#Greatcoats series

[schweizercomics]

Sebastien de Castell has a new novel coming out tomorrow, CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS, featuring Estevar Valejan Duerisi Borros, a pompous spooky-mystery-solving swordfighting magistrate who de Castell has featured in some wonderful swashbuckling short stories. I'm looking forward to it, so I reckoned I'd share a drawing of Estevar.

The Estevar stories are borne of de Castell's GREATCOATS series, which I love, and have written about on this post.

[its-elvish-for-two]

Darri just watching all the greatcoats bs

[felagund-fiollaigean]

the meme made itself

[dibator]

Play of Shadows, from Sebastien de Castell, the author of the Greatcoats and Spellslinger series

PLAY OF SHADOWS: Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first book in a new swashbuckling fantasy series by the bestselling author of The Greatcoats. Damelas Shademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel.He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of Vixen, the most feared duelist in the entire city, until he stumbles through the stage doors of the…

[corviine]

kest drawing for @algifs feat. her faceclaim choice! anyway i adore him.

[patricideapologist]

Me trying to figure out what order to read the Greatcoats series in

[joncronshawauthor]

Behind Every Hero: Notable Sidekicks in Epic Fantasy

Sidekicks & Sundry: Memorable Aides-de-Camp in Fantasy Literature Fantasy literature, with its entrancing realms and bewitching narratives, has forever been the refuge for those who crave a bit of magical escapism. But let’s take a moment to tip our proverbial hats to the unsung heroes of these tales—the trusty sidekicks. They may not always bask in the limelight, but we’d be hard-pressed to…

[genderkoolaid]

When photographer and filmmaker Grace Pickering was introduced to the work of trans activist Lou Sullivan, it completely changed their life. Born in 1951, Sullivan is thought of as the world’s first documented gay trans man – though, of course, trans people have likely been around for far, far longer. His collated diaries from 1961 – 1991, We Both Laughed in Pleasure, are a pioneering piece of queer literature, or “a radical testament to trans happiness,” as The New Yorker once put it. “Before learning about Lou, I didn’t really understand my identity,” Grace says over breakfast at the art’otel in Hoxton, East London. “He opened my mind up to the fact that so many of my own thoughts were related to my transness – that you could be a dyke fag, I think is the term. He put everything into perspective for me.” It makes sense, then, for Grace to have named their first solo exhibition after Lou’s seminal work. We Both Laughed in Pleasure, which opened last week at the art’otel, is based around a short film Grace shot of their friends and peers, in a bid to shed light on a lesser known facet of the trans experience: transmasculinity and, crucially, transmasc people whose lives are full – of joy, friendship, professional and romantic success. “I wanted to show the nuanced lives that people have,” Grace continues. “Whenever I see transmasc people represented, it’s in quite a stereotypically male way, which I know sounds quite funny. But I think being transmasc is its own thing – me and my friends identify as gay men, even though out in the world I will more than likely be treated as a woman. It’s a different culture.” Alongside the film, which was produced by Greatcoat Films and commissioned by art’otel, Grace will exhibit a series of images inspired by historical trans and nonbinary figures, such as Joan of Arc, who has often been thought of as gender non-conforming; Schuyler Bailar, the legendary openly trans swimmer; and Gladys Bentley, a Harlem musician who would regularly get thrown into jail for the way they dressed in the 1930s. ​“Gladys would play at jazz clubs and was infamous in that area,” Grace says. ​“The police would routinely raid the place and arrest them. Gladys would spend the night in a cell and come right back the next day, in their three-piece suit and top hat. And yet they’ve been historically written about as a butch lesbian, despite living as a man. I was interested in showing that.”

from Down in the dumps? Laugh in pleasure at this exhibition

[hoshinoyozora]

The Snake Mirror

🖤 Pairing: Yandere! Jamil Viper x Female! Reader

💛 Word Count: 2,8k+

❤ Warnings:

[Edited]

Do not re-upload my writing to another website or use it without my permission. Also, don’t ask for a sequel unless I like the story enough to write one. Please reblog so other people can see my stories!

***

Thinking about turning this into a series, but we shall see if I have anymore ideas. Feel free to share yours, tho!

“If you want a pleasant surprise, try chanting ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall’. Nighttime works better.”

