Crucible of Chaos
A Novel of the Court of Shadows by the author of the Greatcoats series and The Malevolent Seven
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Quercus Publishing
Published:15th Aug '24
Should be back in stock very soon
Welcome to the Ooperato Belleza . . . it might save his life, or it just might be the end of him!
Damelas Chademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel. He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, until he stumbles through the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza and tricks his way into the company of actors. An archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles - until one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth: the city's most legendary hero may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer. With only the help of his boisterous and lusty friend Bereto, a beautiful assassin whose target may well be Damelas himself, and a company of misfit actors who'd just as soon see him dead, this failed grandson of two Greatcoats must somehow find within himself the courage to dig up long-buried truths before a ruthless band of bravos known as the Iron Orchids come for his head.Oh, and there's still that matter of the Vixen waiting to duel him . . .Readers love Play of Shadows!'An impressive tale with a fantastic plot, intriguing characters, and wondrous storybuilding. Another masterpiece' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'If you are looking for a swashbuckling adventure with a dash of romance and a leaven of humour, then go out and get a copy of this book' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Swashbuckling, emotional rollercoaster, a hero to root for and a great cast of characters' - reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Brilliant and vivid world-building . .. riveting * Chad Stahelski, director of John Wick on THE MALEVOLENT SEVEN *
The best book I've read in 2024 . . . if you like fantasy novels with a historical feel, an intricate mystery, and strong supernatural elements, you will love this * Joseph Finley, author of ENOCH'S DEVICE *
Think Agatha Christie, but with dark fantasy elements . . . De Castell does a brilliant job of writing a piece of classic feeling crime fiction within a fantasy setting * SFBook Reviews *
Extensive world building, [an] awesome magic system, and riveting action * FanFiAddict *
The author's prose, both beautiful and captivating, kept me enthralled throughout . . . This dark fantasy tale takes you on a journey of truth-seeking, filled with witty remarks, magic, action sequences, and even a touch of magic . . . If you're a fan of Richard Swan's Empire of the Wolf series, I would highly recommend giving this one a try * Before We Go Blog *
Right off the bat, this mystery is juicy. The suspects are interesting, the clues are bizarre, the setting is terrifying, and the twists are twisty . . . I had fun the entire way through * The Quill to Live *
Sebastien's handing of the plot is masterful . . . dark, complex, intelligent and detailed, Crucible of Chaos is a Fantasy novel that is a cut above the usual * SF2 Concatenation *
An interesting tale full of political intrigue, betrayal and some magical shenanigans * Books of My Heart *
Really good fantasy * Amazing Stories *
Swashbuckling, dark magic, and a mule. I was hooked from page one * Miles Cameron, author of The Red Knight *
ISBN: 9781529437027
Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 28mm
Weight: 250g
352 pages