Soulbinder is a marvellous continuation of the Spellslinger series, which has rapidly become one of my favourite YA fantasy series ever. Though I can't really get into the plot too much - because how do you talk about book 4 without spoilers?! = the humour, adventure, magic and character work is as spot on as ever. For plot reasons, there is less of Reichis the horrible/wonderful squirrel cat in this book, which is a bit of a shame as he's my favourite, but Kellen continues to mature before our eyes, and I loved meeting the new additions to the cast, especially Butelios and Diadera.

As ever, Kellen's fate ends up even more complicated by the events of this book, and I'm excited to see what else can go wrong for him in Queenslayer!

A fantastic addition to a series that keeps getting better with every installment. A fast-paced book with incredible writing, wonderful characters and a captivating fantasy world, Soulbinder keeps you enthralled at every turn.

Another amazing installment for this series! Kept me on my toes throughout and I can't wait for the next one!

The lastest installment in the Spellslinger series proves de Castell just gets better and better. the only downside of Soulbinder is the lack of Ferius and Reichis... But the fast moving plot, the twists and turns, and cinnamon roll that is Kellen pretty much make up for it.

"Life ought to be more than just losing the things you love one after another until you have nothing left"

* * * *
4 / 5

I love these books. I've embraced the cheesiness of them, their episodic sort of nature and their charm. The wit of Ferius Parfax, the questions in Kellen's head, and the hilarious viciousness of Rechis. Soulbinder keeps all of that and shakes it up a little, adding something a little more. 

"So many lies. Hers. Mine. How were any of us not crushed under the weight of them?"

As per usual, Soulbinder starts with Kellen and Rechis in a bit of a fix - namely, some folks are trying to kill them. But this time, Ferius isn't swooping in to save them. When they black out on the sands, feeling death swooping over them, I thought they were sure to be saved by Ferius - that it was just a matter of time. But instead Kellen is kidnapped by an order of creepy monks, taken back to their creepy black castle with its creepy blokes and its secrets. There's something going on here. 

There, Kellen makes friends and allies and enemies and begins to find out a little more about his curse. As always, his obnoxious younger sister keeps cropping up with her little tricks and Kellen's father is flapping about with his war coven. This book really feels like it's Kellen vs the world and that gives Soulbinder a different feel to the previous books, where Kellen is part of a trio. Kellen has his tricks, his increasingly smooth ways of talking, and it feels like he really is becoming an argosi; but Kellen also has a darkness in his eye and the world is set against him and at the Abbey he finds he isn't quite alone. It's pretty heartwarming. 

"Like my father once said, everything is tricks with me. The problem with tricks, though, is that sometimes the most devastating trick is the one that's been played on you"

Soulbinder has got it all - wit, humour, moral dilemmas, themes of family and love and belonging. I can't wait for the next one!

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of Soulbinder

I have loved the Spellslinger series thus far and I think that this fourth offering is probably my favourite. The world expands once again here, showing us a completely different sector that we haven't been privy to up to now and it just goes to confirm de Castell as a consummate author truly comfortable in the world he has created. Kellen is challenged more seriously in this book and there is definitely a darker tone to the narrative overall, without losing the snarky asides to the reader that we have come to expect. There are some heartbreaking scenes here too and I would definitely say that this instalment is not for the faint-hearted with some pretty unpleasant characters rearing their heads. All in all, I really enjoyed the direction that this book has taken and am very much looking forward to the next offering in the Spellslinger universe.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sebastien de Castell's books arealways a rollicking adventure and packed with with wit. Spellslinger 4 was no exception. The world continues to thrill and Sebastien continues to be a must-read author!

4.5of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2018/11/01/soulbinder-spellslinger-4-by-sebastien-de-castell/
I’m absolutely loving Sebastien deCastell’s Spellslinger series and I think quite possibly Soulbinder is my favourite so far although there’s very little to call between them as I’ve enjoyed every book to date.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet then I would implore you to do so – are you afraid to be happily entertained?! Seriously though if you’re planning on picking up these books then this review could possibly contain spoilers so beware.

The story this time around is decidedly darker, our outlawed boy Kellen and is wise cracking-butter-biscuit-loving squirrel cat are alone. If you recall from book 3 they took off without their companions in a bid to save dragging people they care for into further danger. Kellen is still desperately seeking a cure and is still being relentlessly pursued by bounty hunters employed by his own people ever since he displayed signs of the Shadowblack. There’s talk of an Ebony Abbey which Kellen thinks may offer some answers to his troubles. He’s been searching relentlessly and trying to get answers any way he can, all whilst trying to stay alive. It seems his search has drawn attention.

I really like what Castell did with this instalment. He chucks Kellen into a situation where he can’t rely on others and it’s definitely a great way of making him grow as a character and whilst I missed the sass and wit that Ferius usually brings to the story I think this was a cunning plan and I’ll tell you why. Just like Kellen himself, I was constantly expecting somebody to rescue him when he fell into any sort of danger and to be honest this shook me out of that comfortable lazy reverie and was frankly much needed. With this book he has to start to rely more on himself – he also keeps thinking that somebody will come to his aid and with the sudden dawning of light that it isn’t going to happen he is forced to become self reliant.

I have to hand it to Kellen, he’s really coming on as a character. There were a number of touching events that happen in this book, you observe him as he comes to realise that he’s left everything he knows behind, which is definitely a lonely feeling, you see him deal with loss, and come to a number of realisations about his own family. Having found a bunch of other people also with the Shadowblack you have a moment of thinking that he may have found a place to settle down with similar people and then you watch him struggle to come to that moment of truth when he realises that he doesn’t really fit into either this Shadowblack camp or back home with his own people. Here are two different camps, both so steadfast in their own beliefs and ways that they refuse to compromise. Maybe Kellen will be the unexpected catalyst of change. Difficult to say at the moment.

This book brings to us more insight into the Shadowblack – not everyone considers it to be evil although there is evidence here that it’s use can lead to madness and possession. I really loved finding out the ways in which other people with the Shadowblack use it’s magic. The fast travel was really intriguing and learning a little more of what Kellen is capable of.

I can’t really talk too much more about what happens in the book. There’s a big old show down. Kellen’s family become involved and as a result there are betrayals and revelations. And the ending, well, I didn’t see that coming at all and it’s a very interesting development – well two interesting developments now I think about it.

I feel like this is a very brief review but I would point out that the length is not a reflection of my feelings for this series. I read this and book number three within days of each other and if book five was available right now – oh yes, that bad boy would be in grubby little mitts right now.

This is a wonderfully entertaining, well written, creative series that is a great deal of fun to read. It’s becoming much more involved as the tale progresses and the threats become a lot more deadly and I’m so attached to these characters now. I hope Ferius has more involvement in the next book and Nephenia too for that matter. They’re a great team and I care about them. Which reminds me – *shakes fist* and side eyes author – you know why mister. That is all.

I really hope this series gains the success it deserves.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Time to return to Sebastien de Castell’s fabulously quirky little Spellslinger series. I’ve missed it!

One of the joys of reading these books so far has been that you can pretty much pick them up in almost any order and still have a fairly good idea of what’s going on. Not any more, though: with Soulbinder, de Castell really steps up a gear and catapults our hero, Kellen, into a fully fledged exploration of what his Shadowblack curse really means. And, bonus: we also get to see some cool powers!

We catch up with Kellen in the middle of a desert. He’s been left for dead by a Shadowblack bounty hunter, but he’s saved by members of the Ebony Abbey: a group of Shadowblacks who have hidden in seclusion from the rest of the world for years. And, surprise! Shadowblack is a lot more complicated than we thought.

Watching Kellen grow over the course of this series has actually (weirdly) been a real pleasure. I feel like the strangest kind of parent saying that, but I love the fact that De Castell isn’t afraid to make his character unlikeable when it’s needed, or petulant. He’s very much an underdog, with a few tricks to his name rather than a grand destiny or great magic power. Kellen comes across as a much more believable teenager as a result- especially when he’s trying to talk to girls, in one of the books most entertaining sequences- but when you see him grow, you feel weirdly proud of him. Yay, Kellen! You’ve stepped up and proven yourself!

Of course, the book wouldn’t be complete without Kellen’s friends, Reichis, Ferius Parfax and Nehemia. There’s (spoiler!) not a lot of Ferius here, which I was sad about. Or Reichis! Instead, we’re forced to see how our hero survives without the help of his friends, with a group of people who are just like him. And while some of the characters are fascinating- the Abbot, for instance- I was a tad disappointed at the way the characters seem all to be brushed aside by the end of the book. No more fresh starts!

