Our Lady of Blades

Court of Shadows #2

by Sebastien de Castell

Rijou’s notorious Court of Blades is as corrupt as it is violent. Here, justice is bought and sold as lives are destroyed with impunity – all to serve the duchy’s Ascendant Houses as they consolidate power by orchestrating the entirely legal murders of those who oppose them.

Into this world of corruption a mysterious duellist arrives, daring to foil the schemes of her enemies and setting the duchy’s elites against each other. They call her Lady Consequence, but she once had a different name – years ago before her family was slaughtered and she was consigned to the prison mine known as the House of Tears. Now she has returned with the plan and the means to rescue her brother and restore their house.

But the secret forces who engineered the deaths of her family have plans of their own for this beleaguered duchy, and if Consequence hopes to defeat them, she’ll first have to prove her wits as sharp as her rapier, and truly earn the title of Our Lady of Blades.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, Found Family, Adventure

592 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2026

About the author

Hi Folks!

My nineteenth novel, MALEVOLENT NINE 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 eighteenth novel is OUR LADY OF BLADES. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of judicial duelling, intrigues and secret identities.

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!

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

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished one of the best fantasy book ones of a fantasy series I’ve read in years. I hope I can convince you to pick it up.

Our Lady of Blades reels you in with its voice. Relaxed, conversational and inviting, we enter a fantasy city where politics and the blade are inseparable. The Twelve Ascendant Families rule below the Duke, but their power is fragile, and many yearn to take it from them. Whilst Blood Week has been banned, the streets still run red as a mysterious duellist returns to the city under a false identity to avenge her family. With a dual-timeline structure, we slowly piece together what happened nearly a decade ago, and how these enmities will end in the present.

Sebastien de Castell has always had a gift for writing people who feel effortlessly charismatic, and Our Lady of Blades might be his best work yet in terms of his narrative voice. Every conversation crackles with energy, every relationship carries weight, and every character feels like they have something to hide.

This is not a fantasy built on rampaging gods, huge armies and the end of the world. It is grounded in its intimacy. Momentum builds through political intrigue, work that takes place in the shadows, and small-scale action that feels suffocating.

Almost more than any fantasy book I have read, this is a psychological study of our key characters, as not only do we find out about them, but they face revelations about themselves, what they are capable of, and what they have lied to themselves about.

The pacing never lets up. The intrigue constantly evolves. The humour lands perfectly, and every confrontation feels like it could be the end of the story for our characters.

If you're looking for a fantasy that combines political scheming with swashbuckling adventure and some of the most entertaining characters you'll meet all year, Our Lady of Blades is one I can't recommend enough.

5/5 STARS

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebastien's best book, full of gritty characters, intense duels, swashbuckling action and emotional beats. This is the feather in the Greatcoat's cap.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

Our Lady of Blades is a brutal, surprising new novel set in the world of Sébastien de Castell’s acclaimed Greatcoats series. Although it is technically the second book in the Court of Shadows series, it works perfectly as a standalone. Each installment explores different corners of the power vacuum left in Rijou after the king’s death.

If you love duels, sword fights, political intrigue, and family vengeance, this grimdark novel is for you. In a city ruled by the twelve Ascendant Houses, one house was brutally wiped out seven years ago. Now Lady Consequence has returned to Rijou to save her brother and make those responsible for her family’s destruction pay.

The story unfolds through multiple points of view across two timelines. In the present, we follow Lady Consequence after her harrowing time in the infamous prison mines known as the House of Tears. Scarred, mentored, and forged into something deadly, she hides her true identity, even from her own brother, as she prepares to do whatever it takes to protect what remains of her family. The past is revealed through the eyes of Natazia, a slave girl purchased from the mines to serve as the Hummingbird family’s dueling champion and adopted sister. We watch her form unbreakable bonds stronger than blood, becoming a true member of the family, right up to the moment of their devastating betrayal.

A proper mine girl never fights back against her overseer; she hides in the shafts until she finds the one rock sharp enough to kill him in his sleep.

I was completely invested in both timelines, racing toward the revelation of the betrayal and desperate to learn who the true villain was. What follows is one of the most shocking twists I’ve read in years, followed by even more gut-wrenching developments that left me reeling. This is not a light summer read. The story is packed with uncomfortable moments including betrayal, graphic violence, kidnapping, and psychological torment. When characters are hurt, the pain lingers. Scars, both physical and emotional, shape them long afterward, and de Castell never glosses over the consequences. I especially appreciated the interludes and shifting perspectives, which gave deep insight into every character’s motivations and made their choices feel earned and heartbreakingly real.

While, the book stands on its own, readers familiar with the broader Greatcoats world will get even more out of it. Understanding the history of the Greatcoats, the gods, and the infamous Blood Week in Rijou adds rich context. I particularly loved the cameo from Valiana as she works to consolidate power and become the leader Tristia and Rijou desperately need against looming outside threats.

One of de Castell’s greatest strengths is his portrayal of women. Not as invincible warriors stronger than men, but as clever, quick, resilient, and deeply empathetic people who wield love and understanding as powerfully as any blade. Both Hummingbird sisters have survived their own versions of hell and emerged as weapons for their family and perhaps for their entire country.

The novel leans heavily on the author’s sharp wit and moments of dark humor to balance the brutality, and de Castell handles that balance masterfully. His writing style continues to be one of my favorites in the genre. Our Lady of Blades delivers another powerful, heart-wrenching conclusion to a story set in this unforgettable world. If you enjoy grimdark fantasy with emotional depth, intricate plotting, and unforgettable characters, this one is not to be missed. Highly recommended.

I’m a young woman of homicidal intentions blessed with an instinct for deception and a thirst for intrigue. Let’s get me married off to someone equally horrible, shall we?

[LambchoP]

I need to start this sequel series asap. The Greatcoats quartet was one of my favorite fantasy series of all time and I've heard these newer books are just as great, if not better. Sign me up!

[Cass (the_midwest_library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was fabulous. There are duel timelines which were snappy to follow. I really loved all the female characters and thought the ending was twisty and exciting. I was not the biggest lover of book 1 in this series, though I did love the prequel novella, and this one was right up there with that. An excellent addition to the Greatcoats world!!!

[Anthony Mele · Rating 5 out of 5]

de Castell just gets better and better every single book. This is a masterpiece.

[Sue Child · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

Audible narration is excellent

[Patrick Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the greatcoats and liked the other court of shadows books, but this one was too grim dark for my tastes.

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how different this was from Play of Shadows, even though it's set in the same world. Sebastien de Castell tells an ambitious story here in Our Lady of Blades, and although I was able to guess the twist, I still think it was well executed. The duels are a lot of fun, but what I loved most in this book was the exploration of humanity, grief, and revenge. I didn't love the villain, as they felt flat in many ways, but I still enjoyed reading about how twisted they are.

Thank you, NetGalley and Arcadia, for the ARC.

[Bean Ans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written and heartbreaking.

[Grace]

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a 5-day marathon read omg and why did I not realise we weren't just picking up from Book 1 Damelas and his crew???? I thought this was the start of a greatcoats adventure into the unknown...instead I was thrown into a world of bloodthirsty courtly intrigue and a whole new cast of characters, stunned to say the least.
AND WHEN I TELL YOU THAT PLOT TWIST GOT ME SO GOOD i truly didn't see that coming in a million years so hats off to De castell for that mighty impressive piece of work. This book also got progressively darker and darker and went in directions I didn't expect at all, in some parts I really wasn't sure what to think because we'd strayed so far from the beginning of the story. Will never tire of all these rapier duels though, I've been telling my sister all week that I need a rapier to be waving around.

[Johann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dramatic swashbuckling, very creepy villain, and some nice twists and turns I did not see coming. Is fairly standalone, so reading the other books in the series first is optional. I recommend reading Crucible of Chaos first, not because it's necessary but because it's better.

[Rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley & Arcadia books/Quercus Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

About five years ago the public was teased with the title of this book - ‘Our Lady of Blades.’ It was well worth the wait.

We follow the story of two sisters. One born and raised in the mines, adopted by Viscountess Zelphine of the House of Hummingbirds, the other raised as heir to the House of Hummingbirds. After being initially combative toward one another upon introduction, they find reasons to bond through mutual affection and respect for a younger brother and the Viscountess. Alas the Hummingbirds are being torn apart by feuding and deeper plots forged by rival families.

The story starts with following one of the sisters who has returned to Rijou under an alias, seeking revenge on the rival houses who destroyed her family. We also get glimpses of a 10year span where the growth of familial bonds are forged between the siblings, their perspective on the feud with the other houses that they faced as teenagers, and how the years were spent leading to present.

Sebastien De Castell turns a revenge story into a duelist dance. The push, pull, feints, and parries are all artfully depicted within the story. Want the protagonist to charge forward? Want them to lure out the antagonist? Want them to trick the antagonist? A reader more knowledgable in fencing might spot even more scene depictions of dueling terminology, for the rest of us it is just pure entertainment.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was dark. It took me most of the day to get my head straight about this one. It's an excellent book and it earned every bit of the five stars, but I want to be upfront that it goes to some genuinely difficult places. If you cannot handle severe gaslighting, mental slavery, fear, desperation, loneliness, cruelty and trauma, you may want to sit this one out. I'll also say that de Castell handles all of it thoughtfully and carefully. Nothing here is dark for shock value. But this might be the darkest book in everything he's written in Tristia.

The setup is Rijou, the city Greatcoats readers will remember. Blood Week has been outlawed, but the killing didn't stop, it just got a legal veneer. Justice runs through the Court of Blades, where disputes get settled by court-appointed duel, and the twelve Ascendant Houses that rule the city have started buying and selling verdicts outright to enslave and execute anyone inconvenient. Into that walks a masked duellist calling herself Lady Consequence. Nobody knows who she is. Years ago she had a different name, before her family was slaughtered and she was thrown into a prison mine called the House of Tears. She's come back to save her brother, rebuild her House, and make the people who destroyed it answer for it. The story runs on two timelines, the present-day revenge campaign and a flashback thread stretching back years, with interludes scattered through from other perspectives. That's all I'm going to say about the plot. I honestly feel like handing over any shred of detail would taint how this unfolds, and the unfolding is the whole point.

This is a very different animal from Play of Shadows. That one was fun and light and honestly had a YA feel to it. This is an adult book dealing with adult things, and the shift is deliberate. De Castell is in peak form here. The story he wove is just excellent, and I love that he's pushing into territory he hasn't touched in any of the other Tristia books. It also very clearly sets up more stories around these sisters, and I am fully in for that.

Where this book really got me is underneath the plot. The central idea it keeps circling is ownership, and how many different shapes that takes. Rijou is a city that has technically abolished its worst practice and replaced it with a version that has paperwork behind it, which is a pointed thing to build a story on. The Houses own people through debt and verdicts. Families own their children by assigning them roles before they're old enough to object. And the villain deals in a worse kind of ownership than any of it, the kind that gets inside someone and rewrites what they believe about themselves. The book keeps asking whether a person who was shaped entirely by someone else's design can ever claim anything as genuinely their own, and it doesn't give you an easy answer.

