Play of Shadows by
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Summary from Goodreads:
Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first volume in the new swashbuckling fantasy series by the bestselling author of The Greatcoats .
Damelas Shademantaigne 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 son 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 . . .
Confession:
This was a book that I have been waiting a long time for, and for the most part it did not disappoint. It had all of the wit, charm and beautiful writing that I expect from this author, but it seemed to be missing something as it did not capture my heart like his other books have. I did end up enjoying it though and look forward to the next book in the series.
’I can never quite tell if you’re a timid person who pretends at times to be brave, or a brave one who’s been trying to convince himself for far too long that he’s a coward.’
Damelas Chademantaigne is the son of two Greatcoats, and great things were always expected of him because of that. I really enjoyed reading about him, and seeing how his character developed over the course of the book. He goes from being a young man who is just trying to survive to someone that others look up to and want to follow into danger. He also has quite the snarky attitude when it is needed. Although we don’t meet his grandfather until almost the end of the book, I loved the relationship that he had with him. You could tell throughout the story that his grandparents were a great influence in his life.
“Devotion is not the weeping of a broken heart. It is the long, hard edge of a rapier, wielded without hesitation, without mercy.”
There are many characters in this book, many of who are very important to the story. I loved all of the players in the theater company, especially Beretto, his best friend, who was always there when Demelas needed him. Many of the other players were funny and snarky and often gave tense situations some comic relief. I also quite enjoyed the small romance with Shariza, a Dashini assassin, and appreciated the irony of her desire to love Damelas and the possibility that she might have to kill him. There is also a great cast of evil characters, most of which you will loath on sight and rejoice at their demise. It was also great to see Brasti Goodbow, a Greatcoat, make an appearance at the end.
“Love is an onion, my boy. Leave it too long and the heart of it will rot. So you’ve got to carefully peel back the layers until you find beneath something so beautiful it brings you to tears.”
The writing throughout the book is amazing, as I would expect from this author. Unfortunately the pacing for me seemed quite slow throughout the book, with some faster paced scenes occasionally showing up. The plot was interesting and I really liked the idea of the Veristor, an actor who is inhabited by the ghost of an important person in order to find the truth about an historical event. But at times I did find this to be a bit confusing, and I’m still not sure about how it all ended up being ok at the end? But I am willing to let go of some of that confusion and just really enjoy the story and the characters.
If you are a fan of the Greatcoats, you need to read this newest book set in that world. This is a totally new cast of characters and a new story, but it still encapsulates this world beautifully. There is lots of political intrigue, and evildoers, as well as all of the snarky dialogue and heros fighting for honor, justice and love that you come to expect from this author. If you have never read a book by this de Castell, I think you will still enjoy this one, especially if you enjoy stories with great characters and intricate plots.
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