Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Knight's Shadow by Sebastien de Castell starting on October 27, 2023.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

I started this last night, through Homecoming (view spoiler)[I like how the characters are being fleshed out. This book isn't necessarily dark but it is definitely heavy. There are so many unresolved issues from the king despite the years since his death. Falcio, Kest & Brasti are trying to secure support for Aline's claim to the throne but someone is murdering the dukes and their families. Falcio has days to live due to the poison from the end of last book (like he is not going to get cured), Kest has "saints fever" which needs to get addressed soonish & just now Brasti decided to leave the group to help the poor arm themselves so they can protect themselves. Val is trying to learn how to be a greatcloak and there is a new one as well (Dariana) who is most definitely rough around the edges. (hide spoiler)]

Through The War (view spoiler)[this one has gone super dark, not sure how I feel about it. About an hour to finish, will do do tomorrow. (hide spoiler)]

Homecoming is chapter 27. Darn. No opening that tag yet. And The War is... Chapter 47. I imagine you're done by now!

I started this on eyebook two nights ago but switched to audio because reading it was making me remember how much I enjoyed the narrator, and Hoopla is awesome. Decided on Last Exit for my eyebook instead.

Through Chapter 10, The Troubadors. Enjoying being back in the world--and of course, Falcio & co seem like they're one left turn from ending up dead or worse... Still enjoying the humor, laughing multiple times a chapter.

Chapter 12 The Trial--LOL I love how the author worked in Falcio's name pronunciation for the eyebook readers... like Hermione in book 4...

Nirkatze wrote: "Homecoming is chapter 27. Darn. No opening that tag yet. And The War is... Chapter 47. I imagine you're done by now!

I started this on eyebook two nights ago but switched to audio because reading ..."

I did finish last night, today has been crazy. (view spoiler)[I feel like the violence is a bit gratuitous and doesn't fit in with the other tones of the books. It was a bit jarring in book 1 and it got worse in this one for me. I feel like the banter with the 3 main characters gives vibes that do not jibe with Falcio getting brutally tortured and being forced to relive his wife's brutal rape & murder while being raped himself! It is likely a problem with my expectations but yeah, was not a huge fan of that. Kest lost his hand too, that was super awesome. And then the Tailor is terrible and Aline is not the best either, at least Dariana turned out to be decent. This series may not be for me, I'll see how the next one goes. (hide spoiler)]

Grats on the finish! Hope your weekend has some time for relaxation...

Up through Chapter 16, The Investigation--(view spoiler)[Seems like every single time they get a break, things get worse. Seriously. I feel bad for the Duke and his family... he was probably the only potentially good Duke among them...

On the other hand... maybe ALL the Dukes need to die.

I think it more likely that Winnow was sent to keep an eye on the Duke, and maybe be his bodyguard and advisor. That the King knew that he was loyal, but had to join the other Dukes or risk his own life--and like the Greatcoats, he was told to go along with it to save what power he could.

Also starting to wonder if maybe Valiana isn't also one of the King's children and potential heirs, and will actually end up being Queen... (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 23 Carefal... this series doesn't pull its punches... (view spoiler)[Getting a sense that Falcio isn't a very reliable source of knowledge. Not quite an unreliable narrator... but he's definitely more... naive? hopeful? in a lot of things compared to his compatriots... and their memories of events don't all match up.

I also love that Falcio's name has become a running joke, and it wasn't just a one-off pronunciation lesson. (hide spoiler)]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I started this last night, through Homecoming [spoilers removed]"

Finally at Chapter 27 and can open this! Really nice summary of events so far--I love it when y'all do this, helps ground my brain too, especially on audio... (view spoiler)[Totally agree on the fleshing out--I feel like if you had asked me who Brasti or Kest were in the first book I would have just said "uh... Greatcoats?" but now I can definitively say "Brasti is the dumb one with the bow!" and "Kest is the philosophical one with the sword!" lol The author's done better than that though.

If anything, I feel like Valiana has gotten the least amount of time--but then, she got the most in the first book.

The murdering of the Dukes & families... makes me think of that line somewhere near the beginning about "someone worse than Trin" and Falcio's reply--"who could be worse than Trin"? I have a feeling that the Duke-killers are just that who... but I can't think of a character or organization specifically--don't remember enough details of the world to guess. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 36 The Monastery--(view spoiler)[I am sad about Ugh. He was an interesting character. Would have liked to see him go on to become a Greatcoat...

The question of the assassins... Greatcoats... Troubadors... all ending with "i"--but predating Falcio's king...

Always wondered why a group dedicated to eradicating corruption targeted Greatcoats. Seemed it should be the opposite.

Well, seems that the Tailor agreed with me at the beginning about all the Dukes being taken out being a good idea. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 37 Blame (view spoiler)[Well... now I definitely don't think Aline is going to end up on the throne. She's tainted now. Probably die at some point. (hide spoiler)]

Finished! I'm still enjoying the series, though I agree, it is super dark... (view spoiler)[Was thinking during the torture scenes, that it could give Howling Dark a run for its money... and is Falcio going to be tortured in every book? How are any of these characters still standing? Much less fighting. Or walking. Also, I have noticed that a lot of gruesome and disturbing things don't bother me as much as they do other folks when reading... I just sort of accept most things as part of the story and keep moving...

Though I very much want Trin to die soon. I had a few minutes where I was hoping it might even be this book...

I enjoyed all the twists--I think Dariana's was my favorite. I was totally expecting Valiana to end up in charge... but not until book 4. So... now that she is in charge... I don't have much hope for either her or Aline surviving the series. Not sure who is going to take care of the country at the end, but probably not Falcio either. Maybe they'll burn everything to the ground and start a republic. (hide spoiler)]

I'm guessing your last comment is a typo, and you're not sure if the series is for you or not? I'm definitely going to keep going, so I'll try to remember when I hit the next one, to think about what warnings might be useful to help with that decision...

Also, I still mourn (view spoiler)[Ugh. I appreciate that at the end, after the acknowledgments, de Castell gave a little memoriam for him. He would have been the best Greatcloak. (hide spoiler)]

Yes it was a typo but I still plan on reading the next although how that will fit into Cozy November is beyond me lol

(view spoiler)[I was sad about Ugh as well, especially since he was tortured after assisting Falcio and then pretty much immediately get killed helping the Duke's son that had him tortured.

I am not sure what will happen regarding Aline, how can the Greatcoats support her after what she knew/allowed to happen? I was upset that she & the Tailor ended up being pretty terrible honestly.

Regarding the violence, I am fine if it fits the story but the tone of happy camaraderie with the 3 just doesn't fit in the same story as one with that Falcio torture scene. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, I know you're a huge Abercrombie fan--but he does balance the humor v. grit much better--this can be pretty jarring... (view spoiler)[And I still think that Aline is going to end up dead... which is a huge sad as is... but I don't see her becoming Queen permanently after what she condoned... For all the torture and bad stuff happening--Falcio is still an idealist character, which requires an idealist ending... I feel like that's a difference with Abercrombie's characters--de Castell's here are idealized--not nearly as grey, though the world is grey. (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Yeah, I know you're a huge Abercrombie fan--but he does balance the humor v. grit much better--this can be pretty jarring... [spoilers removed]"

Re the violence, you summed it up better than I did and I agree totally!

I read the blurbs, and some spoilery reviews, and still not ready for grimdark… reading with trepidation…

I’m here for Monster :D

Awww Monster, (view spoiler)[hope she comes back! (hide spoiler)]

By the end of the end of the series, (view spoiler)[she foals some baby monsters, I think (hide spoiler)]

Honestly, I'm not too surprised this is dark... Tailor isn't here to reclaim the throne... she's here for vengeance...

"(S)He who seeks revenge digs two graves."

Timelord Iain wrote: "By the end of the end of the series, [spoilers removed]

Honestly, I'm not too surprised this is dark... Tailor isn't here to reclaim the throne... she's here for vengeance...

"(S)He who seeks rev..."

Nirkatze has it spot on about the dark in the 2 books we have read so far I think. Perhaps it would not have bothered me as much if I hadn't just finished the First Law books because this guy isn't close to Abercrombie in my opinion.

Also your spoiler about Monster makes me happy :)

Ditto that!! I was there for Monster and Ugh.

Chapter 32ish... back in the prison with the Duke & Ugh... (view spoiler)[It seems super obvious to me that the guard is involved in the torture of the Duke's son... and nobody is noticing...

The guard even just interjected with a vow to hunt the 5 "Dashini" in masks doing this, right when the boy was refuting having stolen the key to visit the prisoner...

Not to mention, nobody has noticed that the prisoner didn't have the guard on a chain, the way everyone was told he did, before they broke into the prison with the help of Ugh...

Everyone is clearly too caught up in events to notice the holes in the old story of what was going on... (hide spoiler)]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I started this last night, through Homecoming [spoilers removed]"

The fact the MC is poisoned and "dying" from events of the last book, is giving me big Infidel / Rapture vibes (can't remember which one it is, would need to check blurbs/etc)...

Given our discussions, and foreknowledge, I feel like (view spoiler)[the dead King sent the Greatcoats to protect the Dukes from his mother, since he knew she wouldn't take his death well, and killing all the Dukes/etc (without a solid replacement ruler, hopefully Aline works out), would only make the world a more dangerous/unruly place?... (hide spoiler)]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Yeah, I know you're a huge Abercrombie fan--but he does balance the humor v. grit much better--this can be pretty jarring... [spoilers removed]"

Re the violence, you summed it up ..."

I agree... Castell's books are a rollercoaster, for me... there are ones I love, and ones I hate...

I think he's better at creating characters to love, more than books... and those characters can be shining moments that make you continue reading, when the plot/other things are annoying you...

With the Spellslinger series, it was Ferius Parfax, and other things I forget, but that's definitely what kept me around for the Argosi prequel, and is making me consider a re-read of Spellslinger despite my problems with book 4-5...

Here, it's Monster and I agree about Ugh, after his return... he also does some good reveals sometimes, like the King's Patience... just hit that scene...

Made it through most of the torture I think?... I gotta say, I'm not a fan of torture in books... but, at least this was much shorter than the like 500 pages we had to deal with in Sun Eater #4?... that got so dreary...

Also, I called it in my last spoiler... revelations abounded, like 1 page later when I unpaused :D

Thinking about your Joe Abercrombie comparisons earlier, made me think of those store brand / we have XYZ at home memes...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Thinking about your Joe Abercrombie comparisons earlier, made me think of those store brand / we have XYZ at home memes...

"

That is awesome!

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Yeah, I know you're a huge Abercrombie fan--but he does balance the humor v. grit much better--this can be pretty jarring... [spoilers removed]"

Re the violence,..."

500 pages or torture? No thank you! And yeah if you got to the King's Patience then you passed the part that I disliked immensely.

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Yeah, I know you're a huge Abercrombie fan--but he does balance the humor v. grit much better--this can be pretty jarring... [spoilers remov..."

My least favorite part was the Trin part...

I can't even explain Sun Eater... I tried and deleted my long rambling paragraph... it's a bit of a sunk cost thing, since I bought all the books on sale, so read all the ones I bought, and now I want to see how it all plays out... only 2 books left till the end, I think... blurbs compare it to Kingkiller Chronicles, only in space, with light sabers, and sci-fi stuff that allows long amounts of time to pass (royal longevity treatments and cryopod space travel)...

Timelord Iain wrote: "My least favorite part was the Trin part..."

Right??? (view spoiler)[

1 - extreme physical pain
2 - emotional pain experiencing the pain & trauma of his wife's death/rape
3 - being raped himself

Too much, Sebastien, too much! (hide spoiler)]

Finished... so many twists and turns... it didn't end anything like I expected at the start... altho, I'm not really sure what I expected at the start...

Yeah... I'm very curious to see how things out... I can't really see things working the way Falcio hopes...

Just checking back in, finished back in October to get ahead for a change :)

Ugh (view spoiler)[Kinda thought the way he handled it was sad but because it was sad it was perfect (hide spoiler)]

Monster - where is that beast, dammit.

So far, I'm very pleased with the first two books of the series. Quite a few things I didn't see coming which always makes me happy. I think they've been very strong and I wasn't expecting much. Looking forward to the third.

Ditto on Ugh--he will always be a shining spot in my memory--and Monster--better have more screen time in the next one!

Also yeah--it's always nice when the twists go places we weren't expecting....