Synopsis:
If you could see into the past, would you reveal the truths that would shake your to the core?
When the grandson of two famous sword-wielding Greatcoats flees a duel to hide out in a theatre, he unwittingly becomes a conduit for the spirit of a legendary Archduke portrayed as a villain on the stage. But as Damelas begins to learn the truth of what happened in the past, his life in the present becomes more and more dangerous, and soon he’ll have to find a way to fight back against those who would kill to keep the country’s darkest secrets buried.
Review:
Hello again dear reader or listener, how is life? Filled with good books, I hope.
I’d planned on this review being up for release day on the 28th alas I had a research Thesis to submit and final touches on it to apply, so here I am a tad late. Given our friends at SFF Addicts are releasing their interview with the author today as well (links to that here), I figured I might as well wait and make it a De Castell Day!
With a huge thank you to Quercus and Arcadia Books for this eArc in exchange for an honest review, let us get down to business then!
For those who don’t know me, De Castell is an auto-buy and, frankly, I have a bone to pick with this author for I am running out of words to describe all the ways and reasons why I love his work without being repetitive. Honestly, how very dare? I will however try dear reader, for you.
Set a few years after the end of the author’s original Greatcoats tetralogy, Play of Shadows is the opening act to a brand-new series in the same world and, although it contains some minor spoilers for its predecessor, they are actually so cleverly peppered in so as to pique your curiosity without revealing any of the major plot twists or reveals from the previous books. So, you can happily enter the Greatcoats world from here and go back after, in case you hadn’t read them before. If, like me, you have read the parent series first however, then all the cameos and easter eggs will fill your heart in the best of ways. My cheekbones ached afterward from all the time I spent grinning like a fool as I was wrapping up this enthralling read.
Play of Shadows is many things, just like its crew of colourful characters, but most of all, it is a fast-paced joy-ride from start to finish, filled to the brim with swashbuckling action, multilayered protagonists, bombastic and/or bawdy personalities, and self-aware melodrama, that is in no way held back by the dark events and ominous foes it presents. Grandiloquent is another perfect word to ascribe to this book and its narration, because even though Damelas, our first pov narrator, is the unwilling hero we all love, he does not sacrifice the hefty helping of dramatic flair theatre actors thrive on to make the world a brighter place, especially in the face of horrible odds.
‘Fled a duel, did you?’ he asked me. ‘I prefer to think of it as engaging with the enemy honourably but from a safe distance’.
The trope of a character being in some way possessed and talking with another in their minds is one I’ve found myself really loving over the years and this time was no less excellent of an example. Damelas’ interactions with the Archduke Corbier made not only for an entertaining exchange of barbs but for insightful topics on history revision and revenge justifications. Plus, if there’s one thing I love it is the revelation that events did not go down as they’ve been recounted. Moreover, the irreverent or out of pocket moments throughout the story juxtaposed so perfectly with the darkness or sorrow the characters had to deal with that even though my feels were getting the occasional left field hit, I kept going back for more, eager to find out what really happened in the past and how that was affecting the present of the plot. Not to mention the sheer beauty of the main male duo being an emotional mess two thirds of the time. Beretto especially, was a truly wonderful character, openly crying whenever overwhelmed by strong emotions and actually letting himself feel said emotions freely. The real world could do with more Berettos out there. While Damelas himself was such a profound and well written character, recognising both his actual and perceived failings for what they were and growing throughout the story to face them head on. While also being a pragmatic yet noble character who doesn’t take himself too seriously when the moment calls for it, but also, occasionally just allows himself to dwell in feeling sorry for himself. You gotta take that beat some times.
The main thing I loved about this book besides all the superb character and plot shenanigans, however, was how much De Castell as an author has perfected his craft. This may be specific to someone who has read all or most of his books, however it needs to be said, even if it may be stating the obvious. It’s a fact that the more you write the better you get, but reading this opening to a new series that carries many parallels with the first Greatcoats book, Traitor’s Blade, only highlighted how much the author has learned from his own writing over the years. There’s a lot to be said about Damelas and Falcio sharing some key traits that make them truly memorable protagonists, or about the fact that some plot elements are present in both books purely from a narrative structure necessity pov, however I don’t want to spoil anything and you, dear reader, probably don’t have the time to read all my rambles. Suffice it to say, that things that I did not love in Traitor’s Blade (not necessarily because they were bad but because they could have been better), were in a way fixed here. For instance, the main romantic subplot was way better developed here than it was in TB, which had felt a bit rushed and forced – granted it was way better developed throughout the rest of the series later but we digress. In short, Play of Shadows is a much stronger opening to a series than Traitor’s Blade was, and I say this having actually loved TB to bits!
‘Are you alright?’ the duke asked. ‘You were… giggling.’
‘Merely the unfortunate consequence of having gone mad some time ago, your Grace’.
Was Play of Shadows occasionally unhinged and off the rails? Absolutely!
Did it suffer for it in any way? Not one damn bit.
The self-contained plot of the first entry in the Court of Shadows series does not disappoint and it sets up new intrigues and darkness in the horizon that our ragtag family of actors will have to face. The found family vibes abound and are chef’s kiss, and returning to Tristia through Play of Shadows felt like coming home.
I may have said this in the past but De Castell’s writing is so damn unashamedly human. In its raw intensity, in the sometimes madcap hilarity or dark humour needed to make sense of grief, or the theatrics one puts on every day to face their odds. And I can never get enough of it because it has So. Much. Heart.
This is another book then that I warmly recommend you don’t walk towards but run! You won’t regret it, dear reader.
Until next time,
Eleni A. E.
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