The symbolism works hard too. The mask is the obvious one, but it's doing more than concealment. In a city where your House and your assigned role are your entire identity, hiding your face is the only way to be treated as a person rather than a position, which means the mask is closer to honesty than the faces around it. The title works both directions as well. "Blades" is duelling, sure, but the book is just as interested in the kind of blade that cuts inward, and "Our Lady" carries a religious weight that sits uncomfortably against what people actually worship in Rijou. Then there's the mine. A place underground where people are worked until they're used up, sitting directly beneath a city of gilded galleries and silk fencing shirts, is not subtle, and it isn't trying to be. The best image in the whole book, though, is the duel itself as a metaphor for how power works here. Someone in this story says a fencing match is a chess game, but a duel is a magic trick, which is why the dead man always looks so surprised. That line explains the villain's entire method.

Speaking of him. The main antagonist is a cold, ruthless sociopath, and getting inside his head was genuinely unpleasant in a way I respected. He isn't a dark lord and he isn't a swordsman you can out-fence. He's a man without empathy who understands exactly how people work and treats that understanding as a tool. That makes him a different kind of villain than this world usually produces, and a far more disturbing one. There were stretches where he made me feel sick. I think that's exactly what de Castell wanted.

The audiobook is a big part of why this hit five stars. Joe Jameson, who carried the entire Greatcoats run and Play of Shadows, steps back into a minor role here and handles the interludes. The bulk of it goes to Kristin Atherton, and she is every bit as good as he is. That's not a small thing to say. She carries enormous emotional weight in this story, including some of the hardest material de Castell has written, and she never oversells it or flinches from it. The restraint in her performance is what makes the worst moments land. Pairing the two of them was the right call, and the interlude structure gives Jameson's sections a completely different texture that works beautifully against hers.

I recommend this one highly, with the content warnings firmly attached. It reads fine as a standalone, though you'll get more from it having read the Greatcoats books for the Rijou history, and Play of Shadows will help you see how much range this series has. Just don't come in expecting the tone of book one. This is the book that proves the Court of Shadows series is doing something bigger than a fun follow-up, and I cannot wait to see where the sisters go from here.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

Alright, this is a fun one. A standalone novel set in De Castell's Greatcoats universe. Our Lady of Blades is a tale of revenge, murder, betrayal, and duels, physical and mental. There is, as always, some damn fine swordplay in there as well. That said, there's darker undercurrents here, questions of identity and horrors both physical and mental are not shied away from. Because pretty much nobody in this story is a Good Person, although some (many?) of them are definitely worse than others.

Over two timelines, we track the mysterious Lady Consequence and the "mine-girl", Natazia, years before. The former is a skilled duelist, a driven killer, someone who has plans within plans and is willing to back them at swordpoint. The latter...well, Natazia is years younger than Lady Consequence, and her world is on an upward trajectory. She's brought out of the mines, brought into a noble family, and asked to train to protect them, to fight and die for that family when its fortunes rest on the edge of a blade. As the story moves forward, Natazia's tale slowly intertwines with (or becomes?) part of the one that leads to the creation of Lady Consequence. Both feel like different people, and their eyes on the world show us different things. Consequence is thoughtful, possibly decent, but driven, pragmatically, even callously lethal. She dives off the pages like a hawk, trying to reach out and tear her enemies to shreds on her way to vengeance - but doing so behind a mask, behind wit and a whirl and subterfuge. And, at the end, the raw honesty of a blade. She's charming, funny, passionate, a creature of her convictions, and a lot of fun to watch saunter through a crowd of deadbeats, sycophants, philanderers, sociopaths and stone-cold killers. Lady Consequence has style. Natazia, on the other hand, does not have style. But she has the strength wrought form being a survivor, and a willingness to drive ahead, to commit, to keep people safe. Years before Lady Consequence and her dance of blades, Natazia is quietly stashing sharp implements up her sleeves so she can protect her new family at the breakfast table, and using the steadfast strength and tenacity from year sin the mines to push forward, always forward, never giving up. Where Consequence is witty, Tazia is plain spoken (though no less intelligent), and her endurance is an excellent contrast to the speed and fire in the older Consequence. They're both fascinating to read,both characters you can empathise with and cheer for, and they're both, in one way or another, fun.

On the other hand, they live in Rijou, which is, basically, hell. We've seen Rijou before in several other Greatcoats-adjacent books, and it's never seemed like a fun place to live. The aristocracy own the judiciary, the aristocracy don't, quite own the common people, though they'd like to, and the aristocracy absolutely own the swords in the hands of the people who enforce the law. Each of the Houses of Rijou is an entity unto itself, rich off the backs of monopolies and client-houses, effectively above the law and beyond reproach. Beyond reproach in the sense that they can't be reproached, that is. Because all the houses are filled with byzantine schemes and schemers, with blades who are looking for any excuse to put another house down, with accountants more than happy to buy a judge a meal, or a house, to look the other way. Rijou is a city fat on the stench of its own corruption, a frenzied gala of blood and roses. Tazia stands out here as plain, independent, uncompromising. And Lady Consequence flits between the gaps, using a razor-edge blade to cut through the social niceties and iniquities. Rijou is a horror, but it's a resplendent one, one that pulls in wealth and power and feeds on it like a bejewelled tick. It's a place filled with life, even as it drains life, or at least decency, from everyone in it. If you've been here before, it's even worse than you remembered, and if you haven't...well, watch your wallet in the bright lights and parties, and watch your back, too.

The story...I don't want to get into the story, because it has, well, a lot going on. There's some especially savage twists that I didn't see coming, the kind of thing that knocks you back, and certainly made me put the book down for a few minutes to mull over. And there's the threads there, of revenge. Of trying to protect family, of trying to make oneself into something else, one way or another. Of trying to be decent, and of being willing to be a monster in the service of red-handed justice, in a city where justice is a joke between enemies. It's an adventure, often a darkly shadowed one, filled with mischance, filled with love and hope, filled with the loss of both, filled with grief and joy in, perhaps, equal measure. And it has some absolutely top notch banter and sword-fights.This is a hard read, a complicated read, the kind of story that makes you think and makes you feel, that demands, here and there, a moment of contemplation, and asks, here and there, for your attention. It's bloody and messy and horrible and kind and compelling stuff, and a damn good read.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Lady of Blades is the second in the Court of Shadows series, but follows entirely different characters from the first book, Play of Shadows. This one focuses on two sisters, one of whom was adopted, and the brother they’ll both protect at all costs. I had my ups and downs with this one, but I really enjoyed the sisters and their relationship even if I could see through some of the twists.

Kareline is the heir to House Vauquelin, one of the 12 Ascendant Houses of Rijou. With just a crippled younger brother in a city that demands sets of three siblings (heir, duellist champion, and scholar), House Vauquelin requires a third, so, as Farren is unable to duel, their mother goes to the mines and adopts Natazia to be the family’s champion. Kareline and Natazia do not get along, but they find a shared love for their sweet brother. When another Ascendant House and a Rising House conspire to bring the family down, Kareline and Natazia will do everything to save their House and their brother. Even if it takes years.

I do not have a history with the Greatcoats series, but I hardly ever felt like I floundered. Instead I found myself focused on the story of two girls who didn’t want to be sisters, whose lives were upturned and destroyed and remade. It reminded me of The Count of Monte Cristo, but with two deeply flawed women who sometimes felt more like pawns in a greater game than masterminds. I think that’s the thing I hated most. Kareline and Natazia felt like pieces, their spirits flagging and running to hide between their flaws when they couldn’t rally. There was definitely some strength in them, a hard core that saw them through their trials, but, ultimately, they felt like pawns.

Our Lady of Blades gives readers a glimpse into their childhood, where Kareline was so poised and confident and Natazia was meeker and always had to work hard to even try to be a match for her older sister. But the present day Kareline and Natazia hardly resembled those girls. Of course, they went through a lot, one being sent to the mines and the other away to be married off. And I can’t forget a truly cunning and masterful villain who seemed almost too flawless in their execution. Everyone felt like they were handed roles and told to follow certain footsteps. It was sometimes difficult to see their agency, to see the bits of growing they did. Instead, the story overwhelmed them, and the duelling took center stage.

Really, I have no qualms about the story itself. It was engaging and twisty with some surprise reveals and some twists that felt almost like they were taking too long to arrive. The chapters alternated between the past and present, from one sister to another, which was surprisingly easy to follow. Each chapter also ended on some truly delicious cliffhangers, making the pages fly by. The story was crafty and did manage to surprise me a few times. But, upon reflection, the timeline felt so constrained that I found myself blinking at just how few days actually passed in the present timeline. It sometimes felt like the story didn’t give itself much room to breathe, so some of the changes, especially towards the end, felt a little too contrived. It was lovely, though, to follow this story of sisters and the lengths they would go for their brother.

When I wasn’t whirled away by the story, I often found myself fighting to keep up with how this city functioned. It’s not kind, and depends a great deal on duelling to the death. There’s so much corruption it was sometimes hard to see just how this city could still function, and the women tended to be treated so poorly (lots of abuse going on) that I couldn’t quite understand why they hadn’t all just picked up and left. I did like how the duties and responsibilities were split up, but it sometimes felt like there were one too many courts. Everything seemed to have its own court, and I eventually found it a little funny.

Our Lady of Blades may not have been able to completely satisfy me, but I think fondly of these siblings. The villain was truly twisted, and the love the sisters eventually found was really beautiful. I really liked how quickly this story flew by, but sometimes things felt a little too convenient and some of the side characters felt like they were picked up and dropped as the story demanded. But I enjoyed this and I look forward to what’s next in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Kiro Selanor · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book starts and ends with a win, and between them all is misery. It’s the Book of Job for fencing aficionados. Before I get to the misery the book causes its readers, let’s talk about the story. It revolves around the daughters of the House of Vauquelin, Kareline and Natazia. Their House is under threat, for a number of reasons. Their mother, the House leader, is a supporter of the Greatcoats; that’s very unpopular in the bloodthirsty duchy of Rijou. Their younger brother, Farren, is crippled; another Rijou bugaboo. And every other House would like to take over House Vauquelin’s monopoly on shipping. (Rijou’s economic system makes as much sense as its legal system.) There are also tensions coming from inside the House. Kareline hates Natazia because she’s adopted, having been plucked from the mines; her nickname is “Mine Girl”. And the girls have an uncle who’s too interested in Kareline.

The girls (and Farren) suffer numerous indignities from their fellow kids. These end only when true disaster strikes: their House is destroyed and their mother killed. The sisters are exiled from the city: one is forced to marry the Duke’s cousin, and the other is sent to the mines.

The story is told over two timelines. The earlier timeline recounts the girls’ childhood, leading up to the massacre and beyond. The other takes place 7-10 years later, when Natazia returns to the city and implements a plan for revenge and restitution.

This could have been a good story. For example, Joe Abercrombie’s “Best Served Cold” is a brilliant revenge story, a fantasy version of “The Count of Monte Cristo”. “Our Lady of Blades” is not that. The Vaquelins’ main antagonist, Castilis, is an infallible evil mastermind. Numerous times throughout the story he hurts the Vaquelins, and all his plans succeed. Even when it seems like Kareline or Natazia have cleverly outwitted him it turns out that no, haha, even that was part of his dastardly plan! Castilis is ridiculously over-the-top, a perfect, moustache-twirling villain. That’s just not interesting. Natazia supposedly returns to the city with a plan, but other than the first step she does nothing proactively, just reacts to others’ actions. This is a long book, and so much helplessness is frustrating and no fun to read.

