Cast in Peril, is the eighth novel in Michelle Sagara’s Elantra series. This series is hard to classify as it really is a hybrid combining elements of Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy and hints of Paranormal Romance. Whatever you call it, Sagara has created a fascinating world that I relish visiting with every installment and this time around is no exception. In fact, it has been sometime since I have read anything that moved me to write a review but Cast in Peril was so good, I just had write about it. If you have been following the series, you will know, that not much time passes (Elantran time that is) between installments. Oftentimes, poor Kaylin barely has time to change her clothes and brush her teeth before she is pulled back into another adventure. Cast in Peril is no exception. It starts with a bang, literally, when Kaylin's apartment is hit by an arcane bomb. This causes a series of events that have interesting ramifications, none the least of which is the fact that the egg that Kaylin has been protecting for the last couple of installments finally hatches and the resulting addition to the cast of characters is an interesting one. Cast in Peril also sees Kaylin taken out of her element, out of the city she knows, and on the road to West March with a convoy of secretive Barrani to hear the “regalia,” the Barrani story of creation. Luckily she is not alone. Both Teela and Severn accompany her, and while their presence is partly due to their concern for Kaylin's safety, they also both have mysterious reasons of their own for going on this pilgramage. Kaylin is at her most entertaining when she’s out of her depth, and the games of intrigue and status played by the immortal Barrani are really well done, especially as the stakes along the journey grow higher, and as more is revealed about why the pilgrimage to the West Marches is both important and dangerous. Adding to the intrigue and danger, is the inclusion of Lord Nightshade, an outcaste from the Barani Court, but one who it seems has been given an important role to play in the upcoming recitation. So why did I like this book so much? This is such a good series it's hard to say why one book stands out above the others (but this one does). Kaylin is the perfect heroine in that she is less than perfect. Flawed and damaged from a dark past, half the time she doesn't know what she is doing, but her heart is always in the right place. She is still rather naive but she's learning. And, while Kaylin continues to grow with each new novel, so do her relationships with the people around her. As with every truly great series, it takes more than a great main character, there has to be supporting characters of substance and Elantra is crowded with them. Teela, the stern Barrani Hawk who looks on Kaylin as a little sister (but she'd sooner stick a knife in your gut than admit it). Severn, Kaylin's steadfast protector and supporter who shares her dark past and wants to share more? The enigmatic Lord Nightshade whose hold over Kaylin is just as mysterious, or could it be romantic? Sagara has done an excellent job of weaving everything together giving us personal glimpses of many of the characters that we have never been afforded before. I found it to be particularly rewarding to learn more about Teela and her connection to the mystery of the West March and, with both Nightshade and Severn in this story, the romantic tension was greater than usual, to the point of actually bubbling out into conversation every once and awhile. This book has it all. Action, intrigue, magical waystations, great characters and a fascinating world full of immortal beings. My only regret is that the book came to an end and I'll have to wait another year for the next installment (Cast in Sorrow). The end of this book was even harder to take because it, and the book to follow, were originally one novel, but because of the size, was split into two installments. This makes Cast in Peril's ending a little harder to take than usual because it feels....well, unfinished.