Traitor's Blade: The Greatcoats Book 1

Of friendship, and courage, of love and sacrifice (and some damn fine sword play) Falcio, and his friends, Kest and Brasti, are 'Captain Blood' and his crew reborn, the "Three Musketeers" re-envisioned. But they are fresh and new, and bound to each other by bonds that some of us never have the pleasure to know. Read it. You will enjoy every moment of it.

Read this book in two days. Would have read through without stop but had to go to work. This book has all the makings of a great adventure novel reminiscent of the Three Musketeers. Swashbuckling adventure with sword play, witty repartee and loyal friends.

de Castell does not merely repeat the "Three Musketeers" meme, he reinvents it. The author's characters are well drawn. He has a vivid gift of description (more on this later). He pushes his plot forward at an exciting pace, while providing occasional flashbacks for back story. This is an exceptional exercise in "world building".

BUT, I will stop with this first novel. de Castell's depiction of a failed nation, whose "King Arthur" like ruler rises high, only to be destroyed by the ducal class (possible allegory going on here) is, at times, excessively, painfully descriptive. Scenes of evil and torture are not the essence of the story, but they are so terribly graphic as to leave a sour taste in my mouth. Is the author guilty of gratuitous torture scenes? No. They play an important, albeit, ugly part of the story. Are his depictions of tyrannical-rulers-as-fiends outside the realm of our actual history? No. But I, for one, prefer to avoid such satanic violence, even if fiction, because it leaves a stain on my soul. YMMV. I suspect that most will not experience my reaction. It is, after all, a glorious story, with myriad "lessons" worthy of our time. But, I must find "tamer" fiction for my taste.

So, this was both what I expected and totally unexpected. I wanted swashbuckling adventure, and while I did get some of that, this had a lot more grit and grim scenes than I was expecting. I think I was expecting more light-hearted adventure, but this worked for me too.

Falcio, our protagonist, is a good person who wants to do good things. Ever since he was young he dreamed of joining the Greatcoats, even when faced with the Greatcoats no longer existing. But eventually he settles down into an ordinary living and is content until life throws him one heck of a left hook and sends him on his journey to where we find him at the beginning of the story. And then once life gets settled again for him and he’s finally found a new purpose life throws him for a loop again. Falcio just can’t catch a break. So when we finally catch up with him at the beginning of the story he’s just a tad more cynical than he was in his youth. And yet, at the heart of things, he’s still a good person who wants to do good things and make the world a better place. He doesn’t want people to have to go through the same things he’s gone through. He believes in justice, even after the world has told him there is none. It’s this aspect of the story that gives the story a sense of hope, even when things get super grim, as they do at times.

I think one of the book’s strengths is its characters. Falcio is great but so are the other characters we meet along the way. The other greatcoats that are Falcio’s friends are awesome. They each have their own distinct personalities. I do wish we had gotten to know them just a little better, however. I also enjoyed some of the characters in the flashbacks, like the king that Falcio looks up to and is a friend. The king is young and idealistic but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, it’s the kind of thing that keeps hope alive. I also loved some of the characters introduced later in the book. The villains are very villain-y and there is this feeling that the bad people out number the good people, which could make you lose all sense of hope for good to triumph but the hope is always there, through Falcio and his friends.

The story is told in both the present day and through a series of flashbacks. We get to see what happened to make Falcio who he is–his friendships, his loves, his loyalty to the Greatcoats and their cause. I really enjoy this style of storytelling when it’s done well as it is here. It’s a great way to reveal a character’s backstory without having some long info-dump. It also gives us further insights into their motivations. That being said, it can be a bit jarring at times when a flashback starts in the middle of a high tension moment in present story, and this happens a few times throughout but it wasn’t much of an issue for me personally. My opinion is that these type of ‘scene cut aways’ are more effective in film than books, but it still works here once you get used to it. Overall though, I thought that writing and prose was pretty great.

The only real problem I had with this…well, there’s a bit of a Disposable Woman situation and so we get to experience a lot of sweet, sweet man pain. I guess this doesn’t bother me that much because I still really liked the book overall, but this is such a common trope and I do think it’s just a tad lazy. Then again, revenge and despair are great motivators… <shrug> Your mileage on this may vary.

Overall, I enjoyed Traitor’s Blade quite a bit. The story was revealed in an interesting way and the characters were pretty solid. Looking forward to the next one. 3.5 stars.

Traitor's Blade was a swashbuckling read, albeit with some shortcomings that left me unsatisfied at the end. But first, the good parts:

This was a fast-paced book that sucked me in right from the first page. Falcio makes for a very likeable protagonist, and refreshingly, this is not a black-and-white tale - there are plenty of shades of gray in the story. The witty banter is well balanced with bouts of dark flashbacks, and this makes the story just flow along, inexorably pulling you along for the ride. The author's expertise as a fight choreographer is evident from the many spectacular & unpredictable fight scenes that occur throughout the book.

But alas, it's not all roses. The second half of the story is filled with very random turns of events, much of which I'd term deus ex machina. And the plot ends up being a bit too predictable. The ending felt quite abrupt, and I heavily disagreed with certain plot elements in the latter portions of the book.

Overall, this started out a promising read, but petered out a bit at the end. Nevertheless, I will be watching out for more of the author's books. Plotting can be improved upon, but writing style and ability is something innate, and de Castell has that in spades.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The King’s guard has been disbanded and disappeared, but Falcio, the First Cantor is determined that people will remember them correctly.

Opening Sentence: Pretend, just for a moment, that you have attained your most deep-seated desire.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Falcio is the First Cantor of the King’s Greatcoats, nevermind the fact that the King is dead and the Greatcoats scattered to the four winds. It is bad enough they have to hire themselves out as bodyguards, and to make things worse the man they are supposed to be guarding is now dead and they have been framed for his murder. As they flee the area, Falcio, Kest and Brasti stumble across a caravan in need of guards in a desperate move they attempt to sign on to serve the mysterious lady.

Brasti is pretty sure that Falcio is finally going to get them killed, and that might just happen but for now, they will keep the mysterious lady safe on her journey. When they arrive at the corrupt city, Falcio knows things have gone from bad to worse. When they lady reveals herself as the daughter of two different Dukes he knows that it’s more horrible that he thought. Especially when he realizes that they are just in time for Blood Week and he recognizes the family that has been singled out.

Falcio tries and fails to save the family, but when a young girl stumbles out of the burned ruins he makes a decision to save her no matter the cost. As they run from her enemies, and his, Falcio wonders if he will be able to redeem himself and save her? Or if it will all fail? Will he ever be able to fulfill the geas the King laid upon him?

I think the comparison to Three Musketeers does this a measure of justice, it isn’t quite the same, but some of the same themes are in this book. Falcio is determined that they still honor and live by the same code that they did when the King was alive. He and his three friends are trying to finish the quest or geas the King laid upon them before he died. In Falcio’s case, he has to find the King’s Charoites (gemstones), but he really doesn’t know where or what he is looking for.

Over the course of the book, there are flashbacks to show how Falcio met the King, how the greatcoats were formed, and what happened to his wife. I loved that it was all interwoven with the present and that people and things from the past show up as well. This is a masterful fantasy novel and a fantastic start to a series. I can’t wait to read the other books!

