"Traitor's Blade" by Sebastien de Castell - Telling the Truth; a Revolutionary Act

We like to imagine the time of rapier duels and noble swashbucklers as being clean and orderly, with even the ugliest of court intrigues having a dose of class and finesse to them.

Contrary to our rather idealistic imagination though, the people of those times were still just as prone to bigotry, violence, hatred, corruption, greed and everything that comes with those. It is in this, more accurate version of reality that Sebastien de Castell has chosen to set his first book, Traitor's Blade.

Now, I have to say that the book doesn't exactly take place in our world, but rather, a very similar one where the king is dead and those in his service, the ones impressively named Greatcoats, have been reduced to bodyguarding the nobles.

Unfortunately for Falcio Val Mond and his fellow magistrates Kest and Brasti, their employer is lying dead on the floor. On top of that, evidence incriminating them has been planted, the kind that would fool anyone searching for a scapegoat.

And so the three disgraced Greatcoats see a royal conspiracy surface to light in front of them, one leaving a trail of bodies behind, one they will have to face with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the swords at their hips.

None will help them, for the world they live in is ruled by corruption, treachery, thievery, one where the law of the jungle reigns supreme and all yearn for the power to make them into tyrants... leaving those wanting to speak the truth having to carve their way to freedom.

Considering this is Sebastien de Castell's debut novel, I believe there is only praise to be passed around. His style of storytelling is has a very adventurous and freewheeling taste to it, one at times reminiscent of the great Alexandre Dumas (from whom de Castell has no doubt drawn some inspiration).

This swashbuckling fantasy book goes along at a rather quick pace and manages to cover a hell of a lot of ground in the space of one book.

To begin though, the banter and interactions between the three main characters are something to behold; they all have incredibly chemistry between each other, with their banter being at times playful and humorous, while at others more thoughtful and inspirational. Each of the main characters is a real mensch in his own unique way.

The story is quite far-stretching and covers a whole lot of ground. To begin with, we have our three Greatcoats trying to clear their name and unravel a conspiracy that threatens all they've worked so hard for their entire lives, as well as the life of an orphaned girl.

Though you aren't exactly going to be dropping your jaw at revelations in regards to this part of the story, the scheme is put together with a lot of skill and intelligence, to the point where you'll actually feel impressed by the crimes and have a note of admiration for those perpetrating them.

In addition, to that, there are other courtly intrigues and plenty of sub-plots to follow, all dealing with equally-interesting characters and often bearing some kind of consequence for the protagonists.

To close this review, Traitor's Blade is certainly one of the best debut novels in recent memory, with an excellent and exciting plot, intriguing characters and a superb language that is in itself a pleasure to read through.

The world has just witnessed the arrival of a new and talented author on the scene, one whose book you should definitely check out if you're into noble swashbuckling fantasy.

Sebastien de Castell Personal site Sebastien de Castell is a Canadian writer who experienced many careers before taking up the pen, including archeology, music, fight choreography, teaching and acting, just to name a few. His first couple of novels, Traitor's Blade and Knight's Shadow have generated a lot of interest, forming the start of the Greatcoats series