Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first volume in the new swashbuckling fantasy series set in the universe of THE GREATCOATS.

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!

'De Castell's masterful writing weaves an impressive tale with a fantastic plot, intriguing characters, and wondrous storybuilding. Another masterpiece' - 5* 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' - 5* reader review

'Everything that you come to expect from a Greatcoats world book - swashbuckling, emotional rollercoaster, a hero to root for and a great cast of characters some you will love and some you will hate' - 5* reader review

About the Author
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realised how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way. Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series The Greatcoats was shortlisted for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series Spellslinger was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages. Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats.

Reviews
These books are just joyous . . .This is first-rate fiction, first rate adventure, first rate full stop * CONN IGGULDEN on THE GREATCOATS *
Fantastic from the first sentence to the last. Combining old-school swashbuckling action with contemporary characters and a good dose of grit, these books are the rarest of things, great rollicking fun combined with an emotional punch . . . Sebastien, write faster! * JOHN GWYNNE, Author of the Faithful and the Fallen on The Greatcoats series *
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 * Becky's Book Blog *
A fast-paced joy-ride from start to finish, filled to the brim with swashbuckling action * FanFiAddict on PLAY OF SHADOWS *
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 * Ellen Kushner, author of SWORDSPOINT *
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 * Geek Dad *
Integrate[s] unusual locations and memorable characters into an exciting and engaging plot * SF2 Concatenation *
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 * Becky's Book Blog on PLAY OF SHADOWS *



Book Information
ISBN 9781787471474
Author Sebastien de Castell
Format Hardback
Page Count 496
Imprint Arcadia Books
Publisher Quercus Publishing
Weight(grams) 760g
Dimensions(mm) 238mm * 160mm * 44mm