Cast in Eternity – Michelle Sagara

“For those who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like”. I’m one of those, obviously, or I wouldn’t be reading book 17 in the series. (This book depends on the reader knowing who is who, so if you are new to the series, try the excellent “Cast in Shadow”; don’t start here.) It won’t appeal to most readers.

The plot is weak. Kaylin stumbles into a mystery centering on the ghosts of murdered children. Fortunately, all the clues fall into her lap. Everyone she visits and questions has another piece of the puzzle and is happy to share. As in many of the books in the series, the resolution depends upon Kaylin intuiting the right answer and her marks making that answer happen. The within-book plot also does not seem to advance the larger story: Little happens in book 17 that is likely to have much influence book 18 or book 19.

The supporting characters suffer from large-cast syndrome. There are too many significant characters to allow most of them depth, so a few characters are three-dimensional and the rest are not.

The true focus of the book, like that of its predecessors, is still Kaylin, her inner life, and her (slow) maturation. The murder mystery and the supporting characters provide a context for that focus. And the writing is still finish-in-one-sitting polished.