Smorgasbord Fantasia

I would read anything written by Sebastian de Castell . The Greatcoats series, coming to a "shocking conclusion" with the Tyrant's Throne soon to be out, is one of my favorite running series. (Oh next on my reading list!) It's pulpy fun, old fashioned fantasy about heroic protagonists, revenge duels, political conspiracies and truckloads of bromance and a whole lotta love.  So when I came across Spellslinger , his alleged YA-Fantasy debut, I was equal parts excited - and a bit dismayed. YA? Sticking to the defined cordons of this genre, would Sebastian really be able to bring out the delights of the comic camaraderie of the knights' brotherhood, that dark brooding atmosphere of conspiracies and dangers, the intensity? Or will it be a watered-down version with possibly a candyfloss romance thrown in between teens swooning for each other? I need not have worried much. Spellslinger is a completely fresh tale, a YA-fantasy with a western frontier feel to the w...

Saint's Blood is the third book in the Greatcoats series by Sebastien De Castell published by Jo Fletcher books. And man, this series continues to blow away my expectations to kingdom come - gleefully reveling in the 'swashbuckling' fun that has been forever the trademark, Saint's Blood continues to portray all the strengths of Sebastien as a writer - a potent mix of non-stop adventure, thrills and even darker moods amidst the heartwarming bonding between all the lead characters. A character-driven low fantasy set in this broken chaos-ridden country called Tristia, the Greatcoats are the King's dreams to maintain the law - and the only hope to see Aline, the King's heir back on the throne to avoid plunging the world into a civil war crisis. Chief among them are the lovable bastards trio of Falcio, the First Cantor of Greatcoats, Kest the best swordsman in the world and Brasti - the rogue with his quick witticisms and quicker arrows. Book Three finds th...

Traitor's Blade was one of the best debuts of 2014 and also one of my best reads that year. I wasn't sure how Sebastien De Castell was going to top that. And yet incredibly, he does just that - and so wonderfully well! With the second book in the Greatcoats series, Knight's Shadow that follows the exploits of the lovable roguish trio of Falcio, Kest and Brasti - as they go about trying to fulfill their king's last wishes in a country that is rapidly falling in to the chaos of civil war. Knight's Shadow picks up right after the events in the Traitor's Blade - where Falcio is struggling with the poison of neatha in his blood, Kest after having defeated Caveil and thus taken on the mantle of the Saint of the Swords is also buckling under the unprecedented "fever" that Saints's experience and Brasti's jokes are getting even more unbearable and his shaky faith in their king's ideals are crumbling even faster. Trin is marching across th...

So Traitor’s Blade from Jo Fletcher (An imprint of Quercus Books , who in the recent past have come up with some very interesting debuts that push the ever-fluctuating boundaries of genre fiction, having given us abundance of talent like Aidan Harte, Tom Pollock, David Hair etc) came to me, courtesy the #GreatCoats competition and a NetGalley request that followed the same.   Coming in from such a brilliant stable, I knew Traitor’s Blade wasn’t going to disappoint. And man, was I right!  So Traitor’s Blade marks Sebastien De Castell ’s fantasy debut and is fast scorching up the blogosphere. Here read an interview of the author with Civilian Reader to get to know what makes him tick. I count myself lucky to be one among the early birds to get this work and am incredibly proud of myself(smirk!) Ah – now to the book itself. Termed to be “ The Three Musketers meets Game of Thrones ”, Traitor’s Blade is definitely the most delightful fun I’ve had in epic ...