There’s a lot of inner monologue. So, so much. Whenever the protagonist is talking with any of the antagonists the book slooooows dooooown, taking a page for each real-time minute because every sentence uttered by either party requires thorough introspection in her mind. I know that Sebastien de Castell is capable of better writing than this because I’ve read many of his books. I don’t know what happened here; is he trying something new? You’re going the wrong way Sebastien, turn back! People who liked Falcio val Mond aren’t looking for slow misery porn.

I began this review by stating that the book ends with a win, and it does, but even that isn’t satisfying: it’s not thanks to cleverness, or a daring feat; it happens through the power of friendship sisterhood.

The Audiobook narrator, Kristin Atherton, is ok except for one annoying habit: when characters speak softly she lowers her own volume too much, making her impossible to understand. I had to fiddle with my phone’s volume controls every few minutes to be able to follow the narration.

[East of Reality · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings for kidnapping, drugging, gaslighting, PTSD, torture, sexual assault


Think the Count of Monte Cristo and Swordspoint but darker, crueler. It’s a book with so much violence — almost all of it against women — comes from swords, knives, and beatings. There’s no justice, and the only law there is the same one that would send a fourteen year old child to the mines, and exile a sixteen year old who has just seen her mother’s body hung from the ceiling of her house, off to marry a man many years her senior with the expectation that she will provide her husband many children before her death.

But it’s also a story in which all of the duelists, almost all the instigators of the violence, are female. Told in two timelines, we see a nameless duelist who accepts the moniker “Lady Consequence” begin her path of vengeance, and in the other we see the story of Natazia, a child rescued from the hell of the mines and brought to a noble house to train to be a duelist. Each chapter brings us closer to the present and the resolution of several plot threads.

First, let me say I was caught by the twist. I had not been expecting it, and it added a lot of nuance and flavor to the story. Second, this book … isn’t nice. But in a fair way. When someone is hurt, they stay hurt; they’re in pain, they’re bleeding, it affects them for longer than a second. When someone is tortured, it isn’t just dismissed; it stays with her, it guides her decisions from that point on. And I liked that; it made the characters feel more real, made their world feel that much more real, as well.

In this book, at many times, characters are afraid, and they act on that fear. Lady Consequence is full of bravado, but under that mask she’s still a woman who knows what it’s like to be hurt. Natazia is young, and for all that she has been raised to a high house she’s still lacking any real power. When situations get out of hand she reacts like a child, trying to keep out of trouble, appeasing the people in power in the hopes they don’t punish her. And — okay, I didn’t like it, but I did appreciate that the women in this book get to be flawed. They make mistakes, they get to the rescue too late.

It makes those final scenes when everything comes together much more impactful. That said, I’m not a giant fan of how the big duel went down. It was building up nicely, very steady and dark, and then … they just fight some more and it’s over. I get that the true ending isn’t about the duel, or about who can kill how many people, but about the meeting after, when there’s time to talk and apologize.

I did like how little the brother was in the book; while he seemed sweet, he was more of a catalyst than a character. This book is about the sisters, more than anything else.

I read this book in a single day because I couldn’t put it down. It’s a character study, a revenge story, a story about sisterhood, womanhood, grief and loss. This isn’t a happy book, there’s no romance in it; and this will not be a book for everyone. But it was a book for me.

Thank you so very, very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Rob Mullinnix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Lady of Blades is set in a feudal society where justice has become performative and power has become the true law of the land. Twelve Ascendant Houses control monopolies, influence the courts, and maneuver endlessly for advantage. Duels and violence are accepted parts of the system, but only so long as they serve the appearance of justice. The result is a world where institutions still function on the surface while corruption quietly shapes outcomes behind the scenes.

At the center of the story is the downfall of one House that is ultimately destroyed not because it is perfect, but because it tries to survive within a system that rewards manipulation over integrity. What begins as an act of loyalty and protection sets off a chain of events that consumes an entire family. The emotional core of the novel belongs to the two sisters who pay the price. Their journeys through imprisonment, loss, sacrifice, and reinvention are compelling, and Sebastian de Castell excels at showing how hardship transforms people without turning them into invincible heroes. The scars linger. Fear remains. Growth comes at a cost.

The novel wrestles with larger questions beneath the revenge plot. When institutions become corrupted, is justice found through violence or through reform? Is the system salvageable if honorable people reclaim it, or has it become so compromised that it deserves to be burned to the ground? The sisters, their brother, and several supporting characters all arrive at different answers, giving the story more depth than a straightforward tale of vengeance.

De Castell’s greatest strength remains his characters. Relationships are built through actions and choices rather than endless internal monologue. The bond between the siblings feels earned, and Lady Consequence is a particularly memorable character. She is capable and dangerous, but also uncertain, damaged, and very human.

My primary criticism involves the antagonist and the political structure surrounding him. Castilla is an effective villain—intelligent, manipulative, and easy to despise—but as the story progresses he begins to feel larger than the world itself. A setting built around twelve powerful Houses should be full of competing ambitions, rival schemes, and actors pursuing their own interests. Instead, too much of the narrative eventually bends around a single individual’s plans. After years of absence, manipulation, and maneuvering, I found myself questioning why the other Houses had not changed more or pushed back harder against his influence. The political system sometimes felt less dynamic than the themes deserved.

