Play of Shadows, Sebastien de Castell
Play of Shadows, Sebastien de Castell
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

Play of Shadows
Thrills, Wit And Swordplay with a new generation of the Greatcoats!

Author: Sebastien de Castell

Series: Duellist

Narrator: Joe Jameson

Unabridged: 18 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Arcadia

Published: 03/28/2024


Synopsis

Welcome to the Ooperato Belleza . . . it might save his life, or it just might be the end of him!

Damelas Chademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel.

He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, until he stumbles through the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza and tricks his way into the company of actors. An archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles - until one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth: the city's most legendary hero may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer.

With only the help of his boisterous and lusty friend Bereto, 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 grandson 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.

Oh, and there's still that matter of the Vixen waiting to duel him . . .

Readers love Play of Shadows!

'An impressive tale with a fantastic plot, intriguing characters, and wondrous storybuilding. Another masterpiece' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'If you are looking for a swashbuckling adventure with a dash of romance and a leaven of humour, then go out and get a copy of this book' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Swashbuckling, emotional rollercoaster, a hero to root for and a great cast of characters' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About Sebastien de Castell

Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realised how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way. Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series The Greatcoats was shortlisted for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy, the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series Spellslinger was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages.Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats.


Reviews

Goodreads review by William

BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne My 12th Sebastien book, and one of my favourites. It has an excellent introduction that immediately sucks you in, and then it does not go. A swashbuckling tale, with twists and turn......more

Goodreads review by Jade

PERFECTION......more

Goodreads review by Allen

5 stars again, reading this for the second time. As a diehard de Castell fan, I loved this even more the second time around. For a theatre lover and a swashbuckling action lover, this book is a must-read. Damelas grew on me much more the second time, as did his fellow troupe of actors. All of the de......more

Goodreads review by Robin

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 4.5 hearts I read the Greatcoats series a few years back.  It was a little the Three Musketeers with Gods, Saints and Mag......more

Goodreads review by Emma

A great new swashbuckling series with no-one’s-idea-of-a-hero main character and his trusty band of actors and friends. This is set in the Greatcoats world, some time on. Damelas is in fact the grandson of two Greatcoats. The story is crammed full of fight scenes, at which Sebastien de Castell excel......more


Quotes

Brilliant and vivid world-building . . . riveting Chad Stahelski, director of JOHN WICK, on THE MALEVOLENT SEVEN

The twists and turns of a story where theater genuinely is magic had me turning pages perhaps a little faster than I should have - but it was such a thrill to encounter sophisticated world-building mingled with nerve-wracking adventure and truly satisfying swordplay. De Castell's women are genuinely witty and intelligent, as well as hot as blazes . . . and I'm a sucker for any story with truth and friendship at its heart. Bravo, maestro! I eagerly await the next one Ellen Kushner, author of SWORDSPOINT

A complex and enthralling 500 pages of fantasy novel . . . expansive and full of verve . . . I can't wait to find out what will happen next Geek Dad

A fantastic romp revolving around the power of stories and how history is written by the victors Fantasy Book Nerd

A fast-paced joy-ride from start to finish, filled to the brim with swashbuckling action Eleni A.E. at FanFiAddict

Thrilling, complex, and absolutely addictive . . . It's not often a book leaves me speechless. This one pulled it off. Repeatedly . . . true to the spirit of the original Greatcoats in every way, and yet is utterly fresh and unique. From its humble beginning to its epic end, it stands among the author's finest works Andy Peloquin at FanFiAddict

Integrate[s] unusual locations and memorable characters into an exciting and engaging plot SF2 Concatenation

I'm still in awe. Play of Shadows is mysterious, enthralling, and just flat-out fantastic . . . the pacing was superb, and the climax had me gasping out loud . . . Play of Shadows is phenomenal and deserves a standing ovation Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

Sebastien de Castell is, to me, unmatched in this kind of worldbuilding, the sort that feels based on swashbuckling books like Dumas's, those kinds of romantic adventures moonraker

Fast paced, very dynamic and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end . . . fantastic from the first page to the last Hobbleit