From the publisher: Two sisters: divided by tragedy, united by steel. The incredible new novel in the Court of Shadows series by the bestselling author of TRAITOR'S BLADE and THE MALEVOLENT SEVEN!
Blood Week may have been banned in Rijou, but the streets still run red - and now murder is being sanctioned by the courts. Only a reckless fool would believe they can beat the system. But then, the Greatcoats have always been more than a little reckless . . .
Rijou's notorious Court of Blades is as corrupt as it is cutthroat, destroying lives with impunity. Now the city's all-powerful Ascendant Houses have started buying and selling verdicts to enslave and even execute those who oppose them.
Into this depraved world of licensed death comes a mysterious duellist who dares to foil the intrigues of the city's elite. They call her Lady Consequence, but years ago she had a different name, until her family was slaughtered and she was consigned to the hellish prison known as the House of Tears.
Lady Consequence means to rescue her idealistic younger brother, restore their House and wreak vengeance upon those who betrayed them. But a far more dangerous game is unfolding in the shadows, one which threatens the freedom of the entire nation.
I really enjoyed Sebastien de Castell's books, particularly the Greatcoats series, so I jumped at the chance to review Our Lady of Blades, his newest book. And I was not disappointed at all.
Our Lady of Blades is from the Court of Shadows series, which takes place in the Greatcoats universe. It is a story of revenge, family, love, and perseverance.
In brief, Lady Consequence arrives in court and volunteers as the duellist for a merchant who is on trial. This causes a stir, because her identity is unknown. This initiates a plan to save her brother and get revenge for the death of her sister and the fall of her family's reputation. Everything kicks off from there.Her story plays out over two different timelines, revealing more and more with each successive chapter.
Because there are so many twists and turns, I'm going to refrain from any further explanation of the plot, but suffice to say there are wheels within wheels within wheels. And when the resolution arrives, it feels very satisfying.
One of the things I loved about the Greatcoats series was that it starts as a Three Musketeers homage and then becomes something more. It is a story of heroes that doesn't shy away from pain and sorrow, but ultimately feels redemptive. Our Lady of Blades hits many of those same notes. The characters, both main and supporting, have depth and weight to them. The plot flows with its many twists and turns, but de Castell doesn't cheat on any of his reveals. There is an emotional heft to the journey of Lady Consequence and others that I didn't really see coming. And it all works magnificently!
I would highly recommend Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell. It is listed as the second (or possibly third) book in the Court of Shadows, but other than the world it takes place in, I don't see the connection to the previous stories. Also, if you haven't read the Greatcoats series, do it now!
I received a preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment