I like protagonists to have moral stances, even if those stances aren't always completely on the side of good, but I get annoyed when it seems like their moral stance is holding them back from acting intelligently. Falcio is one of the remaining and founding members of the Greatcoats, a group of traveling Magisters that worked for the king enforcing his laws in a realm where oppressive dukes exert most of the real control. They stepped aside when their king was deposed and executed, which earned them the ire of everyone in the kingdom, but they all have a last quest from the King. The story focuses on two other greatcoats besides Falcio; Kest, a stoic and unnaturally expert swordsman; and Brasti, an expert bowman and womanizer who is losing faith with the premise of the Greatcoats in the face of the hate and trials. Falcio is a consummate idealist, believing heart and soul in the ideals of the Greatcoats and the importance of their quest. His friends are predictably more practical, but Falcio isn't totally ignorant of the realities of life. Most of the time. Part of the loss of a star is that Falcio seems to sway back and forth between ignorant idealist and practical realist with values, sometimes at random. I dislike when protagonists are stumbling around clueless, but fortunately Falcio doesn't get to annoying levels of ignorance. There are also some areas where plot points seem to have been forgotten. Some events or conversations were written as if a key point of information should already be known by the reader, but I couldn't remember where that point had been revealed. It's possible I missed them, in which case the fault is on me. I really liked this book for two reasons. First of all, there is humor in there. The characters are on a serious quest, but they aren't above cracking a joke. Falcio pulls out several good lines over the course of the story and though they never reach laugh-out-loud funny levels, it keeps Falcio from becoming a hero much too depressing and self-loathing to respect. The other upside is that the heroes have several triumphant moments where they're placed in difficult situations and resolve them in very satisfactory ways. It may be too stereotypically heroic, but I personally get disappointed when protagonists are not able to distinguish themselves in any way. It may make them more "real", but in this story I think the more heroic protagonists fit better. Overall it's a bit of a classic fantasy story with heroes that regularly overcome seemingly impossible odds in the name of an idealistic goal, and there are some loose ends with the sideplots, but I found it to be a very enjoyable read with enough realism so that it didn't feel over the top. Despite being part of a series, this author was good enough to wrap the story up in a way that avoids large cliffhangers so the book can stand well on its own. The StoryFalcio was once the First Cantor of the Greatcoats, but since the death of his king, he’s been stuck making a living as a glorified bodyguard. When he and his companions stumble upon an assassination (that they are then framed for), they are forced to go into hiding. They join a caravan which, unfortunately, only serves to get them further entangled in a dangerous scheme involving a princess, vile dukes, and the final destruction of everything the Greatcoats once stood for.The ReviewI’ve always loved stories of Robin Hood, King Arthur, and swashbuckling swordsmen. Traitor’s Blade is a perfect addition to the classic tales of knights and outlaws because it’s rolled all of them into one glorious romp BUT added a dash of The Princess Bride-type humor. It’s that humor that keeps Sebastien de Castell’s novel from descending too deeply into a melodrama about honor, duty, and the first rule of the sword.Falcio made a great main character. He was very damaged yet blessed with a sense of humor and a dashing outward persona. His companions–Kest and Brasti–were also fantastic, but I didn’t see nearly enough of them. I can’t wait for the second book in the series so I can get to know more about all of the characters (including Aline and Valiana) as well as more about the world and its serious problems.I highly recommend Traitor’s Blade to anyone who loves a dash of the devil-may-care swashbuckling in their fantasy. It’s fantastic!
What do You think about Traitor's Blade (2014)?
The author the fantasy genre has needed for some time. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
—cherry
Moves swiftly. Has well rounded characters, but the story is very vanilla.
—devin
Easily one of the best books I've read all year.
—crakajack123
