I love Sebastian de Castell's YA series SPELLSLINGER - it's got great voice, plays with genre conventions, and has so much fun as it does so - which meant I've been a bit hesitant to pick up his adult work in case it didn't quite have that feel. However, PLAY OF SHADOWS has that same vibe while being a bit older (and longer!)

PLAY OF SHADOWS is definitely its own thing and not just SPELLSLINGER for adults. That series is a western about a guy outside communities and power structures, the plucky itinerant who saves the day. This book is about the power of stories to shape identity, truth, and history, and communities coming together.

As someone who loves the theatre, loves Shakespeare, and prefers Shakespeare's histories over all his other plays, the focus of this book was so perfect. This is a world where historias retell their country's history to the masses - and certain actors can channel the spirits of the dead to bring events to life (except most are fakes.) But what happens when the historia is carefully crafted propaganda and so not very accurate (very much like Shakespeare's plays!) and someone who really can channel the departed reveals the lies in this play?

It's an amazing set up. There's the mystery of what really happened drawing you through the play, wanting to know the truth of the events in the past (and there are so many twists - the author really plays you off your expectations, which made for a great ending.) At the same time, the truth is causing Damalas so many problems from the Duke getting involved (another great narrative set up and twist), the Iron Orchids threatening to kill them all, and a duellist who is determined to kill him.

The cast of characters forming around Damalas was a very enjoyable found family. Shariza (the assassin he gets perhaps unwise feelings for) was so hard to pin down. Bereto was the best friend/older brother anyone with a penchant for getting into really stupidly dangerous scenarios needs. There are so many other characters, and seeing them embrace and then risk themselves for Damalas made the ending so much more powerful.

Joe Jameson narrates, the same person who narrated the SPELLSLINGER series. It took me a while to realise why he sounded familiar, but I liked this continuity. Jameson is just as adept at bringing out the fun in this book as in that previous series, delivering the many melodramatic soliloquies of the actors with aplomb.

This is the first book in the series, and I'm excited to see where it goes next. There's also a prequel(ish?) novel too, so I will go pick that up in the meantime.

I’m pretty new to the world and work of Sebastien De Castell, having only read The Malevolent Seven before entering the world of Play of Shadows. Before I continue for all those Greatcoat fans, this book isn’t part of the main series and shouldn’t be picked up with a hope of continuing their story however, it can be read as a standalone and for a newbie like me to the Greatcoat world is a great introduction.
De Castell delivers stylish and witty world building, snarky and fun quotes and characters, conspiracies, mystery, politics and more, all bound up in a fabulous fantasy set in the world of the theatre. Still questioning whether you should pick this one up, read on…
The story is told from the perspective of the protagonist Damelas Chademantaigne, a terrible below par actor, terrible duellist, coward extraordinaire with a preference for running rather than facing a fight but, also a pretty nice guy. Damelas grew up in the care of his grandparents, famed Greatcoats who seemed to overshadow him, leaving him feeling like he could never live up to their hopes and expectations. He has spent his whole life avoiding challenge and following his lifelong habits, finds himself employed in a theatre as a bit part actor after running away from a duel.
However, there is much more to Damelas than even he suspected, as he discovers that he has a skill that can take him back to inhabit and perform the memories of infamous people who died a century earlier. This magic system is not one I’ve come across in this format before and it was fascinating to read Castell’s development of it into this format, which serves to investigate and bring to light the mystery of events that took place a hundred years earlier.
The plot of the story is well drawn out, bringing together found family and self-discovery tropes within the story, but patience is required initially as the start can feel a little slow however, I would urge you to keep going, the plot and arc are totally engaging and there is some fantastic humour and downright sardonic sarcasm to enjoy.
I absolutely loved the cast of characters, from the truly epitome of the evil villain to the wonderfully flawed theatre cast and crew – they are beautifully eccentric and definitely have a unique approach to self-defence that is a delight. I really enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for the next book in the series, particularly as it will provide an opportunity to dive even deeper into this world and get to know this wonderful cast of characters even more.

Thank you so much to Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and NetGalley for the arc of Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I received an audio ARC of this book courtesy of Quercus Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. First i’ll talk about the book itself, then some specifics about the audiobook version.

Play of Shadows is a Renaissance fantasy book where our hero, Damelas, tries to unearth the truth of history through vision and a play. I quite enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere of the city. The descriptions of the life of poor actors was interesting.
It seems this books is part of a larger series i haven’t read, but i didn’t feel like i was missing too much context. There are maybe 3 scenes where i understood there was a cameo/reference to another book, but it didn’t impede my understanding of the players.

Sadly, i didn’t vibe with the format and the writing. I liked the ideas of plays to interrogate history and understand the past. However i think it was badly executed. Only Damelas gets the visions, and he has to explain them to his comrades, which means there is a lot of repetition.

The pacing was way too slow for my taste, and we spend a lot of the book in the dark regarding the problems, especially from a political point of view. Damelas is a commoner so he doesn’t have access to the nobility and their information. I didn’t feel very engaged with the mystery and didn’t care so much to know the answers. The ending felt a bit rushed, with lots of revelations coming left and right that weren’t foreshadowed. Some plot twists felt very engineered: secondary characters could have helped and shared information earlier instead of making all that fuss.

There was also a lot of repetitions in the themes and types of situations the characters get into. I heard a thousand times Damelas complain about the same things without any evolution and his interactions with the other characters went around in circles.

This was a hefty book and i was a bit bored. I think the author could have made quite a few cuts and removed some of the redundant scenes to make the whole thing more dynamic.

As for the audiobook, i have mixed feelings.
I think it’s a great book to put into voice because of the theatre element. Lots of players, lots of people pretending to be others, and lots of dialogues and monologues! I very much enjoyed the voice of the narrator, especially for the male voices.

However, i didn’t like how he voiced women. They all sounded the same to me, which is unfortunate. Especially since there are quite a few secretive women who talk in the shadows or jump the main character, and you can’t know immediately who is talking. I got confused a few times at first when i was going by the voice, and didn’t understand why such female character was talking about such subject.

The narrator also gave accents to all women, even the noble ladies born and raised in the city. It was a bad choice: the native men don’t have the same accent, and there is a plot point hanging of the fact that some people are foreigners.

Conclusion
This was my first book by the author and i didn't like it so much, but i might pick up his other series. The books are shorter and the initial idea doesn't seem to have the same flaw of repetition that this book suffered from.

I want to start of by saying that I did not finish this ARC.
The narration was perfect and the plot was good, but it did not grip me in a way that made me want to continue the book so I DNF'ed about 30% of the way through. It's nothing against the author or the book, it is definitely a me issue.
If you're someone who's into theatre and/or slow reads, this will be a really good read for you.
Thank you for the ARC for this book.

What a delightful audible to listen too. I feel honoured and privileged to have listened to this before release. There is a really good up and coming series in this book and i for one cant not wait to find out more.

I loved the charaters. The main MMC who thinks he a coward and everyone else call him a rabbit for running. But his kind and gentle soul he doesn't want to hurt any one. He has this ability to be able to talk to the dead. Hesable to find out the truth off the past.

The theatre becomes one family and help each other to get to where they need too be. To help with finding out facts from the past and helping them come forward. There is world building of plenty in this story. The slight romance. But mygosh its brilliant.

I would recommend listen to this book to everyone and one i will be recommending to people who ask me for a good book to read/listen too.

This book held a lot of firsts for me, I’ve never read any of Sebastien de Castell’s previous novels, never have I ever read any swashbuckling fantasies and nor have I read any play / actor based fantasies. As I’m 60 I don’t get a lot of firsts in my reading these days so I’m absolutely loving embracing these.

