DNF at 28% - I love the author's writing, and I think if you are a fan of theatre this is definitely something you would love! I unfortunately lost interest and didn't find our MC particularly endearing unfortunately

In "Play of Shadows," the story centers around Damelas Chademantaigne, the grandson of two famous Greatcoats. Due to high expectations from his family, Damelas finds solace in the theatre after running away from a duel. He quickly discovers his passion for performing and schemes his way into the Operato Bellaza theatre in Duchy Pertine. As the story progresses, he uncovers a rare talent that allows him to re-enact scenes from the past and discover that history, as it is known, is a lie. This leads him down a path of conspiracy, revealing a hundred-year-old plot based on historical events.

The story takes place in one city and references the previous Greatcoat trilogy lore without requiring prior knowledge. The plot twists are well-written, keeping you engaged throughout, and the supporting cast is believable. Numerous mysteries are uncovered throughout the story, making it an enjoyable read and leaving you anticipating the next book in the series.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing me with an free e- ARC and an honest opinion.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/03/28/play-of-shadows-by-sebastien-de-castell-court-of-shadows-1/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Fantastic Start to New Series

I really enjoyed Play of Shadows. This is a story packed with intrigue and conspiracy in which you’re never quite sure where the real threat lies, brought to life by a band of over the top, easy to engage with, stage characters. The entire story is brought to life by a small troupe of actors who embrace and provide safety for the MC who then unintentionally brings disaster to their doors.

As the story begins we make the acquaintance of Damelas Shademantaigne, grandson of two famous Greatcoats, currently on the run through the streets of Jereste, hounded by the local militia, fleeing a duel he can’t possibly hope to win and finding himself trapped outside the Operato Belleza he makes use of an ancient law of sanctuary that provides him with a temporary respite. Accepted into this small troupe Damelas finds himself new friends and a new found love of the stage – poor actor that he is – until one night he fumbles his lines causing an uproar and bringing untold chaos down upon the company.

To set the scene a little. Jereste has a new Duke but it seems that all is not well. The streets are overrun with a local militia known as the Iron Orchids who seem to be growing in power and ruthlessness. The nobles are unhappy with the current rule and secretly plot. The whole place has the feeling of a ticking bomb so when the Knights of the Curtain stage a local historia (one of the plays that faithfully recount historic events) showing a different version of events (history being written by the winners not always being a totally faithful account after all) the place descends into uproar. It seems like the ghosts from the past are determined that the ‘truth will out’ and what better place than the stage.

There are many reasons why I enjoyed this book so much.

Firstly, the writing. I loved it. This author is positively a wordsmith. He can make you laugh and cry. He has a wonderful turn of phrase and his work is actually a joy to read. Clever, witty, atmospheric. He sets the scene well, he gives you characters you can love and he adds a dash of magic to raise it all above the norm.

Secondly, the setting. Or the setting within the setting. Jereste is a hot mess, the Orchids are stirring up rebellion, the streets are not safe and the whole place seems to come easily to life on the pages, but, on top of this we have the theatre, which plays a huge part in the story. Here we have ghosts who will not only capture your imagination but will hold our main character captive as he is possessed by the need to recount the true history of Jereste. I loved the magic – not just the magic of the theatre but the fact that magic literally takes place upon the boards – its such a great concept.

On top of this, well, we have a found family feel. Damelas is embraced by this unruly cast of characters. He finds true friendship and loyalty which isn’t a surprise because in spite of his own feelings of not being worthy he really is a good guy. He ran from a duel he couldn’t win but his motives for taking on the duel will soon unfold. He isn’t afraid to stand up for people although he has little more than bravado to help him with his rash deeds and he finds himself centre stage in a very dangerous predicament that he refuses to flee. There are plenty of likable characters here, rag tag plucky street urchins, actors whose best days have long since departed and aren’t afraid to find solace in a bottle, a curmudgeonly director whose bark is worse than his bite and an assassin who is as deadly as she is beautiful.

The plot itself is a twisting thing and difficult at times to pin down. We have the actors,slowly uncovering the secret history of Jereste whilst trying to uncover the true source of unrest and the motives. It’s a mystery and it does involve murder but it isn’t a murder mystery in the typical sense. What I enjoyed was the change in the MC as he becomes more confident and begins to show his mettle. As I mention, Damelas is the grandson of two Greatcoats and grew up in their shadow, always feeling inadequate. As the story progresses you can see Damelas gradually changing, not a sudden awakening of zero to hero but a slow metamorphosis in which he uses his intelligence and the teachings of his grandparents to begin to make a difference.

Now, in fairness, I will mention that the pacing can be a little up and down. This story is set in the world of the Greatcoats but you don’t have to have read those books in order to enjoy this (although there could be spoilers for the earlier series that I’m unaware of) but this does involve a level of world building and set up – personally, I didn’t find the pacing a problem but you might wish to be aware that there are dips here and there. I loved the writing and I wanted to savour it – it’s the conundrum of wanting to enjoy each and every word whilst also wanting to rush to the end to find out what’s happening. My advice, take your time with this one.

Overall, an excellent start to a series that promises so much. I can’t wait to join Damelas and the Knights of the Curtain on their next adventure.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

A different story telling! I gave it 4 stars. I loved to read this book and the plot was chef's kiss. I recommend everyone to read this story... it's really good.

Have you ever started reading a book and after the first few paragraphs knew deep in your bones that the book you're holding in your hands would be a 5-star read, 10/10 would recommend, running to buy (all) the special edition(s)? This is exactly what happened after I read the prologue to Sebastien de Castell's magnificent Play of Shadows.

The prologue had me howling with mad laughter and that gut feeling told me that de Castell is going to make the rest of this book a madly deeply captivatingly enjoyable read. And I was not wrong. With superb skill, excellent timing and humour aplenty, de Castell weaves several complex and intriguing storylines, skillfully layering them and presenting them to the readers in the form of a play within a play within a captivating plot. And doing so without missing a beat, while making all the storylines equally interesting and keeping the readers glued to the book.

Simply put, Play of Shadows is a fabulously unputdownable read. An engrossing and beautifully written story with flawed, complex and above all beautifully human characters that (thanks to the author's superb writing skill) you cannot help but empathise with and cheer for.

Conned into fighting a duel with the vicious Vixen, Damelas Shademantaigne tries his luck with an archaic loophole that says actors can’t be forced to duel. The company takes pity on him and soon his new life involves bit parts in historic plays – until the night that a strange feeling overcomes him, and he blurts out on stage that the history of the city is based on a lie, the hero Prince a heinous murderer.

Drawing this attention of the new, foreign Duke, Damelas is soon drawn into plots that span centuries, caught between politics, violence, and the terrifying fact that he might just be an actor, after all.

The name ‘Shademantaigne’ might be familiar to some readers, as Damelas is the grandson of two Greatcoats – travelling magistrates upholding the King’s justice, and the most elite fighters around. It’s a legacy that haunts Damelas, but also harking back to a set of four novels in the Greatcoats series. This is set in the same world, but is a new trilogy. I went into this blind and it worked more than fine, but I will be scrabbling to get my hands on the earlier books if they are anything like this – which was simply excellent!

The plot throws danger at our reluctant hero from so many angles, there’s rarely a let up in pace or in keeping the reading struggling to put the book down rather than find out what happens next. Or indeed: what happened in the past, as there are (sort of) two timelines of mysteriousness going on here. Things do get a little dark in a few moments – the whole ‘death by crowning’ thing struck me as very nasty indeed – but mostly there’s a vein of humour running through the writing style.

Most of that comes from the characters, with Damelas in particular being extremely self-deprecating and with a wry sense of dark humour. His best friend is a booming-voiced rascal of an actor, and the friendship is just lovely especially when things turn more grim. And then there’s the deadly assassin – who Damelas might just have a crush on, but whether that’s quite how she wants his heart is another question!