You didn’t know what to expect when the mirror shop owner bent down to whisper something to you. At that time, you merely nodded and tittered as you always did whenever you felt confused with a stranger’s words yet wanting to stay polite. Crowley grinned knowingly and withdrew from your ear. He certainly looked as unique as the things he sold; a half-mask resembling a raven’s beak, a greatcoat over his suit with thick blackbird feathers curl out from its blue-collar while the tips of the coat were cut to resemble two bird wings, a pair of black gloves with golden claw rings on each of his fingers, three mirror-like accessories on his hip with four golden keys dangling from them, and another mirror-like charm on his hat which had three more keys. Through that mask, his eyes glowed golden in the dimly lit shop. Until now, you still weren’t sure if he truly had golden eyes or it was merely trick of the eye.

Regardless, the surprise you encountered was more ‘mixed’ than ‘pleasant’. Within the golden mirror, framed by slithering snakes and a single red gem on the top, was a handsome man with tan skin, sharp charcoal grey eyes, and long braided black hair. He wore a black and purple robe, trimmed with golden key and various designs. He displayed a neutral expression, but if you were to observe further, you might see a slight annoyance in it.

“Good evening, Master. I’m here to carry out your wishes. For now, you only have three wishes left.”

His voice was low, almost like a murmur, yet no less robotic. He kept staring at you as you sputtered and whipped your head around searching for someone to help you despite the emptiness of your room.

“Oh, God. What should I do? He didn’t tell me I’d see a literal guy on my own mirror…!” you mumbled. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to call you. I was just curious and…”

The man merely blinked.

“You can go back, if you want to.”

“Is there nothing you want to wish for right now, Master?” he intoned. “If so, I shall leave until you call me again. Properly.”

You winced at the emphasis and nodded repeatedly, tittering.

“Y-yes, of course. Sorry for… bothering you.”

And he disappeared as quickly as he appeared. You stood before the mirror, staring blankly at the glossy reflection of yourself. The more you watched it, the more it looked like an ordinary mirror. Almost. Certainly, the mirror was worthy of your money in the most unexpected ways, even if you bought it solely to replace your old broken one.

Regardless, the mirror incident was soon forgotten in favor of your ailing grandmother. Although this time, she was hospitalized. The small family restaurant you worked on wasn’t enough to cover the bills, and you pondered long and hard to earn some extra money when you finally acknowledged the mirror again.

Should you do it?

“Mirror, mirror on the wall…”

Magically, the man materialized and greeted you in the same low, robotic voice. You wondered if it was rude of you to use your wishes when you didn’t even know his own name, and asked him to introduce himself.

“Me?” If it wasn’t for his slightly widened eyes, you wouldn’t notice his surprise at all. A question flashed in your mind about whether he was the type to have subtle emotions since birth or if he was taught to never show his discomposure. “I’m Jamil. Jamil Viper.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a nice name.”

An awkward silence ensued, and Jamil schooled his features back.

“Master, is there anything you wish for tonight?”

“Right, I–” you paused at the afterthought. “Is it… possible for you to cure someone’s illness?”

He rose an eyebrow.

“It depends. I can’t heal terminal illnesses, since I can’t intervene with fate too much.”

“Right.” Luckily, your grandmother didn’t have that kind of illness. Although it was still severe, nonetheless. “Can you heal my grandma? She’s being hospitalized right now and I… don’t have much money to pay for the bills.”

“Your wish is my command.”

And the next day, you received a call from the hospital that your grandmother had completely healed. Your mother and sister were understandably shocked, but they chalked it up to miracles and rejoiced over the news. Your grandmother had laughed and moved around smoothly as though she was never ill in the first place.

“Jamil, thank you so much for granting my wish! I’ve never seen my grandma looked so happy and healthy before.”

If you could grab his hands to emphasize your gratitude, you would. But Jamil seemed startled enough by your glistening eyes and wide grin, so you assumed he understood already.

“I-it’s nothing.” he stammered, then cleared his throat. “I was merely doing my duty.”

A look of realization and slight dread replaced your beam.

“… Ah, yes. I forgot to ask you, but is there any consequence for those wishes?”

“Huh, that’s the first.”

You blinked owlishly, wondering what was so amusing from your question.

“Karma works in this kind of situation too, but very few people know about it. Even if they do, they either ignore it or realize it all too late. Nothing is truly free in this world, you know?”

