quote and what is the response.

It is like the posting is not done flat or inline and then there is no quote box around the quotes to distinguish them from the response. I don’t mind it so much because i have gotten used to it, but it is just that it is a yahoo group and not really a forum.

hjbau says:

October 6, 2011 at 11:31 pm

I think whatever is in the egg has to be human like. It can’t be another species. Right? There would have to be some relation to humanity because it’s parents are human. The question is whether or not Kaylin is going to raise it or take it to the foundling hall or who knows what she will do with it.

This was a good book. I really enjoyed it.

Susan E says:

October 6, 2011 at 11:35 pm

The other babies born during the storm had birth defects like extra arms or even more “monstrous” so who knows what form the baby could take? It would be a relief to be a magical being. I like the idea someone had on her that it will be the embodied fire elemental.

hjbau says:

October 7, 2011 at 12:01 am

But they were still human. I agree that it won’t be a regular human, but still human like. Like not a dragon or a phoenix. Who knows though. It could be anything i guess.

Kerri Knorr says:

October 7, 2011 at 3:43 am

“But they were still human. I agree that it won’t be a regular human, but still human like. Like not a dragon or a phoenix. Who knows though. It could be anything i guess.”

A very tiny human, though. Wasn’t the egg described as only about as big as both of Kaylin’s fists (that is, about the size of a human baby’s head alone)?

Laura Nichols says:

October 7, 2011 at 7:26 am

I just had a wild idea. What if the baby of some magical creature (I like the phoenix idea someone mentioned) was swapped during the magical upheaval with the human baby? So the phoenix’s parents are stuck with a human baby and frantically looking for their egg.

hjbau says:

October 7, 2011 at 8:10 am

Well maybe the egg is not full grown. Or maybe it will continue to grow quickly after it hatches. I don’t think it’s size precludes it from being human like. If it is to be a character i would think it would have to continue growing after though her reaction to it will also be important. Like i said whether she cares for it and so on.

Susan E says:

October 7, 2011 at 8:41 am

The swapping is a fun idea, except for the ability to radiate extreme heat at someone who they are not bonded with, if it was birdlike maybe it would be more likely to be Aerian(sp?) since Kaylin is already emotionally bonded to that race. But still, I like the idea that this is introducing a new magical being to the mix. Hjbau, I had that response too – grow quickly after it hatches. It is also possible the egg contains a pocket universe so able to hold a normal size infant or even perhaps larger. If it stays small we might go back to the idea of a little alien pet of some sort. I’d be happy with any of them, but it seems a primary hint here is that the egg loves and is bonded to Kaylin back.

hjbau says:

October 7, 2011 at 1:46 pm

A hammerspace egg. Maybe. I don’t like the idea of it being a pet for some reason. I think it just makes me think about World of Warcraft too much where you can have a little spirit animal that follows you around. Though Michelle would write it in such a way that i would not feel that way. I think i like the idea of it being a human like child the most. I just can’t imagine it being a different species entirely. I also like i said like the idea of it growing more quickly then an average human only because it has only been between six months and less then a year since the books started so to make it a real presence in the story i would think it would have to grow quicker then average. Who knows though. I am sure wherever Michelle goes with the egg it will be interesting.

G says:

October 7, 2011 at 3:53 pm

Just bought and finished Ruin through Kindle- I was putzing about, saw the Kindle version was reasonably priced, ordered it and read it: I’ll follow up with the physical book in November once I am back in the States. What a satisfying read! But it certainly didn’t feel too long- I gulped it down and am hungry for more! I really enjoyed all the character growth and could have used more length for more in depth description. (And I bought it because the Kindle edition was less than the physical- otherwise, I would have waited. I will wait up to two years, so I was very happy to see a rational price from the publisher. Thanks Harlequin/Luna!).

CJ Cusack says:

October 7, 2011 at 4:22 pm

I think we know who would be good for her. Name of the longest river in Great Britain…*coughcough* I would agree with that decision :)

I just started reading it and I’m a little concerned about Kaylin’s future but I think it’ll work out because you’re groovy like that.

I also had the same problem. This installment was nowhere to be found but the Mass Markets of the previous Elantra books were. I live in NYC so I just hunted the next BN that had one.

So far so good. I’m a little nervous about the relationship with Longest River in Great Britain and Kaylin (hence the mention of the first few pages) and I’m worried about Diarmat but it’s a good anxiety. I can’t wait to find more time to continue!!!

In case you couldn’t tell, I think the Elantra serious is awesome. Thanks for giving it a voice!

CJ Cusack says:

October 7, 2011 at 4:29 pm

I also thing that part of it is Severn knows Kaylin and understands her better than she does herself. There has been no overtly explicit overtures on his part because I think a part of him knows it would not be well received because she doesn’t know how to accept that.

Don’t forget too that Kaylin hated Severn for an extremely long time and I’m sure, though we don’t hear his thoughts, he’s treading on very careful ground. He doesn’t want to lose her know that’s he’s found her again and doesn’t want to do anything that would scare her away. They love each other but their relationship is not borne out of physical desire, it’s about much more complicated things like that. Do I think Severn would like it to go further? Yep. I think he hates Nightshade for attempting something physical with Kaylin because he knows he shouldn’t and can’t. He’s damaged too but he’s more at peace with it than she.