Even with those reservations, this was a very strong novel. The dual timelines work well, the action scenes are excellent, and the exploration of family, identity, justice, and transformation gives the story real weight. While technically part of a series, it stands comfortably on its own and offers a different perspective on the world than the first book. Fans of character-driven fantasy, political intrigue, and revenge stories with emotional depth will find a lot to appreciate here.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Lady of Blades is part of Sebastien de Castell's Court of Shadows series but it absolutely works as a stand alone and can be read and enjoyed by those unfamiliar with his other work. This is a swashbuckling, mind bending and absolutely gripping tale of family, betrayal, murder and revenge and I devoured every word. The Court of Blades is exactly what it sounds like, a court where justice is decided by swordplay and depending on the severity of the case involved a duel may lead to embarrassment, imprisonment or even death. Corrupt and cutthroat, mercy is rarely found. When a mysterious duellist known only as Lady Consequence offers her services in what appears to be a relatively minor case, and is dubbed Our Lady of Blades, a title with a lot of historical importance, the fall out for the elite families of the city is far reaching, brutal and often bloody. The truth behind Lady Consequence's real identity is a closely guarded secret, she has returned to the city to try to reunite her family and save their standing in society and she does not care who she has to slice through along the way. However even the best laid plans can be torn asunder, and deep in the shadow is someone looking to take advantage of Lady Consequence's vendetta to threaten not just the city but the nation as a whole.
From the very first chapter I was all in on this dark and occasionally gruesome story. The characters, especially Lady Consequence herself were so alive, so vibrant that I was very quickly invested in the world and the story, and since this is part of a series I was willing to let the world building slide a little. The author's trademark dagger sharp dialogue is something I have loved in all his books and it is here in spades, as is the almost self-amused tone that I always enjoy so much. The use of dual timelines is very effective, and while the multiple POVs could have been confusing they are deftly handled, something that you will realise is even more impressive when you finish the book .
This is a book that is not afraid to get dark, to go right into the depths, and I am not just talking about the mines where one of our characters spends seven years plotting revenge, I mean on page depictions of coercive control, torture, sexual assault and murder, so just know what you are getting into if you do pick this one up. If morally grey characters are something you love however, this is absolutely a book for you. There are layers of political intrigue and manipulation that had my head spinning as there was reveal after reveal in the last third of the book, a real pay off for all the groundwork the author lays in the beginning. It is not all bleak and bloody however, the importance of family, both blood and found is something that is woven throughout the book and is the real emotional core of the story.
Page turning, mind bending and occasionally heart breaking, this is a book that may not be for everyone, but those who love it will love it wholeheartedly .
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sebastien de Castell continues to expand his world building of Tristia, land of the Greatcoats (and also existing within the Spellslinger universe as well, just distant in proximity). This is the third full-length novel containing a standalone story apart from the quartet of books of the "Greatcoats" series, but in the same relative time frame. There's always something compelling about stealthy court politics with a dash of swordplay (actually a lot of swordplay), mixed in with some identity crises, and a threatening antagonist, one who is especially capable in what he sets out to do.

The story regards two timelines, one in the present (taking place just after the "Greatcoats" series conflict, just with predominantly different people), and one in a flashback sequence spanning ten years. The chapters alternate between them, taking the reader back and forth between them. We see our stealthy heroine, the enigmatic "Lady Consequence" in the present, keen for revenge. We also see the past flashback, ultimately explaining how this revenge story started, one involving an adopted sister to two siblings, all within the noble house of Vauquelin within Rijou (yes, the same one within the first of the "Greatcoats" book).

The premise of the book was something that I had not been truly sold on before, and even throughout the read as well. The alternating present and flashback scene after every chapter was another part of this that never got to me either- I'd have preferred a different means of organizing this. What works for me with this book, though, is the twists- there were a few that caught me off guard, something that I wouldn't have been able to predict. For obvious reasons, there's some major spoilers about the plot progression, what we (the audience) know and what we don't know. Usually I don't love when it seems that information is being held back, but it works here- the events of the flashbacks help add clarification to the present, and vice versa. I also like that the author seems to come up with something good each year. I also like how he keeps adding depth to the world that he has carefully constructed, with clear attention to detail within local (and national) culture and politics.

3/5 rating

(I received an ARC through Arcadia and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky and clever, but it knows its clever which is a downside.

A mysterious, skilled, witty duelist nicknamed Lady Consequence steps into the ring of a city made up of cutthroat elites, secretly seeking vengeance against those who murdered her family. Oh, and she needs to rescue her younger brother. 

It’s fun and cleverly thought-out. I loved the sisterly bond and the characters’ growth from past to present.
It is emotionally wrought and filled with trigger warnings; a lot darker than his previous books - a lot of physical, psychological, and emotional suffering.

The law is a machine: a clock with a mechanism so fragile that every spring and wheel must be kept in perfect operation, else the hands will point in false directions and the course of time itself become perverted. Yet in the Court of Blades, black-powdered wigs and majestic bronze thrones hide from public view the rusted gears grinding beneath the marble floors of our courtrooms, where verdicts are manipulated through haggling, deal-making, bribery and blackmail. What duty remains to an honest advocate, then, when the machinery of law has become the enemy of justice?

This relies on reveals, different timelines and clever use of perspectives. It is ambitious mostly pulls it off. However, it suffers in pacing and patting itself too heavily on its back with the twists.

As you can tell, it is immensely difficult to talk about my gripes when it is best to know nothing.

Also, what is the trend with grimdark fantasy and incestual urgings?!

You don’t have to have read the previous books set in this world (Greatcoats quartet, Play of Shadows and Crucible of Chaos), but you might be lost at the lacklustre world building and explanations. I’d recommend reading at least the quartet.

Born to despise each other, shattered by sorrow and hardship until neither of us could separate the shards that remained of our spirits, we have forged ourselves into something new, something no one  – especially not two reckless girls whose only bond was the love of their brother – could ever have expected.

Overall, another impressive showcase of the author’s plotting craft, but reliant on sleight of hand and reveals.

Arc gifted by Quercus.

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[The Little Black Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC Review:

Our Lady of Blades is a story about sisterhood, identity, and the complex forces that shape who we become. In a world of so many cookie-cutter romances, I was pleasantly surprised to pick up something that focused on familial bonds and personal identity.

That said, the world-building felt somewhat underdeveloped. While I understand that this book connects to a larger series, it is presented as a standalone, and I found myself wishing for more clarity and depth to ground the story. For example, the opening scene has the protagonist punching and elbowing her way through a court fencing duel. In real life, historically, dueling was highly regimented. It is written that dueling is a sacred cornerstone of this society, so a lack of clearly defined fighting structure in some of the duels felt inconsistent.

I was also disappointed by the limited number of action scenes. Much of the latter half focuses on mental manipulation and its effects. While these elements are meaningful, they weren’t what I expected from a story framed as action-driven. As a result, the pacing in the second half began to feel slow and, at times, tedious.

My biggest complaint, however, was with how the narrative handles its reveals. The story relies on withholding or obscuring key information from the reader in order to create plot twists, which makes parts of the reading experience feel unnecessarily confusing rather than compelling. In addition to this, the central plot conflict felt oversimplified by centering on a single antagonist (as opposed to tackling the societal problems at large) whose eventual defeat felt underwhelming. Ultimately, the pay-off didn’t feel as satisfying as it could have been.

Overall, the story has an interesting premise and a strong thematic focus on family and identity. The writing itself was competent and readable and there were moments where the emotional stakes really resonated with me. While I admire the ambition behind the narrative choices, for me personally, they detracted from my overall enjoyment as a reader. I found myself wishing for more organic, inventive ways of surprising the reader rather than forcing them to constantly guess at the source and authenticity of each POV narrative.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Rijou differences are settled with blades not words. When the mysterious Lady Consequence shows up in the notorious Court of Blades and defeats one of the best swordsmen in the city people start to question who she is. Things have changed since she was last in the city, with the all-powerful Ascendant Houses taking things further before. Is she enough to save her brother and restore her house or will she get caught up in what is unfolding in the shadows.

This book is set in the world of The Greatcoats, and while you don’t need to have read the Greatcoats quartet or the previous Court of Shadows books to understand the book it does reference events that occurred in the first Greatcoats book, which was set in the same city, you will also be missing a large amount of the wider world building if you haven’t read any of the original quartet, however I could see no connection to the other Court of Blades books so you will be fine if you haven’t got to them yet.

I adore Lady Consequence and her determination to avenge her family. This book is dual timeline one following Lady Consequence and her return to the city and the other following what lead to the fall of her house and what happened in the intervening years. I enjoyed this dual timeline which gave context to much of what was happening in the city in the present time and more insight into the conflicts between the houses.

This book reads something like a duel both fast and slow at different times with reveals as the striking blows, this does make for an interesting pacing but one that may throw off those that aren’t familiar with de Castell’s work. The were a handful of things a didn’t enjoy as much with one side character being overly cruel and manipulative to the point where it was slightly ridiculous. Overall this is an enjoyable expansion to the world particularly going into more detail on life in Rijou and the politics of the Ascendant Houses and definitely worth the read for anyone who enjoyed the Greatcoats.

Thank You to Quercus Books and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Terry Rudge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five star read that completely blindsided me in the best possible way.!!!

Our Lady of Blades is so far removed from what I’ve come to expect from Sebastian de Castell that it somehow loops all the way back around into being unmistakably his.

If you’ve read his work before, you’ll know the usual hallmarks are the sharp wit, a strong sense of honour, and a charismatic, deeply lovable main character.

This… is not that....

Instead, what we get is something much darker. Grittier. At times, genuinely uncomfortable. There’s a rawness here that I’ve never seen from de Castell before. There are moments that are a little gory, a little bleak, and soaked in emotional damage that the characters carry like scars that never quite healed. And yet, that’s exactly what makes them feel so real. So human.

The narrative itself is brilliantly constructed. Told across a dual timeline, the story weaves its threads with precision, slowly tightening until everything collides in a finale that absolutely lands. Pulling off something this structurally ambitious without losing momentum or the reader (I get lose in complicated books) is no small feat, and it’s a huge part of why this is a five star read for me.

Despite the tonal shift, despite the darker edges, this is still unmistakably de Castell. It’s there in the elegance of the prose, the rhythm of the language, and the sheer audacity of the storytelling. Not many authors would even attempt something like this, let alone execute it so confidently. (Also… yes, the fencing. Of course there was fencing.)

So no this wasn’t what I expected. Not even close. But what I got instead was a powerful, emotional, thought provoking, twist laden story that completely blew my socks off.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was magnificent, much darker than the previous in this series, and somehow was both heartwarming and contained one of the more depraved storylines I have ever read. This story follows Natazia and Kareline - two adoptive sisters who are separated and tested by horrific events. I could not stop reading it or thinking about it when I was forced to attend to my own life.

De Castell continues to create fascinating cities within his world - this one is an insanely violent one where justice is based on the sword. I love how he builds these worlds, clearly referring to events that happened in different regions or books he has written. I cannot wait to read the Greatcoats series to learn more about the history prior to these books.

