Spellslinger

Spellslinger #1

by Sebastien de Castell

MAGIC IS A CON GAME.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage's duel and the start of four trials that will make him a spellcaster. There's just one problem: his magic is gone.

As his sixteenth birthday approaches, Kellen falls back on his cunning in a bid to avoid total disgrace. But when a daring stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path.

Ferius Parfax is one of the mysterious Argosi - a traveller who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She's difficult and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen's only hope...

The first in a rich and compelling fantasy series, from the author of the much-loved Greatcoats series, bursting with tricks, traps and a devious talking squirrel cat.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Audiobook, High Fantasy

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2017

About the author

Hi Folks!

My eighteenth novel, MALEVOLENT EIGHT is now available. Cade Ombra and his misfit band of mercenary war mages are determined to prevent a cataclysmic war between supernatural beings. But peace at any price might mean killing an awful lot of people. The Malevolent Seven might be heroes, but they'll be the good guys . . .

My seventeenth novel is titled PLAY OF SHADOWS. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of mystical theatre where exalted actors can channel the spirits of the historical figures they portray on stage. But Damelas Chademantaigne seems to be summoning the spirit of a notorious villain whose secrets could unleash a civil war!

My sixteenth novel is CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS. Estevar Borros is my favourite swashbuckling investigator of the supernatural, so come investigate alongside him and his dauntless mule, Imperious inside a mysterious abbey where the gods seem to be driving the monks mad!

My fifteenth novel is FATE OF THE ARGOSI. The Argosi series is one of my favourites and I hope you'll come along for Ferius Parfax's adventures!

You can get a pair of free stories here.

The best way to stay up to date is at www.decastell.com, but I'm also on that Facebook thing. Also that Twitter thing. One day I'll even remember to get on that Instagram thing.

As to who I am? Well . . .

Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized 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 both the 2014 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. You can reach him at www.decastell.com

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2018

I freaking loved this book!



I am so glad this is book one of a trilogy/duology/series, whatever because it rocked my little world!



Kellen (Kel) is a boy who is trying to get his magic to work. If he doesn't get his magic to work by his 16 bday and win in the trials, then he's up the creek without a paddle so to speak.

Kel's parents are a high powered family and Kel is just there so to speak. He gets into trouble a lot but I love him. Then he meets Ferius Parfax who just happens to save his life. She's supposedly a drifter, a Argosi, a wiz at taking people out with cards and one tough cookie. But what is she really? And I wonder why she likes Kel so much and she teaches him things, a few things with cards he's trying to pick up. But there are other secrets about Kel and his family. . . .

Kel has a lot of trouble with other kids his age and I just wanted to stomp them all into the ground. Well, not all of them but I digress. And believe me, some of their families are evil too!

This book as some really funny parts in it too. I had some great laughs and I need all of those I can get. Reichis, the Nekhek or squirrel cat and his crew. OMG! I wanted to put so many exerpts in here about him but you need to read all about him for yourself. He made me think of a little animal gangster the way he talked. :-D

I didn't like Kel's sister Shalla at all for something she did to him but she sort of made up for it all in the end. And of course there are revelations and all that good stuff. I really, really look forward to the books in this series!

until next time . . . .

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start off this review by letting you all know that Sebastien de Castell is my favorite author, hands down. His writing is so beautiful, his banter leaves my sides hurting from laughter, his characters always find a way to weasel themselves into my heart, and his fantasy stories are a tier above anything else out there right now. He is such a clever and witty writer, and his books are exactly what I want and look for in my fantasy. Oh, and I get a little fangirly when I talk about him and his Greatcoats.

So when I found out he was going to be writing a YA series, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist picking it up. I also knew after page one, and seeing that Kellen is a mini Falcio, that I would completely fall in love with it.

In Kellen's clan there are two types of people:
➽ Jan'Tep - People that can wield magical powers.
➽ Sha'Tep - People that have failed their mage trials, have none or minimal magic powers, and are now servants to the Jan'Tep. That might mean being a servant in the home of a Jan'Tep family, or it might mean life forced to spend your days mining in the mines.

Our main protagonist, Kellen, comes from one of the most powerful mage bloodlines in his clan. His father is renowned and feared by everyone, because he is so powerful. His mother is one of the most gifted healers ever known. His sister is the best and most magical student in his school, and she's only thirteen. Kellen isn't as lucky.

“No one thought that I’d been clever or brave, not even my own father. All that mattered was that my magic was weak.”

In this world all children have six tattooed bands on their arms that need to spark and then that child will be able to wield that type of magic. Some only spark one band, many spark two bands, but only the most powerful are able to spark all six. Regardless of how many an individual is able to spark; you have to pass all four trials to become a Jan'Tep! And unfortunately Kellen hasn't been able to spark any of the bands, and his sixteenth birthday, and the deadline to complete his trials in order to become a Jan'Tep are closely approaching.



➽ Iron - Shields and other protective magic.
➽ Ember - Fire and lighting magic.
➽ Silk - Mind manipulation powers and magic.
➽ Sand - Seeing afar and secret knowledge magic.
➽ Blood - Physical manipulation magic.
➽ Breath - Wind and air magic.
➽ Shadow - Magic of emptiness, of the void, and of all things demonic.

Shadow is the band that the children do not have, and that's because shadow is believed to be cursed and to drive the individual insane, while also encouraging them to perform evil acts. When the shadow decides to show in an individual, it doesn't spark a band, but a blackness will show. These mages are called Shadowblacks and are hunted and killed.

Kellen is so scared that he is going to be forced to become a Sha'Tep and never have the magical abilities that everyone else seems to have. He also is constantly dealing with feeling like a disgrace to his families' name, because it feels like he will never be able to be what his family wants him to be. That is, until Ferius Parfax wonders into his town, and shows him that he can be anything he wants to be.

“Life’s a curse, kid. Love is the cure.”

Ferius is an Argosi, who draws maps of people and their cultures. Many believe they travel to witness great events. In true Sebastien de Castell fashion, I fell in love with so many of these characters, but Ferius completely stole my heart. Ferius is such a strong female lead, and there is so much more I want and need to know about her. Also, she wields a deck of cards. Yeah, think Gambit from X-Men and Twisted Fate from League of Legends, except tarot cards. I honestly want to be Ferius Parfax when I grow up.

“The world is a big and dangerous place and there’s more darkness filling it than you’ll ever know. Only one thing fights that –men and women who don’t walk away from their debts. Pick a card now, Kellen, because I won’t ask again.”

The Jan'Tep people also live in fear of another culture of magical people, even though they have been dead for a long time. The Jan'Tep people are taught about a war that involved them and the Mahdek, who would summon demons and commit other evil acts. You know, like Shadowblacks. The Mahdek people also would use these adorable very vicious squirrel-cats, actually named/called nekheks, to help them fight, so the Jan'Tep people are also very afraid of them, too!