Of course Michelle can tell you if I’m way off base.

CJ Cusack says:

October 7, 2011 at 4:48 pm

I have to respectufully disagree.

Nightshade is good but he’s a snake. He’s handsome but I don’t trust him. He plays with Kaylin and drops information when he wants to give it. Hell, I would love him for her if he didn’t seek to control her power. Do I think he has feelings for her? Yes but I don’t think they are what they seem.

Clearly I’m on team Severn. He knows her, understands her and is also protective but not for her power or her potential but because of who she is and what she will be. I agree that I would buy the S/K relationship more if they had some sort of physical intimacy (like an attempted kiss!) and if something doesn’t happen soon I’m going to put him firmly in friend category. :(

Severn and Kaylin are similar and Severn needs to step up his game but I think he treats her more like a partner than Nightshade does. There is no agenda with Severn and his biggest secrets are known to Kaylin. Hell, they are Kaylin’s fault. He did the task that Kaylin was supposed to do burdened himself and lost a family for her. His protection and kindness are not given out due to an agenda but because it’s a natural extension.

I think he cherishes Kaylin in a way that no one else does or could. He steps back when needed, is silent when warranted and is pushy when he has to be. An ideal partner and friend and I think he would be a kind, patient and amazing lover.

One thing I will concede, because of this weird power struggle Kaylin and Nightshade have, there is a weird chemistry. I like Nightshade (he reminds me of some of my favorite HR heroes) but I don’t think they would be good together in any way. Nightshade would eventually expect Kaylin to change and come around to his way of life. He can be quite imperious and arrogant.

Nightshade is all flash and illusion while Severn is solid and more realistic. Of course I want Severn to be chosen but if he isn’t, I really hope it’s not Nightshade.

I think it would be interesting if she chose Severn. Not because it’s obvious, because it’s not; there are some very real issues with choosing Severn as a mate, but because it would allow her to grow fully and allow her a place to go and feel safe and loved once she does realize her potential. It woudn’t be easy to be with Severn for a lot of reasons and she would need to overcome a lot.

In the end, it will be very interesting. Maybe she’ll run off with Tiamaris?

Signed,
Self-proclaimed President of Severn/Kaylin Ship

DG says:

October 7, 2011 at 9:23 pm

On the surface that is what you see in Nightshade. He tells half-truths, he’s possessive, he’s just flat-out dangerous. However, when you look at his actions with a more critical eye instead of scratching the surface you see that he’s actually done a lot for her. He’s been involved in her life in some way since she was a child (remember it was to Nightshade that Severn went to when he was looking for help).

Some mannerisms in him will never change. He’s Barrani. It’s what he is, period. They make power plays the moment they start breathing it seems. Teela truly cares for Kaylin and even she plays games. I fully believe that when Nightshade was first exposed to her “regalia” that he saw the power she would give him. However, I do not believe that this is the only thing he wants from her, that’s the surface answer. What he wants IMHO runs a lot deeper and he hasn’t fully explained it. Sure he’s good-looking, but that’s not really a defining factor. Severn is good-looking too, even Teela remarked on it.

Long story short, I see Severn as the “love” of Kaylin’s youth, but Nightshade as the “love” of her adulthood.

So yeah, we have to agree to disagree on Severn on other points. :) He’s everything I see in way to many other novels by other authors, and perhaps that clouds my judgement. I see the stereotype in him every time he’s in a scene. Perfect at languages, perfect at protocol, perfect in the classroom, perfect memory. It grates on me.

Nevertheless, will Severn get Kaylin? Maybe, but it will still bother me (and not just because of Nightshade). Besides, Severn will only have her for “the moment” in the whole scheme of things. Nightshade can outlive him. ;)

Although I must admit that when Tiamaris first hit the scene I was really hoping that something would happen there as well. Then Tara popped onto the scene and well, that’s that I suppose. For all we know Kaylin will wind up with the Emperor, lol.

Self-Proclaimed President of Team Nightshade,
DG

P.S. YAY! Someone who gets the joke. Thank you. :)

DG says:

October 7, 2011 at 9:28 pm

Genna, I think a VBulletin group would be awesome. But you already nailed what I was going to say. Forums are great when they also have great moderation. It’s practically a full-time job depending on the size of the site. Like I said elsewhere Hamilton has a good forum, and good moderation. If you’re looking for ides. I hate her website design in general, but the forum is decent.

Jlea says:

October 8, 2011 at 9:43 am

I think what bothers me about Severn is I think he still treats her like a child. Kaylin may (at the started the series) habe been immature, but she is growing. The final truth is that Kaylin is Chosen. She is powerful, and i truely believe she will grow into it or die. She doesnt need someone to baby her. She needs someone who will give her just enough that she can go and do it on herself, and grow some more.….but I should note, in the interest of full disclosure, that a good 80% of the time I cheer for the *bad* guy :P

It terms of character, I can see that Nightshade first saw her as a way to obtain power…so what? Give the man a break. Kaylin changes everything she touches imho. It is more than possible given the connection to him through the mark, his name and the regalia (sp?) that she can change him enough that he cares for her, not just her power.

It should also be noted that opinions of Nightshade are tainted by her childhood experience in the fief, the Barrani who see him as outcaste for some unknown reason, and the dragons who were at war with the Barrani for how long?

