Sebastien De Castell is a huge hit in our Library and I have no doubt this book will be another smash with our students. Fast paced, action packed and breath raking throughout - loved it!

Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley, for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review!

This is a 336 pages long Greatcoats novel but I would have loved to have spent even more time with these awesome characters. So I’m hoping we will get to meet them again in future books! This book is perfectly readable on its own by the way.

It started in a very exciting way!! WHAT A WILD RIDE!!! After that it went into a more slow paced dark mystery (also because of the amazing use of language, it took me a bit longer to read) with an epic ending that gave me goosebumps (especially the final sentence) and the best epilogue <3.

Our main character and Greatcoat Estevar, is one of the King’s traveling magistrates who in this story, investigates unnatural occurrences at a great abbey that towers above the sea called Isola Sombra, set on by the murder of the Gods 2 years ago.

His animal companion is one of the best I’ve ever come across. He’s not a pony but he did remind me of my pony Bounty, who has spent the past 25 years “by my side” trying to bite me a lot and absolutely always doing what he wants, unbothered by restrictions or directions. It’s hilarious at times. Both of them, the real and the fictional companion are strong and entertaining and have my heart.

An unexpected friendship I loved a lot, blooms in this story. As unexpected and surprising as many goings-on in this book.

Estevar has a passion for justice, a talent for observation and he is quite the character (reckless, funny, terribly clever and determined come to mind).

I was in awe of the writing and the details that slowly built the scenes in my head and of how the author made something so well known to me as peaceful and holy, into something threatening and cursed.

I’m going to end this review with praise for some amazing side characters! Among them a hilarious actor/knight and a few strong somewhat excentric women.

Oh wow, he has done it again. Can I say I am not surprised? He has written another amazing and interesting book. There was just something about this book, as soon as I started reading this book, I just loved it. To a point I didn’t want to put it down. The writing style in which Sebastien has is just incredibly. He has managed to create characters that you wanted to find more about, and find out what is going to happen to them. The storyline of this novel was very intriguing to a point I didn’t want to put it down. The characters developed throughout the book. And I loved it. Did I say that already? WIth how the book ended, I just want more, to find out more about the journey of the main characters. I will be silently and patiently waiting for another book.

I was so excited for this book, and I was let down by it so badly. If this hadn't been an arc, I wouldn't have finished it.

Let me start with the good: the mystery is well-crafted, and the world-building fascinating. The characters, if not exactly complex, are still original and fairly compelling.

Here end the good things I can say about this book, unfortunately. It squanders its potential. The biggest issue is the prose. It's is not bad, but it doesn't suit the tone: it's too verbose and that verboseness, in a dark, tense story that requires sparseness to make its point, undercuts the tension at every step.

Two stars because the bones were good, but the execution was severely lacking.

Crucible of Chaos returns us to the world of the Greatcoats. This was an enjoyable read and it was good to be back in the Greatcoats world. I would probably recommend reading the Greatcoats series first to get the most out of this book, but you can read this without reading the series.

Estevar Borros is one of the legendary sword-fighting magistrates known as the Greatcoats and the king's personal investigator of the supernatural.
He answers the call of monks of an abbey fighting over claims of a new pantheon arising following the murder of the old gods.

With his trusty, noble steed called Impetuous, Estevar must act as the crucible - sorting the falsities from the truth amidst demons, mad monks, and raving factions. 
It reads as a historical, justice-seeking, supernatural, dark fantasy. So, there’s something for everyone.

Do you need to read The Greatcoats series before this?
Yes, if you want the full backstory and history.
However, Castell does a brilliant job of giving you a brief overview of what happened and previous characters and stories are treated as legends in Estevar’s own adventures.
So, in that respect I think this stands quite well on its own.

The tone appears quite pretentious and is quite lethargic and long-winded. It’s a lot more similar in tone to the last book of the Greatcoats series, but with slightly less humour as there’s less characters to bounce off.
That’s not to say Castell doesn’t deliver some high-handed, hilarious gems. Especially insults.

”Rest assured, I will pay a reasonable fee for its loan, especially if I decide to stain this blade by carving your worthless hide, you pitiful, prancing popinjay, you crust of defecation stuck to the heel of better men's boots, so lacking in substance that you cannot even stink with distinction.”

Expect a lot of philosophical musings on faith, belief, and the power of, well, power.
Ultimately, I always find these kind of debates stimulating and fascinating in fantasy settings, but I know many others find it dry and a topic of self-indulgence.

“I have observed such rifts forming, theological differences festering into factionalism that tears religious communities apart and sets at each other the lay people whose own lives intertwine with those of the so-called faith, for all they never started the disputes and rarely understand the matters.”

Overall, quite slow for what one might expect to be a sword-wielding fantasy. Instead, expect a lot more clue-seeking, speculating, and judging.
Oh, and quite a few comments about Estevar being fat.

I would recommend this if you enjoyed the Justice of Kings by Richard Swan.