Overall this was just such a good read. It had excitement, mystery, a reluctant hero, real evil to be fought against, and all told in a very engaging, fun tone. As I said, I am definitely tracking down the first Greatcoats series now. If you’ve read it, I suspect you’ll be rejoicing that there’s more, and if you haven’t, feel free to start here – but do start!

At this point, Sebastien de Castell is an author whose books I am guaranteed to enjoy and Play of Shadows merely proved that further to me. It’s a welcome return to the world of the Greatcoats (and some of its characters!) and a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

In this one, we follow the grandson of two Greatcoats, Damelas: at the moment we meet him, he’s doing his best to avoid fighting a duel. Damelas at the beginning of the book is, if we might be blunt, a coward. A lot of the book is about Damelas being forced to discard that cowardice (through the help of a ghost possessing him — a particular type of magic in this world), but it’s also about history, truth, and propaganda. In finding himself possessed for the first time, Damelas accidentally reveals that the city’s legendary hero may, in fact, have been a traitor.

Of course, this news is not welcome to several groups of people and Damelas finds himself suddenly a target for more than one person. It’s here that he discovers the people who have his back, and that’s another aspect of this book (as well as most of de Castell’s works, come to think of it). It’s about the relationships formed along the way of the plot, the main character who thinks they can only really rely on themselves, but still endangers themselves to save other people, only to then find that they’ll do the same. The company of actors that Damelas finds himself in is 90% antagonism, 10% outright arguments (which, I admit, remains that way through most of the book), but they all come together throughout.

It helps that this book is set within a previously established world of course, but 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. It’s not solely about the aesthetic: there’s a lot of thought gone into all parts of the world and how they work together. As I said, this book introduces a new kind of magic to the Greatcoats universe, one that leaves you with tantalising possibilities.

This isn’t a book where you need to read the previous series to understand (although I would highly recommend those too!) meaning that, if you want, you can dive straight into de Castell’s works from here. And I strongly suggest that you do!

A beautifully crafted -or rather, staged- novel complete with a stunningly beautiful moment of carthasis that had me smiling through my tears.

Once upon a time, the Greatcoats went out into the world to right injustice wherever they found them, fighting for the truth. (And no, you don't need to have read their stories to enjoy this one. Although you should, if you ask me. And if you do know and love them already, you'll get to meet some old friends here!)

Now, the grandson of two of them is rather lost, running away from duel of honor and fearing he could never live up to their reputations (spoiler alert, he totally does, in the end. And it is SO beautiful to watch). Hiding with a group of players, Damelas Chademantaigne finds his fate unexpectedly tied to that of the villain in his city's history - who fights to have his story told by gifting his memories to Damelas. And our not so cowardly actor has to find the strength to fight for the truth, uncovering a plot to overthrow the government and wreak havoc on his home...

This is (and yes, I'm being repetitive) freaking beautiful, effortlessly flawless, and truly awesome and swashbuckling (I mean. It's De Castell doing what he does best) story, staged like a play, complete with beautiful frontispieces for every act. Watching the plot unfurl is truly mesmerizing, and I can't wait to be reuinted with our group of players!

✨ Netgalley ARC Review ✨
Release Date : 28th March 2024

⚔️ Historical Fantasy ⚔️

📖 Play of Shadows is set in the same universe as The Greatcoats series, but you don't need to read it to read this.

This follows Damelas fleeing a duel with the vixen the most feared duellist in the city. An arctic law allows him to take refuge within a theatre. One night while on stage something takes him him and he blurts out a dreadful truth. Damelas and a company of misfits actors are soon swept into a dangerous conspiracy based on historical events.

Oh, and the vixen is still waiting to duel him.

📚 Review : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

I really enjoyed this, this was a great come back to the greatcoats world. I always enjoy the characters that Castell creates. And these characters were no exception. They are flawed but charming and well developed. As always he has created great relationships filled with banter and wit.

It's hard to say what I loved about the plot without spoilers but I do think this is an unique book in ways and the way the story pieces together was incredible. And I really loved how it reflected on society and human behaviour.

This partly feels like a love letter to theatre. Parts of this story are told through their performances and honestly I loved it. What I will say is its set in a renaissance time period and most out characters are actors. Alot of off the dialogue comes across melodramatic to me this added to the books charm but I can see how that wouldn't work for everyone.

His fight scenes and battles are fantastic. I adore anything musketeer inspired. I don't know what it is about it but I love it and like the greatcoats series I just adored that vine.

My one critic is I think the first half was a bit slow. Now I love slow books but it kind of felt like we going round in circles for a while there, but once kicked off the pacing was fantastic and action packed.

I absolutely loved this book! This is the first book I’ve read by Sebastien De Castell and it will not be the last!

This book is full of everything I love to see in a Fantasy book. It has loveable characters, great world building, greatcoats, duelling, assassins, lots of intense moments and twists that caught me by surprise. I am also obsessed with the Veristor gift!!

If you like lots of duelling/swordplay with a great story and even better characters, then you should definitely read Play Of Shadows. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

What a swashbuckling tale this was! I loved the detailed fight scenes and the band of characters that were thrown together. This was highly entertaining from the start!

Did I stay up until 7AM reading this book? Fuck yes I did! And I don't regret a second of it. That alone should tell you how much I loved it.

From the characters, to the setting, to the plot, everything was masterfully done. Is one twist predictable? Yep! But what matters is how we got there, and boy oh boy, did I have a fucking wonderful time. Seriously, this book made laugh out loud at 4AM. It made me cry! Do you know how long it's been since I last cried reading a book? You don't, but I do, and it's been a bloody long time (coming from someone who read The Poppy War trilogy AND The Green Bone Saga in 2024!)

The best way I can describe this book is this: If We Were Villains and One Dark Window had a very witty, sarcastic, chaotic baby. Perfection.
I hadn't read any of the author's other books prior to this, but I sure will now, as I eagerly await the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Jo Fletcher for the ARC.

Play of Shadows is a new book set in the world of the Greatcoats and tells the tale of Damelas Chardemontaigne, a cowardly jobbing actor who finds himself at the centre of a plot to destabilise the country.

Initially, running like a fantasy version of Withnail and I, you half expect Danny to be there with his infamous Camberwell Carrot. However, once you get past a certain point, the book returns to De Castells familiar beats.

The book itself is a fantastic romp revolving around the power of stories and how history is written by the victors.

At the beginning of the story, we meet Damelas, who fearing for his life after running away from a duel with the infamous Vixen, inserts himself into a local acting troupe, invoking their protection so that he doesn’t have to take part.
All this because he is the grandson of two famous Greatcoats and happens to be named after his ancestor, who happened to be the very first Greatcoat. Unfortunately for Damelas, he is totally not up to the job of filling these massive boots.

The book itself is the very familiar formula that De Castell generally writes with, and if you are familiar with De Castell’s books the very heart of the story will not come as much of a surprise as it is filled with the usually well realised, larger than life characters, fantastic plotting and the ability to make the reader laugh or cry on a whim. However, what De Castell does differently in this book is to give a very different feel to this book, revolving the tale around a hapless hero and primarily basing it on theatre and pantomime, rather than the stock standard swashbuckling fare that is part and parcel of the other books.

However, fans will not be disappointed by a lack of well-choreographed fight scenes as Mr De Castell peppers plenty throughout the book.
As usual, there is plenty of humour in the book as well as the inklings of dark and De Castell balances the two brilliantly.

At times, the book has an almost episodic feel to it, and it reminds the reader of the old classic adventure serials or classic fiction such as Defoe and Dumas, but also used in more modern times by people like Wes Anderson.
And just to mention that there is a bonus for fans of the series as there is a welcome cameo at the end to give that warm fuzzy feeling.

In conclusion, I don’t know how to conclude this review, but I will finish by saying ‘Play of Shadows is feckin fantastic!’

I pre-ordered this book in January 2021 and I was very disappointed every time the release date got pushed back time and time again. Now I’ve finally read it and, let me tell you, it was well worth the wait.

