Krystal Wolfe asked Sebastien de Castell:

I found Knight's Shadow in a store and fell in love instantly. Chapter 1 had me laughing the whole way through. Sold on the spot! I've resisted the urge to read further until I've ordered Traitor's Blade first. I'm a reader with no mercy - on a good day I'll judge a book by its first paragraph, and on other days it'll be the first sentence. So, well done! How do you do it? You sir have just got yourself a new fan!

Sebastien de Castell Hi Krystal,

I'm absolutely delighted to hear you enjoyed Knight's Shadow (and glad to hear the story worked for you even though you started with the second in the series.)

In terms of your question as to how I do it, honestly, I just keep writing and re-writing and second-guessing myself and torturing everyone around me until I feel like I've written a novel that isn't just about fantasy or swordplay but where those elements are ways of exploring something that feels meaningful to me. With the Greatcoats, it's all about the challenges of idealism and friendship as ways of standing up to cynicism and cold pragmatism--issues that, for me at least, apply to our own world. I aim for something that feels truthful within those themes and the rest comes through craft and long hours.

Hope that answers your question and thanks again for writing!

Regards,

Sebastien

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