Thank you to Quercus Books for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Sebastien de Castell returns with a tour de force prequel to his new Greatcoats series - a delightful mashup of Poirot and fantasy. If you’re a de Castell fan, this will not disappoint, and if you’ve not yet jumped into the Greatcoats world this wouldn’t be a terrible starting point.
Estevar was first introduced in the short story Dance of the Chamberlain, and is a promising successor to Falcio val Mond, the lead character in the original Greatcoats series. Hopefully we will see more of him.

As a newbie to the Greatcoats universe I didnt know what to expect but this book delivered. The world building is beautifully delivered in vivid detail and while complex the magic system is woven into this seamlessly. I found the writing style whimsical and captivating and the characters and plot moved along at enjoyable pace to get me intrigued. The characters were fun and likeable in my opinion and I looked forward to more in this series but for now I am off to read the other Greatcoat books!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Crucible of Chaos' by Sebastien de Castell.

'Crucible of Chaos' is Sebastien de Castell's newest novel and it has all of his fancy writing in it as usual. I love his work but it's always very hit and miss and sadly this didn't hit as much as I liked. I love his fanciful writing style but I didn't really feel connected to the setting or any characters.

I will preface by saying I have not read any of the other books by this author - I believe this book stands alone very well but I'm not familiar with the Greatcoats universe.

The universe is one of the true strengths of this book - the world building is detailed and feels natural, with complex magic and the occult woven through. The writing is good, with rich detail and a very interesting plot that kept me guessing. Most of the characters are brilliant - Imperious was my absolute favourite and I had a big soft spot for Caeda.

However - it took me a really long time to get into this book because I could not stand the MC Estevar. I found him generally intolerable, with some moments where I warmed up to him but then I was hit in the face again by a facet I didn't like. I also didn't enjoy the reminder of his weight what felt like every other page - it didn't feel necessary or particularly add anything.

Characters are a real personal preference, so I'm sure for many people Estevar will be a hero. For me, it subtracted from a brilliant plot - which is what saved this book from being a DNF for me.

Meet Estevar the greatcoat and his mule Imperious as they solve a murder mystery. Yet again Sebastien de castell has written another Greatcoat story ( and long may it continue) This story involves a supernatural murder mystery at an Abbey. The abbot summons the magistrate to settle a dispute among the monks and it turns out to be a whole lot more than that! I love the Greatcoats! you can read this without reading the first quartet but once you have read this believe me you will want to read them all! 5 stars

Huzzah , I believe I may be the first person to review this story on goodreads!!

Firstly! This book was incredibly fun and gosh have I missed the Greatcoats! No author writes like Sebastian de Castell. He's truly unique. His style and writing is whimsical, fluent and oddly beautiful, but also with an incredible ability to write a captivating and absorbing story.

This was a Greatcoats murder mystery. I wasn't expecting it, but it was fantastic.

The world of Tristia has changed! And we no longer ride with our three amigos Falcio, Kest and Brasti. A new hero has arrived! Estevar Borros!! (And his delightful sidekick Imperious the Mule!

Estevar is intelligent, articulate and quite the charmer. We get to experience him breaking down a mysterious murder and goings on, whilst maintaining the Greatcoats traditions and laws.

I just loved this book and cant wait for more. As SdC says himself. A new darkness threatens and new hero's will rise to face it

Crucible of Chaos By Sebastien De Castell
Release date 7th December
This book, this book, this book at the moment this is all I can say about this book it is like opening a door and coming home this is a book that follows the great coats and this needs to be read after the main great coat series and I can see why Sebastien De Castell said that Estevar was one of his favourite greatcoats to read about he is someone who is full of high morals and his love for his mule is something I am never going to be able to get over because they are adorable and I cannot wait for you all to read about it.
The world has been expanded but it still feels that you know where you are and where you are going with it, in a sense where you are not lost but it is brand new. My heart is so full from being able to read this book so thank you for Netgalley for allowing me to read this as well as Jo fletcher books. I will always shout out Sebastien books from the rooftops and I cannot wait to discuss this with others especially my friends about certain things in this book.
This book had me in a chokehold of emotions where when I got to 85% I still was not sure how it was going to end and it had me on the edge of my seat especially with a few of the twists that happened. It made me needing to know about what was going to happen. If you loved the greatcoats you are going to love this book, and this is the perfect in between before play of shadows comes out next year. If you are looking for a swashbuckling book with references to the the greatcoats throughout where you will smile when Estevar gives you some quirky comments about them, this will be the book I will be recommending to all to read in 2024 if they are up to date.

This was a fun time and have me pretty much everything I wanted from this universe. de Castell keeps knocking it out of the park.

This is going to be the most useless review ever because I'm basically still recovering. But I feel like I just took a long drink of cool water when I didn't even know I was thirsty. No spoilers since this doesn't come out for a while yet, but this was exactly what I wanted in the Greatcoats universe.