Notable Scene:

Being marked false would be a death sentence for us. Tratteri couldn’t be prosecuted for prior crimes, but we had no protection under the law, either. Unless we were employed by someone with power and influence, we were targets for anyone who wanted to make a name for himself. And now we were being dragged in the wrong direction, in a caravan of people who hated us, in the employ of a woman we knew nothing about and had reason to hide her travels.

FTC Advisory: Jo Fletcher Books provided me with a copy of Traitor’s Blade. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Traitor's Blade is the debut novel by the immensely talented Sebastien de Castell. Many of my friends are racing through and really enjoying Greatcoats so I decided to jump on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss is about.

The Greatcoats were the King's elite soldiers simply named after their attire. They acted as magistrates, upheld the King's law and helped keep peace throughout the land. This was until they stepped aside when a battle loomed and allowed the execution of the King at the hands of the Duke's. Following this catastrophic event which led to the King's decapitation and his head placed on a spike, The Greatcoat's disbanded and are seen now as traitor's.

We mainly follow three of the remaining Greatcoats through the first person perspective of their former leader, Falcio. These companions are highly reminiscent of Dumas's Three Musketeers and each has unequaled martial qualities... arguably the lands best swordsman, the world's greatest archer etc... In addition to being dashing, well-dressed and chivalrous, the three companions have very different personalities and their friendship, camaraderie and banter are excellent. Honour and the need to do good is discussed and debated throughout. The world is now a corrupt place and Traitor's Blade incorporates plenty of scumbags, violence, chaos, deceit and uncertainty. In particular, there is one scene that could be seen as being very upsetting. For quite a short fantasy volume, this narrative features a large and diverse supporting cast without ever feeling overwhelming and confusing. Notable mentions go to the torturer, Ugh and the young noble lady, Aline.

In similar fashion to many fantasy book debuts, the story and main protagonist are given extra layers using neatly placed flashback sections. These are normally quite short but highlight important occasions in Falcio's past so that we can fully understand his views and motives in the present. The Greatcoats were assigned the last mission just before the death of the King. Find the charoites. The only issue is that no one has any idea what they are other than that they are incredibly important and valuable.

I honestly have nothing negative to say about Traitor's Blade. I lapped up the whole book in only two days. It was a fun read but that doesn't distract from the fact this is a pretty horrific world where honour and total control/harassment seem to have become confused in the eyes of the ruling Duke's. This is a thrilling and moving debut outing in a superbly crafted yet horrendous fantasy world. The action scenes are great but the greatest asset here is the story's characters and I cannot wait to read more about Falcio et al and see what adventures they get themselves into in the next three books. Chances are that most people reading this review will be aware of this excellent series as I was late to the buddy reading party but if you haven't, definitely check it out. A magnificent first book.

This book reminds me of the Three Musketeers movie, in a sense. Falcio, Kest, and Brasti are Greatcoats for King Paelis. They are three of 140 King Paelis’ Greatcoats. Greatcoats are Magistrates who travel from land to land enforcing the King’s Law in resolving disputes or disagreements amongst the King’s subjects. The Dukes/Duchess are the nobles who resent King Paelis due to the tight leash put on them. So to break from it, the Dukes has rallied and usurped the King. On the day of the coup, the Greatcoats are pardoned in exchange of the King’s surrender. This is how the story begins. As I read along, the plot becomes very interesting. My head is reeling in trying to solve the mystery of King’s chariotes. At the last few chapters, I am balling for the event turns so emotional. This is such a great first installment of the series. Usually, book one is all character and world building, but Sebastien de Castell has turned it to a pleasant experience for me. I love the bromance of Falcio, Kest, and Brasti. I thank my sister for recommending this book to me. It’s her usual doing so we may talk about the book. ?

With Sebastien de Castell, I'm thinking I found my latest must-read author. Were Alexandre Dumas still alive I've no doubt there'd be a quote from him lauding the hell out of this book. Traitor's Blade is de Castell's jaunty tip of the hat to him what wrote The Three Musketeers. But given the current climate de Castell doesn't hesitate to inject a measure of political intrigue à la Game of Thrones, only done from a street-level perspective. This had better be the first in an ongoing series or I am going to kick a puppy.

Fancy a history lesson? Cool. See, the nation of Tristia cannot catch a break, rocked as it's been by a century of chaos and corruption. Once upon a time (or maybe five years ago), the Greatcoats (identified by their protective trademark leather coats) roamed the realm, them doughty, sword-fighting magistrates what administered justice in the King's name, each one well-versed in the martial, diplomatic, and judicial arts. But then the ambitious Dukes deposed the king, in fact, planted his head on a pike above his very own castle. And there went the Greatcoats, disbanded and disgraced and universally vituperated. And here's our point-of-view character, Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, him who ordered his elite corps of 144 men and women to stand down whilst their king was getting that very close shave.

The book opens five years hence. Falcio and his two best friends and fellow Greatcoats, Kest and Brasti, are barely eking out a livelihood by hiring out as lowly armed escorts. Mocked as one of the Trattari ("traitors") and as a filthy "tatter-coat," Falcio has spent the past five years trying to fulfill the geas with which the late king had burdened him, but so far no luck. And when the lord they'd been safeguarding brutally expires, whom but on these three tatter-coats should suspicion fall? There go Falcio, Kest, and Brasti, scarpering.

I think it's Sebastien de Castell's debut novel, and that calls for a bout of my being gobsmacked. Guy's a born storyteller. I was immediately drawn to his characters and their interplay. I note whiffs of Dumas, of Steven Brust, of Fritz Leiber, and, yep, of Dashiell Hammett. Traitor's Blade is swashbuckling fantasy at its page-flipping best, but there's an edge to it, a film noir element to it. The writer has got a sense of humor, of style. I dig the snappy bromantic banter amongst our three Greatcoats. And Falcio, holy crap, what a wonderful narrative voice. Falcio val Mond is a fantastic, full-blooded character, valorous and deeply melancholy and (the best thing about him) so very crafty. In all of Tristia, Falcio isn't the best blade (that's Kest) or the best archer (that's Brasti). But Falcio is the most dangerous of the lot because he's so damn freakin' cunning. (He's also really funny.) I dunno, there's something about him that reminds me of Vlad Taltos and of Corwin. He's so badass.

But he's propelled by his tragic past, details of which we learn in intermittent flashback chapters that, thankfully, don't come off as info dumps. De Castell packs plenty of big surprises and jaw-dropping reveals. He offsets the blithe repartee with a series of truly dark moments. If you've a certain delicate sensibility, be aware that the humor occasionally strays into the risqué. But I don't see that as a fault. If I were to nitpick I could say that the narrative does suffer a wee bit courtesy of the Greatcoats' perhaps too omniscient benefactor and a villain that occasionally is caught monologuing.

I'll repeat: Falcio is so badass. De Castell is consistent with his many stagings of the spectacular sword play. (It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that the writer used to choreograph sword fights for historical recreations.) And yet what's so gratifying isn't that Falcio is so lively with a blade but that he's able to trick his adversaries silly time and again. I'm dying to tell you a for instance, but it's so much more fun if you read and find out for yourself. Okay, maybe my favorite bit of trickeration happens when Falcio is cornered by two frightening ninja-type assassins...

If you're in a mood for a rousing, gritty swashbuckler... if you would make the acquaintance of three reviled (yet charming) outcasts who really have each other's back... if you don't mind opening a sack of startlements... then I - and probably Alexandre Dumas - wholeheartedly recommend Traitor's Blade.

But exactly how did Falcio beat Kest in that duel that one time?

I didn't mean it about the puppy.

Listened to this from the library. This book is at least PG-13, if not R rated for graphic descriptions of violence, explicit sex, torture, questionable consent by a male character and blue language. So parents, this is not a Disney's Three Musketeers, but Dumas' and that is far more violent than if we have Chris O'Donnell or Douglas Fairbanks as the lead. It runs with two narrative threads--call them present, and history, and the main character and narrator, Falcio definitely has rose-and-guilt colored glasses when it comes to the history. Some people have called the plot lacking or confusing, but it is probably the interweaving of these two accounts that confuses them. The throughline is Falcio's desperate attempt at redemption for a deed which he cannot reconcile himself to, a deed which brought down a monarchy and disbanded the Greatcloaks (aka Musketeers). The shadow and consequences of that deed play out in the "present" and give him a chance to make a different choice. This is not a simple story of Musketeers and rapiers, but one of disillusionment, despair, and determination to hold onto a dream after your betrayal of it. If you want swords and swashbucklers, they're here, but the trauma of such a life is not spared.

Three Musketeer’s + Magic. I’m totally in.

I’m not really sure what I was expecting but this probably wasn’t it. I was assuming that it would be more like Disney’s version of the Three Musketeers with magic but it is much darker than that. I won’t say that it is quite grimdark but it got close at times.

Most of the story revolves around Falcio. He was the First Cantor of the Greatcoats before they were disbanded and dishonored. Now all of the men and women who made up the elite guard have been blown to the wind and most people would rather see their friends and loved ones die than be protected by the Greatcoats.

I loved Falcio immediately for a few reasons.

1 – He is a man looking for redemption. After being ordered to surrender by his king and seeing his only purpose in life fade into something to be mocked he is working toward finding a way to reclaim it. In the beginning it seems like a hard task. Later it seems practically impossible.

2 – He has a tragic past. If you know me at all you know that I love broken heroes. The most tragic the past and broken the man the better. Falcio definitely falls into this category and with just one small chapter about his past and his wife I loved her too and felt incredibly sad for him.

“Love abandoned me and so I made my deal with Death.”

3 – He is snarky, stubborn and has this core morality that just won’t budge. He’ll kill indiscriminately when needed but he will not resort to thievery because that is beneath what he believes in.

Besides him there are the other musketeers Greatcoats. Kest and Brasti make up the rest trio and I loved the banter and friendship between these men. You can tell from the way they fight together that they have been brothers for a long time. I loved the devotion that each had to the other and the acceptance of difference. I wasn’t sure what exactly to think about both men. Kest almost seemed to have a death wish and Brasti was a bit more interested in women and wine (see totally musketeerlike) but as you get to know more of their stories they become completely interesting. Kest was actually my favorite. He was cocky and confident but it all seemed so sincere so it was hard not to like him.

"Hells, Kest, you yanked a bolt from my leg just a few hours ago and now you want to send me off to fight five men--why don't you go and duel bloody-faced Saint Caviel-whose-blade-cuts-water"
"When the opportunity presents itself, I'll do just that," Kest replied, looking strangely upset.
"You'd fight the Saint of Swords? You really are completely insane, aren't you?"
"A Saint is just a little God, Falcio. If I meet him, rest assured, I'll fight him."

The story clipped along at a good pace for most of the story. The King is dead and the Dukes, all of whom seem completely corrupt have taken over the land. Every single one of them that we meet in the story seems so full of corruption that I hated each one more than the last. Some of the things that they did were completely brutal to the point of making me sick to my stomach. It is all presented in the least graphic way possible. But sometimes that makes it worse, because in my head it is probably more awful.

There was a point where the story lulled a little for me when the trio split up. Falcio ends up in a city that is doing a version of that movie The Purge (which probably came out after this book) but pretty much you can kill and break all the laws for a week. This part dragged a little for me but once it was over we were back into the thick of everything.

Actually if there wasn’t that section in the middle that kinda stalled out I would have given this a solid 5 stars. Between the 3-Musketeers, magic of the world, the twists that happened and the past present storytelling I was thoroughly entertained and ready to see where this haggard group goes from here on out.

“... he had known darkness and despair, and emerged determined to light candles for everyone else.”

It’s impossible not to love the Greatcoats. They represent everything good and just in a s***ty world and are literally dressed to kill. They are hated, unfairly, and constantly accused of evil deeds by those that used to take shelter under the umbrella of security they provided. Despite never disobeying an order, they are branded ‘trattarri’, and disbanded after the death of the king that brought them back into society. There is a magnificent streak of injustice that really pissed me off and constantly had me wondering what it might take for these men of honour to actually snap and just kill someone who truly deserved it. You cannot help but cheer them on at every step and it creates a real bond between the reader and the characters.

The three Greatcoats we follow are close friends Falcio, Kest and Brasti and each of them is a clear, fully realised, multi faceted character that stands out from the other. Falcio is a young man with a tragic past who has found his heroic path. He has a touch of the ‘beserker’ in him but it is forged more through his experiences and inability to move forward than a condition he was born with. Kest is the greatest swordsman who ever lived, and whilst this does seem a simplistic attribute, it works and does not come off as a cheap or easy solution. Brasti is the archer, joker, self-described lover and a bit of a bandit. He is always the first to loot any sort of body and if betraying a fellow Greatcoat was a possibility he’d be the first suspect. They are a great team that will have you reminiscing about everything from The Three Musketeers to The Princess Bride and even Ghostbusters as the laugh out loud dialogue hits home again and again.

There is a nice magical element that really serves to propel the story forward without distracting from the amazing swordfights. I mean lets face it, if I can shoot lightning out of my fingers, your sword is not going to be particularly useful. As it is, the magic is more powders and potions and an old woman known as the Tailor, who can see the threads of life and how they wind together just as well as the stitching of the original coats she created. I really hope to see more of her in the second book.

There is also a great lightness to Traitor’s Blade and it never gets too dark even though there are some crazy and desperate situations that make your heart race and your reading speed increase. I don’t normally like to directly compare the works of different authors but I just read the second book in Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series and I felt like this book contained almost everything that was fun in Red Seas Under Red Skies but cut out all of the slow stuff. They both had a wonderful adventurous feel but this was far tighter, sleeker and more exciting. I remember the exact moment that Falcio, and the book itself, won me over completely. He is approached by a smiling, heavily armoured and obviously skilled, opponent that he can see no way of defeating and finds himself smiling back. Hast says of the opponent, “I just wished he hadn’t of smiled”.

Grab a copy of this fantastic fantasy right now.

Summary wise, Falcio is the leader of his own little band of Muskateers, except here called Greatcoats. A long time ago, he and his whole army of super skilled fighters with the single purpose of maintaining justice, stood down and watched their King be beheaded. They were disbanded and pardoned, but were shamed in the Duke’s Rule. The Dukes are basically power hungry war lords who care more about power than justice. In a nutshell, the book is about their journey to try to bring order back to the world as the Dukes are ready to execute their checkmate. The Greatcoats have to return.

