Tag: Court of Shadows Series

Waiting on Wednesday – Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I look ahead to the end of this year and focus on an outstanding upcoming fantasy novel that will likely be one of the top books of 2025 with Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell.

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I just put to bed two posts covering my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of 2025, including one for fantasy and science fiction books, and another list covering thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.  As such, I am keen to go beyond the first half of 2025 with this post, which is why I am looking ahead to November 2025 and the release of a cool new entry in a series I really grew to love last year.  This book is Our Lady of Blades by veteran fantasy author Sebastien de Castell, which will serve as the second book in the Court of Shadows series.

Back in early 2024, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of de Castell’s new book, Play of Shadows.  While I loved the sound of Play of Shadows’ cool plot, I was initially hesitant to read it, mainly because I was unfamiliar with the author’s Greatcoat universe, of which this book was a part of.  However, due to how fun it sounded, and because I really enjoyed de Castell’s book The Malevolent Seven, I decided to give Play of Shadows a try and boy was I glad that I did.  Featuring an epic and really clever narrative about a theatre actor in a troubled fantasy city in the realm of Tristia, who suddenly manifest the ability to summon the spirits of the dead while on stage, de Castell wove together a really compelling and intense narrative, especially when the protagonist’s new ability summons the spirit of his city’s most hated historical villain who brings new revelations about the city’s past and the dark powers trying to control it.  I really loved this fantastic book, and de Castell featured an epic blend of humour, fun fantasy elements and a gripping tale of intrigue and mystery, that effortlessly grabbed my attention and refused to let go.  Play of Shadows was a five-star read that ended up being one of my favourite books of 2024, and it also led me to read another amazing book in the same series with Crucible of Chaos.

Crucible of Chaos was another exceptional novel that was released shortly before Play of Shadows and serves as a loosely connected prequel to it.  Following an unlikely member of the legendary Greatcoats, Tristia’s royal guards and travelling magistrates and duellists, as he investigates a murder in an important monastery, Crucible of Chaos was a gripping read with some great humour and an excellent whodunnit edge to it.  Featuring its own exceptional story that ties the Court of Shadows series into the larger Greatcoat universe, while also hinting at the larger conspiracy featured in Play of Shadows, Crucible of Chaos was another incredible five-star read that I ended up listing as one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024, and I deeply enjoyed its larger-than-life protagonist and brilliant story.

As you can no doubt tell from the above two paragraphs, I got hooked on the Court of Shadows books last year, and I am naturally keen to see how the series continues.  As such, the second official entry in the series, Our Lady of Blades, is very high on my to-read list, and I am eagerly looking forward to grabbing it in November.  Featuring another standalone narrative, Our Lady of Blades will follow a new protagonist as they become embroiled in fresh conspiracies with a similar source as those featured in the previous novels.


Plot Synopsis:

Blood Week may have been banned in Rijou, but the streets still run red – and now murder is being sanctioned by the courts. Only a reckless fool would believe they can beat the system. But then, the Greatcoats have always been more than a little reckless . . .

Rijou’s notorious Court of Blades is as corrupt as it is cutthroat, destroying lives with impunity. Now the city’s all-powerful Ascendant Houses have started buying and selling verdicts to enslave and even execute those who oppose them.

Into this depraved world of licensed death comes a mysterious duellist who dares to foil the intrigues of the city’s elite. They call her Lady Consequence, but years ago she had a different name, until her family was slaughtered and she was consigned to the hellish prison known as the House of Tears.

Lady Consequence means to rescue her idealistic younger brother, restore their House and wreak vengeance upon those who betrayed them. But a far more dangerous game is unfolding in the shadows, one which threatens the freedom of the entire nation.


I am very, very excited about the above plot synopsis, and it seems like we are going to be in for an exceptional time with Our Lady of Blades later this year.  De Castell is setting up a very fun, revenge-focussed narrative in this second Court of Shadows book, and I am getting some cool The Count of Monte Cristo vibes from this plot as the protagonist returns in disguise to get revenge and rebuild her house.  It should prove to be quite compelling and fun to follow Lady Consequence (which is an awesome alias btw), as she fights back against those who wronged her, utilising her skills with the sword and her mysterious past.  I imagine that de Castell will load this story with intrigue, adventure and a ton of fun swordplay, while also diving into the no-doubt troubled history of the protagonist to give the book a more powerful dramatic edge.  Throw in a cool new background setting, as the protagonist fights against the corruption of the city of Rijou, and this story sounds so damn epic and exciting.

