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Greatcoats #0.5
The King's Letters
As King Paelis waited in his cell for the headsman to come for him, he bribed one of the guards to let him send three sets of letters to his Greatcoats. Contained within are a condemned king's final secrets.
35 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2018
4 people are currently reading
1041 people want to read
About the author
Sebastien de Castell
55 books5,063 followersHi 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 investigator of the supernatural, so come investigate alongside him and his dauntless mule, Imperious inside a mysterious abbey where the gods seem to be driving the monks mad!
My fifteenth novel is FATE OF THE ARGOSI. The Argosi series is one of my favourites and I hope you'll come along for Ferius Parfax's adventures!
You can get a pair of free stories here.
The best way to stay up to date is at www.decastell.com, but I'm also on that Facebook thing. Also that Twitter thing. One day I'll even remember to get on that Instagram thing.
As to who I am? Well . . .
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.
Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages.
Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats. You can reach him at www.decastell.com
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 investigator of the supernatural, so come investigate alongside him and his dauntless mule, Imperious inside a mysterious abbey where the gods seem to be driving the monks mad!
My fifteenth novel is FATE OF THE ARGOSI. The Argosi series is one of my favourites and I hope you'll come along for Ferius Parfax's adventures!
You can get a pair of free stories here.
The best way to stay up to date is at www.decastell.com, but I'm also on that Facebook thing. Also that Twitter thing. One day I'll even remember to get on that Instagram thing.
As to who I am? Well . . .
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.
Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages.
Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats. You can reach him at www.decastell.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 27, 2020
How does a 35 page book make you cry? Just like this.
October 4, 2018
My love for this world can never be understated. I even love to read the thoughts of a soon to be dead king. Oh, and learning that I share first name with a certain duke was a nice little surprise!
September 11, 2020
Nice little additional info about our boy, King Paelis. Quick read and provided a nice but of extra Greatcoats content.
October 22, 2020
I think, if I'd read this freshly after finishing the Greatcoats books, then I would've rated this 4 stars so that's on me. I will reread this in future. I did love how Castell captured the King's voice, how we got an insight into the naming and world building, and we got to hear his final thoughts. I definitely felt my emotions rekindling about this series as a whole.
September 12, 2018
Actual rating: 4.00
September 13, 2018
Brief but fascinating, The King's Letters is a quick vignette in the Greatcoats series, that provides some cool insight - as well as a fun treat - for the enthusiastic reader of the series.
September 29, 2018
Equivalent to eating a whole box of girl scout cookies, then shortly after finishing it you find some extra stuck in the back of your teeth. "Oooh, a tasty surprise!". Fin.
March 17, 2020
#kingpaelisforpres....I...dent.... >.>
I love this series so much. I love these characters so much. I’m desperately wanting to reread because I miss them.
I love this series so much. I love these characters so much. I’m desperately wanting to reread because I miss them.
July 26, 2019
Omg, why am I crying?
September 24, 2018
Short stories are great if the nature of the stories entrances and brings you in.This book does that in spades,if you have read Greatcoats ,this gives you a little something to fill the gap that this series needs.And what this series needs is more,more,more.
I have read the full series and this short escapade brought all the characters back into my imagination,and probably will have to start at the beginning again......
A brilliant little venture for our merry band of heroes,that I loved.
And I thank Sebastien for the chance to read these.
I have read the full series and this short escapade brought all the characters back into my imagination,and probably will have to start at the beginning again......
A brilliant little venture for our merry band of heroes,that I loved.
And I thank Sebastien for the chance to read these.
September 11, 2018
Something Greatcoats-related? Sign me the hell up.
January 9, 2023
There was something I always wanted to tell you but never seemed to find the right way to do so: there is no shame in love, no matter what others may tell you – and no matter what you may tell yourself.
Starting my year right by crying over fictional men!!!
Starting my year right by crying over fictional men!!!
Read
May 18, 2022Short story to round out a bit of information of the Greatcoats.
September 14, 2018
Short but sweet. Very, very sweet in fact.
I loved the letters to our merry trio. The insight into the other Tristian factions apart from the Honori (Knights), Dashini, Bardatti, etc was fascinating. I'm very interested in the Ragnieri in particular.... hoping they'll pop up in the new series. So much stuff to be excited for.
And to top it all off, this achingly beautiful message at the end....
"Read what I have written here and look upon the true state of this nation our ours. Tristia was once a bright place, full of promise – and even now, cloaked as it is in darkness, some small glimmers of those days of hope remain. I have tried to capture some of those sparks in these pages; perhaps they will catch your eye.
Perhaps you will see that small fruit tree atop that hill – and if you do, will you climb it, I wonder?
And if you do, might you not try, as I have, as others have, to become something more than what you were born to?
To become someone who seeks that better future?
To become, perhaps, a Greatcoat?"
I loved the letters to our merry trio. The insight into the other Tristian factions apart from the Honori (Knights), Dashini, Bardatti, etc was fascinating. I'm very interested in the Ragnieri in particular.... hoping they'll pop up in the new series. So much stuff to be excited for.
And to top it all off, this achingly beautiful message at the end....
"Read what I have written here and look upon the true state of this nation our ours. Tristia was once a bright place, full of promise – and even now, cloaked as it is in darkness, some small glimmers of those days of hope remain. I have tried to capture some of those sparks in these pages; perhaps they will catch your eye.
Perhaps you will see that small fruit tree atop that hill – and if you do, will you climb it, I wonder?
And if you do, might you not try, as I have, as others have, to become something more than what you were born to?
To become someone who seeks that better future?
To become, perhaps, a Greatcoat?"
August 6, 2024
Very short, I liked it because I like this series and world but it was a shame that it didn’t really add anything new that hadn’t already been introduced or established through all the other books and short stories. I had hoped to get at least one new thing from his letter to Brasti but there was nothing new to get some kind of insight into his thinking about brasti that would have helped us get a new insight that falcio ans brasti himself hadn’t already given us in other books. The notes on all the characters and orders of tristia are also nothing new at all. None of it added any new insight like the other short stories in this series on tristia did.
January 2, 2019
A short and nice collection of the King's letters and notes on the different orders of Tristia. Gives some additional background information on the world, but most is revealed already within the main series. Also, I liked getting a glimpse into the defunct's King Paelis POV, where his famed sense of humor is revealed :). Very fast read overall! (20mins)
Find this short collection of letters and facts on Sebastien De Castell's website! You just need to sign up to the newsletter! https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ju8rvsk4gf
Find this short collection of letters and facts on Sebastien De Castell's website! You just need to sign up to the newsletter! https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ju8rvsk4gf
January 1, 2024
3.5 stars
A nice little bonus collection of papers. It's more like a mini-reference book than a collection of letters. It didn't lean into Paelis' character on the eve of his execution as much as I'd expected, so there wasn't the yanking on my heartstrings I'd anticipated. But among the primers on Saints, nobles, various orders, etc, we get glimpses of Paelis' idealism and dry humor. The tone is consistently Greatcoats and leaves me hopeful for more stories of this world in the future.
A nice little bonus collection of papers. It's more like a mini-reference book than a collection of letters. It didn't lean into Paelis' character on the eve of his execution as much as I'd expected, so there wasn't the yanking on my heartstrings I'd anticipated. But among the primers on Saints, nobles, various orders, etc, we get glimpses of Paelis' idealism and dry humor. The tone is consistently Greatcoats and leaves me hopeful for more stories of this world in the future.
December 3, 2020
Nice little addition the the greatcoats story. We get a little bit more of the King's personality but there's nothing new that should suprise you or add anything more story-relevant to the saga.
Skippable.
Skippable.
December 31, 2020
A good little accompaniment or Post Script to the Greatcoats series from the pov of King Paelis in his final hours. Could be a teeny bit spoiler-y if you haven't finished the original quartet yet but nothing major.
December 8, 2018
A nice explanation to accompany one of my favorite series
Read
January 19, 2023And with tattered cloaks will they shield the weakest from injustice.
July 17, 2021
This is a collection of the King’s letters that never made it out to their destinations, written the night before the King was hanged. Seems like a great opportunity to drop some fun bombs and weird surprises that could alter how one would have viewed the Greatcoats series.
Turns out, these letters read more like Wikipedia entries more than anything else. The King laments for a few paragraphs on what he thinks about nobles, and an assassins guild, and religion, etc. Its a bit of a strange direction for which to take this writing opportunity. There was a neat revelation or two at the very back, but it’s all rather inconsequential. Granted, this is an add-on ‘bonus’ story, not necessary to the greater Greatcoats story as a whole — but it felt like reading the nation’s glossary, according to its ruler.
I guess it works as a “how to deal with XYZ after I’m gone” but — I don’t know, maybe I placed my expectations in a different mindset. But anyway, fans of de Castell should certainly spend 20 minutes reading this and dipping back into the world, learning a thing or two from a new perspective, a little bonus dessert after the feast.
Turns out, these letters read more like Wikipedia entries more than anything else. The King laments for a few paragraphs on what he thinks about nobles, and an assassins guild, and religion, etc. Its a bit of a strange direction for which to take this writing opportunity. There was a neat revelation or two at the very back, but it’s all rather inconsequential. Granted, this is an add-on ‘bonus’ story, not necessary to the greater Greatcoats story as a whole — but it felt like reading the nation’s glossary, according to its ruler.
I guess it works as a “how to deal with XYZ after I’m gone” but — I don’t know, maybe I placed my expectations in a different mindset. But anyway, fans of de Castell should certainly spend 20 minutes reading this and dipping back into the world, learning a thing or two from a new perspective, a little bonus dessert after the feast.
December 30, 2018
Oh how I missed the Greatcoats world...
March 1, 2019
What an excellent treat from the author of a 5 star series.
March 11, 2019
Corto, bonito y directo.
En breves líneas entiendes la amistad y el cariño del rey por su buen amigo, Falcio.
En breves líneas entiendes la amistad y el cariño del rey por su buen amigo, Falcio.
October 15, 2019
Some random short notes on various nobles and orders.
May 6, 2020
I liked this short little insight into the greatcoats world and all the tidbits we got on the different factions. I think I'll have to reread the series soon.
November 15, 2020
The letter to Kest...that is all.
November 23, 2020
I only grow fonder of the king, for a character seemingly much greater than life, it's beautiful to look into his mind.
December 14, 2020
Hier had ik een beetje meer van verwacht...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews