I was completely drawn into this from the
very first chapter, which nails an outstanding mix of excitement and humour -
it's a book which never takes itself all that seriously, reading as a
swashbuckling fantasy with boastful leads who know they're better fighters than
nearly anyone they can come up against. That same mix of thrilling action with
a fairly light touch is sustained for most of the book, with just a few moments
later on which see the plot take a darker turn, and it's a refreshingly fun
read. It's also set in a very interesting world - magic exists, but it plays a
major role in rather few scenes; this is definitely low fantasy with political
intrigue - just WHAT are the evil dukes planning? - being the most important
part of the setting.
I'll be completely honest and say that I
could have lived without the fridging of the hero's wife, who we learn in a
flashback (thankfully, not an explicit one) was raped and killed. But there is
SO MUCH good stuff here! The friendship, loyalty and bickering between the
three central Greatcoats is fantastic to read, Falcio has an amazing voice, and
de Castell's fight scenes are staggeringly exciting. There are also numerous
superb twists which left me constantly guessing what would happen next - and
also what HAD happened in the past; there's a really strong use of flashbacks
to show the history of the Greatcoats from Falcio first hearing about them, to
he and the King restarting them, to the terrible night which saw them stand
aside and let their king be killed.
I'm intrigued to see where things go in book two, which I note is substantially longer. On the one hand, this felt really refreshing as a fantasy novel weighing in at around 350 pages is fairly rare in my experience. On the other hand, so many threads come together at the end of this one - particularly some very promising character development for several female characters - and we get such a brilliant set-up for the next book that I'll trust de Castell to keep my attention just as glued to his writing in that book as I was in this!
I'm intrigued to see where things go in book two, which I note is substantially longer. On the one hand, this felt really refreshing as a fantasy novel weighing in at around 350 pages is fairly rare in my experience. On the other hand, so many threads come together at the end of this one - particularly some very promising character development for several female characters - and we get such a brilliant set-up for the next book that I'll trust de Castell to keep my attention just as glued to his writing in that book as I was in this!
Hugely recommended, perfect for fans of
Scott Lynch's wonderful Locke Lamora series - but also a great entry point for
people who haven't read too much fantasy and are looking to dip a toe into the
genre.
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.
ReplyDeleteMarlene
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