Saint’s Blood is the third in Sebastien De Castell’s
Greatcoats series. The series has always combined razor sharp, witty dialogue
with an intriguing setting and characters with emotional honesty of a
surprising heft. The previous book was one of my standouts from last year, so
my expectations from this follow up were high. Not to give anything away,
Saint’s Blood meets those expectations, then stabs them in the throat with a
rapier after kicking them in the knees, before giving a witty one-liner and
wandering off.
We’re back with Falcio Val Mond and his merry band of
Greatcoats in this instalment. Falcio, having survived some esoterically
impressive torture earlier, feels like a more fragile figure. His anger, always
bubbling away beneath the surface, is starting to break through. He carries
some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which are handled
tactfully, but unflinchingly in the narrative. This Falcio is one more damaged
than before. But the complexities of the character remain in place – he’s
influenced, but not defined by his experiences. He also begins to reach out
emotionally, though in a more protected way than before. Falcio, a man who
occasionally takes outrageous risks, approaches his emotions with the savoir
faire of a kitten approaching an IED.
De Castell crafts Falcio’s character with precision and
skill, leaving us in no doubt that this is a flawed, possibly broken man,
driven by anger and a sense of what is right. Falcio’s flaws help make him more
human, and his pains leave the reader heartsick in their intensity, and in the
emotional truths which they convey. They’re
backed up by a similar level of veracity in the supporting cast. Kest, after a
strong performance in preceding texts, is shown here worn down, and looking for
a new role to play, after fulfilling his last goals. Where Falcio is angry,
Kest feels lost, a man searching for a new truth, a new purpose. Brasti…well,
he’s still the sad clown, a man fighting back against the harsh realities of
the world with a wry witticism and a sharp arrowhead. The interactions between this central trio
are, in part, defined by their relationships with others; it’s great to see
more of the women in the Greatcoats, taking on key roles and not taking any
crap from our dynamic trio. It would be even better to see more of them, of
course ; really though, I just want to spend more time with all of these
people, dynamically, elegantly, realistically constructed as they are.
The world – well, it’s falling apart at the seams again. Where the previous text looked at the role of
the Knights, the secular arm of power, here the key theme is faith, and the
role of the church. There’s an excellent portrayal of different types of faith
here – from Falcio’s firm grasp on the law, through a martial leader with a belief
in something larger, to the more concrete grip of prelates on the majority of
the populace, and their efforts to shape faith in preferred directions. It’s a
nuanced exploration of a complex issue, sitting behind and informing the
decisions of the characters. It’s also part of this world that we’ve not really
seen before – looking at the intricacies of spirituality in a universe where
Saints, minor and major, exist and can be spoken to.
This larger theme, played out in the characters background,
also informs the plot. No spoilers, as ever, but the stakes are high, and De
Castell blends a crackling, action packed set of events with an exploration of
humanity with great skill. He’s also got an exceptional ear for dialogue – the back
and forth between our heroes is always a delight, and it helps that in between
being witty, they have time to be genuine, and aren’t afraid to be complicated
people too. This is a book with interesting things to say, and it says them
through intriguing characters, and a plot which kept me hanging on to every
single word.
Is it worth reading? If you come to it without reading the
first two, it will suffer, I think – it needs the context of the series to
really work at full strength. As the third of a series, though, it’s a powerful
piece of narrative, recommended without reservation.
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