Play of Shadows is so good. It opens with Damelas Shademantaigne running from a duel and into a theatre where he becomes an actor. However, it turns out that Damelas has this ability to channel the voices of the dead and that leads to a never ending nightmare where he is forced to act out the last days of one of Tristia’s most notorious villains and it turns out the truth is far different than the legend would suggest.

About half way through Play of Shadows, I put my iPad down and I thought to myself “I love this book” and it only got better towards the end. I loved the Greatcoats series and this is rather different but it is just as good. Damelas is an excellent main character and I loved every word I read about him. His interactions with the other characters were a lot of fun.

I’ve always loved de Castell’s writing style and this book is no different. It’s fast paced, very dynamic and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.

I had such a good time reading Play of Shadows and it is very much a contender for my favourite book of the year. It was fantastic from the first page to the last and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t recommend it enough, particularly if you enjoyed the Greatcoats series. You’re going to love this one too.

when an actor has the memories of the dead and learns about the real history of the past.

this amazing historical fantasy will capture you at all points, bringing you into the story to the point where you don’t want to put the book down. watching damelas learn about his power, learn about the past to change the present was so interesting, nice watching him learn and grown.

i was confused at points with the discussion of greatcoats, it was explained to us like we should know who they are, so maybe the prequel should be read first, but if you can move past that then it a wonderful read. found family is a strong concept throughout this and you can feel it strongly and it makes the book more loveable, seeing this group of people fight and fall out, but also work together and not leave one alone to suffer.

i highly recommend this book to anyone who’s a lovely of historical fiction with a fantasy twist!

i want to thanks netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book for an honest review!

Set in the Greatcoats universe, Damelas Shademantaigne, the grandson of two famous greatcoats, flees a judicial duel with the Vixen and takes refuge amongst the actors of the Operato Belleza where, because of an ancient law he gains a respite from what he believes to be a duel he can’t win. He settles into the company, playing undemanding bit parts, until one day he hears a ghostly voice and blurts out a terrible truth about the city’s legendary hero. This puts him on the wrong side of the Iron Orchids, self appointed dealers of their own version of justice (think Proud Boys without the charm). Added to that, the Violet Duke wants Damelas to enact the unpopular truth. Aided by his solid friend, Bereto, an alluring Dashini assassin who could be ordered to kill him at any moment, a couple of street urchins, and a rag-tag company of players, Damelas has to sort out truth from legend in order to protect the city from an elusive conspiracy. This looks like the start of a spin-off sequence set soon after the end of Tyrant’s Throne (which wraps up the four books about Falcio, Kest and Brasti) and possibly close to the timeline of Borros (Crucible of Chaos). There’s a bonus appearance of a favourite character from the previous books, so it all ties in nicely.

"Play of Shadows" is the first book in the new fantasy series “Court of Shadows” by Sebastien de Castell. The narrative centres on Damelas, the grandson of two of the most acclaimed Greatswords, and a terrible swordhand, who is evading the most infamous dueller, the Vixen. The way he does it? Tricking his way into the company of actors, The Knights of the Curtain, who reside at the Operato Belleza.

The Belleza provides sanctuary due to an archaic law and Demalas maintains his residence at the Operato by performing supporting roles such as the Herald. However, on one particular show night, his world gets turned upside down after he fumbles his lines on stage and announces that the city’s most legendary hero may not be that after all…

De Castell exhibits a deft hand in character development, crafting a diverse cast who are flawed yet charming in their own way, with great humour and witty banter! Particularly noteworthy are Paeder's poignant reflections on his late wife, Virany, which resonate deeply and had me crying . De Castell definitely captured the feeling of eternal and unwavering love with this character.

Due to the complexity of the plot, there is a lot going on in this book, and I did occasionally struggle to keep up in places. I also found that the pacing of the book overall was quite varied, with some parts feeling much slower than others.

However, if you love the arts, fantasy plots thick with magic, spirits, betrayal, duelling and battles, this book is definitely for you! I look forward to reading more of de Castell’s work in future to see where these character’s end up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jo Fletcher Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5

I really enjoyed so many aspects of this book! I thought the story was wonderful and the fight scenes were intricate and thought out (which I’ve heard is a recurring theme in the authors work!)