You looked down in understanding, missing the way his eyes glinted meaningfully.

“I understand. That means I have to use my wishes as wisely as I can, right?”

He stared at you for a moment.

“Right.”

***

There was a new restaurant in your neighborhood.

It was more modern, more expensive, and more varied in terms of menu. Slowly, your longtime customers began to trickle out and move to the new restaurant. Competition was nothing unusual, and you were certain you’d meet this kind of thing again had you worked somewhere else. But you wouldn’t deny that it hurt to see your social media feeds were full of photos and praises for the new restaurant. The food you’d painstakingly cooked early in the morning had to be thrown out, only to be made all over again. The lack of tips further dismayed you, and worse of all, you sometimes caught your sister gazing longingly at the new restaurant. You knew that she would’ve moved and worked in there too had she wasn’t so loyal to the family, but you ensured your mother wouldn’t see her yearning and react negatively.

“Jamil, can I ask you for another thing?”

So, here you were, sitting in front of the mirror and talking to a person whose existence nobody would believe. Jamil was sitting down too, but with more composure than your slumped figure had.

“Well, that’s what I’m here for.”

You rested your head on your palms and sighed heavily. While it was nice to have some break during work, you’d take busy days over empty days any time.

“I want my family restaurant to flourish.”

“… Why?”

“Because there’s a new competition and it takes most of our customers.”

“Don’t you want to… eliminate the competition instead?”

You shook your head, “No, I’m not that cruel. I just… I just want our restaurant to be the best in town. If possible.”

“Of course.”

The next day, a surge of new and old customers crowded your restaurant. Chatters and orders muffled the ambient music, and the smell of food and beverages filled the place. It was exhausting, but there was a small smile on your lips during the entire shift. Even your mother seemed relieved, deeming the phenomenon as another miracle.

“Oh, Jamil. Thank you again! My restaurant was filled to the brim today, and we got so much tips too!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’d be concerning if it wasn’t.”

He looked away, but it wasn’t out of arrogance so much as embarrassment. Your grin softened to an adoring smile.

“You’re really cute, you know that?”

“W-what?!”

“Are you not used to people thanking you? Or is this the… first time you’re doing this whole wish-granting duty?”

Jamil fell quiet, and you feared you’d offended him somehow.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to–!”

“It’s fine, I get it.” he sighed, closing his eyes as if preparing himself. “And no, this is not my first time. I’ve been doing this longer than you think, and I’ve met lots of people with various personalities. Some only consider me as a tool to make their biggest wishes come true, while some are formal, to say the least.”

“I see.” You couldn’t say that you understood his feelings, but you could sympathize with the ‘tool’ part because some customers also considered you as a servant to their demands. “So, how did you land in that mirror shop?”

“Ah…”

Now he was being hesitant, and you didn’t want to make things anymore awkward between you two, so you told him to ignore it.

***

“For your last wish, I think you should be more selfish, [Name].”

You looked up in surprise. Jamil was polite when it was necessary, but he was generally blunt. Still, this was the most unexpected thing he said thus far.

“W-what are you talking about? My wishes have been ‘selfish’ too, no?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” he deadpanned. “All this time you’ve been ‘wishing’ for other people’s happiness more than yours. But are you really going to spend all of your chances for them? Don’t you want a little something for yourself too?”

You stopped to ponder on his words. It was, indeed, true how you’d been requesting for blessings to your family. Sure, you felt the impact or benefit, but it wasn’t genuinely your blessing, to begin with. Your grandmother often told you to reward yourself after all the hard work, and although this was more of a ‘shortcut’ than anything else, her words still held some weight.

“Okay.” said you after a moment of contemplation, and, as always, Jamil patiently waited until you dismissed him verbally. “I wish… I wish I could have a boyfriend.”

And yet, despite his encouragement, he took a rather long time to grant your last wish.

“Jamil…?”

“You want a what?”

“I-I want a boyfriend.” You didn’t know why you were stammering now, or why he was looking at you so scandalously, but you did know that the temperature had dropped. Your hair bristled, and you were tempted to shoo him away for the night, but you persisted and asked softly, “Is that so bad?”

He remained quiet and kept watching you, until he finally sucked a breath through his mouth.

“… No, of course not.” he paused, seemingly thinking about something. Then, his face brightened slightly. “If that’s what you wish, I shall make it come true to the best of my ability. Let this be our final meeting too, Master. And… thank you for making my life pleasant, even if it’s fleeting.”

You wilted. You forgot that this would be the last time you met him. Maybe you should procrastinate on the wish for a bit longer, but what if he wanted to see a new person instead? Someone kinder and friendlier than you. Your heart ached at the thought, yet you were comforted by the smile on his face. It was a little larger than usual, perhaps prompted by the gratitude he felt for you.

You smiled back.

“Thank you for being so patient with me and grant my wishes too, Jamil. You never disappointed me, and I hope the next person will be just as pleasant.”

“You’re right. I never disappointed you, did I?” he murmured, although he still maintained eye contact with you. “I hope you won’t be disappointed with this one, too.”

Suddenly, your eyesight began to blur. You blinked repeatedly and put a hand on your head as if trying to anchor yourself to the ground. Yet the ground was what you felt on the back of your head along with a dull pain as you succumbed to the darkness.

And the last thing you saw was a dark hand that reached out from the mirror.

***

The sand surrounded the palace-like building as you leaned against the balcony in an attempt to convince yourself that you weren’t dreaming. There was an invisible barrier that prevented you from leaping from the balustrade, and your mind unhelpfully supplied that it was, in fact, magic. Golden lanterns hung at various spots in the vast ceiling, complemented with golden lamps that illuminated the lounge room. There was a silver tray containing two matching small cups and a pitcher, and colorful rugs spread out over the entire room. In the center of the rugs, the red one, lied a pile of plush pillows that imprinted the shape of your body. It was comfortable, and you’d love to bury yourself in it forever had you didn’t wake up in a strange place. Stars twinkled coyly in the dark blue canvas, mocking your ignorance of the situation.

“Enjoying the view?”

You spun around, noting the obvious change of clothes. He wore a black and red sleeveless jacket, an undershirt, a yellow belt, black parachute pants, and black sneaker-sandals. There were several gold accessories in his body; the most striking one was the shoulder cuff on his right shoulder, shaped like a snake. He seemed more casual now, more relaxed as though he was visiting you during your stargazing. You recoiled despite the considerable distance between you two and almost bumped against the balustrade behind you.

“J-Jamil, what…? Where am I? Why am I here?”

“You said you want a boyfriend, no? Well, here I am. Your boyfriend.”

“You’re joking.”

He frowned.

“I’ve been fulfilling your wishes left and right and listening to your sorrows and happiness. I might as well be your boyfriend.”

“But you’re not! That’s not what I’m asking!”

“No, [Name]. You did ask for a ‘boyfriend’, but you never specified ‘who’ or ‘what’.” he hissed. “Don’t you ever heard of the phrase ‘be careful of what you wish for’? I’m not a mind reader, [Name], and I don’t want to. If you ask me something so vague, then I’ll give you what I think will suit you.”

You gaped, and your throat began to tighten. To yell or to cry? You didn’t know. Everything was too much for you to comprehend at once. It was true that you did share your sorrows and happiness, and you’d mistakenly believed him to be your friend due to his patience and support. But you didn’t expect that he’d harbor any feeling for you beyond gratitude; one that was dark enough to led him to kidnap you.

“Where am I, Jamil?” you whispered once you were fully cognizant of your surroundings for the second time. “Where am I?! Tell me! Am I still in my city?! My neighborhood?!”

Something told you that you were far from home, too far, but you refused to believe it. Even if you were in another country, it was still much better than–

“You’re in my world, of course.”

His home.

“Or the ‘mirror world’, as some of you called it.”

The night wind howled, filling the temporary silence and fragile peace.

“… I want to go home.”

“You can’t. The mirror has broken now.”

“Why? Why is it broken? Crowley said it’s an old but durable mirror. I paid too much money for that.”

“It’s not a matter of how much money you spent to buy it, although I’m grateful for your efforts. But, you see,” Jamil started to advance towards you, and you had no way out than to swallow and bear with the ever-encroaching proximity. He lifted your chin, feeling your jaw tensed. “The mirror always breaks once the owner gains his ‘happily ever after’. If he doesn’t, then Crowley will retrieve the mirror from the patron’s house after they get the justice they deserve and sell it all over again. And, yes, I am the true owner of this mirror. All of you might pay money for that, but you ask things from me and you play with my rules. And once the mirror breaks, it can never be sold again.”

“So, all this time, you’re being passed down in search of a ‘happily ever after’ bullshit?”

Jamil sneered at your insult.

“That’s rich, coming from someone who also seeks for happiness. Don’t pretend to be dumb. All of you are the same. You just so happen to focus more on your family. But in the end, you succumb to your selfish desires too, don’t you?”

“You said I should be more–!”

“Shut up!” He clasped a hand over your mouth and glowered. “That is no way to speak to your boyfriend. I told you, karma works in this kind of situation too. I can repay your kindness to your family by making you healthy and rich forever, but if you treat me badly, then I’ll treat you just as similar. Do you understand, [Name]?”

You merely glared back.

“I said, do you understand?”

Reluctantly, you nodded.

“Good.” Jamil withdrew his hand and allowed you to slump against him. Patting your back, he cooed. “This way, I can continue to help you and vice versa. Because I never forget a favor… or an offense.”

[kvothbloodless]

Ooo okay this looked fun. Gonna see whos read my favorite books/series which I never see on my dash, and which tragically seem to be almost completely off tumblrs radar

[lightflame]

Tagged by @bagadew (Also tagging in @waermeflasche because you tagged me weeks ago and I didn't get back to you)

Last song I listened to: Soap by The Oh Hellos. I burn CDs and listen to them in my car. (The first few I tried to give themes and titles, and select the perfect song orders, but ended up kind of bad and the other was cursed and wouldn't play even though I remade it three times, so I just switched to throwing a ton of songs together on "Random Mixes" and enjoying.) I was listening to my very first random mix on the drive home from work and this one came up. It's a pretty snazzy song. I think Theseus and Hello, My Old Heart are my favourites from the band.

Last book I read: Can I do a couple? I just recently finished Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell. It's the first book of Court of Shadows, the sequel series to his Greatcoats series. Greatcoats is one of my favourite series, filled with swashbuckling action, clever humour, and an absolutely miserable protagonist, Falcio val Mond, who always manages to get back up and keep going anyway. I read everything de Castell writes, and after a string of books with severe pacing problems (check out The Malevolent Seven for a book that doesn't have a second act) and other problems (I have a hard time seeing any book topping Crucible of Chaos as the worst book I've read this year), he finally seems to be back. The book didn't pack quite the emotional punch of some of his other books, but it definitely made me want to jump up and cheer for the heroes at the end.

The other book I just finished is The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. I liked her Winternight Trilogy (look it up and be prepared for some absolutely gorgeous covers, with prose to match), so I was excited to see something new from her. This book was about World War I, with some fantasy elements used for magic realism. (Portraying a soldier's struggle with addiction and PTSD through the lens of him losing his soul to the devil was a brilliant idea.) I most subsist on a steady diet of fantasy books, but this one had me hungering to read a few more historical books. I might have to pick up some books about the Halifax Explosion.

Last film I watched: I haven't watched much on my own for a while, but my friends do a movie night every Sunday. The last two times I tuned in, we watched Jesus Christ Superstar and Pokemon 3: Spell of the Unown. They were both fairly cute movies. I liked Judas's actor.

Last TV series I watched: I've been making my way through The Office for the first time. I'm on Season 3 and this happened to me, actually. There was some stuff I was like, "Wow, that was funny. I should tell my coworkers about it," but then I realized that I can't be the guy who tells his coworkers about this funny new show called The Office.

Last video game I played: If visual novels count, Umineko. I've been working my way through it slowly for about five and a half years and I'm finally closing in on the end. It's peak fiction and the greatest love story of the twentieth century. It's also funny I picked a game this insanely long for my first visual novel. Other than visual novels, I just finished Pokemon Legends: Arceus, after putting in 104 hours this year. Completing the Dex is my favourite part of any Pokemon game, so having it be more involved and include a big checklist made the game basically crack for me. I've also been casually playing some Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) with my brother. Every time we play it, I'm always amazed by how good it is and how much content it has. I want to take command posts forever.

Last thing I googled: "Dandadan Aira". I just started the manga the other day and I like her best, so I wanted to double check her full name, I think? Other than that I'm mostly looking up when books are available at my local stores. I've been religiously checking when The Book that Broke the World will be available and I'm not even sure if I'm buying it.

