Play of Shadows starts the Court of Shadows series, a spin-off of de Castell’s Greatcoats series. I hadn’t read it, or the prequel to Play of Shadows, but that wasn’t necessary. The earlier series is set in the kingdom of Tristia, and this book takes place in a small duchy of Jereste there.

Damelas Chademantaigne is a grandson of two Greatcoats, famed magistrates and duellists of the kingdom, but he’s more of a coward. The book starts with him fleeing from a duel with the deadliest duellist of Jereste, the Vixen. He hides in a theatre and claims to be an actor there, which by the laws of the duchy grants him immunity. He’s safe, for now.

A year later, he’s still with the troupe, playing two-line bit parts. Then one night, during a history play about the duchy’s greatest hero and greatest traitor, he suddenly delivers lines he has no recollection of saying. It turns out he’s channelling the spirit of the traitor. And the Duke wants to hear what he has to say.

The duchy is in chaos. A private militia, Iron Orchids, has all but taken Jereste over. The duke wants to find out where they come from and who controls them. And he believes the answer lies in the past. So, night after night, the troupe has to stage the play that evolves and comes to life with whatever Damelas channels. And the more he learns, the more in danger he and those he holds dear are. The truth might very well see all of them dead.

This was a good book with great characters. Damelas especially turned out to be more than he believed himself capable of. It’s about a found family too, with unlikely people coming together. I liked Beretto best, but the women didn’t quite reach the potential of their interesting jobs.

The plot, however, left me wanting. The stakes were low, and the path to the goal was out of the hands of the characters. Learning who controls the Iron Orchids wasn’t that interesting to begin with, and the truth was a let-down. There was no antagonist to fight against, just a nameless mob, so the conflicts were mere street fights that didn’t really lead to anything but a body count. But the wrap-up in the (amazingly long) epilogue was satisfying. It sets the next book too, but I’m not entirely sure I’ll continue with the series.

The cover is so gorgeous! Too bad that it did feel like you kind of have to know the world the book takes place in, and as I don't some things I feel like I really missed out on. It made me lose interest a bit.

Hello again dear reader or listener, how is life? Filled with good books, I hope.
I’d planned on this review being up for release day on the 28th alas I had a research Thesis to submit and final touches on it to apply, so here I am a tad late. Given our friends at SFF Addicts are releasing their interview with the author today as well (links to that here), I figured I might as well wait and make it a De Castell Day!

With a huge thank you to Quercus and Arcadia Books for this eArc in exchange for an honest review, let us get down to business then!

For those who don’t know me, De Castell is an auto-buy and, frankly, I have a bone to pick with this author for I am running out of words to describe all the ways and reasons why I love his work without being repetitive. Honestly, how very dare? I will however try dear reader, for you.

Set a few years after the end of the author’s original Greatcoats tetralogy, Play of Shadows is the opening act to a brand-new series in the same world and, although it contains some minor spoilers for its predecessor, they are actually so cleverly peppered in so as to pique your curiosity without revealing any of the major plot twists or reveals from the previous books. So, you can happily enter the Greatcoats world from here and go back after, in case you hadn’t read them before. If, like me, you have read the parent series first however, then all the cameos and easter eggs will fill your heart in the best of ways. My cheekbones ached afterward from all the time I spent grinning like a fool as I was wrapping up this enthralling read.

Play of Shadows is many things, just like its crew of colourful characters, but most of all, it is a fast-paced joy-ride from start to finish, filled to the brim with swashbuckling action, multilayered protagonists, bombastic and/or bawdy personalities, and self-aware melodrama, that is in no way held back by the dark events and ominous foes it presents. Grandiloquent is another perfect word to ascribe to this book and its narration, because even though Damelas, our first pov narrator, is the unwilling hero we all love, he does not sacrifice the hefty helping of dramatic flair theatre actors thrive on to make the world a brighter place, especially in the face of horrible odds.

‘Fled a duel, did you?’ he asked me. ‘I prefer to think of it as engaging with the enemy honourably but from a safe distance’.

The trope of a character being in some way possessed and talking with another in their minds is one I’ve found myself really loving over the years and this time was no less excellent of an example. Damelas’ interactions with the Archduke Corbier made not only for an entertaining exchange of barbs but for insightful topics on history revision and revenge justifications. Plus, if there’s one thing I love it is the revelation that events did not go down as they’ve been recounted. Moreover, the irreverent or out of pocket moments throughout the story juxtaposed so perfectly with the darkness or sorrow the characters had to deal with that even though my feels were getting the occasional left field hit, I kept going back for more, eager to find out what really happened in the past and how that was affecting the present of the plot. Not to mention the sheer beauty of the main male duo being an emotional mess two thirds of the time. Beretto especially, was a truly wonderful character, openly crying whenever overwhelmed by strong emotions and actually letting himself feel said emotions freely. The real world could do with more Berettos out there. While Damelas himself was such a profound and well written character, recognising both his actual and perceived failings for what they were and growing throughout the story to face them head on. While also being a pragmatic yet noble character who doesn’t take himself too seriously when the moment calls for it, but also, occasionally just allows himself to dwell in feeling sorry for himself. You gotta take that beat some times.

The main thing I loved about this book besides all the superb character and plot shenanigans, however, was how much De Castell as an author has perfected his craft. This may be specific to someone who has read all or most of his books, however it needs to be said, even if it may be stating the obvious. It’s a fact that the more you write the better you get, but reading this opening to a new series that carries many parallels with the first Greatcoats book, Traitor’s Blade, only highlighted how much the author has learned from his own writing over the years. There’s a lot to be said about Damelas and Falcio sharing some key traits that make them truly memorable protagonists, or about the fact that some plot elements are present in both books purely from a narrative structure necessity pov, however I don’t want to spoil anything and you, dear reader, probably don’t have the time to read all my rambles. Suffice it to say, that things that I did not love in Traitor’s Blade (not necessarily because they were bad but because they ought to have been better), were in a way fixed here. For instance, the main romantic subplot was way better developed here than it was in TB, which had felt a bit rushed and forced – granted it was way better developed throughout the rest of the series later but we digress. In short, Play of Shadows is a much stronger opening to a series than Traitor’s Blade was, and I say this having actually loved TB to bits!

‘Are you alright?’ the duke asked. ‘You were… giggling.’
‘Merely the unfortunate consequence of having gone mad some time ago, your Grace’.

Was Play of Shadows occasionally unhinged and off the rails? Absolutely!

Did it suffer for it in any way? Not one damn bit.

The self-contained plot of the first entry in the Court of Shadows series does not disappoint and it sets up new intrigues and darkness in the horizon that our ragtag family of actors will have to face. The found family vibes abound and are chef’s kiss, and returning to Tristia through Play of Shadows felt like coming home.
I may have said this in the past but De Castell’s writing is so damn unashamedly human. In its raw intensity, in the sometimes madcap hilarity or dark humour needed to make sense of grief, or the theatrics one puts on every day to face their odds. And I can never get enough of it because it has So. Much. Heart.

This is another book then that I warmly recommend you don’t walk towards but run! You won’t regret it, dear reader.

Until next time,
Eleni A. E.

Unfortunately a DNF for me. I thought I would enjoy the more adult stuff from this author but it just didnt stick

I have been eyeing up works by Sebastien de Castell for some time and when I spotted this I leapt at the opportunity to request this book. What a good choice it was and what an excellent story, I had no idea when I started that it was loosely connected with the authors previous series about Greatcoats, and now that I do I will be delving into that back catalogue. Most important to know is that you do not need to have any knowledge or have read the previous series to enjoy this book - which is up there as one of my favourite books of 2024 so far.
Damelas Chademantaigne is our protagonist and has failed at most things in his life, but most hauntingly for him is failing to live up to his grandparents expectations - both revered, famous Greatcoats. The narrative starts with Damelas on the run after initiating an ill advised duel with The Vixen, a professional duellist who wishes to kill his grandfather. Damelas finds sanctuary in the theatre Operato Belleza, of the Knights of the Curtain. The city of Jereste, deeming that historical plays were vital to the wellbeing of the city granted performers of Operato rights of immunity from many affairs including duels - hence a cunningly accidental opportunity for Damelas to survive.
Damelas is taken in by the Knights and finds friendship with Bereto and for a year lives on borrowed time whilst the Vixen prowls. It all changes when on stage Damelas hears a whispered voice causing him to fluff his lines, though the words have more truth than those written. The whispering continues and it manifests that Damelas is not going mad but rather is a true Veristor - an actor who can channel the dead to speak their truths.
The story has many twists and turns, a fascinating assassin, nobility teetering on the edge of chaos, brutal enforcers called the Iron Orchids, political game playing and an uncovering of the truth which turns history on its head. I would wholeheartedly recommend this and can't wait for the next book Court of Shadows.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC, all views are my own.

Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell
Published by Quercus Books
3/4 stars!

First of all the cover is absolutely stunning! This was a fast paced book with areas of wit and humour throughout, this is written differently to anything I have read before and I found it a very interesting read. However, I am not sure I fully enjoyed this book, as someone who has not read any previous books I would have loved some brief background on some characters, such as the grandparents.

Thank you Sebastien de Castell, the Publisher and NetGalley for this arc!

I’ll start this review by saying that Sebastian de Castell is a master at creating characters and stories. Play of Shadows is a Renaissance Era kind of book, and the theatre is the stage for magic, since the story is told by the lens of a play. However, just as in Crucible of Chaos (the other book in the Court of Shadows series), there are some spoilers for The Greatcoats, so depending on where you’re in the series, proceed with caution before diving into these one.

The action throughout this story takes place in only one city and it’s set in The Greatcoats universe, and it gives us a little more detail about this world. We have plotting, drama, villains, and darkness all with a dose of humor in it. The writing is amazing, and I could feel the pretentious language of the theater through the book. The plot of this story is well drawn out, and we have self-discovery moments within the story while we unravel the secrets.

Overall, this was a story full of snarky characters, conspiracies and politics set in the world of theater, which is a very different way to read a fantasy book. It has a slow start but then it really picks up. The fact that the romance never takes over the main plot was a great touch, and I really enjoyed this story. To those who are diving into Castell books, and specially into the Greatcoats, this is a great introduction to this world.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Thank you so much Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sebastien de Castell is a master at creating characters and this 528 pages long start of a very exciting new series, is an incredibly impressive piece of writing art.

I fell in love with the characters and felt entertained from start to finish. There were so many times I was on the edge of my seat and thought I would fall together with the character(s) and sometimes we did and sometimes we didn’t. I honestly never knew which direction any of the huge amount of mysteries and twists in this book would take me.

What I appreciate a lot, every time I read a book by this author, is that there’s always room for humor and lightheartedness.

This starts with a very uncommon hero, one who calls himself a coward, a 25 year old descendant of Greatcoats, called Damelas Chademantaigne. He is running from a lawful duel. Running is his talent but he is about to discover soon that there’s much more to him than he thinks. He ends up at Operato Belleza, home of the Knights of the Curtain who take him in and although it doesn’t seem that way at first, they become the best and most courageous family of friends (and misfits), I could have ever imagined.

Damelas is never safe.. Assassins, a professional duelist, citizen militia, even a fellow actor, political intrigues and a very unexpected but dangerous gift he develops, keep him on his toes all the time. I am so glad he had the best and most loyal friend anyone could imagine, to wind down with in their rickety apartment, with a hilarious landlady!

The city of Jereste, where this takes place, knows a lot of different crimes and poverty. I love how every class and age group had its voice in this novel. And the best thing of all, the common people are given the power to change things. And the way this happens made me have goosebumps and made my yaw drop more than once.

This book brought the meaning of history plays to another level and I can only be grateful that I was allowed to be a member of the audience!

Play of Shadows the first book in the Court of Shadows series by Sebastien de Castell.

Thanks to @quercus and @netgalley for the e-ARC.

Damelas is the grandson of two famous Greatcoats however he is not quite the swordsman his grandparents were and fleeing a duel he finds his way into a company of actors for protection. However he finds himself a conduit for the spirit of a long dead Duke and in doing so becomes embroiled in the troubles of the city he calls home.

I LOVED this book, I still remember my first read of the Greatcoats books when they were first published and I wanted more then and still do and this was a great return to that world.

The plot kept me thoroughly engaged and while I was initially a little sceptical a few pages in that scepticism was gone and I was totally invested in the story of Damelas and his experience as the conduit of a dead Duke and how this Duke was rewriting the supposed history that they city knew, all the while Damelas is dealing with a duellist who wanted him dead and an assassin who may or may not be out for his head. One of the things that really hooked me on this book was the theme that the history we know may not always be the history that was.

The characters were really well done and I loved the way Damelas developed through the book and we get to see how he fits in with the actors and how some of that Greatcoat blood comes through every so often. His companion Beretto was just fantastic and I really enjoyed the assassin the Black Amaranth and her part of the story.

The worldbuilding was great and while the book is set in one city we get an idea of its place in the world and that of some of the other factions.

Overall I adored this book it was such fun to read. Recommended for fans of fantasy and for fans of the original Greatcoats series there is a wonderful cameo later on and some fun references to the earlier books.

DNF at 28% - I love the author's writing, and I think if you are a fan of theatre this is definitely something you would love! I unfortunately lost interest and didn't find our MC particularly endearing unfortunately

In "Play of Shadows," the story centers around Damelas Chademantaigne, the grandson of two famous Greatcoats. Due to high expectations from his family, Damelas finds solace in the theatre after running away from a duel. He quickly discovers his passion for performing and schemes his way into the Operato Bellaza theatre in Duchy Pertine. As the story progresses, he uncovers a rare talent that allows him to re-enact scenes from the past and discover that history, as it is known, is a lie. This leads him down a path of conspiracy, revealing a hundred-year-old plot based on historical events.

The story takes place in one city and references the previous Greatcoat trilogy lore without requiring prior knowledge. The plot twists are well-written, keeping you engaged throughout, and the supporting cast is believable. Numerous mysteries are uncovered throughout the story, making it an enjoyable read and leaving you anticipating the next book in the series.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing me with an free e- ARC and an honest opinion.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/03/28/play-of-shadows-by-sebastien-de-castell-court-of-shadows-1/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Fantastic Start to New Series

I really enjoyed Play of Shadows. This is a story packed with intrigue and conspiracy in which you’re never quite sure where the real threat lies, brought to life by a band of over the top, easy to engage with, stage characters. The entire story is brought to life by a small troupe of actors who embrace and provide safety for the MC who then unintentionally brings disaster to their doors.

As the story begins we make the acquaintance of Damelas Shademantaigne, grandson of two famous Greatcoats, currently on the run through the streets of Jereste, hounded by the local militia, fleeing a duel he can’t possibly hope to win and finding himself trapped outside the Operato Belleza he makes use of an ancient law of sanctuary that provides him with a temporary respite. Accepted into this small troupe Damelas finds himself new friends and a new found love of the stage – poor actor that he is – until one night he fumbles his lines causing an uproar and bringing untold chaos down upon the company.

To set the scene a little. Jereste has a new Duke but it seems that all is not well. The streets are overrun with a local militia known as the Iron Orchids who seem to be growing in power and ruthlessness. The nobles are unhappy with the current rule and secretly plot. The whole place has the feeling of a ticking bomb so when the Knights of the Curtain stage a local historia (one of the plays that faithfully recount historic events) showing a different version of events (history being written by the winners not always being a totally faithful account after all) the place descends into uproar. It seems like the ghosts from the past are determined that the ‘truth will out’ and what better place than the stage.

There are many reasons why I enjoyed this book so much.

Firstly, the writing. I loved it. This author is positively a wordsmith. He can make you laugh and cry. He has a wonderful turn of phrase and his work is actually a joy to read. Clever, witty, atmospheric. He sets the scene well, he gives you characters you can love and he adds a dash of magic to raise it all above the norm.

Secondly, the setting. Or the setting within the setting. Jereste is a hot mess, the Orchids are stirring up rebellion, the streets are not safe and the whole place seems to come easily to life on the pages, but, on top of this we have the theatre, which plays a huge part in the story. Here we have ghosts who will not only capture your imagination but will hold our main character captive as he is possessed by the need to recount the true history of Jereste. I loved the magic – not just the magic of the theatre but the fact that magic literally takes place upon the boards – its such a great concept.

On top of this, well, we have a found family feel. Damelas is embraced by this unruly cast of characters. He finds true friendship and loyalty which isn’t a surprise because in spite of his own feelings of not being worthy he really is a good guy. He ran from a duel he couldn’t win but his motives for taking on the duel will soon unfold. He isn’t afraid to stand up for people although he has little more than bravado to help him with his rash deeds and he finds himself centre stage in a very dangerous predicament that he refuses to flee. There are plenty of likable characters here, rag tag plucky street urchins, actors whose best days have long since departed and aren’t afraid to find solace in a bottle, a curmudgeonly director whose bark is worse than his bite and an assassin who is as deadly as she is beautiful.

The plot itself is a twisting thing and difficult at times to pin down. We have the actors,slowly uncovering the secret history of Jereste whilst trying to uncover the true source of unrest and the motives. It’s a mystery and it does involve murder but it isn’t a murder mystery in the typical sense. What I enjoyed was the change in the MC as he becomes more confident and begins to show his mettle. As I mention, Damelas is the grandson of two Greatcoats and grew up in their shadow, always feeling inadequate. As the story progresses you can see Damelas gradually changing, not a sudden awakening of zero to hero but a slow metamorphosis in which he uses his intelligence and the teachings of his grandparents to begin to make a difference.

Now, in fairness, I will mention that the pacing can be a little up and down. This story is set in the world of the Greatcoats but you don’t have to have read those books in order to enjoy this (although there could be spoilers for the earlier series that I’m unaware of) but this does involve a level of world building and set up – personally, I didn’t find the pacing a problem but you might wish to be aware that there are dips here and there. I loved the writing and I wanted to savour it – it’s the conundrum of wanting to enjoy each and every word whilst also wanting to rush to the end to find out what’s happening. My advice, take your time with this one.

Overall, an excellent start to a series that promises so much. I can’t wait to join Damelas and the Knights of the Curtain on their next adventure.

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

A different story telling! I gave it 4 stars. I loved to read this book and the plot was chef's kiss. I recommend everyone to read this story... it's really good.

Have you ever started reading a book and after the first few paragraphs knew deep in your bones that the book you're holding in your hands would be a 5-star read, 10/10 would recommend, running to buy (all) the special edition(s)? This is exactly what happened after I read the prologue to Sebastien de Castell's magnificent Play of Shadows.

The prologue had me howling with mad laughter and that gut feeling told me that de Castell is going to make the rest of this book a madly deeply captivatingly enjoyable read. And I was not wrong. With superb skill, excellent timing and humour aplenty, de Castell weaves several complex and intriguing storylines, skillfully layering them and presenting them to the readers in the form of a play within a play within a captivating plot. And doing so without missing a beat, while making all the storylines equally interesting and keeping the readers glued to the book.

Simply put, Play of Shadows is a fabulously unputdownable read. An engrossing and beautifully written story with flawed, complex and above all beautifully human characters that (thanks to the author's superb writing skill) you cannot help but empathise with and cheer for.

Conned into fighting a duel with the vicious Vixen, Damelas Shademantaigne tries his luck with an archaic loophole that says actors can’t be forced to duel. The company takes pity on him and soon his new life involves bit parts in historic plays – until the night that a strange feeling overcomes him, and he blurts out on stage that the history of the city is based on a lie, the hero Prince a heinous murderer.

Drawing this attention of the new, foreign Duke, Damelas is soon drawn into plots that span centuries, caught between politics, violence, and the terrifying fact that he might just be an actor, after all.

The name ‘Shademantaigne’ might be familiar to some readers, as Damelas is the grandson of two Greatcoats – travelling magistrates upholding the King’s justice, and the most elite fighters around. It’s a legacy that haunts Damelas, but also harking back to a set of four novels in the Greatcoats series. This is set in the same world, but is a new trilogy. I went into this blind and it worked more than fine, but I will be scrabbling to get my hands on the earlier books if they are anything like this – which was simply excellent!

The plot throws danger at our reluctant hero from so many angles, there’s rarely a let up in pace or in keeping the reading struggling to put the book down rather than find out what happens next. Or indeed: what happened in the past, as there are (sort of) two timelines of mysteriousness going on here. Things do get a little dark in a few moments – the whole ‘death by crowning’ thing struck me as very nasty indeed – but mostly there’s a vein of humour running through the writing style.

Most of that comes from the characters, with Damelas in particular being extremely self-deprecating and with a wry sense of dark humour. His best friend is a booming-voiced rascal of an actor, and the friendship is just lovely especially when things turn more grim. And then there’s the deadly assassin – who Damelas might just have a crush on, but whether that’s quite how she wants his heart is another question!

Overall this was just such a good read. It had excitement, mystery, a reluctant hero, real evil to be fought against, and all told in a very engaging, fun tone. As I said, I am definitely tracking down the first Greatcoats series now. If you’ve read it, I suspect you’ll be rejoicing that there’s more, and if you haven’t, feel free to start here – but do start!

At this point, Sebastien de Castell is an author whose books I am guaranteed to enjoy and Play of Shadows merely proved that further to me. It’s a welcome return to the world of the Greatcoats (and some of its characters!) and a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

In this one, we follow the grandson of two Greatcoats, Damelas: at the moment we meet him, he’s doing his best to avoid fighting a duel. Damelas at the beginning of the book is, if we might be blunt, a coward. A lot of the book is about Damelas being forced to discard that cowardice (through the help of a ghost possessing him — a particular type of magic in this world), but it’s also about history, truth, and propaganda. In finding himself possessed for the first time, Damelas accidentally reveals that the city’s legendary hero may, in fact, have been a traitor.