We know basically nothing about him. I really hope we learn more in the next book. His character has room to grow.

Severn on the other hand, seems to me to be a fully developed character. He escaped the fiefs. Found Kaylin and watched her for years until she was ready,anda s he waited excelled at everything he did. I just dont see any room for character development. And i think Kaylin needs someone who will grow with her.

I also realy hope that Severn doesnt go to the West March. The whole not talking to Nightshade when he asked him a question about his opinion when they had gone to Nightshade to ask him for his help really annoiyed me. If I was Kaylin I would have smacked him over the head.

Im going to stop now, as if i dont I think i may rant for a good 100 paragraphs more :P

Susan E says:

October 8, 2011 at 10:08 am

I keep going back to the young Nightshade. I think over the centuries he had such dreams and hopes for what would happen when he met up with Kaylin again, so many of his actions seem to have been to restrain himself from interferring in the timeline that would mean they wouldn’t meet, yet the same centuries and actions have worn him down and made him grim. Then to have her meeting him in the past make no apparent difference in the present as her regard for him I think has a pathos that threatens to make him bitter. I still think because he is Barrani and their culture supports the “long game” we havent’ seen yet any real inkling of what his plotting and unrestrained action will take.

I might be deceiving myself but I think his interest in the revelation of her “Story” is far beyond personal power. If he had been motivated by personal power all these years he had many opportunities to pursue that. I think he has been seeing it as a mythos to give his long life meaning and desires a share in that as much or more than any physical desire. Wasn’t he a scholar and a mage in the past? Kind of outside the normal Barrani mold even then. Taking over the fief so that the circumstances would be right for his Kaylin to go to the past and meet him put him at odds with his people.

Even if it gives him his own territory in a human sense, it doesn’t seem to make sense as his character has developed to be his motivator – to be the fief lord I mean. It also has taken a tremendous toll. Maybe part of that myth is restoring the elements into balance and taking on the shadow. To me he seems to be a very damaged but heroic figure. This story is so much more than about “happy endings” in the paranormal romance sense. I don’t know if I really think she will end up with either of them in a conventional sense. She is leaving that, it seems to me, further and further behind.

Back in the day she would’ve been content with her made family with Severn although life was extremely hard in the fief. I am glad she has regained him as family, but am sad for him that he has spelled out his wanting to be in a romantic relationship with her as I just don’t think that is going to happen.

Virgo says:

October 9, 2011 at 9:26 am

I respectfully disagree that Severn is for Kaylin…He has no further story to tell as far as an intimate relationship with Kaylin is concerned. Yes he is strong and dependable and will always there for her blah blah blah…but thats where it ends…there is no chemistry that demonstrates ..or alludes to a physical relationship which is kind of important for romance between the two.… u did notice how she casually asked Severn if wanted to stay the night in Ruin? (sorry for the spoiler), but it was like asking a friend or relative to stay..nothing, no passion, no eagerness, no anticipation…etc etc.…glad you got the point lol

Although I am on team Nightshade, I can, albeit painfully, come to terms with her being with someone else that she is happy with…i just cant see Severn (her relative) being the one.…

Excellent read for Ruin and cant wait for Peril…please quickly put up the first chapter .… need something to get the edge of anxiety off lol

Angela M. says:

October 9, 2011 at 10:31 am

So I just have to say, do you have any vague idea of when Cast in Peril will be published? Not to be pushy, just trying to get an idea in my head when all my fave authors are going to be putting stuff out.
OK, maybe a little pushy.….I WANT THAT BOOK!

hjbau says:

October 9, 2011 at 1:40 pm

I never saw any chemistry between Kaylin and Nightshade really either. I actually thought there was a suggestion between Kaylin and Sevren when she asked him to stay the night. I have just seen more intimacy between Sevren and Kaylin then between Nightshade and Kaylin. That is the only reason i can imagine her ending up with Sevren more then anything. Though i could imagine her not ending up with anyone also because i don’t really imagine a happily ever after for Kaylin.

natasha says:

October 9, 2011 at 5:15 pm

in the first book it stated there was another race other then the 6 we have seen. i think it said something about them and liking the water but i was wondering if that was just a a mistake in the book, my memory or if that other race will come in latter in the books?

lyssabits (@lyssabits) says:

October 9, 2011 at 7:37 pm

Heh, I find it a little hard to believe that after their conversations in Ruin people have trouble believing Kaylin still thinks of Severn only as a friend or a relative. Wouldn’t she have just told Severn that she wasn’t interested, instead of telling him why she needs to take it slowly? It certainly seemed to me that she’s been pushing him away all this time BECAUSE she likes him, much to my dismay, because I love Nightshade. But I think there’s a level of familiarity there that leads to the casual “do you want to stay over?” invitations even though there’s something between them. She lived with the guy for years and years, and he’s stayed at her place for other reasons since they got back in touch with each other that asking him to stay over doesn’t only exist in the context of a romantic interlude. They have all this other baggage and they work together. The time they spend together has a lot of different contexts it can fit into, makes motivations a little harder to interpret.

Genna Warner says:

October 9, 2011 at 10:34 pm

Actually to me it didn’t sound like she was explaining why she needed to take it slowly but as to why she couldn’t let anyone close to her. Until she comes to terms with what Barren did to her and put it squarely in the past, she will be unable to have a physical relationship with anyone. My question is, Is Severn helping her with that by staying in the background giving her room? I think Nightshade is actually helping her more with that by the advances he has done. He hasn’t forced her into anything more physical than a kiss. A kiss by all accounts the way I read it, she reciprocated. He back off just at the right time and dealt with his feeling before facing her again. She is learning and growing a lot and knows that when she see desire on other people that they are not Barren. But she still has a lot of growth to go to over come her reaction to it. I get the impression that Kaylin is a black and white person. She needs to learn to see in shades of gray. Only then will she learn not to sterotype people — Fief lords, Dragon Lord, etc. She is learning that not all Fief lords are the same but Nightshade is still in the old category. Maybe the trip to the West March, will help Kaylin grow more in understanding that the world is really just shades of gray.

Kat says:

October 9, 2011 at 10:48 pm

I don’t know what it is about this site but it chews up my posts. Should learn to keep a copy before I submit.
It’s a great read and like everyone else I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book. Thanks for the awesome work. Will have no complaint from me if the next one is longer. Bring on the epic I say!

I thought the scences with Diarmat were very interesting and hope we’ll see some more lessons, especially with Bellusdeo being the bad student at the back of the class. I was also happy to see her stick up for Kaylin. As most of the other characters who pay her out are also very fond of her they get passes. Diarmat doesn’t. Also loved the egg and the line ‘may your day be full of angry dragons’ bahahahaha.

NJ says:

October 12, 2011 at 3:45 pm

DB, I also had trouble finding a paperback copy of the Riven Shield. I ended up tracking down a new copy through the AbeBooks website and purchased it from the Katoomba Bookstore in New South Wales Australia. NJ

LizM says:

October 12, 2011 at 3:46 pm

Arkon isn’t considered a dragon Lord, so he’s not counted among the 5 dragon Lords (Tiamaris, Emmerian, Sanabalis, Diarmat, and Emperor?). It’s mentioned in one of the first few books.

Hilda says:

October 12, 2011 at 9:11 pm

Jessica, I totally agree with you and have mentioned that K has a wrong kind of attitude for N. She really comes accross as ungrateful to N. This doesn’t means that she needs to sleep with him, but a little recognition of the many times he has helped her. The problem we have is that Michelle has that relationship in a slow cooker, which is fine with me because her “cooking” is always great. So, I really expect great things from her in the romantic department later. Unfortunately, I think Michelle mentioned before that the romantic side is not her strongest side. Michelle also said once that the Cast series is told from K’s point, her thinking. We know what is happenning beause K tells us. And that is what makes her relationship with N so intriguing. She hides her thoughts of N from us and herself. She analyzes everyone except N. We only see little bits of those thoughts. It’s inconceivable that after one of the best romantic kiss scenes I have ever read in my life, K does not even give it one thought. Not one. None. Any woman would have gone crazy trying to analyze it, thinking about it. We only know that later she gives her mirror a quick look (hoping it’s him?), and later told S that N doesn’t love her knowing N is listening.. She is very open with S, and is willing to give herself to him like here is your pay for being my friend. Almost like Barren and i think S knows. S is really trying to find out how she feels about N. She won’t tell.

hjbau says:

October 12, 2011 at 10:45 pm

I am still not convinced that Nightshade has done anything more then help Kaylin for his own benefit. It is all about power and ownership to him. I just don’t see what you see at all. I am not all on Severn’s side either though i would lean more towards that is where the story is going rather then Nightshade, but i may be wrong.

I do need to reread the series, so maybe i am just misremembering what happened, but i don’t really remember Nightshade doing much for Kaylin that wasn’t about power and ownership.

Genna Warner says:

October 13, 2011 at 1:57 pm

I think its hard to look at Nightshades involvement without it be shaded by how Kaylin feels about Fief Lords and Barrani in general. Since Nightshade is both a Fieflord and a High Lord of the Barrani, we really don’t see Nightshade in a nutral light. It is shaded by how Kaylin feels. There were several times through the books that Tiamaris or someone else was suprised that Nightshade gave up information very easily to Kaylin. Yes I realize that they are present in the tone that Nightshade feels he owns Kaylin. But he really hasn’t inforced that ownership. I think that his show of being a typical Barrani is just that .. a show of it. And that he really isnt like that anymore. I think Kaylin has changed him, and we will see this change more in the next book (just hoping on my part). :)

hjbau says:

October 13, 2011 at 2:28 pm

I see what you are saying that our thoughts on Nightshade are shaded by Kaylin’s feeling on the matter about fief lords and barrani. I just think i agree with her. I do think that there is a general prejudice about mortals especially humans that is very real in the books. Kaylin may be in part considered the exception, but only in part. She is still considered mortal with all that implies.

I also think that there is going to come a time when Nightshade is going to try and force the issue, that he owns Kaylin, and i think he is going to do it because of power or pride. It is just from what we have seen so far i think he is still like that. We will see a bit more in the next book.

Mark Galpin says:

October 14, 2011 at 1:31 am

@hjbau I just totally disagree. Oh I agree that Nightshade supports his own interests and all that, but I also think, based on what we saw of ‘young’ nightshade, and the fact that we know that immortals don’t really change… Well, Nightshade basically says he tried not to interfere with Kaylin before, part of what he tried not to interfere with is how Kaylin thought of him. This is someone who maintained enough of a personality that Andellen stayed with him out of friendship. That’s not the sort of personality that is stupid enough to declare ‘ownership’ of someone else powerful. It would be a misstep that I don’t think he’s stupid enough to try. He wants to seduce Kaylin, not to rape her, and he’s not stupid enough to confuse the two out of frustration.

Jamie Lynn Belanger says:

October 16, 2011 at 1:32 pm

But female dragons are born in their “human/mortal” forms…

Jamie Lynn Belanger says:

October 16, 2011 at 1:34 pm

Oh yeah. Love where that comment landed. :P

Kathy says:

October 16, 2011 at 2:46 pm

Andellan is a bit of a mystery isn’t he? While he supports and submits to Nightshade it is obvious he has tremendous respect for Kaylin as well. I’ve noticed in several books that he has taken the time to teach Kaylin various aspects of Barrani manners. One of my favorite interractions between Andellan and Kaylin was the scene where she delivered the baby that was in danger. Andellan was in awe of Kaylin in that scene.

My feelings about Severn are a bit different. I see his name as an anagram of Hardened Nerves. That explains him to me. He is the rock Kaylin can anchor to in life.

I did not catch that Arkon was a title until I read Peril for the dozenth time last night. I think it may prove more significant than we had previously thought.

I keep re-reading the scenes between Diarmat and Kaylin. I can’t help but feel that while he is not in the running for best friend ever he will prove to be the teacher that Kaylin remembers forever. He is the teacher that will make her grow. He is not going to give her a pass on anything without good cause. And I think I’ve finally figured out why they don’t want Kayling to meet the emperor yet.

It is the bracer! I keep noticing that while Diarmat was having Kaylin read those reports he was watching the bracer not Kaylin. I think they are going to keep Kaylin away from the emperor until she can meet him without wearing it.

LizM says:

October 17, 2011 at 8:34 am

Any chance we can get the first chapter of Cast in Peril? If you’re afraid of spoiling things for people who haven’t read Cast in Ruin, you can start an email list of people who want the first chapter of Cast in Peril. I think this was mentioned in an earlier blog post?

Estara says:

October 18, 2011 at 7:17 am

Now THAT is what I was hoping to hear ^^. I hugely enjoyed, as I had expected and added to the glowing reviews on GoodReads.

Estara says:

October 18, 2011 at 7:31 am

YAY!!! So great to know.

Estara says:

October 18, 2011 at 10:27 am

I was sooo glad to see that. I really wanted Severn to get as much of an explanation as Kaylin was willing to give, so thanks for that.

Estara says:

October 18, 2011 at 11:53 am

I agree. The only time I felt Nightshade was in any danger of losing something important while helping Kayline was when rescued her from the Devourer/Maker. (Who hasn’t made his presence felt since the book he came up in , by the way — so many strands to go). I do give him kudos for that.

In comparison the burden that Severn chose to bear by killing Kaylin’s adopted children so that SHE wouldn’t be found before she could conceivably defend herself and then losing sight of her until she showed up in the Halls of Law and THEN waiting until some outward reason brought them into contact again. I feel that is much more of an effort.

Then again, while I prefer Severn, I’m not sure he would be the best match for Kaylin yet. I have trust that MSW will make me buy whichever life partner she decides on, if she does. I could even conceive of a The Hero And The Crown solution.

Ann Kopchik (amergina) says:

October 18, 2011 at 12:06 pm

Finally got a chance to buy and read Ruin (being out of the country and B&N being… less than optimal… I wasn’t able to get the book on release day).

Loved it.

My only real question is one of curiosity. We know there were (if I’m counting correctly) 6 dragons awake in the Empire (before Belleusdeo): The Emperor, The Arkon, Tiamaras, Sanabalis, Diramat, and Emmerian.

How many chose sleep over death? (And can anyone other than the Emperor wake them?)

t’s curious that 6 dragons are enough to keep the Baranni (who number many more) from trying to overwhelm them. What power does the Emperor have over the Baranni living in Elantra, since they are content enough to live under him without trying to take that power?

I’m also curious to see the Baranni reaction to there now being a female dragon, since it’s implied that it was the Baranni who offed the rest of the dragon women.

But if there’s a whole army of dragons asleep somewhere, that might answer that question…

Speaking of Baranni, I did miss Nightshade. I’m not convinced that Kaylin should or will “end up” with Nightshade, but oh, how I love him! Love love love. He’s a fascinating character and I’m greatly looking forward to seeing more of him in Peril.

Fake Frenchie says:

October 20, 2011 at 5:47 am

When is Cast in Chaos coming out in MMPB? I have the whole series in MMPB, except Cast in Chaos and Cast in Ruin.

Theresa says:

October 27, 2011 at 6:38 am

On a somewhat random note, my husband got me a Kindle Fire for our anniversary. I think I am going to call it The Arkon since he’s a fire breathing librarian. He’s my favorite dragon because he’s such a curmudgeon.

DG says:

October 28, 2011 at 2:37 am

Thanks. I never heard of that website, but they had the book. I’ll probably break and get a copy through them. I don’t mind ebooks, but I’d really like a printed copy to complete my collection. Thanks again!

Elizabeth says:

October 31, 2011 at 2:13 pm

Hi Michelle, I just finished reading all of the books from the Elantra series. It took me a week non stop to read all 7 of them. I’m very new to your books and I would like to know if you have a certain number of books plan for the series. Also when is the next book coming out?
Thanks

lavender says:

November 2, 2011 at 4:16 pm

I have a thought the lord of west march gave his name to k. Has anyone thought what she left behind with him might mean more of a relasonship between the two and thats why he wasn’t mentioned.

Aaron says:

November 2, 2011 at 11:52 pm

I believe Ms. Sagara will keep writing the Cast books until she runs out of stories (or catchy titles, whichever comes first). The next book is “Cast in Peril” due out sometime next Fall, probably late August or early September. After that, there is a contract for at least three additional Cast books — very exciting news for fans of the Elantran universe, I’m sure, but enough to give her West fans palpitations.

Hilda says:

November 3, 2011 at 4:20 pm

We have written so much under this heading that I think there are over 300 comments. Michelle has several comments series going on at the same time. In one of these she explained her forthcoming books. I can’t remember which one.I think the West fans will be happy too: 2 House books and, I think, one bringing together.the House and the Sun Sword series. However: “Where in the world is Michelle Sagara?”

hjbau says:

November 3, 2011 at 8:04 pm

The two West books are the same thing as the ones where the House War books and the Sun Sword books come together. We just call that series the West series. They are all the same series. Personally i am still hoping she goes long and we get three books.

I think that she said there are four more Cast books. Cast in Peril and then three more that are unnamed as of now.

And Michelle said she wrote something else as well. A new and different series. I think it was called Silence. I think.

Can’t wait for chapters of Skirmish.

Penny says:

December 7, 2011 at 8:57 pm

*sigh* I have waited and waited but still no kindle version here in the UK. Would anyone know how I might get hold of an ebook version in the UK please?

Joanna Celeste says:

December 8, 2011 at 4:37 pm

Please tell me this isn’t the last in the series! I adore these books and I’ve read/listened to five (on the sixth, and eagerly awaiting the seventh today) in the space of 8 days (as well as Cast in Moonlight), and they are just exquisite. I’m a writer, too, and this has majorly helped me. So thank you SO SO much! I hope you have it in you to write another 20 or 30 (but the writer in me doubts this). I could share in your universe for a REALLY long time. :) I’ll read all your website and all the comments later, in case you’ve already mentioned how long you plan to go with this series. (But I’d rather be reading your actual stories, which is why I ask.) Sincerely, Joanna Celeste

Kel says:

December 8, 2011 at 6:05 pm

I hadn’t even thought of the possibility of a shopping trip! What a wonderful idea. Maybe as a short story? There’s got to be an anthology that would fit in…

Heck, I’d buy it as an e‑short from Smashwords or similar. :) (Do soulful puppy-eyes work over the intarwebs?)

Yulisa Baltazar says:

December 10, 2011 at 9:40 pm

Thank you Michelle for sharing your beautiful mind with us all. Cast in Ruin was excellent! It was the first one in the series I began reading but stopped a third of the way. I was so excited I found an author who instantly became my favorite. Immediately through itunes I purchased on the ipad Cast in Fury, Cast in Silence, and Cast in Chaos.Then downloaded the rest on my laptop. I am disappointed that itunes didn’t have all the collection. I’m currently residing in Mexico City and I’ll be moving soon to Qatar. I’ll be looking forward to reading all your books especially Cast in Peril. Can’t wait to find out more of Lord Nightshade and his relationship with Kaylin Neya. Cheers!

Courtney Graham says:

December 12, 2011 at 9:24 pm

I love your series Michelle, it keeps me entertained and my mind going with what is going to happen next. I wish there was more information about the release date for Cast in Peril. I want to start counting down the days until it is released on Amazon. I truly love this series please hurry with the new book.

Joanna Celeste says:

December 13, 2011 at 4:30 am

I agree! Finally, someone (that I have read on this so far) seems to get that Nightshade, as far as I can tell, practically declared his love for Kaylin. I mean, he did say he was a Barrani Lord, no more, no other, and that he wasn’t the same man that he was back then, and that he had been waiting (do we even know how many centuries?) and also that he would never be her Tara, never be able to be as vunerable to her, but he led her to his heart the very first day he met her (in her timeline) and he has shown quite a few moments of sincere tenderness. And while he said the mark was inconsequential — beyond the fact that he knew to mark her as he had met her, the first time, marked and that it would give them some connection ‑he has never tried to force anything on her, and he gave her his name! In Chaos, Sanabalis said that it was an act of love to give someone your name. So he must love her, in the only way he knows how to express it.

I have a question for Michelle, that I haven’t seen answered yet: in Courtlight, Nightshade heard a conversation that had passed between Kaylin and the Barrani High Lord because said Lord touched her mark. Does Nightshade hear all conversations when the mark is touched?

If so, he would have heard the entire conversation between Kaylin and Severn regarding him and his obvious failure to be explicit insofar as Kaylin is concerned. I personally want to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. He waited for how many centuries? He painstakingly went over their entire first encounter how many times during those centuries to make sure everything was in place? All the battles he fought, the advice he’s given, so she would survive. I can’t tell if he just wants her to live so he can have part of her power, but I don’t think so.