It is not only the three main characters who are great, the side characters and villains are three dimensional too. There are characters where you least expect it, and each of them has a role to play, you may not see it then, but, trust me, all will be revealed. They make an impression and dare you to forget them (because they will come back again). In that way, they are all very well characterized, each lending something to the world building. On that note, the world building is fabulous. You can tell that this is only the beginning, but the way the past and present is mixed with the lore and legends is fabulous. Epic fantasy at its best.

This was so charming, funny, and whimsical, while still being full of action. This book was just amazing, completely and utterly amazing. Sebastien de Castell has made a fan for life. Traitor's Blade is, so far, the best book I've read in 2016.

“The first rule of the sword is - put the pointy end in the other man.”

This story is surrounding three Greatcoats, who used to be the judge and jury for King Paelis. That is, until he was killed. Yet before his death he forced his Greatcoats to stand down so they could receive pardons and keep their lives. He was a fair and just king, who truly wanted to make the world a better place, but now Tristia is ruled by Dukes and Duchesses who aren't the most morally pure of leaders.

This dueling army of the king's called the Greatcoats was called that for a reason - they all wear long, very protective, special leather coats with boning that can save their lives. Even after the king's death, the Greatcoats still wear these, therefore, they are very easily identifiable and very easily called traitors to the now ruling Dukes.

“Love abandoned me and so I made my deal with Death.”

Falcio, the King's Heart - Our main protagonist, who has let cruel past events shape him into the man he is today. He was Paelis' first Greatcoat and prefers to fight with rapiers.
Kest, the King's Sword - Best swordsman in the world, and was Falcio's best friend growing up.
Brasti, the King's Arrow - Master Archer that never misses a shot, and is the funny playboy of the trio.

These three have traveled together during the five years proceeding King Paelis' death. All the while, they have been in search for the King's Jewels, his Charoite. It's been a rough five years, because everyone dislikes the Greatcoats and views them below dogs (which for the record, I view most dogs above humans, so this isn't a very good analogy). After these three fail a mission to protect their employer, a crazy turn of events make them have to guard a caravan to its final destination.

When the caravan stops at the City of Strife, Rijou, they discover that it is Granath Kalila or The Blood Week. This is basically a purge, where you can kill, steal, and loot, really anything without repercussions. After the event is over, the nineteen noble families come forward to say their name and inform everyone that their bloodline is still safe. As horrible and terrifying as this sounds, when Falcio and the boys enter the city, they see locals setting up to burn a mother and her children alive in a house.

The next day and a broken promise later, there is only one little girl barely alive from the fire. The Duke and all of his men want this little girl, and her bloodline, wiped away completely. Falcio feels like this girl could help them with the King's Jewels, and he feels responsible for her family's death, so he makes a promise to try to protect the little girl, at any cost, during Ganath Kalila so she can say her name and claim her bloodline at the end of the week.

“I don't know how well I can fight, or run, or judge, but when the blade comes, I swear on whatever they want me to swear on, I'll stop it, with my body if nothing else.”

This book is filled with conspiracy theories, actual funny jokes and banter, moral dilemmas that make you think, and some of the best written (main and side) characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This book was everything that I would want from a high fantasy novel, and more so. I have no words for how highly I recommend this book.

If you're still unsure, you can read an excerpt from Tor and, hopefully, fall in love with this world like I did.

YES! This book was a fantastic read. Yes, it pretty much is the Three Musketeers as you at least imagine them to be; three guys, super sarcastic and funny trying to bring justice to a dark and depressing world run by powerful, yet corrupt nobility. It also has come Arthurian feel to it (except the knights are kinda horrible people in this world) But, this book is more than a retelling/re-imagining for a few reasons:

First, as far as adventures go, I was surprised more than once in this book and didn't quiet see where things were headed. The plot moved along quickly and I didn't want to stop reading. Predictable is definitely not a word I would use for this book even though the story feels so very familiar.

Second, its truly funny (if you like sarcasm that is) the dark scenes are broken up by humor. You have very imperfect heroes trying hard to do the right thing, fighting for freedom. Freedom of thought, and from oppressive rulers, but power corrupts you know. There are a few Powerful scenes that show the cost of standing against injustice (I'm thinking specifically about "Ugh" and the horse but won't spoil it for you all) You will know when you read it. This isn't even a story about great friends because our guys just aren't all that awesome (or are they?)

Third, I just want to live in a world where some people do think about others and are willing to sacrifice themselves for a greater cause. I am a sucker for that kind of story and this does not disappoint. It is said of one of the characters in the book (I can't tell you who because I don't want to spoil anything!) that "He had known darkness and despair, and emerged determined to light candles for everyone else." That just resonates with my inner-most self. There are days that I think I might break, when the pain around me that everyone goes through is felt and it hurts; Like empathy might just kill me. Life is so hard, no matter who you are. It just is. I want to be the kind of person who lights candles and I like reading about them too. Now, don't start thinking this book is super sentimental because in the face of a lot of that seriousness, one of our "heroes" would just tell a stupid joke and move on to the next fight.

This book has foul language, so if that bothers you, it's definitely not for you. I am told the next book is significantly darker than this one... so I may just pause for awhile and be happy with the somewhat complete ending provided here in book one. I'm not ready to spoil it yet.

Falcio val Mond, the main protagonist, proclaims very early on in the book that he is in for a string of very bad days. He was right. What follows is a series of mostly improbable events, "chance" encounters across time and geographic distance, and near miraculous avoidance of death (on many, many, many occasions). The phrase "against all odds" pops frequently to mind. Usually that sort of thing starts to wear thin, and it did here too after awhile, but this story is clearly trying to evoke the swashbuckling, high adventure spirit of The Three Musketeers and so it goes with the territory.

The story succeeded up to a point because one of the things the book does right is the friendship and brothers-in-arms-ness between Falcio and his two fellow <s>Musketeers</s>Greatcoats, Kest and Brasti. Brasti was probably my favorite because, despite providing some of the better lines and comic relief, he's also the only one that has any real common sense. Falcio is great but he's a little too righteous sometimes for his own good. Kest is stalwart and stoic but that doesn't lend itself to having the most sparkling personality, though events at the end may change that.

Overall I liked the book but the writing felt disjointed at times, emotional transitions were sometimes jarring, characterization was uneven (i.e. the characters complaining about one of the female characters for things that really didn't seem all that apparent to me as I was reading), and the plot felt a bit discombobulated on more than one occasion. Falcio, Kest, and Brasti are on a mission to complete their dead King's final request but the "why", the "when", and most especially the "how" of it starts to get a little blurry around the edges if you look at it too hard. But maybe that's the key, just don't look at it too hard. I can't say I loved the book but I did find it entertaining enough to be interested in reading the next book since the last five or six chapters raised my interest in some of the female characters.

Sometimes authors just try too hard to come across as witty, clever, and funny. This is the case with 'Traitor's Blade'. The humor isn't funny and just feels forced. The editing and maps appeared to be top notch but other than that, this book falls flat. Also, it's essentially YA fiction with a few f-bombs dropped in. Very juvenile. If you like this sort of writing try out Abercrombie's Shattered Sea series or anything by Michael J. Sullivan...these titles actually pulled off what Mr. de Castell was trying to do.