Last thing I ate: A few snacks from my snack drawer. I also had a Quaker yogurt bar at work. I bought a big box of them last year, but I had to throw them out because of the Salmonella. (Chewed through a lot of them before that came out, though, including eating three on an airplane.)

Amount of sleep: Supposedly seven hours, since I went to bed right after finishing The Warm Hands of Ghosts last night. The only problem is that if I get to bed at a good time, I sleep fitfully, so I'm either sleeping poorly or sleeping well, but not getting anywhere near enough sleep.

Currently reading: I started Empire of Silence, the first book of The Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio, at work today. I've had the first three books sitting on my shelf for a year or two and I finally got around to starting it. (I'd resolved to do both this series and Kushiel's Legacy this year, after having both for so long, and I got that one done at the start.) I'm not very far in, but I enjoy the writing style a lot, even if a lot of the worldbuilding is obviously cribbed from Dune. (Whoa, look, mentats.) I've heard it picks up a lot in the second book, so I'm excited for what's in store for me.

Passing this on, I'll tag @somerunner @lyssq @soulsinshadow @lunawithsocks and @dancerladyaqua. (They also have currently watching and sweet, salty, or savoury as questions, which I didn't do.)

[schweizercomics]

THE GREATCOATS by Sebastien de Castell

I drew these up as one of the (mostly literary) paper figures I do each month for Patreon.

Despite always being drawn to the trappings of fantasy, there are precious few fantasy books (or movies, etc) that have resonated with me. One very notable exception is the Greatcoats series, four novels that follow a trio of comrades from an effectively-dissolved band of dueling magistrates, who, in their heyday, had been charged with enforcing unpopular verdicts against politically powerful folks who had, until that point, been untouchable by the rule of law.

It’s kind of a thrust-the-Musketeers-into-a-medieval-setting thing, and there are swordfights and sucked-into-political-intrigues-even-though-you’re-ill-suited-towards-them a’plenty, for folks who like that sort of thing, and I very much do.

From the first read (I’ve now read them all thrice, along with a collection of short stories), these have become some of my very favorite books, and I could not recommend them more highly. They can, at times, be a hard read; the world in which the Greatcoats live is an unjust one, and whatever terrible things you can imagine people doing (torture, sexual assault, murder, animal cruelty, etc) can and probably are enacted in it, but what has, to me, set this series apart from some other “grim” fantasies is the balance between the knowledge that the world is an unfair, cruel, and terrible place, with the wholehearted belief that it shouldn’t, and doesn’t have to be. Idealism colors every action of the leads, and there’s something incredibly moving and powerful about characters who persevere against impossible odds towards fairness and justice despite encountering the very worst examples of their absence, never in ignorance or denial but out of pure stubbornness.

De Castell crafts a narrative with masterful control over how it’ll affect the reader; it’s melodrama in the best way, with huge operatic emotional beats. They never feel calculated – they’re all earnest, and they’re all earned. There are sections that make you weep, that make you laugh, and (I suspect this is the rarest, and most difficult to achieve) that make you want to cheer, stomp, salute. Moving speeches, incredible narrative payoffs, characters for whom you desperately root. Plus, of course, the suspense of peril and the best action sequences I’ve ever encountered in prose. De Castell’s first-person narration of fight scenes from the point of view of a strategist follows a pretty wonderful pattern of beginning the fight, edging the audience, and then turning to an aside that informs the context of the fight - a lesson learned long ago, an observation about the human condition, a technique frequently incorporated by duelists, an anecdote – and then return to the fight, the new context both heightening the peril and also providing a means by which the reader can fully appreciate the very clever way that the hero(s) win despite being outmatched. It’s a great internal “meanwhile, back at the ranch” and it gives each action encounter (and they are joyously plentiful) narrative weight.

Again, I can’t recommend the series more highly. It has some truly great characters – the leads, the supporting cast, the villains are wonderful and terrible, and the setting is rich and immersive. De Castell describes it as “swashbuckling fantasy,” and it swashbuckles its heart out.

You can get it in print, or in unabridged audiobook (Audible has it, and probably your library does, too), wonderfully narrated by Joe Jameson.

There are a number of other great characters, too – co-leads in their own right – but to draw them is to provide spoilers, so rather than do a whole cast, as I sometimes do, I’ve stuck to the three that you get from the first page.

Design (for process buffs)

There’s not too much visual description about the characters; Kest is described as of average height and build, with short hair, Brasti has hair long enough to tie back and a beard and is tall… and I think that’s it (at least so far as I’ve noticed, or remember).

There’s a tendency to make archers lean and wiry – it compliments the arrow imagery, and a tight, sinewy form seems a carryover of the bowstring to its user, but I wanted Falcio to be lean and triangular, and stoic Kest to be square, so it got me thinking that Brasti ought to have rounder features to offset and compliment the others. He’s a country boy, too, and where I’m from the troublemakers are often a little meatier, so it felt fitting, though it does suggest that he's physically imposing in a way the stories don’t push. But I kind of like that beefy, country swagger he’s got. He’s carrying two bows, as it’s a plot point that he has bows for different purposes: a fast one, and a powerful one.

The eponymous coats were tricky; they’re practically magic; serving as armor (via little bone plates sewn under the leather) and utility belt, with little pockets for whatever the story may require the characters need. I wanted a way to make them modular, so I figured on making a pretty sturdy chest piece that folds back to allow the coat to be open and unbuttoned, and a rolled epaulet that unrolls and can be used as a gorget to protect the neck during a duel (or from the cold).

I wanted each of the characters to be able to wear the coat differently, to reflect their personalities: Kest, always at the ready and doing things the “right” way, has his greatcoat fully rigged. Byronic Falcio needs to be able to dash about with tragic romanticism, so his coat needs to be a little more open – I probably should’ve had the chestpiece partially unflapped ala the Rocketeer, but I also wanted it to read clearly. And Brasti wears his because he has to, so he has all the trappings tied or buttoned back.

Last Thoughts

For artist and writer pals, I’d highly recommend listening to any of De Castell’s interviews on podcasts or on youtube; he’s generous with his process and has a lot of great thoughts about the act of writing.

[its-elvish-for-two]

Eyes...

Don't think I'm ever going to finish these more than they are now, so here...

[felagund-fiollaigean]

Hi there!

Having read you awesome Whumptober fic about her, I was wondering if you had any headcanons about Valiana? I love her to pieces, and I'd love to read your thoughts on her.

Have a wonderful day!

Oh shit yeah! hold on let me see if I can put some of these thoughts to words

After Saint's Blood she makes a point to have Kest teach her the Grandanza. (or whatever that dance is called. you know what I mean, right? cool. moving on).

actually no I'm not moving on. you know what? Valiana was/is a professional noblewoman and Kest is Kest, they're both trained in formal ballroom dance and they do make a point to dance together at least once. I like to dance, and that's fun to think about. I've mentioned my thoughts about her and kest before but I think they're buds. good pals. they have offscreen bonding moments and they're all great.

oh no, bad thought. at one point, she does ask him to kill her if the adorasia takes over again and she can't fight it anymore.

her handwriting is immaculate

She has to unlearn so much toxic shit she picked up from Patriana (who, I think we can all surmise, was absolutely not a good parent). I think body image issues were definitely part of that, Patirana would constantly nitpick at her appearance and that shit sticks with you.

again, i project, but there are so many practical skills she never had to learn in Princess Mode that suddenly are necessary as a Greatcoat. How to repair horse tack. How to build a shelter when sleeping out in the open. How to tie a clove hitch. Other basic combat/survival/travel skills. One of the other main greatcoats will say something like, "your sword's getting dull, make sure you sharpen it" and she's faced with the realization that no one ever taught her to do this thing which she never needed to know but is now the most basic skill for her new line of work. She tries to figure it out on her own and usually doesn't get it right, and one of the others has to come along and help her fix it and teach her how to do it correctly. It's an utterly humiliating and exhausting learning curve to have to go through and she hates every minute but takes it like a champ.

TYRANT'S THRONE SPOILERS BELOW]

After Aline dies, she's afraid to let herself even think about it, because she worries that if she lets herself experience emotions too strongly it will weaken her defenses and let the Adorasia in the driver's seat again. This isn't so much a headcanon as much as "I will kidnap sdc and hold him hostage until he releases the Valiana POV chapter from when Aline is killed until the Trial cause my girl must have been Going Through It and I need to know someone was there for her please" there was a time she made Aline her entire reason for living she must have been fucking devastated when Aline died but unlike Falcio, she couldn't allow herself to go apeshit for so many reasons.

part of me says she's bi/aspec cause I'm bi/aspec and I say so. I do know she had a huge crush on dari. the nonsense with pastien (FUCK that guy) sets her back a ways in the whole "exploration of sexuality" department, as she intentionally distances herself from any kind of attraction or romantic feelings for fear of being betrayed again.

