2024 must be my lucky year because I have gotten two new Greatcoats novels in the first quarter alone. Sebastian de Castell is on a role having just released Crucible of Chaos, a standalone Greatcoat story we loved, and now his first entry in a brand new Greatcoat saga: Play of Shadows. After years of publishing difficulties, Play of Shadows is finally here and as an avid Greatcoat fan, I couldn’t be more excited. Bring on the masterful back-and-forth dialogue. Bring on the impassioned speeches that make me cry. Bring on a romantic world full of mindful characters that spout wisdom and insight like a philosopher of old. I am so happy to be back in this world again and very excited as de Castell is changing things up this time around and the new premise looks fascinating.
Damelas Shademantaigne is a piss-poor duelist and fast running out of options. After challenging the region’s best duelist, the Vixen, to protect his beloved grandfather, Damelas is struggling to find the next step in his plan that doesn’t end with him skewered and face down in the mud. On his last legs after repeatedly running, he finds salvation in the estranged place: the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza. After tricking his way into the company of actors, an archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles. So long as he remains a gainfully employed member of the acting troupe, and the production continues to put on plays, he and his grandfather cannot be touched. But, when it turns out that Damelas might be touched by a strange and ancient power specific to the bards and historians of old, Damelas finds himself putting on a treasonous play in a city that pounds railroad spikes into the heads of troublemakers. With only the help of his boisterous friends, a beautiful assassin whose target may well be Damelas himself, and a company of misfit actors who’d just as soon see him dead, this failed son of two Greatcoats must somehow find within himself the courage to dig up long-buried truths before a ruthless band of bravos known as the Iron Orchids come for his head.
Right out of the gate, I will tell you I loved this book. Play of Shadows is a return to top form for de Castell and is my second favorite book of his behind Saint’s Blood (one of my favorite books of all time). There are so many positive things to cover about this book I simply don’t know where to start. The premise is just delicious–a bard who can summon forth ghosts of the past to tell true histories via magic that only works on stage. It is such a fanciful, fun, and well-executed magical power that brings my favorite parts of the stage to life and really explores the power of storytelling and historians in new ways. The book feels like a very inventive extension of the already rich Greatcoats world, both wholly its own yet seamlessly fitting into the existing setting and expanding the stories that came before it. You absolutely do not need to read the previous Greatcoat stories to love this one, but I recommend you do because it will make you like it all the more.
The prose, as always, is fabulous. Dialogue has always been de Castell’s bread and butter but even the descriptives and the introspection in Shadows feel lyrical and clever. I appreciate that de Castell has a love of smart-mouthed wise asses in his cast but that they don’t blend together and feel very distinctive. Damelas is a fabulous protagonist with clearly defined strengths (his moral compass and tenacity) and weaknesses (his self-confidence and lack of perspective). He has a great arc that is fueled by the all-star support cast, each of which has depth beyond their service to Damelas’ story. The end goal of this series appears to be the expansion and enrichment of the various orders of the world, of which the Greatcoats are only one, and as such Shadows spends a good amount of time showcasing new adherents to a number of orders.
The themes and ideas of Play of Shadows are a double-edged sword: grand in their conception but slightly messy in their execution. There is some fascinating exploration into the shadowy cabal of villains in book one, The Court of Flowers. While I thought the court’s “deal” was quite well conceived and I really jived with what de Castell was throwing down, it felt like there were a few small pieces missing to really nail the full impact of the book’s ideas. Yet, I much rather a book attempt some grand points and commentary like Play of Shadows does and stumble a little than read a polished book that says nothing of interest.
The beacon of book joy for me this year has been the work de Castell has been putting out and there has never been a better time to get into his work. Play of Shadows is a fabulous start to a new series that I devoured in a few sittings, and it does wonders to enhance the previous entries in this series that I already love. It is an absolute joy of a book and I can’t wait to talk about its cool ideas and world-building with every single one of you that reads it.
Rating: Play of Shadows – 9.0/10
-Andrew
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