On the other hand, we finally get answers. Shadowblack has been hanging over the entire series since the start, so it was great to delve into that a bit more. It’s felt a bit like De Castell was holding back on us over the past three books, actually- and then said ‘Sod it’ and gave us a whole book on Shadowblack. I don’t want to give too much away, but we finally find out what it really is, what it can do, and also the fate of people who have the Shadowblack. All good and juicy stuff, especially when Kellen’s family get involved, with their pledge to rid the world of Shadowblack completely.

That’s where things really do get good, because De Castell has a talent for finely balancing the serious and sad with the funny. There is a lot of dark here, including one really sad scene that had tears pricking the corners of my eyes- but then again, two pages later I’d be splitting my sides with laughter. It’s a great balance, and one that had me racing through the pages.

Nimbly treading the line between happy and sad, funny and serious- and always fresh and imaginative- this was a lovely little reprieve from reality. Well done, Sebastien de Castell! You’ve done it again.

Now I’m waiting for the next book…

I enjoyed this a LOT! This series has really grown on me -- while I had slightly mixed opinions about the first book, I've got more and more invested as it's gone on, and every book is more enjoyable than the last. I love the various magic systems, and how this isn't a fantasy world where there is just one way to be magical: different people do it differently. And, sometimes, one person does it in a bunch of different ways, like Kellen.

I love how Kellen's character isn't brilliant at any one thing, but by combining all his different skills, he's able to succeed where others fail -- ultimately his gift is one of inventiveness, and a lot of talent for improvisation. And he's not equally good at any of his individual skills, either; some are stronger than others. It makes him feel interesting rather than overpowered, despite him having access to abilities others don't have.

I also enjoy the snarky, humorous narration, which has again grown on me since the first book. There are often references to bits of worldbuilding we haven't seen before (e.g. Kellen will insult someone, then explain why his insult was bad in the terms of that person's culture), which can occasionally feel a bit sudden, like they've been thrown in there, but mostly they're just effective at giving us an understanding of the different peoples and cultures of this world. And we get to see more of it, geographically, in this one too.

Ferius isn't in this one much, other than in Kellen's mind and memories. It's a shame, because I like her, but at the same time, it does avoid it just being a repeat of previous books. As Kellen himself remarks, there's been a pattern to his previous life-threatening experiences, and it usually involves being rescued by Ferius. Now, forced to rely on his OWN skills and also his own understanding of Argosi wisdom, I think he grows as a character, and we really get to see what he's capable of.

I'll try and write a full review for my blog at some point (I'm currently on hiatus, but hope to start posting again in November), but on the whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable instalment in a series I'm getting increasingly fond of.

I discovered the first book in the Spellslinger series in December 2017, and after reading the following two books in the series earlier this year, it's become a huge favourite.

So, I was more than excited to see Soulbinder pop up in NetGalley as I was desperate to find out what happened after the events of Charmcaster. I'm going to do my very best here to keep any spoilers out of this review, but if you haven't read the first three books of this series, you might want to look away now. You can find my reviews of book two (Shadowblack) and book three (Charmcaster) by clicking on the respective links.

This series goes from strength to strength with each new instalment that I read, and Soulbinder is no exception. It felt much more action-packed than the other books in the series, which really sped up the pace.

I have noticed a few recurring trends in these books, often with how they start (in the form of the trouble that Kellen is usually in), something bad happening to my favourite character, and the endings which lead Kellen on a new path and show how much he's grown, but each time it's something a little different that keeps things fresh and moving forward, and whilst each individual book has a sub-plot, the overall plot is continuously fuelled and driven forwards.

One of the best things about this book is the new characters, in particular, Butelios who is the absolute sweetest person, and the source of many, many smiles during his interactions with Kellen.

"...wearing an idiots smile so bright it made you want to kiss him. Even if you weren't into boys."

(Shame, because I'd totally ship these two!)

Kellen has developed beautifully throughout this series, discovering new strengths, facing his weaknesses, learning new truths and just becoming a better person. He truly rules this book (as does my little fur baby Reichis, of course) and his agony was so painful to witness, even though at the same time you can visibly see just how much he's grown and learned from Ferius and Reichis, becoming the hero (I personally believe) he was destined to be all along.

This book is the most heart-wrenching of the entire series, and I was so close to sobbing at one point that I almost didn't want to continue, so brace yourself for ALL THE FEELS!

"Life ought to be more than just losing the things you love one after another until you have nothing left."

As always, the politics between the various regions, clans, peoples etc. in this series, made the book extremely interesting, as did seeing the cast of new characters clashing with the old. Look out for some pretty awesome new displays of magic!!

The book itself is absolutely stunning, so far we've had beautifully illustrated covers in red, blue, orange and now green...I think the next one is purple and it's going to look stunning! The illustrations inside are also beautiful and work extremely well alongside the funny and poignant quotes at the start of each paragraph.

"Cages have bars and everyone knows you're supposed to escape a cage, but houses have walls and people lock themselves inside to feel safe. You ask me, it's a lot easier to break out of a cage than a house. - What passes for Squirrel Cat Wisdom."

After reading Soulbinder, I can't wait to find out where Kellen's journey takes him next, to discover new enemies, reface old ones, to reconnect with past characters, to be introduced to new ones, and above all, to see what kind of man he becomes.

"...I won't know for sure until I meet the man you're going to be once you finally get tired of being the boy you once were."

If fantasy and magic is your thing and you're looking for a story featuring an unlikely non-typical hero, a ferocious, bloodthirsty squirrel cat, beautiful friendships, brutal enemies and uncertainty at every turn, I highly recommend that you read this series!

This book hurt my heart a lot. For one thing, Kellen started off not knowing if a couple of his friends were dead and we were kept in suspense through most of the book!! I'm not going to tell you which friends or if they survived but it was a really rough ride! I teared up several times. It really reminded me just how much I loved these characters and how much I never want anything bad to happen to any of them ever! Too bad these books are basically about Kellen and his friends suffering through various attempts on their lives!

I've said before how much I adore this series. I've mentioned that Kellen just feels like such a realistic character and how awesome Reichis is (I was gonna say cute but then I thought he might decide to eat my eyeballs if I said that! I'm pretty sure the fact that he's trapped between the pages of a book wouldn't be enough to stop a squirrelcat!). I don't want to keep writing the same post over and over again for each book. But I don't have much else to say really. The books are so amazing and they've kept such a great standard for the whole series. There's only a few series that have been able to maintain the same level of enthusiasm from me for this long.

I think something that did hit me on this retelling was how good the overarching narrative was. I was fortunate enough to meet De Castell at a blogger meet earlier this month and he talked about how Kellen's story is connected very closely to his own feelings of being Canadian and growing older to find out how badly the native Canadian population have been (and still are) treated. I've always liked that it's a story that shows a people who have invaded and basically wiped out the people who owned the lands they inhabit and the fact that it really doesn't shy away from this fact and the horror that Kellen feels to be Jan'tep because of this, but I think that after hearing the author talk about it, it felt more prominent to me. It's a really important subject matter and I'm really glad to see people writing about it when so many people try to forget or hide it.

Do I really need to say go read this series again? What are you waiting for, it's fantastic!?

Soulbinder is the fourth in Sebastien De Castell’s ‘Spellbringer’ series. These books follow a fast-talking, fast-thinking scion of a magic-using family. Except that he has no magic of his own, and is, by the time of Soulbinder, on the run from his own people. The Spellslinger books have always fused an engaging protagonist with an interesting world, one with saloons, jailbreaks and bounty hunters; there’s tropes from silver-screen Westerns blended into the fantasy here, and together they make a pretty spicy stew. The previous books in the series established the world, and let us watch the protagonist, Kellen, as he grew from a thoughtful but spoiled youth into a young man in whom idealism blended with pragmatism, a determination to do the right thing backed by a willingness to sacrifice for the friends he’s made along the way. Now Kellen has struck out in an effort to make his own path – though that path may lead into darker places.

Soulbinder wants to explore Kellen’s ‘Shadowblack’ a bit more. It’s seen as a disease by his people, one which inevitably ends in madness and death. For a people with a penchant for spectacular and catastrophic magic, containing a mage driven mad by the Shadowblack could be difficult or impossible, and the damage they wrought could be appalling. Fortunately for those worried about Shadowblack, the disease manifests physically as well as mentally – as patterns of darkness, like ink, on the body. Unfortunately for Kellen, his Shadowblack was under his eye, immediately marking him as a liability and a potential threat. That disease is his curse, and he knows that it’s eating at him inside, even while he thinks about using any powers it grants.

I’ve got a lot of time for Kellen. He’s a lost and confused teenager, trying to work out what he’s doing and who he is. Previous books wrapped that confusion up in more anger, more petulance, alongside his intellectual curiosity; by Soulbinder, we’re looking at a young man who, if not sure of himself, is at least taking strides in that direction. Asking questions and not backing down in the face of the answers, poking holes in authority and certainty through his existence, that’s definitely Kellen.

Still insecure? That’s part of Kellen too, his questions not always external. Kellen wants to know why he is how he is, and that level of introspection is in careful balance with his growing self-confidence. Certainties are something he’s looking for but also mistrusts. Investigating, seeking truth, is becoming part of his mindset. A lot of Soulbinder is that search for truth, both in the external factors – what is Shadowblack, what will it do? – and the internal. Who is Kellen, and what will they do?

Alongside Kellen’s journey are a posse of a supporting cast. There’s fewer of the characters we’e come to know and love, and I felt their lack keenly; but the overall ensemble is still strong. There’s a lot of new personalities to get a grip on, but they each carry enough weight, enough complexity, that they feel like real people. Still, as Kellen finds himself out there on a limb, flailing for familiarity, I was right there with him, looking for the characters that had carried me through the series so far. That said, new friends aren’t the worst thing, and the people Kellen meets carry in them the best and worst of humanity – arrogance, acceptance, pride and humility all wrapped up in one bundle.

The plot? Well, I won’t spoil it. But Kellen starts off badly, that’s a fact, and whether things get better or worse from there is definitely a matter of opinion. De Castell continues his streak of building worlds which are one part epic grace, one part used environment, darkened towers soaring over well-worn streets. And into that world steps our protagonist, who is determined to find himself, or build himself, to serve his own ideals, to do what’s right and be prepred to play a little hardball to get a result. There’s some moments where magic finally breaks loose, its effects a startling explosion of beautiful prose, its effects no less effective, but far more bloody. There’s politics at all levels, from the individual simmer of romance to the vicious boil of inter-nation deals. There’s families here too; Kellen struggling to make his association with his people make sense, and struggling with the loyalty he feels to different found-families. Also, stuff blows up real good.



This is a book which approaches its audience with questions – who are you, what do you want, how do you shape your outcomes, what costs are you willing to bear. It doesn’t answer those as much as live them, giving us Kellen as someone who is willing to make choices, to soldier on regardless. To do what’s right. It’s not always a book with answers, and I think that narrative ambiguity is a strength – leaving the reader to fill the negative space with their own truths.

This is a complicated book, and while it has something to say, it also has a lot to draw out of the reader. That it does so under a fast-paced fantasy adventure, with some epic banter, pretty/explosive spells, and a heart of loyalty and friendship – well, that’s really impressive.

If you’re coming in to De Castell fresh, maybe try the first in this series.

If this isn’t your first rodeo, then this is the book you’ve been waiting to read.

Soulbinder is the 4th book in the Spellslinger series and continues Kellen's journey with his loyal business partner Reichis as he is searching for a cure to the shadowblack.

Kellen's relationships with the characters of the previous books become more complex and the reader learns more about the relationships between Kellen and his family. Kellen is definitely not the perfect chosen one hero and this shows even more in Soulbinder where he has to make some tough choices while dealing with what could become of him.

The Shadowblack powers that are introduced in Soulbinder are so interesting and are a welcome addition to the already diverse magic systems that are in Kellen's world.

I highly recommend this series as Kellen's journey is vastly different than the average fantasy main character journey and is one of the most hilarious fantasy books out there.

*Thank you to Hot Key Books for a copy, all opinions voiced are my own*

It's way too easy to be casual about long-running series, but Soulbinder is the best Spellslinger book since the explosive debut (don't ask me to pick between them: they're both magnificent). While there's a tried and tested formula in play - push Kellen's boundaries, test his courage, put him in situations where he's hopelessly overmatched and see how he improvises and quips his way out of them - I love that these books constantly extend and deepen their emotional range as well as their geographical one (yes, expect more fabulous world-building). De Castell even made me question some of my basic assumptions: Soulbinder feels less _safe_ than its predecessors, and I was less certain of a happy ending. The resulting rollercoaster is intense, and I loved every minute. I had grown a little blase about the Spellslinger books as breezy, light entertainment - Soulbinder made the stakes feel awfully high, and the threats very, very real. Absorbing on every level - highly recommended for YA and adult readers alike.

As ever, the author weaves a tangled web of intrigue, the reader is never quite sure who is the good guy/gal in this one. The search for a cure by the central character introduces a new setting and a bunch of new characters. The writing is tight with a focussed plot that moves along at a steady clip. Tension is introduced at regular intervals which hastens the pace. Care needs to be taken when reading these scenes as not only is there a lot of action going on but also key actions can occur, so my advice is not to skim these to arrive at a solution, as this may not be quite as you expect. Characterisation is very strong as usual with a nice breadth to the individual differences. It is also good to see gender blurring throughout. Female characters are invariably strong and feisty, they are also manipulatory, but capable of being supportive and loving. The central character never seems to fully understand the personalities around him, but is very good at 'type' identification and is occasionally rewarded when his labelling works in his favour.

World-building remains strong in this series with locations that are readily visualised. Similarly, the magic system is both unusual and interesting. What is paramount in this series is the plot. Characters come and go at the whim of the storyline. This has the desired effect where the reader is often wrong-footed about a character's motives and centrality. Characters that appear to be abandoned from previous books, as well as in this story, reappear; whilst others, that appear central, are cast aside without any real description . With regards to the latter, I had to read several large sections again to be sure that a particular character was still part of the plot and even then I am not sure.

There are hints at love and passion, but they are never really fixed on any particular characters, emotions seem quite transitory in most cases. There is a core set of affections that so far have survived the turmoils that surround the central character, but it is only slowly being revealed what these truly mean.

As with previous books, there is no real resolution to this story and so the hero moves on. Continued reference to an impending full-scale war remains a feature of the series, but there is still no mention of its nature or participants.

This remains a good read and a pleasure to immerse in its twists and turns

I was delighted to receive this via netgalley. I have to admit I am slightly biased about this author having read all the Greatcoats books. These books are meant for younger readers however I love the sense of adventure and the magic imbued in these books and wish they were around when I was younger, not that I can’t still enjoy them now.
I love the sense of humour developed between Kellen and his irascible sidekick Reichis the squirrel cat. Kellen has now struck out on his own and appears to be in more trouble than ever. He doesn’t know what has happened to Reichis which greatly saddens him. He is totally alone as Ferius and Nephrenia are behind him somewhere many leagues away and people still want him dead.Little does he know there is more death and betrayal on the horizon and he will have some hard choices to make especially where his loyalties lie.
His magic is still unexplained and even the coins he has acquired are still a bit of an enigma to him. Even though his Argosi mentor Ferius is not physically there her words resonate with him. This is what makes it such an excellent read you don’t always see what is coming or where the plot is heading.
The cover art and drawings in these books are an added bonus. The world building is excellent and so is the character portrayal, no one is exactly what they appear to be. The magic is an interesting element as are the cards and coins. Looking forward to more of the adventure.

This is the fourth in de Castell's fantasy series featuring exiled Jan'Tep mage Kellen Argos and his formidable "business partner", squirrel cat Reichis. It follows Spellslinger, Shadowblack and Charmcaster (mild spoilers for which may follow).

As was clear from the end of Charmcaster, Kellen is now alone (apart from Reichis) and when we meet him again at the start of Soulbinder, he is at his wits' end in the desert ("the desert is a liar"). It's the moment when in previous books Ferius would have pulled off some stroke or other and saved the day - but Ferius isn't there. Kellen has left her. He is forced back on his own resources, and they're running very low. Soon even more challenges arrive, combining family loyalties, Jan'Tep plots to wipe out those infected with the shadowblack, and counterplots by a whole community of the shadow touched.

Soulbinder is in many ways a bleaker book than those which came before, as Kellen makes a journey into darkness on several levels. The shadowblack continues to spread. Kellen doesn't know who to trust, or how to save what he loves. Not only must he cope with all this alone, bearing a crushing loss and suffering the pain of betrayal ("I hated my sister. I loved my sister") even more sharply than before. Not only being treated as a spy, and being unable to manipulate the shadows, just as he can't use Jan'Tep magic.

