255 ratings | 212 reviews | avg rating:3.98

Sebastien de Castell’s Followers (4,936)

Sebastien’s Bookshelves

to-read (17)
currently-reading (2)
read (264)
adventure (6)
audio-drama (2)
biography (1)
comic (0)
dnf (7)
dystopian (7)
fantasy (64)
See all bookshelves »

Sebastien’s Friends (480)

Emily

1,433 books | 904 friends

Mark Lawrence

1,035 books | 5,000 friends

Hannah ⚔️ Jaedia

3,565 books | 983 friends

Penguin Random House Canada

578 books | 4,894 friends

Wesley Chu

300 books | 1,497 friends

Luke

1,547 books | 134 friends

Mark Lidstone

560 books | 550 friends

Stefan

5,339 books | 212 friends

More friends…

Sebastien de Castell

Goodreads Author

Born

in Montreal, Canada

Website

http://www.decastell.com

Twitter

decastell

Genre

Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

Influences

Steven Brust, Charles De Lint, Raymond Chandler ...more

Member Since

January 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/decastell

edit data

Hi Folks!

My eighteenth novel, MALEVOLENT EIGHT is now available. Cade Ombra and his misfit band of mercenary war mages are determined to prevent a cataclysmic war between supernatural beings. But peace at any price might mean killing an awful lot of people. The Malevolent Seven might be heroes, but they'll be the good guys . . .

My seventeenth novel is titled PLAY OF SHADOWS. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of mystical theatre where exalted actors can channel the spirits of the historical figures they portray on stage. But Damelas Chademantaigne seems to be summoning the spirit of a notorious villain whose secrets could unleash a civil war!

My sixteenth novel is CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS. Estevar Borros is my favourite swashbuckling investig ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Sebastien de Castell questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Sebastien de Castell’s books

Average rating: 4.16 · 129,139 ratings · 14,034 reviews · 57 distinct works • Similar authors

	Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats, #1) 4.04 avg rating — 25,713 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Spellslinger (Spellslinger, #1) 4.03 avg rating — 19,351 ratings — published 2017 — 53 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Knight's Shadow (Greatcoats, #2) 4.24 avg rating — 14,074 ratings — published 2014 — 29 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3) 4.25 avg rating — 10,511 ratings — published 2016 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Shadowblack (Spellslinger, #2) 4.12 avg rating — 10,642 ratings — published 2017 — 44 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tyrant's Throne (Greatcoats, #4) 4.42 avg rating — 8,258 ratings — published 2017 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Charmcaster (Spellslinger, #3) 4.22 avg rating — 7,858 ratings — published 2018 — 33 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Soulbinder (Spellslinger, #4) 4.24 avg rating — 6,674 ratings — published 2018 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Malevolent Seven (The Malevolent Seven, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 6,024 ratings — published 2023 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Queenslayer (Spellslinger, #5) 4.18 avg rating — 5,720 ratings — published 2019 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Sebastien de Castell…

81 posts
Sebastien de Castell's Blog

Writing the Path of Swords Book 1

Last year I was delighted to sign a three-book deal with the wonderful folks at aethon books . It’s been such a pleasure to create an entirely new world of fantasy that lurks in the shadows adjacent to our own with its own strange traditions and intricate swords-based magic system.

View more on Sebastien de Castell's website »

14 likes · Like • 2 comments • flag

Published on July 28, 2025 10:24

View all 81 posts »

Series by Sebastien de Castell

Greatcoats (4 books)
by

Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

4.18 avg rating — 60,049 ratings

Spellslinger (6 books)
by

Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

4.15 avg rating — 59,525 ratings

The Malevolent Seven (2 books)
by

Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

4.03 avg rating — 6,787 ratings

Argosi trilogy (3 books)
by

Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

4.27 avg rating — 3,253 ratings

Court of Shadows (3 books)
by

Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

4.19 avg rating — 2,065 ratings

More series by Sebastien de Castell…

Sebastien is Currently Reading

Sebastien Castell is currently reading

Tales of the Greatcoats Vol. 1: Swashbuckling Fantasy Stories (Greatcoats, #5)

by Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Nov 30, 2021 06:36PM

Sebastien Castell rated a book it was amazing

Play of Shadows (Court of Shadows #1)

by Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Apr 01, 2024 07:41PM

rss
Sebastien’s Recent Updates

Sebastien de Castell wrote a new blog post Writing the Path of Swords Book 1 Last year I was delighted to sign a three-book deal with the wonderful folks at aethon books . It’s been such a pleasure to create an entirely new wor Read more of this blog post »
Jul 29, 2025 02:27AM · 14 likes · like
Sebastien Castell rated a book it was amazing Our Lady of Blades (Court of Shadows, #2) by Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 06, 2024 01:42AM · 19 likes · like
Sebastien Castell answered Jared Guillory's question: I just finished reading “The Malevolent Seven” it seems to me it was set up to have a sequel, will there be a sequel or can I let this story go? As a matter of fact, there are two sequels to Malevolent Seven coming, and I’m writing the first of those as we speak!
Sep 22, 2024 12:51PM · 20 likes · like
Sebastien Castell made a comment on Writing Our Lady of Blades " Thanks for the kind words! "
Aug 02, 2024 10:24AM · see blog post
Sebastien Castell rated a book it was amazing Spellslinger (Spellslinger, #1) by Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2024 07:54AM · 33 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sebastien Castell rated a book it was amazing Crucible of Chaos (Court of Shadows #0.5) by Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 21, 2024 08:16AM · 28 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sebastien Castell rated a book it was amazing Play of Shadows (Court of Shadows #1) by Sebastien de Castell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 01, 2024 07:42PM · 28 likes · like

More of Sebastien's books…

Quotes by Sebastien de Castell (?)

“I must have encountered the Duke somewhere on the road because I was carrying a sack with me and his head was in it.”
― Sebastien de Castell, Traitor's Blade

45 likes

“I’m a woman, kid. You probably haven’t met one before, coming as you do from this backward place, but it’s like a man only smarter and with bigger balls.”
― Sebastien de Castell, Spellslinger

44 likes

“Gods, man, don't you start now,' I said softly. 'We're going to get a terrible reputation if we just keep travelling across the countryside crying all the time.”
― Sebastien de Castell, Traitor's Blade

tags: emotional, fantasy, humour

41 likes

See all Sebastien de Castell's quotes »

Polls

September/October group read.

Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell

24 votes, 57.1%

Darkstorm by M.L. Spencer

14 votes, 33.3%

Red Season Rising by D.M. Murray

4 votes, 9.5%

42 total votes

9 comments

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Challenge Fac...: March Buddy Read Final Sign Ups	27	48	Mar 23, 2014 08:44AM
Beyond Reality: What are you reading in May 2015?	86	57	May 29, 2015 05:33PM
Fantasy Book Club: What are you reading in May '15?	154	122	May 31, 2015 05:37PM
2025 Reading Chal...: Adrian: 50 (was35) books for 2015	56	102	Aug 30, 2015 05:42AM

More…

Sebastien’s Quotes

tags: emotional, fantasy, humour

41 likes

“It's called the Way of Water, Dexan. You tried to kill me, so now I get to keep your hat. - Kellen”
― Sebastien de Castell, Shadowblack

15 likes

“Eventually Reichis asked, 'You know why this is such a stupid idea?'
'You said that already. Like, twelve times.'
'Yeah, but do you know WHY it's a stupid idea?'
I stopped. 'Why?'
Reichis shivered on my shoulder. 'Because this place is giving me the creeps, and I'm a squirrel cat - normally we're the ones giving other people the creeps.”
― Sebastien de Castell, Shadowblack

9 likes

“Thank you... Kellen... Will you wait with me? Just a little longer?' - Seneira
...
'I'll wait with you,' I said. 'As long as it takes.”
― Sebastien de Castell, Shadowblack

3 likes

“Perfect,' she said, then promptly sat down in the dirt. 'I'm just going to sit here until the world starts making sense, if that's all right.'
'You might be waiting a long time,' I said.”
― Sebastien de Castell, Shadowblack

10 likes

More of Sebastien’s quotes…

Sebastien’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.