Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell

Jo Fletcher Books, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62365-809-0

Available:  Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

The King is dead.  The land is burning.  The King’s Magisters, known as Greatcoats, have been disbanded and scattered to the winds.  Their leader, Falcio, is trying to finish his dead King’s final secret order.  With him are Kest and Brasti, his two best friends and also members of the now disbanded Greatcoats, reviled as traitors for stepping aside and letting their King be murdered by the Dukes.  The resulting power vacuum has created chaos throughout the kingdom, as the Dukes fight for supremacy.  The only hope is for the Greatcoats to reunite.  Falcio, Kest and Bresti must restore order, or their Kingdom will be destroyed.

Traitor’s Blade was a fun, swashbuckling adventure to read.  The three main characters brought to mind the Three Musketeers as they fought their way through the adventure.  Each of the characters had distinctive voices and the dialog flowed very smoothly.  The desciptions worked well and set the stage for the action without slowing it down.  The action was great fun!  The chases and sword fights kept the tension flowing.  The plot twisted and turned and kept me guessing what would happen next.  The political intrigue was enough to keep me wondering, without bogging it all down.  All in all, great fun!  Recommended for adult readers who enjoy swashbuckling fantasy.

Contains:  Sexual situations, swearing

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher