Giraffedragon
asked
Sebastien de Castell:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[I haven't started the fourth Greatcoat book, so I'm sorry if it's mentioned more there, but how does Kest feel about being the Queen's Sheild? I mean there was some from Falcio's viewpoint, but I was wondering if you would mind mentioning a little how Kest feels about it? Your books are amazing by the way. (hide spoiler)]
Sebastien de Castell
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Thanks for the kind words!
For Kest, becoming the Queen's Shield is about accepting that his days as a swordsman are over. Throughout Saint's Blood, he's struggling not only with the pain of having lost his hand and the fact that one of the consequences of giving up his Sainthood is that wielding any bladed weapon now causes him tremendous pain, but even worse, that his lifelong effort to become the greatest swordsman in the world has been wasted. He devoted his life to the sword and to Falcio and now that's all been in vain.
There's a moment (which we don't see on the page directly as the story is told from Falcio's point of view), when he picks up the shield in the old Greatcoats tavern called the Busted Scales, and he's thinking about the way so many of the others have transformed themselves to go beyond their previous destiny (Valiana's courage, Aline daring to push back against a God, Quentis leaving the Inquisitors . . . etc), and he simultaneously sees the perfect geometry of the shield, and at last gets a sense that there could be a different focus to his life: to protect all of them (rather than just Falcio) – to be, in effect, the country's shield. Of course, Kest, being Kest, barely shows any sign of it to anyone else.
Hope that helps!
Sebastien (hide spoiler)]
For Kest, becoming the Queen's Shield is about accepting that his days as a swordsman are over. Throughout Saint's Blood, he's struggling not only with the pain of having lost his hand and the fact that one of the consequences of giving up his Sainthood is that wielding any bladed weapon now causes him tremendous pain, but even worse, that his lifelong effort to become the greatest swordsman in the world has been wasted. He devoted his life to the sword and to Falcio and now that's all been in vain.
There's a moment (which we don't see on the page directly as the story is told from Falcio's point of view), when he picks up the shield in the old Greatcoats tavern called the Busted Scales, and he's thinking about the way so many of the others have transformed themselves to go beyond their previous destiny (Valiana's courage, Aline daring to push back against a God, Quentis leaving the Inquisitors . . . etc), and he simultaneously sees the perfect geometry of the shield, and at last gets a sense that there could be a different focus to his life: to protect all of them (rather than just Falcio) – to be, in effect, the country's shield. Of course, Kest, being Kest, barely shows any sign of it to anyone else.
Hope that helps!
Sebastien (hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
Joseph Bailey
asked
Sebastien de Castell:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[
Hi Sebastian, I finished the spellslinger series (Brilliant) and have now started Traitor's Blade. I was wondering that since the greatcoats and traitors blade are set in the same universe just different continents. And since the Ebony Abbey is on a different one from Kellens, and possibly also a different one from Falcio's (Don't know the continents name yet.) whcih one is closer to the Abbey?
(hide spoiler)]
Kelley
asked
Sebastien de Castell:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[
It was indeed the latter. I've read lots of good things about the series. I like fantasy-adventure. While I prefer female protagonists, I can enjoy books with male leads as well, though I like them to have active, capable female friends and allies. Based on what I'd read, this series has them, but I did read a Spoiler that gave me some pause about starting it.
Is Valiana still around? Does she make it?
(hide spoiler)]
Is Valiana still around? Does she make it? (hide spoiler)]
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