Knight's Shadow
The Greatcoats: Book 2
by Sebastien de Castell
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Pub Date Jun 02 2015 | Archive Date Jul 13 2017
Quercus (US) | Jo Fletcher Books
Description
A few days after the horrifying murder of a duke and his family, Falcio val Mond, swordsman and First Cantor of the Greatcoats, begins a deadly pursuit to capture the killer. But Falcio soon discovers his own life is in mortal danger from a poison administered as a final act of revenge by one of his deadliest enemies. As chaos and civil war begin to overtake the country, Falcio has precious little time left to stop those determined to destroy his homeland.
Advance Praise
PRAISE FOR TRAITOR'S BLADE:
"Traitor's Blade is a swashbuckling romp packed with charisma, camaraderie, quick wit and even quicker swordplay. That said, it's far from candy-coated - and it packs some serious substance . . . darkness is served up deliciously in Traitor's Blade - only de Castell uses it as the sauce, not the soup . . . What makes the book truly sing, though, is its rich historical backdrop . . . De Castell's fight scenes are as sumptuously detailed as the world Falcio inhabits. . . In its own way, Traitor's Blade is as grim and dark as the edgiest fantasy series on the shelves. It's also shot through with heroics, hope and a dazzling aptitude for fun."
—Jason Heller, NPR
"Like the sword its disgraced protagonist carries, Traitor's Blade is short and sharp and smart, and very well wielded, really . . . With a tip of his hat at Alexandre Dumas, Sebastien de Castell make a fine first impression in this entertaining debut."
—Tor
"The best Musketeers trope since Dumas's original . . . Fights are well-thought out as de Castell is a former "fight choreographer" (I dare you to put that on your tax return). Fighting, swordplay, and escaping from same form most of the action alongside ten kinds of witty banter, bravado and brio- make no mistake, this is a fun read. The light tone is challenged by ruthless villains, especially Duchess Patriana who, though truly repugnant, is as notably well-constructed as other female characters. An energetic, fun adventure that puts the "musk" back in "musketeer." Guaranteed to increase household swashbuckling by 100%."
—Library Journal
A Library Journal Best Debut of 2014: "A triumph of character, with every protagonist a fascination...this swashbuckling series launch...shows huge potential."
—Library Journal
PRAISE FOR KNIGHT'S SHADOW
"Sebastien De Castell manages to wring every heart wrenching moment and ounce of anticipation from every scene, his fight scenes contain dark humour, explosive action and a great awareness of the art of sword fighting, all of which has you hanging on the edge of every page. (there are also some truly laugh out loud moments in this book) . . . An exceptional book and series . . . this book is clearly going to be a stand out title."
—Parmenion Books
"The shocking ending left my completely stunned . . . Knight's Shadow is the best book I have read this year so far and I'm not sure anything coming out this year can hope to top it!"
—The Arched Doorway
"How wonderful it is to be back into this world . . . wildly entertaining . . . Greatcoats is now up there on my list of favorite fantasy series, and I never miss a chance to recommend it to my fellow readers and friends."
—Bibliosanctum
"[Knight's Shadow] will blow you away . . . Sebastien de Castell has really, really outdone himself. . . I probably will have to wait another year for the third book in the series but it is definitely worth the wait. The Greatcoats series should be on every reading list."
—The Book Plank
"Traitor's Blade" was one of the most enjoyable fantasy debuts of the last year . . . both stem from a time when fantasy was just plain fun and promised quests and excitement, when you opened a book expecting to be entertained . . . It's easy to love de Castell's work . . . readable fantasy at its finest."
—Upcoming 4Me
"This is fast, fantastic fun -and it has an excellent character piece wrapped inside it . . . a great read, and very much a worthy sequel."
—Sci-fi and Fantasy Reviews
"Ends on a satisfying conclusion that nevertheless leaves room for the story to continue in Tyrant's Throne."
— Starburst Magazine
"Balances humour and gravitas brilliantly, and Falcio Val Mond is sure to win many hearts as a relatable protagonist."
—Speculating on SpecFic
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781623653989 |
| PRICE | $26.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Matthew R, Librarian
A worthy sequel and continuing the build the next great fantasy world. A wonderful mixture of the Three Musketeers and fantasy. A must read!
Jennifer H, Librarian
4.5 stars
You know what? For all of the exciting adventures this book took me on, what kept me coming back for more was the characters. Falcio Val Mond has quickly risen to the role of one of my favorite literary heroes because he is truly heroic, despite his flaws (maybe even because of them). He's the type of person that most can only dream of becoming, and yet still remains completely humble. If he weren't enough of an incentive to start this series, well, look no further that his loyal compatriots, The Greatcoats, both old and new.
I can't imagine what sort of journey we'll be taken on in the next book, but perhaps it might be a good idea to take the day off to read it, seeing how much sleep I've lost reading the other books in the series.
Charlene D, Reviewer
The first book in this series, Traitor's Blade, was my absolute favorite read from last year (and definitely one of my favorite books ever). It has action, humor, an inventive and surprising plot, with an idealistic and capable main character. It would be hard for the second book to top the first for me, given how much I adored it. But this book was an amazing and even more action packed sequel!
The plot of this novel is darker and much more involved - "Knight's Shadow" is double the length of "Traitor's Blade"- but the plot never drags and every scene is important to the story. And that became very apparent to me as the plot took on many complex twists and turns. In this book there are conspiracies everywhere, and Falcio is hard-pressed to keep to his moral center when so many of his beliefs are severely tested. But I was thrilled with how Falcio continues to grow as a character in this story. The first book sets up his character pretty conclusively, but somehow in the second his personality and strength of character is further tempered by his experiences and it was satisfying to see how he bore all of his trials. The inner strength of many characters is tested greatly in this book and I found that study of human integrity and weakness to be fascinating.
This is a hard journey of a story because there are so many pitfalls the characters must take and some really shocking revelations. I felt so intensely invested in the characters' plights that it was almost physically painful to read what they had to endure. The storytelling was brilliant though because the way some plot developments would twist on itself was as mesmerizing as it was shocking. This was a fantastically suspenseful and engaging read - even though it was about 600 pages, I felt like I breezed through the book in my determination get to the end of every action-packed chapter.
My love for the first book could have been a fluke, but this second book has cemented my love for the series before it has even finished. It was so invigorating to go on this dangerous, and sometimes painful, but ultimately satisfying adventure with Falcio, Kest, Brasti and the rest of the Greatcoats. This is a series I recommend everyone to read!
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Jane Yolen; Harry Turtledove; Premee Mohamed; Lisa Morton
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