I like the fact that Belludeo is similarly scarred to her, and they can be sisters and help each other. I wish that Kaylin could have both Nightshade and Severn, since they’re serving distinctly different roles, but if she becomes seriously romantic with either it’s going to be a problem. As a fellow writer, I can sympathize with Michelle. Unfortunately, as writers, what we want doesn’t always matter. Characters have their own life, And we definitely, sadly, can’t make way for the whims of the readers. But gee I could seriously read an entire book dedicated to Nightshade and Kaylin. I read the Chaos passage like four times. I hadn’t seen Nightshade that open, ever. And he finally stopped feeling like such a bloody creep. Now I get that he was trying really hard, in his own way, to please her and make her want to stay. Probably not something he’s ever had to do before. Other women, certainly mortals, would either be falling over themselves for him or paid to do a job, and all of that would have felt like mere “sex”. It doesn’t feel like that’s what Nightshade wants with Kaylin. I seriously hope he elaborates, since she appears to be in the dark about it. :)

Thanks for letting me have a forum to share my thoughts. I look forward to seeing what other readers think (and Michelle, if you can answer my question, thank you SO SO much)

A.Williams says:

December 21, 2011 at 11:33 pm

I’ve waited for the release of the Chronicles of Elantra novels for several years now. Each time I get the newest book, I tear throught it, re-read it in its entirety, re-read my very favorite parts, and then re-read the entire series in an attempt to distract myself from the fact that the next book won’t be released for some time. Not many series leave me that engrossed. I can hardly wait for Cast in Peril, but since I must, I will. =P Look forward to your next book, and have thoroughly enjoyed all the ones I have read so far!

LilMrs says:

December 29, 2011 at 1:00 pm

I feel like this website has been neglected a bit. I have been looking at it for the past 1 1/2 month and there are no updates on the news tab. In fact the last update on the rest of the website seem to have been in early November.
I have been going crazy trying to find out when “cast in Ruins” will come out in audio but no luck. Unfortunately audible.com isn’t good about updating their “coming soon” tab either so I just have to check everyday and be surprised when each book is finally available. I bought the print version of cast in ruins (just like the previous books.. I loved it, by the way!) but I feel like so much is lost when I read it on my own. Khristine Hvam does such a wonderful job at making the books come to life as she performs it that I am willing to listen to each book (some of them more than once) even though I have already read them in print. I wish the audio version came out at the same time as the print version that way I wouldn’t have to be wondering about their release dates.
To Michelle and the website crew: Give us fans some love, update more often!
on a side note: congrats on a job well done.. the cast books are amazing! wish they came out more often too! :)

hjbau says:

December 29, 2011 at 11:41 pm

I don’t think there is a crew who helps with the website. I think it is just Michelle and i think she does a good job with it. And her not updating means she is writing, which i am happy about, or spending time with family, which is a most reasonable preoccupation. It is the holidays after all.

Aaron M. says:

December 30, 2011 at 1:20 pm

On the 9/30/11 post, Michelle states that ETA for audio Cast in Ruin was 12/1/11, along with Silence (Cast) and Chaos. Considering that was only an estimated time and that Ruin is the most recent novel, the schedule was probably pushed back until after this holiday season. Michelle posts information as she gets it, but sometimes that isn’t very often since she’s not in control of the audio versions; you might have more luck contacting the publisher.

As for the website, I have to agree with hjbau and also remind you that Michelle is working on three different projects now. I’m sure we’ll get a blurb imminently w/re to the release of Skirmish, but I don’t expect much in the way of posting until Silence (QoD) goes to press and she’s only ankle deep in revisions to Peril.

ElizabethN says:

December 31, 2011 at 1:50 am

All of the Cast books except Ruin are out at Audible now, so I’m anticipating sometime in the next month. I don’t know if this is a limited time deal or not, but the Cast in Moonlight novella is free. Don’t know if the link will show or not. If it doesn’t search for Michelle Sagara at Audible.com

http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B005V2HGHW&qid=1325310313&sr=1 – 1

jewel says:

January 1, 2012 at 11:44 pm

Love the Hero and the Crown Reference! That would satisfy both “teams” in some ways.

LilMrs says:

January 4, 2012 at 7:39 pm

Cast in Ruins now on Audible. Yay!!!! It came out today and I just bought it.. so excited!!!!

Jason T says:

January 7, 2012 at 8:15 pm

I recently received a free novella from Audible.com “cast in moonlight.” From the moment the story started I knew that I found a new character to follow and a new author to read/listen to. I want to express my delight and sadness at just having finished “cast in ruin” : Delight because I really like this series and the characters; sadness that I have finished the novels currently available. I hope that this series continues and progresses to a powerful conclusion. I find myself now having to pick up the rest of your work because there is no way I couldn’t thank you for the ‘cast’ series by not supporting your other work. I am sure it will be just as satisfying. Thanks again for the great work.

Jason T says:

January 7, 2012 at 8:28 pm

Ok, i know i just left a comment but I feel I need to leave another comment: If your local book store doesn’t have Michelle’s books… AMAZON.COM. If you can leave a comment on a blog you can order a book online. Sorry.

Miki S says:

January 14, 2012 at 1:42 am

I agree with this! Plus…c’mon. His “romantic” thing was to stop hanging prisoners in cages outside his castle?! He’s an Interesting Character in the series, but he’s a BAD guy! Tony Soprano could be tender with his wife and kids, but he still would never be my choice for a partner to a woman I cared for!