One particular squirrel-cat ends up playing a major role in this story, and his name is Reichis! I couldn't help but picture Reichis as Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy, even though I know he's not a raccoon, but his personality is so reminiscent. Seriously, such an amazing character. I would completely read a whole book surrounding him and his family. Also, if I wasn't completely sure about giving this story five stars before, Reichis' mother completely sealed the deal.

Also, I want to state a trigger warning for animal cruelty/abuse. This is normally a big problem for me, and it didn't bother me too badly in this book, but that's not to say that it won't bother you. This book has a light amount of it, and nothing too graphic, but it is in a few scenes and I feel like it is very important to at least warn you guys.

Kellen was so focused on trying to pass his mage trials and how not to be an embarrassment to his family, until some Jan'Tep people start losing their powers and many members of the clan begin to blame the mysterious Argosi woman who has just recently come to town. Which means Kellen is forced to figure out what really is happening to his people, while also trying to figure out who he really is himself.

“I’m afraid there is a great deal of difference between not doing something and not being responsible for it.”

This story is so unique, the writing is so superb, and the message of this story is so very important. Accepting who you are is sometimes the hardest battle we will fight in this life, and seeing Kellen become who he is and not what others expect him to, whether it's his family or the world, is something so beautiful that I don't have words for.

“Because that card might just change the world.”

Thank you again, Sebastien de Castell, for another book that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I'm not sure what the world has done to deserve your stories, but I am so very thankful for them.



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[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was nonstop fun and action! It’s been a while since I’ve read such a fast-paced book!

When I picked up The Magicians by Lev Grossman years ago...THIS is what I was expecting: a magical system with hand motions and spoken spells. This also has a younger-YA, almost Percy Jackson-esque, narrator. I am HERE for the sass!

Also, I need to get myself a sarcastic squirrel cat of my own ASAP. Anyone know how to hook me up with one? I would be much obliged. ;)

[Eon Windrunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly entertaining and engrossing start to this hexalogy.

Normally when I see a promising sounding book and notice that it is YA, I immediately lower my expectations for it as I have not always had the best experience with the genre. That has steadily changed over the last few years though, as more and more YA books have surprised me. When Spellslinger quietly showed up on my radar, though, I had no such reservations. I love Sebastien de Castell’s writing that much and will give him the benefit of the doubt any day of the week, and I am thrilled to say that it did not betray my trust in the least.

The story kicks off with a duel between two students of a magic school, with one duelist being Kellen, the protagonist of the story. Born of a powerful mother & father magician duo, and with a sibling seemingly destined to become one of the greatest mages of their time, Kellan is under tremendous pressure to discover his magic by sparking his bands and thus proving himself worthy of his family name. But the bands just won’t come to life.

All children of the Jan’Tep are tattooed with six metallic bands at a very young age, which they will eventually spark by breaking the bindings between the sigils. Sparking more bands is better. The most powerful mages have access to all six types of magic, but sparking even a single band is MUCH better than sparking none.

There are seven fundamental sources of magical force, but Jan’Tep mages are banded with only six: iron, ember, silk, sand, blood and breath. No mage is ever banded with the seventh, because shadow is the magic of emptiness, of the void, of the demonic. Our ancient enemies, the Mahdek, drew upon shadow for their spells. That’s why the Mahdek are long dead.

The duel is part of a greater challenge whereby young would-be mages attempt to earn their mage name in a series of trials; the duel being the first trial. There is a lot riding on his success, as the strength of a family’s magic is a key element of being a leader to the Jan’Tep, and Kellen’s father, being one of the most powerful mages, has a very valid chance of becoming the next ruler to his clan. He needs Kellan to prove himself, though, as magic is Alpha and the Omega to his people.

The pressure on Kellan to pass the trials is thus immense. As an added incentive, those failing to earn their mage name are resigned to the status of Sha’Tep. Shunned by the community, forever an outcast, they live the life of a slave to their “betters”, the Jan’Tep. You could be a Jan’Tep’s sister, brother, mother, husband, girlfriend, best friend – if you become Sha’Tep, you are as good as dead to them. Unfortunate then for our protagonist, that he has almost no magic.

As Kellen tries to walk the fine line of faking it and still somehow passing the trials, his efforts at strengthening his connection to the six foundations of magic bring him into contact with a couple of very interesting characters who were absolute highlights. First up, we have Ferius Parfax, a card wielding Argosi wanderer, with very strong opinions and interesting thoughts. Though many believe her to be a spy for the Daroman King, Kellan soon befriends her and is better off for it.

‘If you’re not a spy then what are you?’ I asked. ‘Because I don’t believe some Argosi wanderer would still be hanging around here after what happened last night.’
‘I’m a woman, kid. You probably haven’t met one before, coming as you do from this backward place, but it’s like a man only smarter and with bigger balls.’

The second is of course a Nekhek.

Nekhek. The word meant ‘herald of the darkness’. A creature so foul it was said to be the Mahdek’s favourite weapon against my people, its bite stealing our magic and poisoning our spirits.

Where can I get one? :)

Suffice it to say, that Nekhek are not what the Jan’Tep believe them to be. Evil demons? No. Violent, bloodthirsty, foul-mouthed creatures with a very interesting sense of humour and a penchant for stealing? Most definitely. While I had no issues with any of the other characters and found them well written - De Castell is no slouch in this department - these two creations of his have in a very short time become absolute scene stealers and threaten to even overshadow our MC if they carry on like this. I’m not complaining though, merely trying to convey how much enjoyment they bring to the story and I sincerely hope they continue to do so in subsequent books.

Spellslinger is an interesting exploration of the other side of the Chosen One coin, giving us a protagonist who is amongst the weakest of his people. In a society where your worth is measured in magical ability, who are you without magic? Can you forge your own path, rather than the one that set out for you? The story never shies away from asking him hard, uncomfortable questions, and despite some darker moments it stays a fun, light read that finished sooner than I wanted it to. At this point I think it’s safe to say that I will read anything De Castell writes and am very much looking forward to reading this book’s sequel, Shadowblack, as soon as possible.

“All right, you hairless skinbag sons of bitches. Which one of you wants it first?”

PS: Is this not a gorgeous book?

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Actual Rating: 3.75 stars

“First thing you learn wandering the long roads, kid. Everyone thinks they’re the hero of their own story.”

🌟 This is the first book I read by De Castell and definitely not the last. I have been interested in his Greatcoats series but wanted to start this one first because I heard that one was better and I wanted to see how he writes for different audiences.

🌟 The writing is easy to follow, I think it fits perfectly for a YA book. There is banter, a couple of laughs here and there but sometimes it felt a bit juvenile! Now, there is something that kind of bothered me, I am usually not offended by anything in books but there were a couple of times where the author fat-shamed characters and it did not add anything to the story, it was not used in a good way. I think some readers may be hurt by this so I am just pointing it out!

