Saint’s Blood is the almighty penultimate entry into the Greatcoats series. Grab your bow, grab your broadsword or rapier, grab your greatcoat, fore the Saints are dying and the Gods are coming.
“Why is life so much easier to live when people are trying to take it from you than when you’re forced to actually live it?”
It’s been a while since I read Knight’s Shadow and from the first chapter in Saint’s Blood I realised how much I had missed the unique and dynamic relationships of Falcio, Kest and Brasti. Taking some time away from our three Greatcoats showed me how they have all grown as characters from book 1 (Traitor’s Blade – if you haven’t read it, read it). They have gone through so much together and it really reflected in each of their engagements. They are still the hilariously, laugh-out-loud funny trio of friends, still giving each other banter that I will never get bored of. Each character had a moment or several to shine, moments to reflect and moments to be utterly awesome.
The plot follows the overarching theme similar to books 1 and 2, though with some great twists that set up the final instalment perfectly. I won’t go into details of the plots and arcs as this is the 3rd of the series and spoilers would be intertwined with any info so just know this – each move the characters make is logical and believable whilst always being shocking and unexpected and the twists are real.
“I walked over and hugged him, knowing it would only make things worse for him. I don’t get that many chances to torture Brasti.”
Coming from the POV of someone who is obsessed with doing good, fighting evil and championing the right thing can be dull and overwritten if done incorrectly but Falcio is an epic character who really calls for you to sit in his corner and cheer him along. He has a love interest which can be slow and not as exciting as the rest of the scenes but hey, we don’t mind that when the rest of the book is so good! There is urgency within the characters as they always feel three steps behind those who are seeking to destroy what they stand for.
If you haven’t read Sebastien de Castell before then take the plunge, you won’t regret it. Each scene is full of hilarity, intense and exhilarating duels, torture scenes, philosophical conversations and arguments and the shimmering of hope within a dark world. It resembles the musketeers with the group dynamics and the rapiers, with depth that is enhanced with each book. I for one cannot wait to dive into the final entry, no matter how nervous I feel about what is going to happen to my favourites!
“But no man is all one thing; none of us are pure in our beliefs or our devotions. We are all bound by the frailties of our humanity, some of which feed our hatred, some of which, very occasionally, make us want to be something better.”
5/5 – Saint’s Blood is another epic instalment into the Greatcoats series. You are guaranteed to love the three main characters, they have not lost any of their wit or charm. The secondary characters are as always strong and really add to the growing tension and terror in this book, making me very excited for the final book, Tyrant’s Throne. Let me know what you think of this series!
Buy Saint’s Blood by Sebastien de Castell