Of course, this news is not welcome to several groups of people and Damelas finds himself suddenly a target for more than one person. It’s here that he discovers the people who have his back, and that’s another aspect of this book (as well as most of de Castell’s works, come to think of it). It’s about the relationships formed along the way of the plot, the main character who thinks they can only really rely on themselves, but still endangers themselves to save other people, only to then find that they’ll do the same. The company of actors that Damelas finds himself in is 90% antagonism, 10% outright arguments (which, I admit, remains that way through most of the book), but they all come together throughout.

It helps that this book is set within a previously established world of course, but Sebastien de Castell is, to me, unmatched in this kind of worldbuilding, the sort that feels based on swashbuckling books like Dumas’s, those kinds of romantic adventures. It’s not solely about the aesthetic: there’s a lot of thought gone into all parts of the world and how they work together. As I said, this book introduces a new kind of magic to the Greatcoats universe, one that leaves you with tantalising possibilities.

This isn’t a book where you need to read the previous series to understand (although I would highly recommend those too!) meaning that, if you want, you can dive straight into de Castell’s works from here. And I strongly suggest that you do!

A beautifully crafted -or rather, staged- novel complete with a stunningly beautiful moment of carthasis that had me smiling through my tears.

Once upon a time, the Greatcoats went out into the world to right injustice wherever they found them, fighting for the truth. (And no, you don't need to have read their stories to enjoy this one. Although you should, if you ask me. And if you do know and love them already, you'll get to meet some old friends here!)

Now, the grandson of two of them is rather lost, running away from duel of honor and fearing he could never live up to their reputations (spoiler alert, he totally does, in the end. And it is SO beautiful to watch). Hiding with a group of players, Damelas Chademantaigne finds his fate unexpectedly tied to that of the villain in his city's history - who fights to have his story told by gifting his memories to Damelas. And our not so cowardly actor has to find the strength to fight for the truth, uncovering a plot to overthrow the government and wreak havoc on his home...

This is (and yes, I'm being repetitive) freaking beautiful, effortlessly flawless, and truly awesome and swashbuckling (I mean. It's De Castell doing what he does best) story, staged like a play, complete with beautiful frontispieces for every act. Watching the plot unfurl is truly mesmerizing, and I can't wait to be reuinted with our group of players!

✨ Netgalley ARC Review ✨
Release Date : 28th March 2024

⚔️ Historical Fantasy ⚔️

📖 Play of Shadows is set in the same universe as The Greatcoats series, but you don't need to read it to read this.

This follows Damelas fleeing a duel with the vixen the most feared duellist in the city. An arctic law allows him to take refuge within a theatre. One night while on stage something takes him him and he blurts out a dreadful truth. Damelas and a company of misfits actors are soon swept into a dangerous conspiracy based on historical events.

Oh, and the vixen is still waiting to duel him.

📚 Review : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

I really enjoyed this, this was a great come back to the greatcoats world. I always enjoy the characters that Castell creates. And these characters were no exception. They are flawed but charming and well developed. As always he has created great relationships filled with banter and wit.

It's hard to say what I loved about the plot without spoilers but I do think this is an unique book in ways and the way the story pieces together was incredible. And I really loved how it reflected on society and human behaviour.

This partly feels like a love letter to theatre. Parts of this story are told through their performances and honestly I loved it. What I will say is its set in a renaissance time period and most out characters are actors. Alot of off the dialogue comes across melodramatic to me this added to the books charm but I can see how that wouldn't work for everyone.

His fight scenes and battles are fantastic. I adore anything musketeer inspired. I don't know what it is about it but I love it and like the greatcoats series I just adored that vine.

My one critic is I think the first half was a bit slow. Now I love slow books but it kind of felt like we going round in circles for a while there, but once kicked off the pacing was fantastic and action packed.

I absolutely loved this book! This is the first book I’ve read by Sebastien De Castell and it will not be the last!

This book is full of everything I love to see in a Fantasy book. It has loveable characters, great world building, greatcoats, duelling, assassins, lots of intense moments and twists that caught me by surprise. I am also obsessed with the Veristor gift!!

If you like lots of duelling/swordplay with a great story and even better characters, then you should definitely read Play Of Shadows. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

What a swashbuckling tale this was! I loved the detailed fight scenes and the band of characters that were thrown together. This was highly entertaining from the start!