“My people have a lot of spells, but non that cure being fat and pockmarked. ”

🌟 The characters were 15 and 16 years old which is the appropriate age for YA novels, but it has been a while since I read characters this young. Kellen has a good character-development through the book and the whole magician (Jan’Tep) vs Non-magicians (Sha’Tep) thing was something I enjoyed reading about. There is a lot of secrets and characters who change in this book which is also good.

🌟 The plot is kind of predictable as usual in YA books with my experience, the fact that the covers of the rest of the series reveal more things when you start the book made things even more predictable, there are many hidden details in them so when you start to know the world, these will be more obvious. The book was fast-paced though and I miss fast-pacing so that was good. I also liked the ending and there are a lot of possibilities where this can go!

🌟 The world building is good but it certainly had more potential, the circles and magic stuff on the back cover of the book made me think we will have a complex magical system like Sanderson’s systems but it was simple and not very original! The people have 6 bands on their hands corresponding to different elements and they usually spark one of them to use magic, most spark one or two with few magicians sparking all of them, I thought we will have more magic and combination of these bands but it was much more simple than that!

“History is written by the victors,’ she said, ‘but the truth has a way of revealing itself.”

🌟 Summary: The story is a good one for the YA audience whom it is directed to, the writing was good and so were the characters but the story obviously have more in store and I hope it steps up the game in the next books! I will continue this and will start the Greatcoats series too soon!

You can get more books from Book Depository

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly don’t think this book is terrible, it was a fairly average read for me and I probably would’ve given it a 3 if i hadn’t been so uncomfortable with the scenes of animal abuse. Many times animals were injured or tortured or killed and it was actually very hard for me to read. If it’s easier for you to read those then I would recommend this! The politics can be interesting and I thought it was an interesting take on magic and what it can do to people

[✨ jami ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“First thing you learn wandering the long roads, kid. Everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story"

This is gonna be a messy incoherent long kinds review containing untagged spoilers you've been warned

Well this was incredibly disappointing. I have limits to how many times I can feel annoyed in a book and this really surpassed my limits. I'm only giving it three stars because despite how aggravated I was for the second half, I did enjoy the worldbuilding in the first half.

HONESTLY I don't even freakin know what this book was trying to do. We get introduced to a world where there are Jan'Tep and Sha'Tep - Jan'Tep have magic and Sha'Tep don't, which means the Sha'Tep are poorly treated servants and oppressed. Kellen, our main character, doesn't have magic and this book sets up that he will con everyone into thinking he does. except kellen really isn't that tricky or clever? despite everyone constantly telling us he is he's pretty much useless in every single situation and basically constantly needs to be rescued by someone else with actual capabilities.

My buddy ol' pal Em once wisely said "do fifteen year old boys scrape their personalities off the dirty kitchen floor?" in her review of this book and honestly? thats my entire fucking mood on Kellen. I mean this idiot of a boy is about to die, has become disillusioned with his entire culture, has just found out some groundbreaking information, and, is about to die. and all he can talk about is how he's never kissed a girl ? um shut the fuck up

At one point in this book, we found out the oppressed Sha'Tep have decided to uprise against the Jan'Tep and then Kellen .... takes the Jan'Tep's side ? Listen, what the fuck. I can't side with the people who exile their own families for not having magic, are canonically a genocidal race, who use Sha'Tep as slaves and carelessly send them to their deaths for their benefit. Like, this would be like Katniss Everdeen turning around and saying "you know what?? President Snow has a point". I CANNOT SIDE WITH GENOCIDAL OPPRESSORS SO WHY DID THIS BOOK TRY AND MAKE ME ?? I really don't understand why Kellen helped defeat the uprising.

On top of that, I was faced with a genocide/imperialism plot line that was messy and just not explored well at all. Like there was way too many elements of this story and I wasn't even sure what it was supposed to be about until the end. I still don't even know

Then we have the side characters. Ferius was interesting and I liked her, but she wasn't in it enough and needed rescuing ALL THE TIME. which is not fun. Then we have Kellen's fellow mages. One of them is fat and the amount of time this book spent telling is how "fat" and "useless" he was because of it was ridiculous HOLY CRAP, we get it Sebastien De Castell you hate fat people. Seriously though, this kid was powerful and there was NO NEED for this book to so thoroughly make gross unnecessary fat jokes. I can't even remember the female love interests name because she was that one dimensional. She literally just existed for Kellen to fantasise over and talk about being in love with even though she appears twice. Holy crap, the amount i DONT CARE about boys getting girls in books for wish fulfilment purposes. Tennat was just the basic bully character with no depth or nuance. Shalla was the most interesting character and I wish she had been fleshed out more because she could have been great.

strong trigger warning for animal cruelty/abuse which was hard to read and again, why am I supposed to be rooting for the romance with the girl who helps torture animals ???

I mean the thing is even though this book annoyed me enormously at times it was kinda still overall entertaining? And there was some twists that got me. But it was just SO ANNOYING. I seriously don't know what this book was supposed to be and why it was trying to make me sympathise with so many clearly bad people. And the cover really is nice.

I know I just spent ages raging but even though I spent so long irritated I also had fun reading this and read it fairly fast so that counts for something. I also thought the worldbuilding was cool and the magic system was very interesting. There was elements of this book I liked but put it all together and its a big gloop of NOPE


Honestly, I don't think I'd recommend this book but then also I've seen people love it so I don't know ?? You might ?? but personally I'm still kinda out here wondering why this book wanted me to side with The Capitol over The Districts. Actual rating is 2.5

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good lord. Sebastien de Castell is kinda a god among writers. I have not read a single one of his novels that I haven't loved.

It's really hard to say what I love the most. The characters have such bright and vivid voices, the magic is both interesting and well fleshed-out with wonderful rules and consequences, and the plots are snappy.

This may be a YA novel but that hardly matters to me at all. The reckoning is coming, the buildup and reveals perfect, and the humor sharp and delightful and dark.

What do you do when you gradually learn that all your folk is bad? Maybe not currently bad, but there's a lot of that, too, but bad ethically and morally? That their culture propagates prejudice and nastiness and what could become general slavery for anyone not in on the inside?

We ask this question all through the tale as our MC slides from promise and becomes all the things that his world hates while remaining true to truth and honor as he sees it.

Great theme, right? But this gets better. The entire novel is just plain FUN. Great fantasy, quick delight, and solid end. :)

I don't think there's anything this writer can't do right. :)

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spellslinger is delightfully fun and engaging read with some serious themes that fit the young adult genre.

I would probably sound like a broken record, but I reiterate that I'm generally not a reader of YA books. So far, the ones that I've enjoyed are those written by authors who've already carved a name for themselves writing adult fantasy books. One of these authors is Sebastien de Castell; his adult fantasy series, Greatcoats, was one which I loved. In Greatcoats, he balanced a dark and personal tale of a broken man caught up in his past with humour and wonderful characters. For Spellslinger, the tone was somewhat similar but clearly targeted at a younger audience.

Our main protagonist, Kellen, is not caught up in the past since he is only fifteen years old. Instead he's very much concerned about his future. Kellen is part of a community of magic users called the Jan'Tep. Upon reaching the age of sixteen, he will need to undertake a magic trial which will either see him elevated to the status of a Jan'Tep mage and earn his mage's name or become relegated as a Sha'Tep. Sha'Teps are the ‘unfortunate' people who cannot wield and hence become the servants to the Jan'Tep. Even one's family members would be demoted to a servant of the house if he or she failed to spark their magic bands, a truly distasteful culture.

The arms of Jan'Tep children are tattooed with six magic bands at tender age. One band for each fundamental element of magic – iron, ember, silk, sand, blood and breath. There is the seventh element – shadow – which was shunned for it is the magic of the void. Born into one of the most powerful Jan'Tep families with a prodigious younger sister, Kellen is getting desperate as magic keeps alluding him. His bands won't spark no matter how good he was with all the theoretical aspects of magic, and time was running out, fast.

As with all coming-of-age tales, our young MP has antagonists in the form of bullies who are stronger than him. In this case, the enmity was exacerbated by an already long-standing feud between his father and another prominent Jan'Tep family, whose son is on the same path as Kellen to earn his mage's name. And it is painfully apparent here that Kellen is the underdog without any magic to call his own. This made for some very compelling character development in Kellen, young, naïve and very much a teenage boy. Especially when a mysterious woman named Ferius Parfax came along and opened his eyes and mind beyond his little Jan'Tep world.

"When you see the world outside your home town, outside the walls of what you were brought up to see, then you'll discover that you almost never know if you're doing the right thing. One action, brave and true, leads to war and destruction. Another, craven and greedy, leads to peace and prosperity. I'll tell you one thing for free, though. You did what you did like a man."

Ferius Parfax's character is a tour-de-force. Whether it is her red hair, her swagger or her cool playing cards, she has a commanding presence in every scene in which she appeared. Between her and Kellen's newfound sidekick, Reichi, whom you'll need to discover yourself, we have a duo of excellent supporting characters that bring out the best in our main protagonist, very much like the Greatcoats series.

The themes that are prevalent in Spellslinger do necessitate some pretty dark and disturbing moments, but it was never dwelt on for long. Also, let's be honest with ourselves; children can be callous to those who don't belong. I believe the key message contained in the story is very appropriate for young adults, who overwhelmingly feel that they need to fit in, no matter the cost. Kellen's story show, however, that there is a price that should never be paid.

I started this book hoping that I will love it. And I finished it knowing that I will eagerly read the rest. I trusted in de Castell and was not disappointed in the least. Spellslinger is a great start to a YA series, and I believe that even non-YA readers can enjoy this book.

P/S: Those unique, gorgeous covers are to die for!

You can buy a copy of this book from: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide)

You can also find this, and my other reviews at Novel Notions.

[Jade Ratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to re-read the series after completing it, to pick up on all the hints and secrets, and watch everything unravel again, and oh boy did I have a fun time with this.

It's no secret that I adore this series, and De Castell's writing, it's a style I really get along with and find such fun to read. It was such a pleasure to meet all of these characters again, revisit them meeting for the first time and their first impressions of each other. Knowing how the series ends and where it goes, it's clear to see how much development all of these characters go through.

I have such a soft spot for this series, these characters feel like friends now and I know that this re-read is going to bring me so much joy. I already can't wait to dive back into book two!

[Holly Hearts Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super fun read! I highly recommend to people who are just getting into the adult fantasy genre. It’s very light and fast paced with a touch of grit.

This is my first book by this author and I definitely see him becoming a favorite. It has me more excited to read Traitors Blade since that’ll probably be more up my alley.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had literally never heard of this book before until I went into Dymocks the other day and bought it because I fell in love with the cover. I thought I knew what I was in for when I read the blurb, but I was wrong.

This book was definitely not what I expected and I actually loved it. We follow Kellen who is about to enter into a set of trials that will determine whether he is a Jan'Tep (someone with magic) or a Sha'Tep (someone without magic). However, nothing is as it seems and literally everyone is hiding something. I can't even begin to explain to you what the heck this book was but it was definitely a ride of twists and turns.

Definitely the best part of this book were the sassy squirrel cats who called everyone bitches. 100% the best thing ever.

My only complaint (and the reason why I didn't give this book a 5 stars) was that it was a little young. I'm 19 years old and being in the head of a 15 year old boy was definitely something I noticed a lot. I feel like if the characters were 17+ I could have related to them more and it probably would have been more realistic. The characters definitely acted young at times but I felt like they could have been older and it would have made the book a bit better. That's such a minor complaint though so this book was definitely really good.

If you need more encouragement to read this book, note that the next book is coming out in OCTOBER THIS YEAR! That turn around is so good and I'm so glad I don't have to wait an entire year for the next book. This book was great and unlike anything I've read before. I'd definitely recommend it!

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to a series which is classified as YA, due I guess to the MC being a fifteen year old boy, but it is perfectly readable for any age group.

Spellslinger is set in a fantasy world where Mages are the elite class and those without magic are basically their slaves. Children take their test to become a Mage on their sixteenth birthday. Kellen is almost there but his magic, instead of increasing, is leaving him. However he is really smart and manages to win his first trial with his wits instead of magic. This sets off a succession of disasters.

As the story develops we meet some wonderful characters such as Ferus Parfax who uses playing cards as weapons and saves Kellen's life. There is also the hilarious Reichis who is a Nekhek or squirrel cat with violent tendencies and ambitions which greatly exceed his abilities. There are some rather nasty baddies too which causes a lot of exciting action.

I really enjoyed the whole book and have added the series to my never ending list of must reads.

[Katie.dorny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! I was worried due to the mixed reviews it might not be my cup of tea but I was wrong.

Here we meet Kellen. A poor boy about to be outcast because he doesn’t really have any magic. We also have a flying angry squirrel, a badass heroine and a huge conspiracy to uncover.

When you can’t do magic by your 16th year, you are second class to the Mages in this town. It’s very political and happy to rewrite history - as we all soon learn in this book.

I loved the very witty writing in this book. It really suited Kellen and I also really enjoyed the plot overall. It’s once series I will definitely be continuing.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley who provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.Fun, action-packed adventure! I would say middle-grade rather than YA. This book seems to be setting up what will be a new series. Kellen finds out that all is not as it seems in the world in which he has been raised. He is betrayed by those around him and has to find his own way as an outcast. Along the way he befriends a feisty squirrel cat and a mentor who help him to overcome the odds and become the man he wants to be. Plenty of scuffles, magic duels, baddies, blended with the author's signature sense of fun and humour.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

► 3.5 stars. Albeit not perfect, Spellslinger was just so effortlessly readable. So much that I was genuinely surprised when I checked the number of pages and saw that the story was 400 pages long : never once did I feel their weight.