In addition to its own cool story, I am also very keen to see how Our Lady of Blades tie into the larger Court of Shadows series.  Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows both worked well as standalone novels, with the underlying conspiracy of the series only coming to light towards the end of the plot.  I am anticipating that de Castell will examine the shadowy players attempting to destabilise Tristia in a bit more detail in Our Lady of Blades, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we encounter the main antagonist of the series.  I am also expecting that some of the protagonists of the previous books could show up here, as well as some cameo appearances from the wider Greatcoats universe, which should result in a very fun read, especially for established de Castell fans.

I think it is very clear that I am extremely excited to read Our Lady of Blades later this year.  Thanks to how awesome the first two books in Sebastien de Castell’s Court of Shadows series turned out to be, I am extremely confident that I am going to love Our Lady of Blades, and the awesome sounding plot synopsis above only seems to reinforce this.  I honestly believe that Our Lady of Blades will end up being one of the top fantasy books of 2025, and I cannot wait to continue de Castell’s exceptional Court of Shadows series later this year.

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery14 Comments

Crucible of Chaos Cover

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books (Audiobook – 7 December 2023)

Series: Court of Shadows – Book 0.5

Length: 12 hours and 32 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a witty, intense and highly unusual murder mystery?  Make sure to grab Crucible of Chaos, an outstanding and impressive novel from Sebastien de Castell, which serves as a prelude to his Court of Shadows series.

Earlier this year I was very lucky to receive the first book in Sebastien de Castell’s Court of Shadows series, Play of Shadows.  Set in the author’s Greatcoats universe, Play of Shadows was a truly epic and outstanding read that saw an unlucky actor with unusual gifts attempt to unravel a dark conspiracy inflicting his city.  I deeply enjoyed Play of Shadows, which was one of the best books I have read so far in 2024, and I was intrigued to check out more from de Castell, an author who had previously impressed me with his hilarious standalone novel, The Malevolent Seven.  While de Castell has several great series to his name, the book that caught my eye the most was the late 2023 release, Crucible of Chaos, which apparently served as a prelude to the other Court of Shadows novels.  Curious to see how this prequel would turn out, I grabbed the audiobook version of Crucible of Chaos and started listening to it, and boy was I glad that I did.

Travelling duellist and scholar Estevar Borros is a Greatcoat, one of the king’s legendary sword-fighting magistrates.  However, even amongst the unusual ranks of the Greatcoats, Estevar is peculiar, not just for his girth, but because of skills in deductive reasoning and his obsession with investigating the supernatural.  Known as the King’s Crucible, Estevar has travelled the lands of Tristia, seeking out unusual occurrences and trying to determine whether their cause is natural or supernatural.  However, even this renowned investigator of supernatural is unprepared for the chaos awaiting him in Tristia’s most holy site.

Summoned by his old acquaintance Abbot Venia, Estevar travels to Isola Sombra, an isolated island abbey considered the religious heart of Tristia.  According to Venia’s letter, the monks of the abbey are starting to fracture into factions following the recent murder of the gods, each with their own ideas of who the nation should worship in the future.  A frightened Venia needs Estevar, in his position as a magistrate and an authority on the supernatural, to arbitrate the debate and to help keep the fighting monks in line.

Despite his better judgement, Estevar, already suffering from a wound after a failed duel, agrees to travel to Isola Sombra, but what he finds there will chill him to his very soul.  Arriving amid a brutal storm, Estevar finds that the monks have fallen into madness, and now three factions are at war on the island, desperate to claim it for their own.  Worse, the abbot has been murdered, and evidence of dark magic lingers throughout the abbey.

Determined find a reasonable explanation for the insanity infesting Isola Sombra, Estevar begins his investigation, hoping to find the source of the chaos rippling across the island.  Alone except for a mysterious girl and his trusty mule, a wounded Estevar needs to face off against three very dangerous groups of monks, each of whom have deadly intentions for the interfering Greatcoat.  Worse, there are far more dangerous things awaiting the inhabitants of Isola Sombra, even if Estevar doesn’t believe in them.  Can the justice-loving Estevar stop the insanity of Isola Sombra with his deduction, sword and courtroom etiquette before it’s too late, or has the King’s Crucible finally found a mystery to insane for even him?

Wow, what an amazing and compelling novel.  Crucible of Chaos was another outstanding book from de Castell, and one that really grabbed my attention from the very beginning.  Containing an elaborate story, great writing, amazing characters, and so much more, Crucible of Chaos was a joy to read from start to finish, and one that I have little choice but to give a full five-star rating.

De Castell came up with an impressive novel that sets a classic detective story into The Three Musketeer inspired Greatcoats universe.  Readers are quickly introduced to two of the main characters, Estevar Borros and his trusty steed, as the dejected pair arrive at Isola Sombra to investigate a religious feud enveloping the island and its abbey.  While that is an interesting premise for a story, de Castell raises the stakes by introducing murder, mysterious mysticism, fearful locals, unnatural storms, and three warring factions of monks, which Estevar needs to unravel to get his beloved justice.  What follows is a complex and highly entertaining murder investigation as Estevar, with the help of a mysterious girl, begins to interrogate key members of the remaining monks to find out what they know and how their fighting and the resulting murder came about.  This proves to be quite addictive, and I found myself getting really drawn into this excellent mystery and the unique fantasy elements surrounding it.

The story takes a very interesting turn around halfway through as Estevar gets some dramatic proof that the events on Isola Sombra are more supernatural than he thought they would be.  This leads the protagonist into some dark places as he tries to fully understand everything that is happening, and who is ultimately responsible for the crimes committed.  De Castell cleverly lays out some intriguing revelations, as well as some tragic secrets that are cleverly hinted at by false memory and lies, and I had so much fun following all the breadcrumbs.  Everything leads up to several great confrontations, as Estevar first deals with some political intrigue that ties Crucible of Chaos into the rest of the series, before once again facing the strange powers haunting the island.  There are some inspiring moments here, especially as strange bedfellows fight together against the darkness, before the protagonist initiates a unique trial to reveal the whole truth.  The solution to the mystery is very clever, and I was really impressed with how de Castell pulled the whole thing together.  The conclusion really goes over-the-top as justice meets religion in some dark ways, and you will come away very impressed and satisfied with the dark, yet hopeful, story that emerged.

I love the tone that de Castell set out for Crucible of Chaos, mainly because there are so many elements that he managed to fit into his story.  The blend of mystery, character development, and unique fantasy inclusions from his pre-existing universe is extremely awesome, and I loved how the author managed to create such an elaborate and focused story.  The investigation element of Crucible of Chaos was the book’s true heart, and I have a lot of respect for the complex series of crimes that emerged, especially as de Castell managed to incorporate religious conspiracies, political intrigues and supernatural occurrences into the mystery’s solution.  There are so many moments of desperation, despair, and dark hope contained within this book, and the reader is constantly left feeling either intrigued by the mystery or shocked by the revelations that emerged.  It helped that de Castell’s characters are all so vibrant and entertaining, and there is a captivating humour that runs through the book that proves hard not to enjoy.  This whole novel comes together with a great pace that never lets up, and I honestly could not stop listening to Crucible of Chaos at times, especially when all seemed dire, or the protagonist was on the hunt for justice.

As I mentioned above, I came to Crucible of Chaos after reading Play of Shadow, so I was interested in seeing how it would fit into both the Court of Shadows series and the Greatcoats universe.  While there are obvious connections to both, for the most part Crucible of Chaos is more of a standalone novel than anything else, as the plot is primarily focused on the intense mystery the protagonist finds himself trapped in.  While there are a lot of strong references to previous Greatcoats novels, de Castell does an outstanding job of rehashing these events in a thorough and sensible manner, allowing the readers to get all the necessary context that they need.  Readers also do not need to get this book first to enjoy the next book in the series, Play of Shadows, which was reassuring in hindsight, and I kind of like how independent the two books are from each other.  The only real connection lies in a couple of revelations towards the end of Crucible of Chaos that hint at dark deeds on the horizon and a shadowy hand manipulating events from afar.  As such, Crucible of Chaos is a very accessible book for new readers and serves as a great introduction to the various series associated with it.

I will say that Crucible of Chaos did provide some interesting insights into the nation of Tristia, which serves as the primary setting for the Greatcoats series.  There are substantial examinations of the nation’s history, the backstory from the prior books, and other worldbuilding that de Castell has previously come up with, and I found this to be quite fascinating.  The often fractured and duellist obsessed nation of Tristia is an amazing background for this story, and I enjoyed the multiple discussions about the role of the Greatcoats as magistrates and keepers of the king’s peace, especially as the protagonist is quite passionate about the ideals of justice they represent.  However, a lot of Crucible of Chaos’ focus lies around the religion of the world, as the gods of Tristia become a major aspect of the plot.  Indeed, key events of the original Greatcoats series become vitally important here as the protagonist needs to consider the impact that the previous murder of the gods has had on the current religious institutions.  I really liked the constant contrasts between the philosophies of human justice and religious practice that becomes recurring theme in Crucible of Chaos, and I rather enjoyed seeing both unique elements of this landscape.

While I loved the story and the dive into the Greatcoats universe, the absolute best part of Crucible of Chaos were the exceptional characters that de Castell set his narrative around.  Each of them was complex and endearing in their own fun way, and I really enjoyed the powerful storylines that the author wrote around them.  The most prominent of these is protagonist and point-of-view character Estevar Borros.  A member of the king’s Greatcoats, Estevar was a very distinctive protagonist, mainly because he didn’t fit the typical fantasy protagonist mould that most readers would be familiar with.  A rather girthy and older duellist, Estevar is nonetheless a formidable warrior, often able to overcome younger or more in shape opponents through skill and trickery.  However, for this adventure, Estevar recently lost a duel due to his own arrogance and is forced to investigate the events on Isola Sombra while wounded and exhausted, and with his tools and authority missing.  I deeply appreciated the multiple handicaps that de Castell placed on his protagonist, especially as it enhanced the intensity of the plot, and it was compelling to see Estevar deal not only with his wounds but his own dark temperament, while trying to solve the case.  Despite his disadvantages, Estevar proves to be a capable investigator, and his deductive ability, which results in him being shown as a supernatural obsessed cross between Sherlock Holmes and Porthos.  I deeply enjoyed how determined and curious Estevar was throughout the plot, and he was a fun character to follow as he keeps up a genial and pleasant demeaner for most of the book, with some fun cracks of humour.  However, we do see some great flashes of emotion from Estevar at key moments, especially when he realises just how deranged the crime he is investigating is.  I was a huge fan of Estevar from the opening pages, and he is a protagonist I would love to see again in the future.

Aside from Estevar, de Castell features several other exceptional characters that you have a fantastic time following.  This includes the mysterious young female lead, Caeda, who serves as Estevar’s impromptu assistant during the investigation, determined to help find the truth on the island.  Shown initially as an energetic and enthusiastic figure, Caeda plays well off Estevar, and I liked the entertaining partnership they formed, even if Caeda is keeping secrets, which eventually leads to some tragic revelations.  However, the character you are most likely to fall in love with is Estevar’s mule, Imperious.  Much more than a stubborn mule, Imperious is the bravest, most rambunctious and expressive character in the entire novel, and de Castell has a lot of fun throwing him into the story in entertaining ways.  A dangerous and near unstoppable figure, Imperious stole every scene he was in, and you honestly end up caring for this heroic mule more than any other character in the book.  Throw in a cadre of mad monks, including an obsessive inquisitor, a wannabe general, and a lecherous sorcerer lord, and the cast of Crucible of Chaos proves to be really fun and intriguing to follow.

While I was tempted to grab a physical copy of Crucible of Chaos, I ended up getting the audiobook version instead, which proved to be an epic format to enjoy the book in.  Coming in with a runtime of 12 and a half hours, this was a moderately long audiobook, but it was one I managed to power through in less than a week due to how caught up I got in the story.  I found that the audiobook format really helped me to enjoy the complex narrative that de Castell came up with, and having it read out helped me to appreciate the depictions of the dark abbey and the elaborate mystery that much more.  It helped that Crucible of Chaos was narrated by one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Joe Jameson, whose work I enjoyed so much in the Legacy of the Mercenary Kings audiobooks (The Kingdom of Liars, The Two-Faced Queen and The Voyage of the Forgotten).  Jameson has a great voice for fantasy fiction, and I loved how he brings the elaborate story of Crucible of Chaos to life with his recitation.  The narrator had some great voices for the various characters, and while a few are similar to those he used in other audiobooks his other works, they all expertly fit the character they were assigned to perfectly.  I particularly enjoyed the distinctive and overly accented voice that Jameson gave to the main character, Estevar Borros, which perfectly fit his foreign origins, as well as his personality and physical attributes.  This booming, cheerful, yet penetrating voice, really captured the protagonist, and I could always envision this amazing character whenever Jameson spoke.  This, and other great voices, really helped to turn the Crucible of Chaos audiobook into something really special, and I cannot recommend this format enough to someone interested in this book.

Overall, Crucible of Chaos proved to be a remarkable and highly impressive novel from Sebastien de Castell that I had such an outstanding time reading.  Combining a unique story with great characters and compelling elements from the Greatcoats universe, Crucible of Chaos was a truly epic novel that I could not get enough off.  I look forward to seeing what other intriguing adventures occur in the rest of the Court of Shadows books, and this is swiftly becoming one of my favourite ongoing fantasy series.

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Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books17 Comments

Play of Shadows Cover

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books (Trade Paperback – 26 March 2024)

Series: Court of Shadows – Book One

Length: 482 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare yourself for a riveting good time in the impressive and wildly entertaining fantasy novel, Play of Shadows by the always amazing Sebastien de Castell.

Last year I had the very great pleasure of being introduced to Sebastien de Castell when I received a copy of his book The Malevolent Seven.  Set outside his major series, The Malevolent Seven was a wickedly clever and chaotic book that followed seven dangerous mages who suddenly find themselves as humanity’s last hope.  I had a wonderful time with The Malevolent Seven, and it honestly was one of the most entertaining fantasy books I read in 2023.  As such, I was curious to read more from de Castell and I recently got the chance when I received a copy of his new novel, Play of Shadows.  Serving as the first official book in his new Court of Shadows series, Play of Shadows is set within de Castell’s overarching Greatcoats universe, where most of his novels have been set, including his original Greatcoats books, the Spellsinger series and his Argosi series.  While I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of de Castell’s Greatcoats books before, I loved the awesome sounding story of Play of Shadows, and I decided to check it out, which proved to be a very wise decision.

Damelas Chademantaigne is one of the most unfortunate people in the entire city of Jereste.  The grandson of two legendary Greatcoats, Damelas has always had a strong sense of justice, but he lacked the skills with a sword needed to back it up.  So when he finds himself forced to accept a duel from the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, to save his ailing grandfather, his chances of surviving the night seem impossible.  However, a fleeing Damelas finds sanctuary in the most unlikely of places: the Operato Belleza and its resident acting company, the Knights of the Curtain.

Now part of the illustrious company, Damelas finds himself protected by the city’s laws regarding actors and begins to eek a living as a minor player.  However, his temporary haven soon becomes a deadly trap when one night he spontaneously manifests the spirt of the city’s greatest historical villain, Corbier, the Red-Eyed Raven.  Identified as a newly emerged Veristor, an actor who can literally bring the past to life during a play, Damelas begins to constantly hear Corbier’s voice in his head and finds himself exploring the notorious rogue’s life each time he appears on stage.  Forced to continue by the machinations of Jereste’s new duke, Damelas begins to tell the untold true history of Corbier, and it soon becomes apparent that he was far from the unrepentant monster everyone believed him to be.

As the play continues, Damelas gains the attention of the entire city, who become enthralled with finding out the truth.  However, not everyone wants the past to come out, and soon Damelas finds out just how dangerous the theatre can be as he is targeted by the city’s nobles, a militant band of bravos, and the Vixen seeking her pound of flesh.  Diving deeper into Corbier’s mind, Damelas beings to uncover a deadly conspiracy that threatens the entire realm.  But can a mere actor, even one personifying a legendary fighter, survive the onslaught of villains on his tail?  It’s going to take all of Damelas’s courage and skills as an actor, as well as the help of an eccentric collection of fellow players to make it to final curtain.

Wow, now this was an outstanding and epic book that I could just not put down.  I was unprepared for how impressive Play of Shadows would be as de Castell unleashes a brilliant and complex read, loaded with intrigue, adventure, and a ton of theatrical humour.  Entertaining and enthralling in equal measures, this was an incredible read and one that gets a full five-star review from me.