Our hero, Damelas Shademantaigne is not much, he’s not much good at sword play (even though he was bought up by his Grandparents who were both Greatcoats) and he’s not much good as an Actor (even though he’s taken refuge as exactly that to escape the Vixen and her vengeance which will involve much swordplay (the number one thing he’s not much good at)). But what he is good at is thinking on his feet and fighting for the underdog (but not with a sword). Will this be enough now that his enemies are clamouring for his blood … it certainly doesn’t sound enough?

I loved this book, I loved the humour, action and steadfastness of the characters, I loved the story and the world building and the all round entertainment it provided. Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review and for introducing me to the world of Sebastien de Castell. (As an aside the narrator, Joe Jameson is amazing and just perfect for the role). The Greatcoats series next I think. 😊

Sebastien de Castell es un autor que había entrado y salido de mi radar en varias ocasiones pero al que no había leído todavía, por lo que Play of Shadows, una novela nueva situada en un universo donde ya había desarrollado toda una saga parecía una oportunidad estupenda para darle un tiento a su escritura. Si me gustaba, había más material del que tirar y si no, pues no pasaba nada. Es por esto también que puedo asegurar que Play of Shadows se puede leer perfectamente sin conocer las otras entregas, aunque aparezcan algunos personajes que son famosos por razones desconocidas para el neófito.


La idea de la que parte es muy atractiva, ya que un joven que huye de un duelo en el que no tiene ninguna posibilidad de victoria solicita una especie de derecho de acogida, pero en vez de en una iglesia en un teatro, por que la ley impide que los actores puedan luchar. Tras una serie de casualidades, consigue su objetivo y le veremos un año después ya totalmente integrado en la compañía de actores. Otra característica muy curiosa de este mundo es que algunos actores son poseídos por los espíritus de los protagonistas de los hechos históricos que representan en el escenario, dotando a la obra de mucha más credibilidad e intriga. O al menos, eso es lo que se dice, porque ya hace mucho tiempo que no parece ser muy cierta esta afirmación. El mundo tras las tramoyas es muy divertido y el comienzo de la novela es entretenidísimo, sobre todo por la impresionante capacidad interpretativa del lector de audiolibro, Joe Jameson , que realmente se pone en el papel de cada farsante y timador que pasa por las páginas de la novela.

Por desgracia, el resto de la novela no llega a ser tan atractiva. La idea de descubrir una conspiración en el presente gracias a los sucesos acontecidos en el pasado y mezclar las dos líneas temporales como imágenes superpuestas me parece bastante atractiva, pero ciertamente limitante, ya que solo podemos ver del pasado el punto de vista del espíritu que posee al actor, dando lugar a una percepción solipsista y engañosa. El libro se alarga, creo que innecesariamente, en estos juegos de sombras (guiño, guiño, codazo, codazo) del pasado para intentar encontrar las raíces de la conspiración, pero la resolución me parece un tanto burda.

Los personajes principales están muy bien definidos, pero en la segunda fila de los secundarios creo que el autor se ha esforzado menos o al menos no ha conseguido que sean tan perfectamente distinguibles. La mayoría de los actores de la compañía, salvo honrosas excepciones, son un conjunto en el que cuesta discernir la individualidad. Se podría decir que estos figurantes tienen líneas de diálogo olvidables. Es posible que en las siguientes entregas de la serie este error se subsane, si de Castell va dando más importancia a otros personajes para dotar de más profundidad al mundo.

Play of Shadows me parece un libro entretenido, con un comienzo más fulgurante que lo que acaba ofreciendo al final, así que no ha conseguido dirimir mi duda sobre si seguir con el autor o no. Ya se verá en un futuro.

Oh my life, why have I not heard of Sebastien De Castell until now? I began reading Play of Shadows a couple of weeks ago, thanks to an ARC from Netgalley, Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher book and the author Sebastien De Castell, and savoured it chapter by chapter, utterly entranced, but then, I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, also from Netgalley, Quercus audio and narrated by the incredible Joe Jameson which I used for the last quarter of the book and oh my crikey, mindblowingly brilliant!

The novel is based on Damelas Chademantaigne, a merchants messenger whose sword skills come from acting classes and not deuellists professional training. Damelas runs from an angry mob (the chants are utterly inspired) and tricks a company of actors to unwittingly give him refuge. What was his crime? Why were the mob chasing him? Who is the Vixen and why are they braying for his blood?

De Castell is a master of dialogue and the narrative has a very good balance between dialogue and description, creating a very immersive atmosphere. So much so, I can almost smell the theatre floorboards. Joe Jameson is the perfect choice for De Castells dialogue. He is versatile and incredibly talented, giving each individual character a strong personality and maintaining the character continuity

Play of Shadows has everything a reader could want, action, adventure, swordplay and intrigue, A highly polished plotline and immersive subplots create a full, fleshy dramatic novel that is rich and lustrous, strong yet tender and s such, I am utterly intrigued as to what the other books will be like

I cannot praise this book and the production enough. It was flipping glorious and so very worth the wait. The read is absolutely brilliant, completely chefs kiss and adding the audiobook is the cherry on top. I will certainly be investing in this series, beginning with Play of Shadows when it is released on 28 March 2024. Bravo

Thank you very, very much to NetGalley, Netgalley, Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books, the author Sebastien De Castell and narrator Joe Jameson for this outstanding ARC and ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

This is a review of an ARC of the audiobook edition which was kindly provided by the publisher.

"Play of Shadows' has an interesting premise and a rich cast of characters. Unfortunately, this one was not for me, and so I decided to DNF it after 20% as I was not gripped by the plot and had started to find some aspects of the story (repeated references to how important the main character's grandparents had been) off-putting. That said, the narration was well done, and if this book grabs you it will be a good listen.

[Have. not been able to add the review to Goodreads as they have not yet fulfilled my request to add the audiobook edition].

I should start off by saying that I didn't finish this book. And in this case it is definitely a more me than the book situation.

The narrator was absolutely amazing. They are probably one of the reasons why I listened as far as I did. The way they did the many characters was phenomenal. Each character sounded so unique (even at 2x speed) which I think takes so much skill. Their narration felt like I was physically reading the book and could visualize everything. This narrator is so good.

I didn't finish the book because I wasn't sure what I was expecting from it. This book follows our main character Damelas Chademantaigne and while I don't think it would be necessary to read the Grey Coats series, I do think you will benefit from it.

Damelas is an interesting character but I didn't find him particularly strong. I enjoyed the ins and outs of the theatre that were presented in the book but I think at the end of the day, this book just wasn't for me.

I would recommend this book for: theatre heads, audiobook fantatics (the narration really is amazing) and for readers who enjoy a slower book.

I’m glad I started listening to this audio book while walking on a country road. As the passers by startled by my laughter were only sheep. The stage is set, the characters bring joy and sadness, laughter and pain. The Actor’s words bite more sharply than a sword, and bring history to life. Never truer than for Damelas Shademantaigne as he runs for safety from a sword duel into the company of The Knights of the Curtain. Only he seems better at finding trouble than being a player on the stage. And no one is going to be safe, let alone himself. This is a long listen, but I enjoyed every minute. A stand alone read, but the tale is set to continue, and I’ll be first in line. Thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

My review of Play of Shadows must first begin with a confession, much to my shame I have not previously read any of The Greatcoats novels by Sebastien de Castell (be assured this will be urgently rectified). However, this does give me a unique perspective of assessing whether a newcomer such as myself could indeed begin here, and more importantly be able to follow and enjoy the story.

Precisely as advertised, this book was full of swashbuckling, sword play, mystery and intrigue. De Castell's writing, particularly the character interactions and dialogue was as sharp and deadly as the blades being used. Fans who have been waiting since 2020 when the cover was first revealed will hopefully feel that the wait was worth hanging on for. I do not know the full story but I would assume that there was a significant amount of editing or re-writing, or perhaps a change narrative perspective. However, the finished article here was practically flawless, impressive and highly polished.