A mix of The Princess Bride, Three Musketeers, and Brother’s Grimm, Sebastien De Castell’s Traitor’s Blade has everything you want in an epic fantasy. From swashbuckling action, to magic, to romance, and with Brasti’s crazy archery skills, I enjoyed every moment while reading this novel.

Following Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, those who uphold the King’s Law, we are taken on a journey to finish the secret set of instruction each Greatcoat received before the King’s death. Hated and feared throughout the land, Falcio and his friends find themselves in trouble more often than not. Between fighting their enemies, no one wanting to help them, being betrayed, and wanting to help a young girl from being assassinated, Falcio and his friends must keep to the promise to the king and uphold his law in everything they do.

And as any awesome hero, Falcio and his crew all have long coats that they never take off….

Full of pockets for weapons, lined with bone to deflect arrows and maybe even bullets, these coats are anything but a fashion statement. I enjoyed the creativity given to this article of clothing and the creativity De Castell had in the songs he created for the Greatcoats to give to the people to remember the King’s laws. It reminded me of the Dwarves in The Hobbit.

I also enjoyed the relationship the three main characters had. You could feel the chemistry they had together starting on the first page, and know that even though they weren’t related, they were like family. Each character had their own unique voice and I easily fell in love with them all and wanted to know where the characters were going and how it would all play out.

And what is the first rule of sword fighting? “Put the pointy end into the other man”. De Castell has a great sense of humor in this novel, yet still keeping the story serious and to the point. Maintaining that sort of comedy without seeming silly or out of place is a hard thing to do, but De Castell nailed it.

The only problem I had was I wanted to know why Falcio loved his wife so much. We didn’t get to know her very well and I want to know what she was like to make Falcio so crazy for her.

All in all, I give this novel a 5/5. It rarely slowed down and I never got bored. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and I hope you all get a chance to read it.

Review originally posted on A Bibliophile's Reverie.

In my last review, I described how often times an author will win me over from the start with an unusual structure, and how this can make me more lenient toward any flaws I might encounter. The same is true for another aspect of writing—voice. Give me a character with a strong, distinctive, winning voice, and usually (though not always), I’ll happily follow said character through a minefield of potential pitfalls. Well, I fell in love pretty immediately with the voice of one Falcio val Mond, the first-person narrator of Sebastien de Castell’s Traitor’s Blade, and though the book had a few problems with regard to plot and pace, I cheerily disregarded them, fully won over by Falcio’s character and storytelling persona, which was full of wit and charm and a healthy dollop of heavy emotionality.

Falcio is the first Cantor of the Greatcoats, a highly trained, elite group of about 150 men and women magisters whose job it was to travel the countryside of Tristia and bring justice to all. But the idealistic king whose law they interpreted and upheld was deposed (and beheaded) by the powerful Dukes and the Greatcoats were disbanded and scattered, eventually becoming reviled as “tatter-cloaks.” Before his death, though, the king had given each of them a secret mission and as the book opens, Falcio and his two best friends among the Greatcoats have taken a job as bodyguards to a merchant in order to further whatever geas Falcio was given. Unfortunately, they new job goes awry and soon they are on the run, forced to take on another job they leads them into political conspiracies, conflicts with the Dukes, and a slew of duels, skirmishes, and chase scenes, all leading to a big finish and book two in the series. Which I’ll happily pick up.

Falcio is one of the better character creations I’ve come across lately, a compelling mix of wit, obsession, ethics, idealism, and grief. That latter comes about from an event from his past involving his wife, an incredibly moving scene that has long-term ramifications and is a constant factor in Falcio’s ongoing actions. His two compatriots—Kest and Brasti—seem on the surface to be pretty stock—terse-always-serious-best-swordsman-ever (Kest) and joker-lover-best-archer-ever (Brasti)—but over the course of the novel hidden depths/motivations are revealed. But even if that hadn’t been the case, the banter between the three, which had me laughing out loud on several occasions would have more than made up for it. Here, for example, is a moment’s back and forth before the three face off against a typically overwhelming force:

“How would you rate our chances? I asked him [Kest].
“We’ll win,” he replied, “but I’ll get wounded, probably in the back. You’ll get hit by one of the crossbow bolts and likely die. Brasti will almost certainly be killed by one of the pikeman, once they get past the weak defense he puts up with his sword.”

And then afterward:

“That was a good idea, Falcio, covering Brasti so he could to his bow. I hadn’t thought of that.”
I leaned my hand on his shoulder, taking some of the weight off my wounded leg. “Kest, next time you think the most optimistic outcome possible is everyone but you dying, try to think harder.”

Other characters that are also strongly written are Falcio’s king, a young girl Falcio takes under his protection, and a strange old woman who shows up at the worst (or best) of times.

The plot is picaresque, with our trio, and then for an extended time just Falcio once he is separated from his friends, getting into one scrape after another, and then of course getting out of it in a variety of ways, some more plausible than others. The ongoing plot is interspersed with short flashback scenes that trace Falcio’s life from a young boy through a happy marriage, to his meeting with the king that would make him a Greatcoat, and finally to that king’s death. The back and forth is skillfully handled and is effective in both filling in some necessary plot details and in expanding our sense of who Falcio is, often in quite moving fashion.

Otherwise, the plot did have some issues. For one, pacing sometimes was a little off, and I’d definitely say de Castell sometimes fell a little too in love with his descriptions of the sword battles. There were a few holes, and maybe some deus ex machina, though it’s possible both those are not flaws per se but just moments to be further explained in later books. Finally, a few characters, mostly the villains, were relatively non-descript.

As I said though, I so thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Falcio that the flaws were pretty inconsequential in terms of their impact on my reading experience. Traitor’s Blade was a lighthearted bit of dashing old-style adventuring (de Castell doesn’t try to hide his love for Dumas’ The Three Musketeers or that book’s influence) peppered with darker, more emotionally powerful scenes. I can’t wait for book two.

This is a swashbuckling piece of heroic fantasy, set in the fictional kingdom of Tristia, which is made up of eight Duchies and Aramor, the “home of Kings”. The King has been executed by the Dukes and their Knights five years before this story begins. He has not been replaced and the Greatcoats, the fighting judges that he had recreated to curb the arbitrary rule of the Dukes, have been disbanded and more or less outlawed. Even since, the Kingdom has descended into mayhem as its laws are no longer enforced and the arbitrary rule and the ambitions of each Duke increasingly prevail.

The story is told in what is a gripping and very entertaining way, with chapters alternating between now and the past, when King Paenis was still alive. In addition to keeping up suspense, something at which Sebastien de Castell is rather good at, this allows the reader to understand little by little how Tristia got into such an awful situation, and how, because of the conspiracy of some of the Dukes, it got get even worse.

Another feature that worked rather well for me was to have the story told in the first person. This does not always work and some readers tend to dislike first-person story telling. It does here, however, with the story told by Falcio Val Mond, the former First Cantor (and therefore Chief) of the Greatcoats, who was also the friend, the confidant and the right-hand man of the King, and shared his dream and his ideals of justice.

A third set of features relate to characterisation. The character of Falcio is quite remarkably drawn, with his ideals, but also his hidden wounds that take him to extremes, and he is presented in such a way that it is hard not to empathise with him. He is, of course, and just like his two companions Kest and Brasti, a master at arms, and, in his case, a duellist that few if any can outmatch with a rapier, apart, possibly, from his childhood friend Kest. The other characters are also mostly good, including that of the cynical, cruel and very “nasty” Duke of Rijou (not that the other Duke and the Duchess which appear in the book are any better!). This is perhaps where I might have a first – slight – reservation with this book. The “nasties” are perhaps a bit too awful to be entirely credible, especially the Duchess of Hervor.

Yet another element which worked well for me was that this story, which seems to be set in a fictional equivalent of the late 15th or early 16th century in Europe (Knights in plate armour, but also Greatcoats with rapiers, crossbows and bows, but also the odd pistol), was that the author makes sparing use of magic. There is a bit of it, mostly used as tracking devices. There is also a rather extraordinary animal, of which I will say no more to avoid spoilers. There are even a couple of characters with supernatural powers, such as a Saint of the Sword, but, by and large, the use of magic is limited and does not dominate the whole story, as it sometimes does elsewhere.

What do dominate the whole story are the multiple fights and duels that the Greatcoats get themselves into: a cross between the three musketeers of Alexandre Dumas and of “Once upon a time in the West” from Sergio Leone. It is quite easy to imagine them with their great leather coats reinforced with armour and containing multiple pockets filled with all sorts of weapons, fighting rapiers (or bow) in hand against late medieval knights and foot-soldiers.

This action-packed book almost masked the fact that the author’s world-building is perhaps a bit weak and seems to take a bit of a “back-seat”. Apart perhaps from the murderous city of Rijou and “the Spear”, the almost interminable and mostly straight caravan road that crosses the whole continent from South to North through endless forests, the rest of the world is only subject to minimal (and often only generic) description. So this is certainly a very entertaining read and a superb first book for this author and it will certainly lead me to read the next instalment. However, it does not quite rate five stars for me.

Traitor’s Blade is a comically adventurous journey of survival and persistence. With sword fights! There is lots of steel on steel action, along with a few bows and axes. I honestly can’t think of much of anyone I would not recommend this one to. Unless they don’t like swords? Or fun? Not sure.

So what’s this book about? The King has assembled a legendary legion of Magisters that travel the land to read the King’s law, rule in disputes, and fight when need be. They even have legendary Greatcoats to help shield and protect them in their trials and travels.

This force of Magisters shares the name ‘Greatcloak’ with the distinctive and highly functional coats they wear. Sounds like quite the life right? Well, except the King is now dead, overthrown and assassinated, the Greatcoats are disbanded and dispersed across the land and labeled traitors. So instead of being revered, they are reviled. The people refer to them as “tatter-cloaks” and other ill terms. People’s opinion of them is so low; it’s pretty much the harshest insult you could throw at someone. And I’m not sure its possible to say tatter-cloak or Trattori (another common slur) without a sneer.

So, how does our protagonist, an overly idealistic, former friend of the King that was once also the first and the leader of the Greatcoats, handle this? Well, maybe not well, but definitely with humor. Lots of humor. I absolutely love Falcio val Mond. He remains insanely loyal to the King he loved and the laws he believes in. He’s just so righteous, it gives ample opportunity for laughs.

The story itself is captivating. With the King disposed of, the power of the land has fallen to the Dukes. And Falcio has managed to find himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy for power. Hilarity ensues. And once again, sword fights. I’m by no means an expert on sword techniques or dueling, but as a reader, I was impressed by the choreography of the fight scenes.

This is an excellent choice for a lighter read, or a change of pace between grimmer, more serious books. Not to say you shouldn’t take this book seriously, there will just be more fun in reading it. It is thoroughly engaging and amusing from the very first chapter. Not convinced? I noticed there is an excerpt on Tor.com. Go read it and tell me you're not hooked!

In “Traitor’s Blade," Sebastien de Castell follows in the footsteps of Alexandre Dumas by creating a swashbuckling tale in a fantasy world. There are some exciting battle scenes and they stand out much more so than the characters or the greater plot.

de Castell certainly writes excellent action scenes but the plot stumbles when he tries to place his characters in a high stake story with political implications. There’s a way to blend these types of threads--witness the “Captain Alatrisde” novels by Arturo Perez-Reverte--but de Castell doesn’t quite have the ability to pull it off. Instead of Musketeers, we have Greatcoats caught up in webs of intrigue. There are some fun moments to be sure and some often witty banter. But de Castell can’t get out of the way of his own narrative, relying on too many flashbacks that only bog the story down.

There’s enough potential to keep an eye on de Castell and fans of sword fighting scenes will enjoy the book. But much of the book is, at best, average and sometimes forgettable.

Traitor’s Blade by Sebastian de Castell is one of those fantasies that has only a smattering of magic but lots of banter, swordplay, and epic adventures. I knew going into to Traitor’s Blade that it would likely be a great book for me since I’ve seen so many positive reviews and I highly enjoy banter and swords. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was the amusing and unique narration from the main character, Falcio. Falcio has such a unique voice and a rather clever explanation for how the story came to be written down. Even though Falcio sometimes got on tangents while telling his tale, I never got bored since he was just so darn entertaining!
Note: I received Traitor’s Blade through Edelweiss for an honest review. Some things may have changed in the final version.
This book has adult content.

Traitor's Blade by Sebastian de Castell (Greatcoats #1)
Published by Jo Fletcher on July 15th, 2014
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
How I got my copy: Edelweiss, Publisher

The King is dead, the Greatcoats have been disbanded, and Falcio Val Mond and his fellow magistrates Kest and Brasti have been reduced to working as bodyguards for a nobleman who refuses to pay them. Things could be worse, of course. Their employer could be lying dead on the floor while they are forced to watch the killer plant evidence framing them for the murder. Oh wait, that's exactly what's happening.

Now a royal conspiracy is about to unfold in the most corrupt city in the world. A carefully orchestrated series of murders that began with the overthrow of an idealistic young king will end with the death of an orphaned girl and the ruin of everything that Falcio, Kest, and Brasti have fought for. But if the trio want to foil the conspiracy, save the girl, and reunite the Greatcoats, they'll have to do it with nothing but the tattered coats on their backs and the swords in their hands, because these days every noble is a tyrant, every knight is a thug, and the only thing you can really trust is a traitor's blade.

Strengths:
As I said above, the main selling point for Traitor’s Blade is the narration style in my opinion. Falcio has just the right level of smugness, honor, and optimism despite the horrible things that have happened to him. He jumps between time periods while telling his story, but I was never confused since he gives context as if he was telling me the story in person. I can see Traitor’s Blade being absolutely awesome to listen to on audiobook ;-).
Traitor’s Blade at first seems to be set in a typical fantasy world with religion and magic happening in varying amounts in the background. Then one of the characters mentions a Saint and you do a double take since their saints are named quite creatively, like Saint Anlas-who-remembers-the-world. Every Saint is sainted because they embody some property to its extreme, for everything from swordplay to seduction. I would love a Guide to the Saints fictional non-fiction book!
The plot of Traitor’s Blade bounces around a bit since Falcio jumps between the present and various important events of the past, but it flows well and of course has some delightful twists.
Falcio has two best buds who fight with him, but also comes into the company of a number of other secondary characters who I quite enjoyed. Banter can’t happen without great secondary characters after all!
As Falcio explains important events of the past and deals with the problems of the present, things get a bit dark at times. I appreciated that darkness, however, since it made Falcio’s fight in the present feel more important and emotional. I just want to hug him sometimes, sniff.