Miki S says:

January 14, 2012 at 1:47 am

I really love this series but — and I really hesitate to say — I hope it doesn’t turn into one of those never-ending urban fantasy series that lose track of the plotline.

I would mourn getting “the last book”, but I’d also be glad to know that the major threads would be tied off and questions answered and a sort of “riding off into the sunset” kind of ending that could hint at a happier (less stressful!) life for Kaylin.

Hilda says:

January 14, 2012 at 11:28 pm

Jason, I discovered the Cast series almost 2 years ago and have read all the books there. Since then, I have been reading and re-reading all other of Michelle’s books. I went to her West novels, the Sun Sword and her House War series, and her short stories. They are as phenomenal as the Cast. You are in for a great treat. Happy reading.

Fake Frenchie says:

January 16, 2012 at 2:58 am

When is Cast in Chaos coming out in MMPB?

Tyronne says:

January 17, 2012 at 2:07 pm

Hi Michelle.

Thank you for Cast in Ruin last year. I came back from vacation and stopped off at the bookstore to pick it up. A very nice way to end my vacation. Didn’t see very much of it coming either so that was an added bonus to me. Cast in Peril should be interesting. I’m presently rereading the entire series as is my habit because a good story is just that — a good story and yours is one of the better ones! Anyway, in Cast in Silence, Severn I believe makes the statement that 3 writs have been issued that the Wolves failed to fulfill. Donalan Idis turned out to be one of them. Barren in Cast in Silence is the second. Will Cast in Peril give us the third party? Given that it will involve Nightshade, I would think it almost has to involve Severn and his past. Perhaps, we’ll even get the story of his (just what do you call this weapon of his?) chain blades. And please tell me that you will disclose a little more about this Egg that Kaylin is keeping under her floor! This is quite honestly bugging me to no end as I haven’t a clue where you’re going with this and I have to wait for Cast in Peril.

Courtney says:

January 17, 2012 at 10:50 pm

I’m in total agreement with you about the egg, I am going absolutely nuts. I have my suspicion’s about what it is, however, it could be another thing entirely. I can’t wait for the next book I wish I didn’t read her stuff so fast.

Rasmusb says:

January 20, 2012 at 6:44 pm

I tend to buy your books first as an e‑book (to read immediately on release date) and the dead tree version as soon as I see it. Unfortunately — there is no bookstore in my little town — the paper version waits until I drive 35 minutes to another town. :)

Rasmusb says:

January 20, 2012 at 6:55 pm

None of your books could ever be too long. I loved this book (the entire series really) — I cannot wait for the egg to hatch as well. :)

So curious. :D

Deej says:

February 1, 2012 at 5:17 pm

I think she was looking into the Shadowstorm thinking she could go into the Past and make things happen differently. Re forgiveness: the children were goiing to die anyway, and horribly through disembowling bec that is what Makkuron did to the other 38 kids. And Kaylin would have been a vessel for him, and herself no longer, destroying all Life as they knew it in Elantra. I think it’s right that she forgave him. He gave them a more dignified painless death and he kept her from becoming a scourge of the planet. Neither were good o ptions, but this is why ultimately she overcomes that desire because in the end, things would have been so much worse. I just finished re-reading Cast in Shadow, so it’s clear in my mind.

Deej says:

February 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm

Good Insights, Joanna. I hadn’t really keyed to the fact he took her to his metaphorical heart-the seal room. i guess that’s why she woke up dressed in the gorgeous, sexy dress- he wanted her in fitting attire when he revealed his heart to his Consort. That scene is kind of Vicki and Barnabas Collins‑y/Dark Shadows/Vampire with his new Bride, if I may. Again, really good deconstruction and extrapoloation of his actions thus far. Gives me lots to think about as I re-read Courtlight! :-D

And though I’d love them to get together it could never work. She can’t be a Hawk and Nightshade’s woman. How could she tolerate the injustices in the fief if she was lving there? The fief is her past and Ns is affiliated with a painful past she is trying to grow past.

Deege says:

February 2, 2012 at 12:34 am

You are so smart!!! S name has been kind of driving me nuts since the start. I think all commenters would do well to remember that the best writers don’t answer every question, nor is everything tied up in a bow at the end.I bet there are questions even MSW has no answer to. Sometimes, it depends on that “alchemy“that occurs betw characters.

MAB says:

February 2, 2012 at 12:55 am

This is completely off-track, but I was curious, and I don’t think Michelle Sagara mentions it in the books — do Leontines have tails?

Janette Parker says:

September 8, 2012 at 12:56 pm

Sorry new to this blog stuff.
I really want to read Cast in Chaos but I can only find hard books, or not from Amazon, sellers only, no mention of Kindle at all. I read hundreds of books which is why I love my Kindle. I have all the rest of the Cast in series & now I’ve found out there is soon to be a Cast in Peril. Aaargh the agony. I don’t understand please can someone explain how I go about getting an electronic copy. I always pay for legal copies, wouldn’t think to do any other way.

ElizabethN says:

September 8, 2012 at 7:02 pm

I got my copy from amazon us and it’s still showing up as an active product on the my books page. Here’s the link —

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U89RVM

cast in chaos also shows up as the first result when you search in the kindle store for “cast in chaos”

hope one of the options work for you.

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