What is so fantastic about Play of Shadows is that it can absolutely be read as a stand alone novel without prior knowledge of The Greatcoats novels and any references to characters or events are seemingly minimal and spoiler free. Subsequent volumes in the Court of Shadows will also supposedly be possible to read in any order until the final volume draws all of the different stories together - this is such a great way to attract new readers (like me) without requiring to initially commit to reading multiple books before diving in.

The theatrical adventures of Damelas Shademantaigne and friends had me hooked from start to finish and I immediately went out and purchased the prelude, 'Crucible of Chaos' on the strength of this and I absolutely need to go back and read The Greatcoats now and learn all of the history as soon as possible.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Audio for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Play of Shadows is anticipated to release on 28th March 2024.

I read both the kindle and combined the audio in as well

This was brilliant. Superb.

Sebastian de Castell is back in the world of the Greatcoats, and honestly, I just love everything about the world and stories within it.

This really is nothing like the previous Greatcoat series in terms of the story telling or even the story itself. It does, however, have enough links and connections to the Greatcoast series to make it feel a connected series. I love that we didn't just get another book with the same characters (despite loving Kest, Basti, and Falcio) and that we got to explore events through a new main character.
We got to live through our new hero?!? 🧐 Damelas


Damelas Chademantaigne, is the grandson of two Greatcoats but a rubbish sword hand, and his story starts when he escaps the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, by tricking his way into the Operato Belleza and its company of actors.

The story then takes some unexpected turns, and because I want to avoid the spoiler of what drives this story, I'll say no more.

All I will say is that this is more than an honourable inclusion to the Greatcoat series. Deep characters, phenomenal world building, politics and intrigue, and what we have come to expert from SdC incredibly written prose, full of sarcasm, wit, and humour

The main character is a words smith with a gift of the gab. Witty and funny. The story begins with him in a tight situation, and then follows him through his time while he stumbles into an unplanned career.

“Full grown man, getting his arse handed to him by a ten year old girl.” A quote I will keep with me for the rest of my life!

This is a well written story. A little slow to begin, however I always enjoy a good world building.

I got my ARC from NetGalley.. Thank you Sebastian De Castell for letting me listen to the audio book…

This was over all an amazing book.. it just wasn’t a book for me I think it’s great if you like old timey themes that are in the book but it was still a great book!!

‘Rest, Rabbit, rest. It's really for the best! There's nowhere left to hide - besides, It's long past time you died!'

O, what wit. What depravity. What deceit. What plots.
3.75🌟

Damelas Chademantaigne, the grandson of two Greatcoats but a rubbish sword hand, only escaped the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, by tricking his way into the Operato Belleza and its company of actors.

However, it appears that there is long-buried truths regarding the current foreign Duke who has commissioned a play that can only be described as treasonous by portraying the duchy's most notorious usurper and child-killer as a hero.

De Castell has a magic with words. A genius with beautiful prose and cutting wit. His main character is always a multitude of emotions, conflict, and tension. He writes drama with such thrill, he describes battle with such vigour, he describes human nature with pessimism sprinkled either hope.

’I can never quite tell if you're a timid person who pretends at times to be brave, or a brave one who's been trying to convince himself for far too long that he's a coward.'

You can feel the absolute passion de Castell has for performance, for all kinds of art.

Sometimes his prose can feel pretentious, out-of-place, indulgent. But this isn’t my first rodeo with his adult fantasy, so I went in knowing what to expect and was delightfully bemused.

’Love is an onion, my boy. Leave it too long and the heart of it will rot.
So you've got to carefully peel back the layers until you find beneath something so beautiful it brings you to tears.'

Thank you to Quercus books for providing the arc in exchange for a review.