I am definitely going to be looking for his other books!

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Sebastien de Castell and I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this one. I just wasn't expecting it to become my all time favourite of his books! A fully captivating, charming, rip-roaring adventure from the first page to the last.

A brief summary (paraphrased from the synopsis): the story starts with Damelas Shademantaigne, the grandson of two famous Greatcoats, on the run for his life. He's fleeing a judicial duel with the legendary Vixen and is relieved his fleeing is better than his fencing. He's able trick his way in to a company of actors and take refuge under an archaic law. Is he a better actor than fighter? Debatable. But he will have to make full use of both talents and all of his wiles and charm after a mysterious voice in his head causes him to tell the entire city that it's greatest hero (and the current ruler's ancestor) might actually be it's greatest villain.

This book is SO MUCH FUN. I loved reading a story set in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴 universe where the main character is decidedly not a Greatcoat. It's such a cool and different perspective on the legendary King's Magistrates. This story also rounds out the world in a way I won't go in to because spoilers, but rest assured: if you wanted to know more about the world of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴, this certainly delivers.

We also get to experience the author's love of theatre and actors in this one as it really shines through. Of course, this is a book by Sebastien de Castell, so there's also swashbuckling, plotting, dramatic and dastardly villains, a whole cast of wonderful characters, and darkness balanced with a healthy dose of humour. There is quite a sweet romance, as well! We even get a cameo from an old favourite.

Also, that last line. I cheered!

I will give a bit of a warning: as in 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴, there are some spoilers for 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴 in here so read at your own discretion depending on where you're at with that series.

Anyway, I'm grinning like a fool just writing this review because that's how much I enjoyed this book. I've already preordered my copy and am looking forward to the eventual release of the next installment, 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for providing me with a free eARC.

I think my review could boil down to just four words. I'm not sure which four words best sum up my experience but there are some options:
I didn't like it.
It wasn't for me.
Alas, I did try.

I persevered, I battled to the bitter end and turned each and every one of the near to 500 pages hoping I would change my mind. As much as I wanted to get swept up in the story or the camaraderie, I just couldn't get behind the premise. As a fantasy reader, I've conjured up realistic dragons, dwarves and even the odd unicorn in my mind. I've placidly tagged along on doomed quests dreamt up with questionable logic or shaky motivations. However for whatever reason, I just couldn't let go and give in to the suspension of disbelief that the singular way the hidden truth of society's corruption could be uncovered is through a play-by-play reenactment of a ghost's long-forgotten memories in front of a live audience. It also didn't sit comfortably that the dangerous and bloodthirsty enemy were waiting in the shadowy wings, ready to swoop in and deliver death blows to all those who dared act in this blasphemous performance.. though they were of course always happy to watch and wait for the final curtain or intermission to intervene.

I'll admit, I have not read this author's previous works and so I'm not familiar with the rest of the books within the Greatcoat universe. I've also never been big on theatre or performance-based art, nor fencing or duelling. Perhaps the charm of this book was lost on me, due to my lack of understanding when it comes to those pursuits and the shared culture of those individuals who love them as much as the author does. I think for those people, this book will be a wonderful adventure and I do not want my opinion to deter or put them off in any way. De Castell's passion and knowledge shine through in his work, I can only regret that it was lost on me.

The writing was of great quality and I found myself indulging in a snort laugh or two at the humour (eaten by cows/eaten by crows moment was a personal favourite, as well as the panic of seeing red/facing the curtain). In line with any story set primarily on a stage and involving a troupe of performers, it did lean into the melodrama a tad. The pretentious, embellished language of the theatre was plentiful and there were more than a fair share of smug or over-dramatised characters indulging in poetic soliloquies and monologues, often to massage their egos and further inflate their self-importance. I would roll my eyes if I met them in person, so it's only natural I found myself doing the same when meeting them on the page.

Thank you Quercus Books & Sebastien de Castell for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.