Like Heinlein’s Double Star, Mary Gentle’s Black Opera, Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentine and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, Play of Shadows is a story of a play within a story, where the fantasy element is allied with another fiction, that of a theatre production.

Initially, Damelas Chademantaigne appears to be one of those ‘Han Solo’ type characters - a charming rogue, living on his wits and with a quick tongue rather than any other virtues. To reflect this, the book begins with a chase. Damelas is being chased through the streets of Jereste by the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city for having upset one member of the gentry too many. Damelas manages to avoid her and the Iron Orchids (the name of which might be a nod to Michael Moorcock), the local militia that seem to run law and order, to take refuge in the Operetta Belleza, one of the ensembles of actors in the city. It just so happens that due to an ancient law that dictates that anyone in an acting troupe is exempt from prosecution, he is protected from attack.

He then manages to get himself a minor part in the group’s latest production, and along with his loyal friend Beretto meets a diverse group of characters – Hujo Shoville, the group’s director, pompous Ellias Abastrini, the lead actor, actresses Roslyn and Ornella, ill-tempered musician Rhyleis, street minor Zina and assassin Shariza, whose target may or may not be Damelas himself. De Castell does well to integrate unusual locations and memorable characters into an exciting and engaging plot.

Things begin slowly but quickly build into something quite interesting. For much of the first part of the novel Damelas appears to be passive, carried along by events and never in control of things, and despite his bravado often unconfident and seemingly with little grip on events. However, one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth - that Prince Pierzi, the city’s most legendary hero, may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer. This causes outrage and Damelas finds himself brought to the attention of Duke Monsegino, the new and seemingly weak reigning Duke of Pertine.

Seemingly as a punishment, Damelas is commanded by Monsegino to present a play telling the story of Pierzi’s nemesis, Corbier, who is usually the villain of such tales, with Chademantaigne himself elevated to the lead role of the Red Eyed Raven (another nod to Michael Moorcock, I think) - even though the troupe know that such a heretical tale will be greeted with outrage and protests. To me this sounds like something similar to the story of Jesus Christ being told from the perspective of Judas Iscariot.

At the same time, Damelas finds himself more and more susceptible to visions showing him things that he should not know, things seen from Corbiers's perspective that show a very different range of events from those traditionally told in the play. More so, he finds himself on stage giving dialogue that is not his, but seemingly words from the Red Eyed Raven himself.

This retelling of famous historical events does not go down well with everyone. When one of the troupe is killed by the Iron Orchids in order to send a message - they were hoping to catch Damelas - Damelas steps up to the situation and takes a more active role in making things happen, namely to bring to justice the Iron Orchid killers and prop up the new Duke. It is realised that Damelas may be a Veristor, someone who can see and relive memories from the past. The premise of the story may suggest that reincarnation or at least possession is possible, which lead to further questions. Do spirits linger in places where foul deeds have occurred? And why has Damelas been chosen at this time to portray this misjustice?

In terms of bigger issues, the book raises some interesting questions as the characters slipstream through time and the ghostly presences of the past impact upon those of the present Of course, there’s also a huge secret conspiracy that seems to be connected to Damelas and those around him.

With this skill, the play and Damelas, using his visions, are a great success. By the third part of the play, on the third night, we discover a wider truth and find Damelas and his fellow actors rising to the occasion as things all come to a head and chaos reigns across the city. There’s a nice epilogue that I suspect might mean more to those who have read the other 'Greatcoat' books and will please the more regular readers of the whole series.

The first thing that struck me on reading this novel was the luxuriant language used. De Castell fills his narrative with prose that seems somewhat ornate and yet wholly appropriate to the extravagant plot. The names and nomenclature throughout have an Italianate tone which does much to create an appropriately baroque sense of place. As you might expect from a trained fencer, there’s a lot of details of fencing duels going on; de Castell adds a lot of swash and buckle here.

Although the book may be a little too long at about 500 pages, being quite lengthy means that the journey that Damelas takes from start to finish does not seem particularly rushed or forced. Whilst there are definite time pressures involved – creating a play from scratch in seven days is no mean feat! – the events seem appropriately paced. I was pleased that my initial impressions of characters were often actually something different at the end.

With this and the prequel Crucible of Chaos beginning a new series, I can see Play of Shadows as a new beginning of a series with potential. It’s a good place to start if you’ve not tried de Castell’s books before, as you do not have to read the previous Greatcoat books, including Crucible of Chaos to enjoy this one. I haven't, but am now tempted to try them.

Ever since reading the Greatcoats trilogy, Sebastien De Castell became one of my favorite authors, and any new (non-YA) book he writes is an instant buy/read for me. 'The Malevolent Seven' and 'The Crucible of Chaos' were fine books in their own right and I enjoyed reading them, but neither brought me the joy and elation I felt when reading a Greatcoats novel.

I am (so) happy to say that 'Play of Shadows' brings back those feelings and then some. Before reading the book, I had my doubts, though. A cowardly hero? An entire novel about a play? Ghostly voices in some actor's head? Where's the swashbuckle in that? But after devouring this book in three or four sittings, I can honestly say that 'Play of Shadows' is every bit as exciting, clever, funny and charming as I hoped it would be.