Weaknesses:
I have to admit that I have a bit of a bone to pick with Traitor’s Blade. There is a scene where Falcio has just gotten away from a pretty bad situation and is quite beat up. A woman has rescued him and started treating his wounds. She then proceeds to start having sex with him despite his verbal protests. There is some implication that he is okay with it as things proceed, but at no point does he verbally agree and remember he is injured to the point of not being able to physically resist her either. This magic sex then goes a long way towards healing his injuries…. Can we all agree that healing rape is so not cool even if it is a guy getting raped??
There are times when Falcio needs to explain some context in order for the reader to understand what is going on and he flirts with info-dumping at times.
Beyond the rape mentioned above, there are other instances of rape and horrendous torture mentioned, so Traitor’s Blade is definitely not for the faint of heart and is a bit triggery.

Summary:
Traitor’s Blade overall is a highly entertaining fantasy adventure with all the swords and banter a girl could ask for. It gets a bit dark at times, but the world and narration are a lot of fun. I’m quite looking forward to the rest of the series since there are hints at some pretty epic world events happening soon. I definitely recommend Traitor’s Blade to fans of Scott Lynch ;-).

I really liked this book and will continue on with the series. This book caught my attention early on and kept me interested. I like that it’s 3 musketeer-ish but with very little magic. My only complaint is the ending. The book could have cut about 100 pages from the middle and added it to the ending sequence. I will continue to read the rest of the series (unless book 2 is complete garbage)

Terrific characters, story, and an ending that had me laughing and smiling for at least fifteen minutes before being filled with the desire to read the rest of the series without a doubt in my mind. I loved all the characters, their chemistry was realistic to the point where I could easily see the three main characters being My brother, my best friend, and myself. The insight to the fighting techniques was really cool, I thought the part towards the end where he has that sword fight with the hostile ex-greatcoat where they had a conversation with their swords was really awesome!

There were many surprises, and many delights in this book. I found myself laughing or chuckling quite a bit throughout, and the end?... my stomach was hurting from laughing so hard.

The speech he gives toward the end to the city in front of everyone was amazing, and I love how the flashbacks strengthened certain moments so well. The main character's ideals and hopes are, in my opinion, what gives this book power. As I read this, it made me reflect upon our own reality which was disheartening because of the many parallels I could see, but when falcio would do his thing, I had a real and genuine feeling of hope.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys any of the things I discussed in this review.

Maybe this book is for a younger crowd (teenagers). It's a bit like The 3 Musketeers and it is a light book that is a fast read and enjoyable at times. However it's more like a book you would read to your kid before bedtime. The characters aren't well developed nor complex. The story is shallow (some things aren't really explained). I'm very unsure on whether to give the second book a chance. At first I thought I wouldn't, but there isn't much to read while I wait for the next books in the Fire&Ice, Stromlight Archive, Name of The Wind and Lightbringer Series, so I might see if it improves.

This book was an absolute delight! It had me captivated from page one and I could hardly put it down! I brought the book everywhere with me so I could get in a few pages in a spare moment.

I loved that the main characters were heroic, but not heroes. The whole concept of the Greatcoats being cast down by society and hated by everyone was fascinating to me. It made the characters more interesting and the struggles more real. The characters and plot was compelling. There was intrigue and action. I borrowed the first one from the library but have already purchased them all from a bookstore online so I can read the rest shortly! :)

This is definately a swashbuckler in the old style with a lot of political scheming of the deadliest sort and a bit of magic thrown in. The narrator, a Greatcoiat named Falcio, is a war weary, cynical, complex character with secrets to share and a lot to learn. He leads two other lovable and dangerous men through what one hopes will be a series of adventures through the Tristia nation. I can't wait for thre next installment, hoiping to learn how he beat Kest that one time anf how Kest beat the Red Saint of Swords.
Excellent debut.

A must read for fans of Joe Abercrombie’s ‘The First Law’ trilogy, Traitor's Blade is a swashbuckling adventure story that owes as much to noir detective novels as it does to the fantasy genre. The author is also a fencer and fight choreographer, which comes through in the book's intense sword fights. The story revolves around a trio of disgraced law keepers trying to stay alive and possibly regain their honor and self-worth in a kingdom that has turned against them. The world-building is seamlessly weaved into the story, the characters have a wonderful chemistry and Castell's skills with dialogue are absolutely top tier. Brutal at times, but never without a sense of hope and fun, there's a lot to love in this series.

I am absolutely in love with this book. This fast-paced adventure fantasy was extremely hard to put down because there were twists and turns up, down and sideways. Some I did see coming, but others surprised me and hit me very hard. This book is intense, inspiring, thrilling and funny. It's not often I see so much humor in a fantasy novel that can get very grim.

I believe the biggest and best part of the appeal in this book for me is the sense of hope in humanity. The very best and the very worst of humanity is shown, but the indomitable spirit of mankind in the face of oppression is so inspiring. The worst needed to be shown, to understand how powerful it is when people fight for what's right. Even when it might seem hopeless. The world in this novel has a bleak outlook - especially since the narrative takes place some time after the kind and idealistic King Paelis has died for his attempts to reform the politics of the land, but it's wonderful to see Falcio, Kest and Brasti impart their strength to other people through their actions.

The Three Musketeers was briefly mentioned in the synopsis, and while I think it is a good comparison in terms of the action and Falcio, Kest and Brasti are all excellent fighters who work together fluidly as a team, there is much more to them individually than fighting companions - they are not perfect and interestingly they are not even perfect friends. These characters are a perfect complement when it comes to fighting skills, but their beliefs can be somewhat at odds. Fortunately, their banter makes for fun humorous moments despite the tension that can come up between them and then it's easy to see why they remain together. I found these men and their friendship to be very believable and it made them fantastic characters to carry the story.

However, Falcio is the leader and the main character, and the depth to him because of his tragic past and his need to atone and live up to the principles he holds dear was very moving. There are many satisfying moments in this book when the reader sees how capable Falcio is as a fighter and how accomplished in his understanding of people; he's also very intelligent and cunning and I think it would be easy to make a character like this too idealized, but Falcio is flawed and damaged which makes him fascinatingly multi-faceted.

Flashbacks are an important part of the narrative - through them we see what happened in Falcio's past and the origin of the Greatcoats. I was very impressed with how the flashbacks were worked into the story. The flashbacks supported the main story perfectly and just enough was given to keep creating all of these intensely, emotional moments - because the flashback would give some information that enhanced the present-day story. While the reader is concerned with Falcio and his men's attempts to complete their mission, we come to gradually understand the tragedy that led up to the present and the revelations are deeply poignant.

This book is a wonderful and exciting journey. The only hitch in the story for me was towards the end when a couple things seemed too easily resolved. But it was a very minor issue because this story offers an intelligent examination on our humanity that I found very profound at times especially when it was juxtaposed against truly awful situations. Don't worry though, there's lots of swashbuckling action, wit and dark humor to counter the bleakness and the possibility of excessive sentimentalism. (I did find myself tearing up many times anyways.) I loved most everything about this book, it was a practically perfect read for me.

