Q&A With Sebastien de Castell

Mickey Mikkelson connected me with author Sebastien de Castell who is the author of the Greatcoats series. He recently released the beginning of a standalone series in that same world titled Play of Shadows. 

Q: Sebastien, give a brief description of the world of Play of Shadows & the world of The Greatcoats series?

A: Tristia is a nation crumbling beneath the weight of its own corruption. Kings and queens rise and fall, the highest aspirations of their reigns unfulfilled as avaricious dukes grasp for power, hoping to make themselves princes even if it means tearing the country apart. It’s also a country where an order of traveling magistrates known as the Greatcoats risk their lives to bring a semblance of justice to the nine duchies, often having to fight duels to enforce their verdicts. Machiavellian scheming and reckless idealism are in constant struggle and our heroes never know who a potential ally might be and who will be the next to stick a knife in their back.

Play of Shadows takes place in the city of Jereste where the arts are considered almost sacred and certain actors, known as veristors, are believed capable of channeling the historical figures they perform on stage. It’s during one of these performances when Damelas, a minor player hiding out in a theatre company to avoid a judicial duel, finds himself unwittingly blurting out an accusation that a hundred years ago, the duchy’s most beloved prince committed an unconscionable murder.

Damelas is soon forced to seek out the secrets of his unexpected varistor abilities before he and his fellow actors can be hanged as traitors and the shadowy forces orchestrating a civil war in Jereste get away with murder.

Q: Where did your ideas for your novels come from?

A: While it’s fair to say that ideas are everywhere, the most compelling ones for me emerge from the gap between what I see out in the world and what I feel inside. In other words, when the world around me seems to work differently than my brain thinks it should. Why do we have all sorts of superstitions around soothsayers and palm readers, but not the idea that certain actors might become so attuned to a part that they actually channel the spirits of the historical figures they play on stage? How is it that the society in which I live is divided into an almost cold war state against one another when neither side benefits from that conflict? These two contradictions are what inspired Damelas’ adventures in Play of Shadows. For me, the most compelling fantasy novels are the ones that explore those gaps between what happens in our world and what could happen in a different one.

Q: Are you currently writing the sequel to Play of Shadows?

A: I am, indeed! The entire Court of Shadows series works a bit differently than a traditional fantasy series in that it’s not just one long book chopped up into four parts. Instead, each book is its own complete story with its own cast of characters and takes place in a different part of the country. What unites them are the hidden forces at worth threatening Tristia with a fate it thought it had escaped three hundred years ago: the gradual, pernicious return of slavery. But who’s behind this conspiracy and how are they able to maneuver unwitting dupes from high-ranking nobles to street militias across the country to enact their plans? This is the quest that will bring together swashbuckling magistrates, mystical musicians and actors, and other heroes to confront the shadowy cabal on the verge of enslaving Tristia.

Q: If you were to have your books becoming a series or movies, who would be your dream cast to play the characters you created?

A: I’m in the uncommonly fortunate position that both my Greatcoats and Spellsinger series have been optioned for film and television. Alas, while I have precious little influence over who would be cast in them (to say nothing of whether the shows go into production), It would only come back to haunt me if I started pitching actors for the roles. Fortunately, lots of fans of the Greatcoats and Spellslinger have been putting out their own recommended cast lists, so I get to enjoy reading theirs!

You can reach Sebastien at his website and order a copy of his book Play of Shadows through the links below.