More than all this, I think, Kellen sees again what he is missing - the home he was exiled from and the friendships he can't be part of because he is hunted and outlawed. For much of this book he's trying to work out how, if at all, he can fit in with a whole pack of new shadowcasters but Kellen's not used to this (as we have seen before) - Jan'Tep society is much more hierarchical and since he left it he's been in strange company and generally fighting for his life. Not the best way to learn social graces.

Yet a great deal hangs on Kellen's success. Not only Kellen's own life, but that of someone else very close to him, and potentially those of the new "friends" and their community in Ebony Abbey, to which exiles cursed by the shadow black make their way for sanctuary. There's also the question of what's wanted from him - this book sees the powerful trying to tempt him to their side with plausible arguments and it's as much Kellen's moral compass that is tested as his courage and ingenuity. (We can see what de Castell feels about these blandishments fro m the chapter headings, where various nuggets of folk wisdom are expounded and then dismissed scathingly:

"A king rules not for himself, but for his people. Thus he can not be bound by conscience, but must instead be guided by every deed necessary for the survival of his realm.

- Platitude frequently used by arseholes to justify their actions"

I think Kellen steps up to all these challenges very well, much better than in the previous books - effectively he has much more responsibility now, even if he still despairs at what he has to do as he walks The Way of Thunder ("I hate this. I hate this. I hate this") and he has clearly learned a great deal from Ferius as well as from Reichis and even his own family. There is a sense he's growing, even if he hasn't had a decent night's sleep or a square meal for months. It probably needed Kellen to lose his companions for this to happen, but I do hope he meets up with some of them again soon because while it's still very entertaining, there isn't so much fun without, say, Ferius to annoy Kellen.

Finally. Being very careful, again, about spoilers, there's something that happens in this book that had me practically cursing de Castell. Which is a kind of backhanded tribute, I suppose, to how real he makes his characters and the events in the books, and how much the reader cares about what happens. It's an ability not all authors, even good authors, possess so I can only be grateful that he's writing these books and that there are more to come. But - SEBASTIEN, SEBASTIEN!

So. Buy this book. Read this book, and look forward to Queenslayer.

Oh, and Kellen now has an Argosi name, which I think we didn't know before (maybe I missed it). We learn it at the very end of the book and I won't tell you what it is but I think it's very appropriate.

While I enjoyed this fourth installment of the Spellslinger series, it’s my least favourite so far. Partly because I was expecting this to be the last, but it isn’t. And although I was prepared not to have Ferius in this book, the fact that Kellen is also separated from Reichis didn’t help.

I like Kellen and I know this whole series is really about him, but personally I read it for Reichis and Ferius. They always know just what to say or do to stop Kellen from getting too serious or too cocky, and are always around to help him out of the frequent messes he makes by being too naive. Being without both of them did prove how far Kellen has come, but some of those old faults are still there, and I sorely missed the extra humour Reichis brings.

Once again Kellen is in the midst of a bunch of people who should be on his side, but mostly want to kill him. Once again he makes some questionable decisions, because he’s desperate to be loved. Once again his family remind everyone of how awful they, and the Jan’Tep in general, are. It is entertaining, especially when Kellen comes across all Ferius, but with his own special (mouthy) twist, and the Ebony Abbey was another excellent addition to this fascinating world.

And yet, somehow, somewhere, it didn’t quite work for me. I’m always paranoid when reading these books, because I think everyone (except Ferius) is going to betray and/or attempt to kill Kellen (including Reichis, although he’s mostly after the eyeballs). The fact that I’m usually right doesn’t help. It makes it all a bit predictable, as does the way Kellen continues to make the same mistakes over and over, a bit too blindly in one instance here, which was exceedingly convenient for the plot. And the Abbot disappointed me. He could have been amazing, but instead he just wasn’t. I also feel like the new characters weren’t given as much space to grow and be interesting as some of them deserved. Maybe if there were fewer of them, but then Kellen’s woes were too wide to leave much room for any one else.

So overall it was okay, if not quite as good as the previous books. I still like the series, and this was an important part of it. However, despite some amazing potential, it didn’t quite live up to it for me. Here’s hoping things’ll work out better in the next one.

Received from Hot Key Books and Netgalley for honest read and review.

Starts off after events in book 3. Here we find Kellen again in a fix. We are instantly keeping an eye to see what happens next and this book does not disappoint in any way.

Another brilliant book with Kellen and I am so looking forward to book 5.