The story is unrelenting. No character has an easy time of it, and there was twist after twist that probably stopped me from taking a full breath for the second half of the book. I loved the interweaving timelines. De Castell balanced it beautifully, and used the tempo and symmetry of characters very powerfully. Although this was a dark book, it did not feel always feel bleak due to the humor, flashes of warmth, and the undercurrent of love that each main character had for their family.

The book was beautifully written, especially the interior dialogue of the characters and the description of the city of Rijou and its people and places. The characters were fantastic, and this book had one of the more chilling villains I have read recently. I appreciate that there was some complexity to the ending, and hope that he is leaving the window open for some of these characters to return. Thank you NetGalley, Sebastien de Castell, and Mobius Books for this E-ARC.

[RUTH Maus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick note for anyone picking this up: Our Lady of Blades is the second book in the Court of Shadows series. I didn't realize this going in and had to backtrack to read the first book before finishing this one. Learn from my mistake—start at the beginning.

That said, Sebastien de Castell delivers exactly what he's known for: spirited swashbuckling, sharp dialogue, and a world where justice is a blade's edge away from corruption. The premise here is compelling—a mysterious duellist called Lady Consequence emerges to challenge a court system that's devolved into legalized murder, buying and selling verdicts to enslave and execute anyone who threatens the powerful. She's out for vengeance, for her brother, for her destroyed House, and de Castell makes her quest satisfying to follow.

The action sequences are excellent—de Castell writes duels and sword fights with a kinetic energy that leaps off the page. The political intrigue layered underneath gives the swashbuckling real stakes, and Lady Consequence herself is a compelling figure: ruthless, wounded, and driven by a fury that feels earned.Where it lost half a star for me is purely personal preference.

Swashbuckling fantasy isn't my absolute favorite corner of the genre, and while I enjoyed this, it didn't hit the same way books in my preferred lanes do. But that's a me thing, not a craft thing. De Castell is clearly a master of this style.

Recommended for anyone who loves revenge-fueled fantasy with heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Dennis (nee) Hearon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I briefly had my reservations, I can confidently and without reservation give this book a five-star rating! I have no qualms about stating that it was, for me, "amazing". As other reviewers have noted, it is a tale about family, love, bravery and justice but also about cruelty and the many shades of evil. It is also a story about political intrigue and the jockeying of position between ruling families that would make GRRM blush.

I also have to say Mr. de Castell has created one of the greatest literary villains since Professor Moriarty, Baron Harkonen and Hannibal Lector. In fact, I think that Castilis Leander could dine with Hannibal Lector and I would not be sure who would be having who "for dinner"

I am a big fan of Sebastien de Castell and I think his is his finest work to date (Although the recent Crucible of Chaos was also a wonder). The story was at times funny, thrilling, thoughtful and even occasionally a little disturbing (and probably not for those sensitive to scenes of psychological abuse and torture even though mostly justified by the climax of the story). The pacing is excellent and I had trouble putting the book down to eat. Another strength of the book is the depth of the character development; the characters seem to come alive and live in your head.

Well, enough gushing! It should be apparent by now that I think this is the best book I have read this year and in my top ten for the last five or ten years. Given the relative paucity of reviews so far, I doubt it will happen, but I would nominate this book for a Hugo in a heartbeat.

[Evan Martinsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was outrageously good, a bombastic, ambitious effort from de Castell where all of his charms as a writer are consistently present.

I’m not sure if there is a writer who balances deeply dark material with pure fun the way that de Castell does. There are some really horrid things that the characters go through, and any dwelling on the plot reveals an upsetting world and circumstances. But his characters put on a brave face and perform, with a gleeful enthusiasm for action, adventure, and wordplay. There are a number of outrageous setpieces here that last for chapters and are just wildly engaging throughout.

The story here is a winner both structurally and thematically. There are two timelines that de Castell religiously flips back and forth between, and the choice to do so keeps both plot lines equally engaging, which may not have worked if paced out differently. There are really strong emotional stakes as well, with the emphasis somehow balanced between revenge and family.

I haven’t really talked about the characters yet but man- de Castell has always been a great character writer, but this might be his best work. The primary villain here is an astounding triumph- a despicable maniac who is also so brilliant that it is easy to fear him as much as the lead characters do. The rest of the cast is excellent as well, and I think there’s about half a dozen side characters who I am completely sure could carry a full book on their shoulders.

This is exceptional writing (best book of de Castell’s that I have read for sure), and it will certainly be on the short list for my favorite of the year. Fantastic entertainment. (Grade:9.5/10)

[Bookish Emili Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Lady of Blades is a sharp, stylish, and wildly entertaining addition to Sebastien de Castell’s growing legacy of swashbuckling fantasy. Known for his signature blend of wit, danger, and clever character work, de Castell once again delivers a story filled with razor‑edged action, morally intricate heroes, and a world where honor and steel collide in irresistible ways.

One of the standout qualities of this book is its expertly choreographed pacing. The narrative moves with the agility of a practiced duelist—swift when it needs to be, tense at the right moments, and marked by emotional beats that land with surprising weight. De Castell’s voice remains as charming and humorous as ever, striking a satisfying balance between drama and levity.

The characters are equally compelling. Our protagonist is layered, flawed, and immensely easy to root for—caught between duty, danger, and the sometimes‑blurry lines of personal code. Supporting characters shine in their own right, adding texture and tension to the unfolding plot. Relationships, whether alliances or rivalries, are written with nuance and charm.

If there’s any critique, it’s that readers new to de Castell’s style may feel briefly disoriented by the rapid banter and brisk worldbuilding. But once you fall into the rhythm, the story becomes an incredibly fun ride.

Overall, Our Lady of Blades is a vibrant, witty, and action‑packed fantasy adventure that will delight longtime fans and welcome new ones into de Castell’s distinct narrative universe.