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)

What I like about Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell is that it is a fiercely feminist work without trying to be. At first glance it may not seem so. After all, the three prominent characters are all guys and the story centers around their struggle as Greatcoats – swashbuckling magistrates and upholders of the king’s law - after their king has died. However, if you know about true feminism you will easily see how this work shines with it: many of the Greatcoats are women, four of the major characters whom the heroes interact with are female, some of whom have more influence on the story than the heroes themselves. Even the main villain - the one who is smart and sly and truly scary without showing it - is a woman. And that’s not the end of it. At every turn, from the most significant person to the simplest players on the field you see a balance between male and female characters. It’s refreshing and empowering, and it certainly makes the story more unpredictable and exciting.

Another thing I enjoyed about the book is the tension that is maintained throughout. There are no easy solutions to the dilemma the main character faces halfway through the book. It ramps up as he goes. A few times, with emergence of new players, you may think the hero’s salvation has come. But no such thing ever happens. Things always get worse, roads usually end in blockades, characters betray characters. It’s like a walk down the darkest alleyway of the most dangerous part of town. If you think the guy inviting you to his basement suite wants to give you shelter you’re in for a terrible surprise.

The only thing I wished was done better was the ending. There’s a bit of humor there that seems misplaced, though it is in character for the three friends who have been through hell together. I’m looking forward to more of their story. Many readers praise this book for the sword fighting scenes and the complexity of its battles. What I think is its greatest quality however is how these fighters stick to their camaraderie and their beliefs even against the most painful, insurmountable odds.

A terrific read. Fast paced, good character development, great storytelling - this book has it all. Written with a sense of humor, and lots of action. I'm reading the second book in this series, and it is just as good as this one. So glad I found this author, and hope there will be lots more books from him to come.

I enjoyed this - immensely at times - but I find myself oddly conflicted as to how much I really liked it. I suspect it's one of those books where my appreciation will grow over time, but where my first impressions are somewhat challenged by some of its more unexpected elements.

If you've read any of the promotional blurbs or advance reviews for Traitor's Blade, then you know Sebastien de Castell has successful served up a swashbuckling historical fantasy that's adventurous, thrilling, and often darkly humorous. It's also, however, a story that I found to be very cruel and depressing in a number of places, which unfortunately dampens my enthusiasm a bit. Having said that, the fact that the cruelty affected me so, getting so effectively under my skin, says a lot for Sebastien's storytelling prowess.

In terms of structure, this is book that is heavily dependent upon flashbacks. In fact, for the first half of the novel, I found the flashbacks infinitely more fascinating than the main story, and was actually impatient to do away with current events and get back to the history. Let's be honest, when you're dealing with a group of fallen heroes like the Greatcoats, the mystery behind how and why they've fallen so far is going to consume your imagination. There is, however, a definite point at which the main story catches up, and that is when Falcio is left to stand guard over a young girl, alone against the world, in a week during which blood must run freely. After that, it's very much a running battle to determine which aspect of the tale is the strongest.

My main issue with the present tale is that it felt as if too much of the main story was being kept from us, and I don't like being kept in the dark. I generally prefer a story with a defined quest to be attained or a clear conflict to be resolved, and I struggled with that here. If the early flashbacks and the mystery of the Greatcoats' fall hadn't been so compelling, I'm not sure I would have stuck with the tale. Once again, having said that, the way all the pieces fell into place was highly entertaining, and I completely appreciated just how many of the seemingly disconnected story threads were leading to the same climax. There was a bit of a fate/destiny cheat involved there, in my opinion, but not enough to completely derail the success of the telling.

One thing with which I am not all conflicted in my admiration for the conflict itself. Yes, this is a swashbuckling tale, and the swordplay is exquisite. I often find myself skimming through extended fight scenes, more interested in the dialogue than the dance of swords, but Sebastien absolutely demands that you dance with him. As we find out later in the story, there's a language to the dance of swords, and it really does feel as if part of the telling here is in the fighting. Exceptionally well-choreographed, the duels and battles are something you desperately want to see on the big screen.

As for the characters, they're conflicted themselves, but strong, fascinating, and well-developed. Heroes and villains alike are immediately identifiable, memorable, and entertaining. Falcio is more conflicted than most, and I fully expected his angry sort of self-pity party to become tiresome, but somehow Sebastien sustains it through more than one grand moment of transformation. A tragic hero in every sense of the word, we come to understand that his motives aren't always as grand as he'd have others believe, but they're nothing for which we can possibly fault him. Duchess Patriana, meanwhile, is an absolutely perfect antagonist, falling just shy of cartoon or fairy tale villainy. She's cruel, conniving, and as intelligent as she is imaginative. This is a woman to be honestly feared as well as hated, and she is largely responsible for making the second half of the tale so entertaining.

Like a number of other reads from the past few years, I suspect the best is yet to come for Sebastien de Castell. With the world and the characters established, and the storytelling expectations set, I suspect whatever follows Traitor's Blade will be a better, stronger, less conflicted pleasure.

Before starting TRAITOR’S BLADE, I had just finished a nine book epic fantasy series. I was still in the mood for fantasy, but something lighter and not so lengthy. This book fit the bill so perfectly I felt almost as if it had been written just for me. Now, TRAITOR’S BLADE does have plenty of dark stuff in it, from tyrannical dukes to abused peasants to a murdered king, but it’s written with such dark humor that you’re laughing even as you’re watching the main character go into a fight he’s almost certain to lose.

Essentially, TRAITOR’S BLADE is a fantasy book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I loved that.

I was hooked from the very first page, and didn’t stop until I finished TRAITOR’S BLADE in one sitting. I actually read this book twice in two months, because the first time I tried to review it, all I could write was, “READ THIS NOW.” I’m still saying that, because I liked this book even more the second time.

I mean, how can you not love a book that starts off with this?

“You know what I find odd?” Brasti went on.
“Are you going to stop talking at any point in the near future?” I asked.
Brasti ignored me. “I find it odd that the sound of a nobleman rutting is hardly distinguishable from one being tortured.”
“Spent a lot of time torturing noblemen, have you?”
“You know what I mean. It’s all moans and grunts and little squeals, isn’t it? It’s indecent.”
Kest raised an eyebrow. “And what does decent rutting sound like?” (p. 3)

Sebastien de Castell has a great sense of humor, lots of creativity, and skill at telling a story. I got sucked into the plight of Falcio and his fellow Greatcoats. I felt sorry for them and their situation -- basically outlaws after the death of their King -- but I also couldn’t wait to see how Falcio would get out of each mess he got into. And Falcio is very, very good at getting into messes, so there’s lots of entertainment even while you’re hoping he makes it out alive.

I realize this isn’t a very good review, but you know how sometimes there are books that make you fangirl (or fanboy) endlessly and just make you happy to read them? Books that you want to push on everyone, but are too incoherent to scream anything but “READ THIS” and shove it into their hands? Yeah. TRAITOR’S BLADE is one of those books.

I was hooked after the first few pages. The writing style was great, and the world building was restrained enough that you weren't overwhelmed but detailed enough that you had the general idea of what was going on around you.

I don't want to go into to much detail, because I don't want to give away to much of the story but I was very pleased with almost everything. There were a couple small things that didn't seem to work as well, but nothing that I couldn't put up with.

I am excited to read the next book in the series. :)