Adorasia means she's suffering from some level of mental fatigue constantly.

stimming helps. she stims cause i stim and i say so. but she can't let herself do it much in front of people cause everyone knows shes mad and is looking for the slightest excuse to declare her incompetent.

She gets lots of unflattering nicknames. Madwoman, Crazy Bitch, The Stark-Raving Duchess of Rijou.

But she's not the queen's iron for nothing and never gives them a goddamn inch.

also do you ever wonder if her title as The Queen's Iron was intentionally a contrast to the Iron Duke of DeMaris? cause I do.

I've never thought of her as a cat person before, but in knight's shadow her love language seems to be "you're in distress so i'm going to come over here and be quiet and just sit next to you" and that is very cat like.

her and darriana never stop being an absolute force of nature when they're together. They're similar enough to share a braincell in most matters but different enough in method of execution to balance each other out. sometimes they have "girls nights out" which sometimes involve getting wine drunk and complaining about everyone else and sometimes involve masked vigilante justice.

In a modern au her superpower is deciding to pick up a new hobby and proceeding to follow through actually excel at that hobby in the long term. my half-finished abandoned sewing projects hate her

so, yeah!

that's what i have darling and thank you so much for this ask, that was very fun to have an excuse to write this all out. I might think of more stuff later but honestly I have Things To Do Today and have to get going. cheers!

[dibator]

From Sebastien de Castell, the author of the internationally acclaimed Greatcoats and Spellslinger series

[the-last-tsar]

"Since the outbreak of war Alexey had been playing soldiers at home, proudly strutting around in his soldier's greatcoat - 'quite like a little military man', as Alix told Nicky - standing guard, digging trenches and fortifications in the palace gardens with his dyadki and in the process sometimes provoking attacks of pain in his arms. But aside from this he was in better health than he had been for years, and for some time now had had no serious attacks. It was hard for Alexandra to let her boy go, but she agreed on condition that Alexey's studies should not be interrupted. He was by now, however, woefully behind in his lessons and although he was followed to Stavka by both PVP and Pierre Gilliard, he rarely knuckled down to a full day's lessons, preferring the distractions of board games, playing his balalaika and enjoying the company of his new dog, a cocker spaniel named Joy. At Stavka Alexey was in his element, sharing the same Spartan living conditions with his father, sleeping on campbeds, going on trips to army camps, inspecting the troops with him and enjoying the camaraderie of the soldiers, and taking particular pleasure in swimming with his father in the River Dnieper. Back at Tsarskoe everyone in the entourage felt the absence of father and son: "life at the Imperial Palace became, if possible, even quieter", recalled Iza Buxhoeveden. "The whole place seemed dead. There was no movement in the great courtyard. We ladies-in-waiting went to the Empress through a series of empty halls." Whenever Nicholas and Alexey returned on visits, "the palace sprang to life". At Stavka the young heir made a strong impression on all who met him. True, he could still be brattish - particularly at table, where he had a penchant for throwing pellets of bread at his father's ADCs. But his extraordinary energy lit up a room. "It was the first time I had seen the Tsarevich when the door of our box flung open and he came like a gale of wind," recalled US naval attaché Newton McCully:

"Full of life, healthy looking, and one of the handsomest youngsters I have ever seen, I was particularly glad to see him so closely because I had heard so many rumors about his being paralyzed - maimed for life - and so on. One could not wish to see a handsomer child. Undoubtedly he has been ill, but there are no signs of illness about him now - if anything perhaps a too exuberant vitality, perhaps an organism over-nervous."

In mid-october, Alexandra, Anna Vyrubova and the girls visited Mogilev, in time to see Alexey awarded the Medal of St George 4th class. They were all delighted to see the continuing improvement in his health and strength. "He was developing marvelously through the summer both in bodily vigor and gaiety of spirits", recalled Anna Vyrubova. "With his tutors, M. Gilliard and Petrov, he romped and played as though illness were a thing to him unknown.""

The Romanov Sisters | Helen Rappaport.