it has been many years, and i am so very sorry, but i really do not think i will continue on with this series - even though i have loved so much from sebastien in the past! thank you so very much <3

For four months Kellan has been on the run from the Jan’Tep after he discovered corruption within his clan. Now Kellan, his enthusiastically murderous/thieving business partner (don’t call him a pet) squirrel-cat Reichis, and Kellan’s still mysterious mentor in the way of the Argosi Ferius Parfax find themselves wandering through the Seven Sands avoiding the hextrackers sent after them.

When they run into a girl who seems to be afflicted with the Shadowblack, same as Kellan, their investigations lead to a conspiracy involving blackmail and murder.

I really liked that Sebastian de Castell chose to have Kellan leave at the end of Spellslinger. I was excited to open up this wild-west fantasy world and see Kellan grow as a character and Shadowblack does just that by starting Kellan on his journey.

The story starts out with Kellan in a predicament we saw quite frequently in Spellslinger: getting into a fight, and subsequently losing said fight. Almost as an homage of where he’s been, by the end of Shadowblack we see where Kellan’s character has the potential to go, and I liked that a lot. While he still exhibits his penchant for getting into/out of trouble on the spot, he’s still struggling with the uncertainty of his path since the traditional way of the Jan’Tep is all but closed off to him. But the maturity he shows as he learns what options await him speaks to wonderful character growth.

Much of Kellan’s growth comes from Ferius Parfax’s influence, however frustrating Kellan may find it as Ferius still manages to maintain the air of mystery that surrounds her and the way of the Argosi. We do meet up with another Argosi, and pretty much what we learn from that experience is Ferius still marches to the beat of her own drum. The way she teaches Kellan and the wisdom she imparts is subtle, but I loved seeing it put to good use by Kellan in the end. I equally look forward to continuing to learn more about Ferius as her story unfolds along with Kellan’s.

Shawdowblack’s storyline, like with the characters, builds upon what was started in Spellslinger and leaves a clear path of where the story will go next. With things still unresolved between Kellan and his family, I can’t imagine that, in the end, all roads won’t lead Kellan back to the Jan’Tep, but in the meantime I’m enjoying seeing him spread his wings a little as he continues to defy expectations.

Thanks to Orbit for an ARC of ‘Shadowblack’ in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC in no way influences my thoughts or opinions on the novel. I also want to thank Castell for another highly entertaining adventure alongside Kellen, Reichis and Ferius.

Picking right up where Spellslinger left off, we join Kellen, Reichis, and Ferius trekking the borderlands and crossing paths with a young woman who is plagued with a deadly curse. This curse ends up being more widespread than Kellen could’ve ever imagined, and it is a race against the clock to save this mysterious woman and others before the curse courses its way through them. Meanwhile, enemies with advanced magical power begin to stack up around Kellen and his comrades, creating a whirlwind of danger that they may not be able to escape.

Perfect,’ she said, then promptly sat down in the dirt.
‘I’m just going to sit here until the world starts making sense, if that’s all right.’
‘You might be waiting a long time,’ I said.

Castell has created such an easy-to-read, fun, and highly entertaining series here for all sorts of age groups. Just because it has a YA tag doesn’t mean adults can’t enjoy it as much as teens. There is just so much to love here: magic, mystery, murder, an unpredictable card thrower, and a squirrel-cat. What more could you ask for?

While there is still no clear path for Kellen after becoming an outcast, there are several attempts made to push him toward one, though none seem to be working out. His days as a spellslinger, as well as having the shadowblack, continue to keep him on the lam, but at least he has friends (loose term) to keep him company.

My favorite character of the series still has to be Reichis. His penchant for a hot bath and buttered biscuits, but also his consistent want to claw out his foe’s eyes, always keeps the reader on their toes because they never know what will come out of his mouth next. (He sort of reminds me of Lying Cat, The Will’s side-kick, in the Saga graphic novels by Brian K. Vaughan).

If you read Spellslinger and liked it, you’ll pick up Shadowblack. If you haven’t had a chance to read Spellslinger, do yourself a favor. You won’t regret it.