It features a great cast of new characters and highlights an entirely different but equally enjoyable part of the Greatcoats universe. The pace is excellent, although I am sure that was a challenge what with the story revolving around a play. What starts out as a small, insignificant personal problem for an unlikely hero concludes with nationwide stakes and the promise of more exciting tales to come. Oh, and then that cameo at the end of the book .... :-)

This is Sebastien de Castell in his very best form, and I gladly award this novel the five stars it deserves.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

DE Castell delivers other exciting and well plotted novelsthat kept me hook.
I'm late at the party because I wanted to read Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows one after the other.
Well plotted, full of surprises, gripping. A couple of novel that kept me reading and having fun
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Play of Shadows is very unlike anything I've read before! Set in the same world as the greatcoats, but against the backdrop of a playhouse where actors can channel the memories and souls of the deceased to bring history to life, this was a rather unusual read. Our hero openly admits to being a coward. I thought the worldbuilding in this was really imaginative and so different to everything else I've read. I love the larger than life characters that de Castell creates who practically leap off the page. There's a huge amount of wit, humour and heart in this novel. I've only recently discovered this authors works and I'm a huge fan of his style.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

It just wasn’t my type of book unfortunately, however it is written beautifully and I do feel others will love it.

Unfortunatelly I had to DNF this book because it really isn't my style. However, the book is beautifully written and I think some people will love it,

3.5 stars

I'm a big fan of Castell's Greatcoats series, and was delighted to return to Tristia with Play of Shadows (and it's prequel, Cruicible of Chaos!). Castell excels at creating larger-than-life characters that are a joy to read. This collection of misfit actors is no exception. There's a wonderful sense of family, particularly between Damelas and Bereto.

Damelas's journey through the narrative is satisfying and his transformation in the final act feels well-earned. Castell must have had a firm grasp of his character to craft him with such confidence and consistency on the page. As a reader, it's a delight to read such a well-realised, flawed but lovable protagonist.

The nature of the prose is a bit verbose, and while this suits the characters and the setting, it did cause the pacing to drag slightly at times. This combined with the sheer number of obstacles Damelas needed to overcome throughout the work, make the narrative feel a bit slower than it might otherwise have been. The plot is juggling a lot of aspects, many of which aren't resolved wholly in this narrative. While no point gets missed, it did become slightly challenging as a reader to keep all the players in mind.

Castells magic systems are wonderfully unique, and one of the many things that make this world such a joy to be immersed in. Exploring the bounds of the magic along with the characters, stumbling blindly along with them as new aspects of the power are revealed piqued my curiosity. I had to know how this would play out!

Overall, Play of Shadows is a wonderfully fun story whose charming characters and witty banter balance out the dire stakes of the external plot.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

*Arc received from Netgalley. All opinions are my own*


TLDR: Play of Shadows will be an acquired taste for some, especially if they're not used to de Castells worldbuilding and storytelling. Despite not being a fan of this type of story I absolutely loved it (despite the slow beginning) and think that most people would find Play of Shadows to be a worthwhile read.

I’m unsure why I requested Play of Shadows as it isn’t my typical kind of story to read but it was a great accidental find! The beginning is definitely a little slow to get going but if you can push through the initial first chapters you’ll find a very homely book with a very strong sense of “found family” and well fleshed out characters who each, despite the small parts some play, have big and distinct personalities.

I can’t speak to how well this ties in or moves on from the other books in the Greatcoats world, but for a first time reader, I didn’t feel like I needed to read previous books or felt lost in any way.

I am aware that this is part of a new series, however, despite liking Play of Shadows, I am unsure of whether I will read the next instalments as the ending is quite neatly tied up for the most part. I will have to wait and see when the next book is out to see whether I'll follow on with the story, but for now, I’m happy to have had the chance to Play of Shadows and would definitely recommend it to anyone that likes the sound of the blurb.

This was really good. I had such a fun time with it. I absolutely love Sebastien De Castell’s writing style. He is great at writing characters. Damelas is an excellent leading character. I really got behind him and wanted him to succeed. I enjoyed all the side characters and they bounce off each other perfectly. The atmosphere and world building are excellently written. This author can really write an action scene that puts you right there with the characters. The thing I absolutely love about Sebastien De Castell’s writing is his humour and his injection of emotions. One minute you’re fearing for the characters lives and the next you are laughing your head off. I also listened to the audio and the voice actor Joe Jameson does an amazing job of bringing these characters and story to life. I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series.

Thank you to Quercus Books for this advanced copy of this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books | Arcadia for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book was so good that I couldn't put it down. I'm not a huge fan of theatrical themed books but that made me change my mind. It was really good and I can't wait to read something else from this author.

Play of Shadows is the first in a new series from Sebastian de Castell. This was a really entertaining read, written in his usual style, full of wit, action and swordplay. Set in his Greatcoats world, the book follows Damelas, a young man who struggles to live up to his family’s name and expectations. Damelas is a great character to follow, I found him humorous and relatable. I enjoyed the dynamic and banter with his best friend and the other supporting cast. A lot of this book is centred around the theatre, performance and the art of storytelling, and how stories are past down/altered through time, which I loved. One aspect of the book I found to be a bit weaker was the development of the two main female characters, for me they didn’t come to life as much as some of that other characters so hopefully we’ll get to know them a bit better as the series continues. I gave this book 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5, would highly recommend!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time,
Eleni A. E.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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