Booklog 22/2019 - Sebastien de Castell: Shadowblack – Spellslinger #2

[jacey]

I read the first of the Spellslinger books back in 2017, so it's been quite a gap.

I quickly got into the story, however, even without remembering a lot of the detail of the first book in which Kellen, a failed Jan'Tep mage is exiled from his home and family, largely due to having been infected by Shadowblack, a magical ailment which allows his own people to execute him on sight. Shadowblack, as it develops, will eventually open Kellen up to demons, but it hasn't yet and Kellen can cover up the marks around his eye with some clever makeup. Though always looking over his shoulder for the next assassin, he's travelling with Argosi wanderer, Ferius Parfax, and a murderous, thieving squirrel cat, Reichis. He and Reichis can speak to each other, though no one else can hear Reichis as Kellen does. Think of this as a fantasy western with Ferius playing the lone traveller/card sharp. In this book, Kellen is learning, and growing into adulthood. He's mastered what little magic he has left (after his parents prevented him from growing into a full Jan'Tep mage) and he's learned a lot from Ferius about the Argosi ways. This book centres on the discovery of a shadowblack plague and introduces new characters, Seneira (also plague-ridden), Rosie, a new Argosi with very different way of doing things from Ferius, and spellslinger Dexan, also outlawed from the Jan'Tep. This is intriguing with good plot twists and character development. Reichis often steals the show with his humour and his 'I want to eat their eyeballs' attitude.