Play of Shadows

Thrills, Wit And Swordplay with a new generation of the Greatcoats!

By: Sebastien de Castell

Narrated by: Joe Jameson

Welcome to the Ooperato Belleza . . . it might save his life, or it just might be the end of him!

Damelas Chademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel.

He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, until he stumbles through the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza and tricks his way into the company of actors. An archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles - until one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth: the city's most legendary hero may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer.

With only the help of his boisterous and lusty friend Bereto, a beautiful assassin whose target may well be Damelas himself, and a company of misfit actors who'd just as soon see him dead, this failed grandson of two Greatcoats must somehow find within himself the courage to dig up long-buried truths before a ruthless band of bravos known as the Iron Orchids come for his head.

Oh, and there's still that matter of the Vixen waiting to duel him . . .

Readers love Play of Shadows!

'An impressive tale with a fantastic plot, intriguing characters, and wondrous storybuilding. Another masterpiece' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'If you are looking for a swashbuckling adventure with a dash of romance and a leaven of humour, then go out and get a copy of this book' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Swashbuckling, emotional rollercoaster, a hero to root for and a great cast of characters' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐©2021 Sebastien de Castell

Critic reviews

Brilliant and vivid world-building . . . riveting

The twists and turns of a story where theater genuinely is magic had me turning pages perhaps a little faster than I should have - but it was such a thrill to encounter sophisticated world-building mingled with nerve-wracking adventure and truly satisfying swordplay. De Castell's women are genuinely witty and intelligent, as well as hot as blazes . . . and I'm a sucker for any story with truth and friendship at its heart. Bravo, maestro! I eagerly await the next one

A complex and enthralling 500 pages of fantasy novel . . . expansive and full of verve . . . I can't wait to find out what will happen next

A fantastic romp revolving around the power of stories and how history is written by the victors

A fast-paced joy-ride from start to finish, filled to the brim with swashbuckling action

Thrilling, complex, and absolutely addictive . . . It's not often a book leaves me speechless. This one pulled it off. Repeatedly . . . true to the spirit of the original Greatcoats in every way, and yet is utterly fresh and unique. From its humble beginning to its epic end, it stands among the author's finest works

Integrate[s] unusual locations and memorable characters into an exciting and engaging plot

I'm still in awe. Play of Shadows is mysterious, enthralling, and just flat-out fantastic . . . the pacing was superb, and the climax had me gasping out loud . . . Play of Shadows is phenomenal and deserves a standing ovation

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

Fast paced, very dynamic and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end . . . fantastic from the first page to the last

Offer[s] characters in starring roles that have the power to capture a reader's heart. With humor, wit, and impeccable pacing, Play of Shadows proves to be an immersive read with a fascinating story to tell

If you love underdog characters, strong women, plenty of humour, wit and action, I can't recommend this enough. Fans of the Greatcoats will love it, and I think people coming to this world for the first time will find it a great introduction

storytelling and Voice actor

to me another great book by Sebastian and I loved the story within the world he has created

The Stage is Set

At first I wasn’t drawn in, but now after finishing I’m excited for this new arc of greatcoats stories!

I’ll say this is definitely a heavier title of De Castell’s due to the setting in a society full of vice, corruption, and death. The MC, who’s a bit weak willed then irritatingly bold at the worst moments, didn’t have enough humor to offset the gloom fully, but the level of honor and camaraderie among the characters does cast back the gloom.

One thing this story has plenty of is intrigue, making it into something of a grimdark fantasy. While you will find some use of magic it isn’t that overt until the end, and only with a price.

If you find the start tedious, stick with it as the story gets very good!

Joe Jameson is excellent as usual - my complaint being that some of the voices are hard to distinguish from each other.

All in all a solid read, but if this is your first greatcoats story then go start with the first series rather than here, as there are references you won’t be able to pick up otherwise!

Outstanding!

I was reteantst when told, I should indulge in, "The Great Coats". As this author was an unknown to me. However it has been my utter delight to live in this amazing and fantastic world! crafted by someone whom I didn't know, deserved a place amongst the greats. Sebastian DeCastell, is amongst my three favorite authors to date. Thank you sir, for binging tears of sorrow along with peels of laughter in the same paragraph.

Ditto-Love It!

This story is a little bit Locke Lamora, a little bit The Name of the Wind, with a dash of Anchor Man. It manages to be deep and intricate as Game of Thrones but lacks the pretentious fantasy fame factor. It’s easy to listen to with such an excellent and engaging narrator and I really look forward to hearing the full trilogy. Do yourself a huge favor and get this book.

Better than the Great Cloaks

The characters are endearing, the story is fast paced. I loved the setting of the story as much of it took place on stage, quite original. Phenomenal book.