Shadowblack
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4.4 • 195 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A failed mage turned outlaw must use guile and a handful of spells to challenge a dangerous rival in the second book of an exciting adventure fantasy series from Sebastien de Castell.
Forced to live as an outlaw, Kellen relies on his wits and his allies to survive the unforgiving borderlands.
When he meets a young woman cursed with a deadly plague, he feels compelled to help. But her secrets draw powerful enemies and it's not long before Kellen is entangled in a conspiracy of blackmail, magic, and murder. As the bodies begin to pile up, Kellen fears he's next.
The second novel in a compelling six-book series, bursting with tricks, humor, and a whole new way to look at magic.
Spellslinger SeriesSpellslingerShadowblackCharmcaster
For more from Sebastien de Castell, check out:
The Greatcoats QuartetTraitor's BladeSaint's BloodKnight's ShadowTyrant's Throne
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
De Castell's second fantasy novel featuring Kellen, a 16-year-old mage "who combines whatever paltry magic he can muster with every trick he can learn to stay alive," offers more of the same: a fast-paced story most likely to appeal to a teen audience. In the wake of the events of Spellslinger, Kellen, who has a price on his head, has been living as an outlaw for months, travelling with a "gambler who never gave a straight answer" and the Rocket Raccoon like Reichis, "a homicidal squirrel cat whose favorite food was human eyeballs." The bounty on Kellen results in attempts on his life, and he meets someone who claims to have a cure for Kellen's shadowblack, the so-called demon plague that gives him painful visions and manifests in black markings encircling Kellen's left eye. The quest for survival and a cure, and the political machinations back in Kellen's hometown, are familiar genre tropes, and De Castell's variations on them aren't novel enough to stand out.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyed
An easy series to enjoy and escape into.
Just as good as the first
As for myself, I find a few characters to behave in ways that are contrary to their previously established ways and paths sometimes. It’s not too distracting but I think he tends to over explain things sometimes and that makes the ideas even more complex and disorienting rather than letting the reader sort of wonder it out on their own. That’s a small thing in the overall context of the book. He doesn’t explain his magic systems nearly as much as in the Malevolent series which started to grind on me a bit. Overall this book is just as good as the first with lots of action and humor and a lot of great living breathing characters who you really got invested in. That’s where I think this author shines in that he has a way of making every character feel alive despite whatever part of the story they are involved in. They are just hard to put down and that squirrel cat is my personal hero now. Any small grievances I have are nothing compared to the fun I had reading the novel. On to the next one!