'First thing you learn wandering the long roads, kid. Everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story.'

The world created by De Castell, while somewhat devoid of strong originality - a world shared by magicians, tricksters, and warriors - still introduces a few surprises that delighted me : Argonis' cards, for example, that Ferius uses to keep notes on the world's History (also, they're great as fighting props^^). I also really appreciated the inclusion of some kind of discussion about social inequalities in the narrative - even though it lacked a bit of depth. Indeed in Kellen's clan, people are separated into two groups : the Jan'Tep, who can wield magic and pass the trials on their sixteen-years-old birthday, and the Sha'Tep, who fail their magic trials and work as servants for the Jan'Tep.

Fifteen-years-old Kellen is very much on the way to failure, and that's all you need to know about the plot in my honest opinion.   

Perhaps I've been too estranged from fantasy this year but as a matter of fact, I found Spellslinger to be rather unpredictable : indeed I've failed to guess where the story was going not once, but several times.

Plus there's little to no romance : sure, Kellen *thinks* he's in love or whatever, but 1)he's delusional in my opinion : that's not love, that's teenage lust ; 2)there's literally *one* kiss exchanged and the romantic arc is inconsequential at the very best. I actually wonder why it's present in the first place?



Kellen is such a compelling character, really : how many times did the magicless, self-depreciating sidekick take the first place in a fantasy story? I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I've ever encountered his kind of non-hero (rather than antihero... so far : I have hopes for him to join the dark side ;)). Admittedly, you'll be more likely to feel some kind of second-hand embarrassment than admiration, especially in the beginning, but Kellen is just so damn refreshing, I very much enjoyed following his adventures.

As for the secondary characters, well. Apart from the fact that I intensely disliked most Jan'Tep, I have to admit that they were rather interesting, even though their personalities were somewhat vague at times. What you need to know, basically : Jan'Tep are conceited jerks, and yes, that would include Kellen's family.

My biggest complain related to the characterization lies on the way the female leads are, sometimes, more of a props for Kellen's growth than anything else. Even Ferius, the fierce Argonis, because why the hell does she stick around and help him?? The woman is a saint, oh my god.

But the squirrel cats would be my favorites because SQUIRREL CATS *giggles*

When I didn't move, he started making a waving motion with one paw. 'Go on, little bird. Fly away. Fly away now.'

Squirrel cats, it turns out, are sarcastic assholes.

I loved how Sebastian De Castel played with the magician with a familiar trope and deconstructed it by making Reichis (the squirrel cat) ruin Kellen's expectations. Dude has better to do than helping the boy for kicks and giggles.

Reichis looked up at me as if I were dim. 'Kid, everything comes at a price. We're squirrel cats, not dogs. We don't work for bones and a pat on the head. Think it through, would you?'

Let's talk paiement, thank you very much. It's important to note, though, that this furry character, while fun, repeatedly uses ableist slurs through the story , and that's a shame. 



As my first book from Sebastian De Castell, I really didn't know what to expect when it comes to the writing, and I was pleasantly surprised : while it does fall a bit on the youngest side of YA, and we very much realize that we're in a fifteen-years-old boy's head (with all the roll-eyed worthy thoughts that come with it),  mostly it was fun and compelling. As I said, effortlessly readable, and that's not that frequent in YA Fantasy.

►All in all, it's a very promising debut for a six books series : I can't wait to see if its potential is fulfilled.

TW - animal cruelty, ableist slurs, violence

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[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ World-building
✅ Characters
✅ Plot
✅ Pace
✅ Magic

Let's be honest, I bought this book because of its cover... It is just so appealing and gorgeous! That being said, I really enjoyed the story too. It was my first time reading Sebastien de Castell's work and I was not disappointed.

First, I need to say that Kellen's family is just so frustrating. I don't know who I hated more between Kellen's father so full of pride and who thinks he knows better than everybody else, Shalla, the arrogant and full of herself sister who thinks she is the best and that it entitles her to do whatever she pleases or Kellen's mother who seems to love him, but still has her world revolving around her precious daughter and she does not hesitate to hurt her son in order to protect wonderful and talented Shalla... I was so frustrated at times...

Kellen is a kind of nobody. His only asset is his family name and even then, he risks "losing" it if he does not pass the trials to become a mage. The thing is, he can't really do magic, so he will be condemned to live as a slave (not really a slave, but not much better) for the Mage and their family... Which scares him a lot and pushes him to desperate plans to win. It is a nice change to have a clumsy and "disadvantaged" main character. Kellen needs to work hard and to be resilient, but he is clever and determined.

Kellen is struggling with his magic and risks becoming a "slave", that is until he is forced to flee his own home and work with Feris and Reichis to survive. Kellen first meets Feris, a strange and very funny lady. She knows what she is doing and she accepts no shit from nobody. She becomes a mentor for Kellen and she is a nice mix of sassy and caring. My favorite character though is Reichis. The squirrel-cat with a thief/murderer/conman (con cat?) attitude. He is deliciously sarcastic.

I will definitely be reading the next book!


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[Patricia Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advanced copy received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Initially I was going to rate this down to 4.5* but I've decided to keep it at the whole 5 stars. I just think that the one single issue I had with it was really minor and overall didn't really have any impact on how much I enjoyed it in the end. That issue was the slight lack of world building at the start. I was a little unclear as to what kind of setting the story was based in and the type of infrastructure I was supposed to imagine. But since I almost immediately became absorbed by Kellen and his plight to ignite his magic it seemed quite insignificant in the end. Also some of it did become clearer the further I progressed.

Firstly I just want to say that I love Castell's adult series, The Greatcoats. And I could see that Spellslinger was written in his same humorous style. Spellslinger would make a great introduction to Castell's writing. It was a fast paced roller coaster ride of action and adventure with masses of magic, mischief and mayhem thrown in. Some of it was so fantastical and surreal I found myself questioning what I just read. Castell has this ability to have you laughing out loud one minute, then casting you into the darkest depths of despair the next. Though I reckon I must have spent half this read with a massive grin on my face because it was just my kind of funny.

My favourite character has to be the sarcastic and sardonic squirrel cat. Seriously, I want one! And of course I also loved the feisty but wise Ferius Parfax who was a little mysterious and a whole lot of intriguing. I love how Castell can make you wish to be part of a band of misfits and outcasts through their banter alone.

I'm certainly looking forward to picking up Shadowblack later this year and continuing Kellen's story. Castell has become a firm auto-buy author for sure!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! I have wanted to read it ever since finishing de Castell’s Greatcoats series, but it hasn’t been published in the US prior to July. Lucky me, I don’t have to wait for the next books to be written, only published.

The fact that it is YA made me a little suspicious I’ll admit, but I shouldn’t have worried. It’s the characters that sold me on the Greatcoats, and I think, if anything there’s more to love about this band of misfits. You have Kellen, the magicless mage, disappointment to his father, liar, cheat, trickster, conman (boy). Ferius Parfax, Argosi wanderer, card player, and drunkard (maybe). But mostly you have Reichis, the squirrel cat. Who is totally awesome and was given the best lines to boot. I adored these characters and their banter is delightful.

I think the world building in this book was actually a bit stronger than in the Greatcoats (of which all I really remember was that it was a fantasy land run by nobles with assassins and weird magic). Here, we have the Jan’tep, a race of mages. If the Jan’tep do not have magic or cannot pass their trials they become Sha’tep, servants to the Jan’tep. But there are other races and some complicated histories between them. The magic system was pretty cool and Farius’s bag of tricks was nearly bottomless.

And what’s more is the plot didn’t disappoint either. It was fast paced and action packed. I didn’t see a single one of those twists coming, and twist after twist was delivered. I do think there could have been a stronger focus or clearer direction given. As it stands it sort of just felt like Kellen was just a guy weird stuff happens to, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of a full 5.

I fully intend to continue the series and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Greatcoats.

[RoseBane (Jess) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars.
Did I really read this book in only one day? Wow. Especially since it's after a really long reading slump.
-

First book for 2022. Let's do it.

[Mogsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/07/19/...

Sebastien de Castell is the real deal, and if I still had any lingering doubts about that…well, then Spellslinger just laid them all to rest. While I’m a huge fan of his Greatcoats series, as we all know, it’s no small thing whenever an author decides to leap genres or go from writing books for adults to writing YA. De Castell, however, brilliantly navigates the traditions and expectations of the genre without a hitch, making it all look easy. Even better, he’s brought everything I love about his writing to this project, from his clever sense of humor to his knack for creating characters you care about.

In Spellslinger, we’re introduced to Kellen, a young mage-in-training. Problem is though, he’s not exactly mage material. With his sixteenth birthday looming on the horizon, the time for him to take is trials is quickly approaching, but he still doesn’t have much control over his magic. In fact, his ability seems to be diminishing by the day, and that’s a big problem. If he can’t pass his trials, he’ll be relegated to the serving class, looked down upon by the rest of the mage society and bringing shame to his family. For Kellen, it’s an unthinkable fate, and he’s willing to do anything to avoid it, even if it means putting his own life on the line.

But then enter Ferius Parfax, a visitor from out-of-town whom everyone thinks is a spy trying to steal secrets to take back to her masters. However, there’s more to the outsider than meets the eye, especially when she helps Kellen see things from a new perspective, forcing him to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about his world and his place in it.

Admittedly, there’s nothing extraordinary about the way Spellslinger starts—we have a teenage protagonist who is desperate to prove his worth. He’s also part of a heavily tiered society where people either have magic (and are powerful) or they do not (and are powerless). For his entire life, Kellen’s identity has been wrapped up in these rules, and so little wonder that he’s so devastated about his fading magic. But even in the face of his disparaging classmates and the pressure from his family, Kellen persists. Unlike his peers, who have never had to struggle the way he has, Kellen knows how to make the best out of a crappy situation. He compensates for his weakness in magic with his resourcefulness, using his quick wits to overcome any obstacle on the fly, making him an interesting character to follow because he’s always full of surprises.

But at the same time, Kellen is a 15-year-old boy, and with that youth also comes a certain naivete that gets him in trouble. He is too trusting of his society and the system. He sometimes lets his bullies get to him. And he’s also seriously crushing on this girl in his class. These everyday problems have a way of making our protagonist feel genuine and relatable, even if one gets the sense that Kellen lives in a small, insular bubble which severely restricts his worldview. That’s where Ferius comes in. With her experience and worldliness, she offers Kellen possibilities he’s never dreamed of. She’s also fantastically written, with a strength of personality that makes her immediately likable and memorable. In that regard, she’s a de Castell character through and through. In fact, if I had to level one criticism at the characterization, it would be that Ferius overshadows Kellen in many instances, even though she is part of the supporting cast and appears much less often.

Still, when it comes to stealing the show, hands down that honor goes to Reichis. But I think I’ll let prospective readers discover for themselves why!

In terms of plot, Spellslinger was also great fun. Perhaps the first half was hampered slightly the slower pacing, but with all the incredible world-building happening in these early pages, I was hardly bothered by it. This being a YA novel, I also wasn’t surprised to find story elements here that were skewed towards younger readers, though not distractingly so. De Castell doesn’t talk down to his audience or try to soften any blows as Kellen is confronted with some difficult lessons and some harsh realities, and while the plot is easy to follow, I wouldn’t call it simplistic. With almost nothing extraneous attached, the story is well streamlined so things flow rather smoothly, making for a fast and entertaining read.

I confess, few YA series openers these days are actually compelling enough to make me want to keep reading. Spellslinger, however, made me want to grab up the next book as soon as I was finished, which speaks volumes about the author’s talent and versatility. Looks like Sebastien de Castell has another winner on his hands! I continue to be amazed by his ability to keep me captivated with his spellbinding stories, and I can’t wait to pick up Shadowblack.

[tappkalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The wait is over. I've found a good series finally.
The mc is smart, the story is uniqe, the writing style is funny. What more does a girl need?

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eugh.

This was kind of a love-it-hate-it book that rounded out into decent but mediocre.

It's slow, it takes place entirely in one small village and our protagonist, Kellan, is so ignorant it hurts.

Lucky for him (and us readers) his life is intercepted by the fantastic Ferius and the psychotic Reichis. Without those two I would have thrown this book in the bin (metaphorically, of course. I'm not a monster).

Plot: Kellan is a bit of a loser, and in a village where magic is everything, he's having a hard time because his magic is almost non-existent. Then a random, sassy stranger shows up and starts interfering, and Kellan begins to realise that his village's ways are pretty messed up tells her off repeatedly for slamming the ridiculous backwards ways traditions of his people.

I don't really know how else to sum up the plot because there's not really a lot to it? It kinda jumps around a lot and mostly involves Kellan facing down the same bad guys repeatedly. It gets a little dull. Then there's the whole magic obsession and honestly Kellan's naivety bugged the crap outta me. He's been so brainwashed that nothing gets through his thick skull and I kinda wanted to slap him. Not exactly someone fun to root for.

That being said, I liked that he was clever, and that things didn't go his way, and that he wasn't really a hero. I didn't like the arrogance but I did like that he messed up constantly.

His story is kind of boring though, so thank god for Ferius and Reichis. Mostly Reichis. He's a total nut job and I love it.

Side note: this book gets so DARK and I was not expecting it. Wow. See spoiler tag for elaboration: All the tearing and shredding and impaling and broken bones and disembowelment and torture etc was kinda ... icky. It was so weird to have this light, sorta dull, YA magic story then nek minnit BLOOD GUTS GORE SLASH SLICE DIEEEEEEEEEE. I mean, please. Chill out guy.

But back to psychotic Reichis. What a badass. I feel like he should have a scar underneath an eye-patch, you know? He's so violent. I love it. He busts his butt and throws himself wholeheartedly into fights whether he can win them or not and I just thoroughly enjoyed his fearlessness and savagery. I hope the rest of this series sees him claim a whole lotta eyeballs. You earned 'em, bud. *proud tear*

The magic was a bit complicated and not really explained and I really didn't need all the hand signals. Younger readers might enjoy trying to recreate the hand signs when they're trying to do their own spells but for me it just slowed down the story. (I don't need hand signals, obviously. I'm magic enough without them.)

Also, Kellan's family and friends are really horrible. They are terrible people.

Let's face it: besides Ferius and Reichis, I basically hated all of the characters.

I enjoyed it enough that I'm curious about the rest of the series, but not curious enough to go tracking down the second book any time soon. I'll probably just go search for some spoilery reviews to tell me how things pan out for this kid.

It's a tough one to recommend because it seems better suited to the younger readers, but those dark bits are pretty dark. Older readers might find it a little slow. But if you like violent psychopath supporting characters, there might just be something in this one for you.

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think i'm turning into That Guy Who Hates Everything Everyone Else Loves and that sucks!! what am i missing that everyone else sees!! i want to like things, dammit!

the main plotline was pretty intriguing, with the Jan'Tep and the shadowblack and things. that was pretty cool. but everything was just... boring? the writing was pretty lacklustre, and the occasional humorous line was not enough to save the overall dullness, i'm afraid. the squirrel-cats struck me as... out of place and a bit absurd, like something that would fit in well with a terry pratchett novel but not with something that was (mostly) attempting to be serious.

none of the characters really did anything for me either. ferius (damn, is that her name? i can't even remember lmao, bad sign) was relatively interesting, but everyone else was just... no. i just... no. like everything else, i just found it quite... shallow. (oh, and there was an Unnecessary Romance Aspect. boy do i hate those.)

i feel like i'm writing "it's not you it's me" on every negative review recently but like, it must just be me, because everyone else seems to love this thing?? i would say something like "oh, maybe i'm just too much of a crotchety old man to like YA anymore" but i recently read YA masterpieces such as Defy the Stars and The Summer It Came for Us so it can't be that. i guess this book just wasn't for me! bummer.

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

NLM, Nekhek Lives Matter!

SPELLSLINGER is much like a lemon meringue pie. On the surface – the meringue, if you will, and at best a weak promise of the underlying treasure – SPELLSLINGER is a coming-of-age young adult fantasy in which young folks learn to master (or not) their growing magical skills in their quest to join the ranks of the respected and powerful mages who rule their community. But dig a little bit more deeply – the true filling and the real flavor – and what an astute young reader will find is an extended allegory based on the truism that history books are written by the victor. With the Black Lives Matter issue dominating today’s headlines, SPELLSLINGER is a timely lesson in how racism, hatred and xenophobia can become systemic and so deeply embedded that those indulging in the hatred often are entirely unaware of the error of their thinking. Digging out of that well of hatred and teaching yourself to live life differently takes concerted, continuing effort and often results in one being ostracized and rejected from your friends or even from your own family.

The writing is simple with no high-falutin’ literary pretensions but it’s colourful, dynamic, compelling, persuasive and, indeed, convincing. SPELLSLINGER is, at once, thoroughly entertaining and powerfully informative - a five-star beauty that needs to be read, particularly in today’s worldwide political climate. I take particular pride that this gem comes from a Canadian author. Well done, Sebastien de Castell.

Paul Weiss

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Un fantasy absolut minunat! Plin de magie, de intrigi și comploturi, de pericole ce pândesc la tot pasul. Și un tânăr curajos, căruia sorții nu i-au oferit prea multe șanse de câștig, dar cu inteligenta și curaj, răzbate. Unde-l va purta destinul? Rămâne de văzut.
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[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tricks are all I have." I said. "Clever. The boy always seeks to be clever."

* * * * .5
4.5 / 5

Kellen is supposed to be earning his mage name; on the cusp of turning sixteen, if he doesn't pass the four trials he'll be relegated to the life of a servant. The problem? He doesn't have any magic any more. It doesn't help that his father is the most powerful mage of their people and his sister, barely thirteen, is already passing all of her trials. This is an absolutely wonderful book that grabbed me from the very first page.

Evidently he was capable of simultaneously believing that I was a weakling and yet had also acquired a power animal. Moron.

We open with an attention-grabbing scene. Kellen is facing off his classmate in a duel, knowing full well that he cannot win. He manages to fight using only his skills and cunning, which is all ruined by Kellen's incredibly self-righteous younger sister. From there, Kellen struggles to prove himself as a mage, dodge his bullies, and getting mixed into a plot of betrayal as the Clan Leader dies and the city is thrust into a political game. As Kellen doggedly tries everything to make his magic return, he delves deeper into the history and the secrets of his people. Secrets that get people killed.

It was as if some mischievious god had designed her entirely for the purpose of smirking, making lewd remarks, or sauntering into other people's homes uninvited

Spellslinger has a great mix of stereotypical fantasy elements and innovative aspects and plot twists. Reichis is the typical young male hero's animal companion, or *ahem* "business partner" as he prefers, who is a feisty squirrel cat who has been the terror of Kellen's people for aeons. Despite being just, y'know, small flying squirrels. Then there's Ferius Parfax, a wandering magic-less traveller, who tries to teach the boy that there is more to power than magic, and that magic can be found in places other than spells. She arrives in a city that is suspicious of her kind and places herself in danger whilst trying to get drunk. Ferius is a great twist on the elder male wizard mentor figure in that she shows up when Kellen is in trouble, but she's got her weaknesses and isn't all-knowing by any means. She does provide some nice input sometimes, breaking up Kellen's inner monologue and helping the reader view the scene more "objectively", so to speak.

There's this scene where the girl Kellen is crushing on appears to shun him after he is humiliated in the arena, where before she had been friendly. Kellen is (rightfully) a bit miffed, but then launches into an annoying teenage speech about how fickle women are and blah, when Ferius comments "would you have noticed her at all if she were not so pretty? If she turned up one day ugly, would you not do the same", turning Kellen's speech into some self-reflective learning moment. But Ferius is also a hilarious character and I think the way she fights, using metal cards like shruiken, is pretty cool.

"These are the questions of a child, Kellen. You already found the one that matters, the one that binds all our fates together. Ask it again."

On that note, I think it's important to mention that this is not an adult novel, per se. As an adult I read and enjoyed this, but it is not like de Castell's other famous series, Greatcoats, which liberally splashes around bloodshed, strong language, and sex. Spellslinger is complex and thoughtful, but I would happily give this book to a thirteen year old. It is also lacking on a couple of things I would expect from a strong fantasy novel, like good worldbuilding. Apparently this takes place in the world of Greatcoats, of which I am still reading the first book, so maybe I'll be more satisfied after I've read that.

But Spellslinger is a bit sparse of the specifics. As well as the geography of the world of Spellslinger being a mystery to me, I'm still not quite sure what an argosi, which Ferius is, is. The biggest annoyance, however, is the magic system. It works according to seven pillars of magic - silk, blood, iron, breath, ember, sand, and the forbidden type, shadow - and each mage initiate gets six tattooed bands around their arm. When the band is sparked, they get access to more power than before. I thought this was all pretty cool, but I have no idea how it actually works. How do you spark a band? How do you actually cast a spell? It seems to be some mixture of mind state, hand gesture, and words. But how do you create a new spell? I have lots of questions about de Castell's magic system, and I hope there are more details in the next book.

And I finally saw what Ferius wanted me to see. I saw myself. I saw who I was and I saw the man I wanted to be.

This is a beautifully written book. Kellen is one of those protagonists that is genuinely shit at something. I kept turning pages expecting for there to be a moment where Kellen suddenly breaks through his no magic barrier, or gains a powerful magical artefact, or for some reason or another becomes a great mage. Instead, we get a journey where both the reader and Kellen must come to terms with the fact that he has no magic, that he can never become the man he thought he would be as a boy. Instead of a magical triumph arc, we watch him struggle and grow with his burden.

This arc culminated in, what I thought, was a great and fitting ending. I have seen other reviews disagree, but I thought it provided a good amount of closure whilst leaving plenty of space for Kellen and Ferius to have a new story (and according to Goodreads, this will be a series of six books). At the end, Kellen is finally faced with a choice which will determine whether he continues pursuing his childhood dream, trying to become the man he always thought he would become, or if he finds another path, another way to be a man.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author, for an ARC of this book.

Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...

[Nofreeusernames Nofreeusernames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moje aktuální top young adult fantasy? Kostičas, Šest vran a nyní i Divotvůrce. Sebastien de Castell je mágem slova, zápletky i budování fantaskních světů, smekám svůj hraničářský klobouk, kdybych se včera nedonutila jít před druhou ranní spát, zhltala bych tuhle knížku do dnešního rozbřesku. Dávám stovku! Čtěte celou recenzi: http://bit.ly/recenze-divotvurce

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebastien de Castell's 'Greatcoats' series was one of the big surprises for me of the last couple years - funny, well-written, exciting, heart-wrenching, and just an incredible read with incredible characters. I quickly fell in love with his writing style and choices, and certainly marked him as one of my new favorite authors.

Spellslinger is not a book I was aware was coming, or even knew that it had come out. I follow Sebastien on social media and never really saw even him mention it, and I only found out about it's release due to UK friends posting pictures of the launch party. A quick check showed me that it was the first de Castell book done in audio, so I jumped all over it. I legit did not know what to expect - de Castell does not write 'dirty' books, but the Greatcoats series is certainly oppressively dark at times, and has some more unsavory sections (brutal torture scene - lookin' at you, buddy). This series is marketed largely as YA, and to a degree I can understand why, and at the same time there are some sections that left me wondering if 13 year olds should be reading it.

Kellen is a 15-year old apprentice mage, member of a powerful mage family with an incredibly strong magical father who is poised to take over as the leader of their people. The magic in this world is simple but interesting enough - metal imbued into ringed tattoos on the mage's arm, whic then 'snap' as the mage gains the power of that particular style of magic, and allows them to successfully draw upon that power and use it quickly and competently. Despite Kellen's strong genetics and his very strong magical parents and sister, he is slowly losing his magic, and his 16th birthday - the day when mages either become full mages or are relegated to Shar'tep (sp?) status - is steadily approaching. This would be a big deal, even if not for the fact that his family will suffer greatly if he cannot succeed as a mage, his father's claim on the leadership of their people perhaps hinges on it, oh, and Shar'tep are essentially the slaves of the magical Jan'tep. So, there's that.

Spellslinger follows Kellen as he struggles to find his magic and deal with his lack thereof, while watching his friends move on as mages, as well as turn on him in the name of trying to get another family promoted to the leadership of their people. Along the way, he meets a colorful cast of characters, including an eccentric western-style woman with mysterious qualities and sets of semi-magical playing cards that are used as weapons and storytelling devices. They proceed to fight for their lives under constant attempts at them by the ruthless enemy family, and in the process end up discovering a large-scale plot by members of the Shar'tep to overthrow the magic users and regain some of their dignity, and/or not be freaking slaves anymore.

Oh, and there are talking squirrel-cats.

Spellslinger is a LOT of fun. It's a quick read, which is one of it's main YA-style aspects, however is also quite well written and enjoyable. The characters are unique, with individual voices and characteristics, and their own sets of motivations. The content is, largely, consistent with that of YA novels, and contains a lot of the ever-popular 'magic school' feel at times. It does, however, get dark at times, including an animal torture scene that made me cringe very hard (I don't know what it is about de Castell and his torture scenes), and some pretty intense violent fights, albeit while avoiding anything overly gruesome, or crude language. The plot twists, underlying story, and overall arc are done well enough that I think both YA readers as well as adults can enjoy the novel easily, and it doesn't feel remotely 'dumbed down'.

My love affair for Sebastien de Castell is certainly not wavering after this novel - I liked the crap out of it, ate it up in two days, and look forward to future entries into the series.

[James Islington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had a hectic start to this year and there’s certainly plenty for me to be doing over the next six months, so I wasn’t really planning to review (or in fact read) much of anything for a while. However I enjoyed Greatcoats quite a bit, so when I was fortunate enough to be sent Spellslinger - the first in Sebastien de Castell’s new series – I succumbed to temptation pretty quickly.

And, happily, I have no regrets from doing so: this is a tremendously fun, fast-paced read full of wit and action and interesting characters. The switch to a more YA-focused series means that grittier scenes (such as those occasionally found in Greatcoats) are absent – which, from my perspective, really just allows me to recommend the book without any ‘but’s. I certainly didn't feel the lack of those scenes detracted from the storytelling in any way.

If you enjoyed Greatcoats, I think picking up Spellslinger is a no-brainer – it has the same underlying wit and tone that made Traitor’s Blade and its sequels so much fun, even as it does its own thing. Alternatively if you’re new to Sebastien de Castell's work, this would undoubtedly serve as a good introduction.

So in short: highly recommended. I’m very much looking forward to Shadowblack and the rest of the series.