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A review by lastblossom
Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Plenty of world building supports a layered story about a normal guy caught up in a political game much bigger than him.
Thoughts
Damelas isn't a hero - he just plays one onstage. Scratch that, he's a bit player and he can barely even get that part right. But he and the ragtag band of actors he hangs out with are immediately sympathetic, very messy, and if you've ever seen a group of actors together, you'll recognize every player in the text here. Ostensibly a story about one man and his quest to not get skewered by a particularly vengeful duelist, the past layers (literally and figuratively) onto Damelas' world, tying the efforts of his small acting troupe into a much larger power struggle. There's a lot to keep up with, and the first half of the book takes a little bit of time to set up all the pieces before setting everything in motion. The back half moves at a much quicker pace, with some big reveals at the end that set up the rest of the series admirably. I've not read the original Greatcoats series, but this new series introduces the world without any confusion The world building is very strong from the getgo, with a heavy emphasis on the history and politics of the world. And oh, how much of it there is! If you like political machinations and surprise reveals punctuated with some really well-written swordplay, this one's for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Arcadia for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Plenty of world building supports a layered story about a normal guy caught up in a political game much bigger than him.
Thoughts
Damelas isn't a hero - he just plays one onstage. Scratch that, he's a bit player and he can barely even get that part right. But he and the ragtag band of actors he hangs out with are immediately sympathetic, very messy, and if you've ever seen a group of actors together, you'll recognize every player in the text here. Ostensibly a story about one man and his quest to not get skewered by a particularly vengeful duelist, the past layers (literally and figuratively) onto Damelas' world, tying the efforts of his small acting troupe into a much larger power struggle. There's a lot to keep up with, and the first half of the book takes a little bit of time to set up all the pieces before setting everything in motion. The back half moves at a much quicker pace, with some big reveals at the end that set up the rest of the series admirably. I've not read the original Greatcoats series, but this new series introduces the world without any confusion The world building is very strong from the getgo, with a heavy emphasis on the history and politics of the world. And oh, how much of it there is! If you like political machinations and surprise reveals punctuated with some really well-written swordplay, this one's for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Arcadia for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Vomit, Murder, War, and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Drug abuse