Play of Shadows is an epic book full of big personalities, big stakes, and an elaborate story of intrigue, adventure, and self-discovery.  Set in the Three Musketeer’s inspired realm of the Greatcoats books, Play of Shadows initially seems set to feature the same focus on duels, bravos and rogues, as the rest of the series as the protagonist is forced to flee a fight from the infamous duellist, the Vixen, which sets him on course for his destiny.  However, the first scene of Play of Shadows, in which Damelas escapes his pursuers by tricking his way into becoming an actor, changes expectations and perfectly sets the scene for the rest of the exciting, compelling, and wildly entertaining novel.  I love how de Castell set a fantasy novel around the theatre , and having the protagonist be an actor rather than a master swordfighter is a great touch, especially for a Greatcoats book.  Indeed, much of the book is set out like a play, which proves to be a clever guideline for the plot, while also allowing in the author’s fantastic humour about actors, the theatre, and the protagonist’s unlikely situation.

From there the story evolves into a compelling direction, as Damelas finds himself at the centre of the all the intrigue infecting the city, especially once he starts to manifest the great historical villain Corbier, the Red-Eyed Raven, as part of a legendary magical gift.  This allows him to showcase the true events surrounding the past, which differ very greatly from the established history of the city.  Due to the deep secrets hidden amongst the true history, the protagonist finds himself the target of many interested parties and becomes a tool in the battle between shadowy forces.  The plot of Play of Shadows then begins to revolve around the three separate acts of the resulting play that tells the real story of Corbier.  Each of these different acts reveal new secrets about the past that impact the present, and prove to be excellent centres for the plot, especially as each performance becomes increasingly deadly for Damelas and his fellow players, and there intense, action-packed, tragic moments occurring after each of them.

Between each of these acts of the play, Damelas is forced to interact with a variety of deadly and over-the-top figures, each of whom have a different motive to help or to kill the protagonist.  The author also uses this time to provide new insights into both the historical and present-day conspiracies being uncovered as Damelas and his friends attempt to discover the true secrets of the city.  De Castell does a really good job of building up the stakes in each of these intermissions, and there are some amazing set-pieces loaded here, from high-intensity duels, larger-scale battles between unlikely foes, and a raft of political intrigue and personal issues.  Everything leads up to Play of Shadow’s massive climax, where the final act of the play unfolds, and all the secrets are revealed.  There are some excellent twists and turns here, and while a couple of reveals are a little overly foreshadowed, the overall picture that is exposed is quite interesting and ensures that the rest of the trilogy is going to be very interesting.  The big climax fight is so over-the-top bonkers, as all manner of magic, betrayals, personal vendettas, duels, and even an outrageous monologue, are used to resolve the issue.  The reader comes away intensely satisfied, amused, and very curious about the future of the series.

Play of Shadows was a fast-paced, exciting, and continuously amusing book that was so much fun to get through, while also maintaining a darker edge that struck readers with tragedy and intense moments when they least expected it.  This set-up of the book around the various acts of the play worked extremely well, and I loved how de Castell kept bringing the book back to the importance of the arts, even in the swordcraft-focused nation of the Greatcoats series.  The magic of performance, both literal and figurative, is a major part of the book’s setting, which I thought was a clever choice from de Castell that made Play of Shadows really stand out.  Much of the book’s humour is derived from the outrageous members of the acting troupe and their takes on the dramatic events overtaking their city.  This comedic feature of the book was so much fun, and some of the best scenes involved the actors attempting to pivot the scenes around the protagonist’s unlikely visions.  Other highlights include impromptu moments that made the actors great heroes in real life, or a sudden, extremely risqué monologue that manages to keep an approaching army at bay.  This overarching action and entertaining theatre focus is well-balanced by a high level of intrigue and a dash of mystery, due to the elaborate conspiracies that seem to be infesting the city.  De Castell does an exceptional job of contrasting these intriguing elements throughout Play of Shadows, and I really got drawn into its story as a result.

As I mentioned above, Play of Shadows falls within de Castell’s wider Greatcoats universe, which I personally don’t have any experience with.  I must admit that I was initially a little wary of reading Play of Shadows, not only because I had no pre-knowledge of the other Greatcoats books, but because de Castell also released another Court of Shadows book last year with Crucible of Chaos, which serves as book zero in the series (Play of Shadows is the first official novel).  However, my fears proved to be for naught as Play of Shadows stands on its own and easily welcomes new readers in.  While there are references to the wider Greatcoats universe, having no pre-knowledge of this doesn’t impact a reader’s enjoyment or understanding of this book, and anything that does is naturally explained.  Even the inclusion of a couple of characters from the previous series towards the end of the story was well handled, and the reader can easily follow what is happening while getting a good idea about who the characters are.  The same is true for the apparent prequel, Crucible of Chaos, and people can easily start the Court of Shadows series here, rather than with book zero.  While I am sure that established Greatcoats fans would probably get a little more out of these references than I was, this is a very good book for those readers who want to experience de Castell’s style or wider universe for the first time.  As such, I would recommend Play of Shadows to all fantasy fans, and you really don’t need to do any other reading first.  I am really looking forward to seeing how the Court of Shadows series continues, and I may also go back and read some of the other Greatcoats’ books, mainly because I am really enjoying de Castell’s writing and unique stories.  I must try and read Crucible of Chaos before anything else though, and I will be interested in seeing how it unfolds and connects with this current book.

One of the great highlights of Play of Shadows is the excellent cast of characters featured throughout the book, all of whom add so much to the fantastic plot of the book.  Naturally, most of the focus goes towards central protagonist and point-of-view character Damelas Chademantaigne, whose unexpected exploits in the theatre lead to so much drama.  Damelas is a great entertaining fantasy protagonist, with a complex past, an often-irreverent take on current events that leads to a good chunk of the book’s excellent humour, and a desire to change the world, even if it wants to kill him.  De Castell works in some amazing character development for Damelas, as he attempts to escape his pragmatic past that saw him run from a duel, to become the unlikely hero of his city.  Watching him gain the skills and courage he needs thanks to the murderous spirit in his mind is just great, and de Castell does a wonderful job of highlighting his abilities as a Veristor.  The tight line between controlling his gift and insanity is quite thin, and I loved the various sequences where he tried to showcase the past on stage, only for it to go in unexpected directions.  Damelas goes through a lot in Play of Shadows, especially as he witnesses the many tragic consequences of his search for the truth, and I felt that de Castell perfectly showcases his doubts, fears and anger at how he is being manipulated.  This was some incredible character work and I look forward to seeing how de Castell features Damelas in the future books now that he has found his purpose.

The rest of the cast of Play of Shadows are also quite impressive, and I love the huge array of outrageous and memorable figures that de Castell expertly dropped into the story.  The historical ghost, Corbier the Red-Eyed Raven, was a brilliant ethereal figure in Damelas’s head, and the author has a lot of fun contrasting the instinctive and expert killer that is Corbier, with the inexperienced and pragmatic Damelas.  In addition, Damelas’s acting companions, the Knights of the Curtain, also prove to be exceptional figures, and you really grow to care for this outrageous and eclectic group of actors.  Every Knight brings something fun to the table, although my favourite had to be Damelas’s best friend, Beretto, the gentle giant, who steals every scene he’s in with his jokes, insights, and desire to ship Damelas with dangerous killers.  However, props also need to go to head actor Abastrini and director Shoville, both of whom rise above expectations and show they have heart and the true passion of an actor.  I also had a lot of fun with the Vixen, the ruthless duellist who serves as one of the best villains in the book.  Her vengeful pursuit of Damelas is a major part of the book, and the various encounters they have, especially once Damelas gains the skills and courage to fight back, are very awesome.  Throw in a beautiful assassin, a sarcastic musician who doubles as a secret agent, a duke with a complex past, and Damelas’s grandfather, a legendary retired Greatcoat who has some brilliant scenes, including one amazing sequence that shows why you don’t mess with old fighters, and the cast of Play of Shadows is something truly special.  I had so much fun witnessing the battles and hijinks of this amazing group of characters, and I cannot wait to follow their future adventures in the rest of the series.

Overall, Play of Shadows was a particularly impressive novel from Sebastien de Castell that has made me very keen to read the rest of his books.  Loaded with action, intrigue, humour, and an entertaining ode to the magic of the theatre, Play of Shadows was a remarkable and highly fun fantasy novel that I could not get enough of.  Easily one of the best books I have so far read in 2024, Play of Shadows comes highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how this outstanding series continues.  You will not be disappointed by this book!

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