The Greatcoats have found the heir to the throne . . . but now they must keep her alive, against all the odds.
'These books are just joyous - first-rate fiction, first rate adventure, first rate full stop.' Conn Iggulden, author of The Golden Age series
The Greatcoats have found the heir to the throne . . . but now they must keep her alive, against all the odds.
Falcio Val Mond has completed the final task given to him by the late King Paelis: he has found the King's Charoites (well, one at least). But his task isn't over, and now he, Kest and Brasti must protect the girl from those her want her dead.
'Sebastien, write faster!' John Gwynne, author of the award-winning series The Faithful and the Fallen
That would be simple enough, if it weren't for the renegade Knights and legendary Dashini assassins, getting in their way, not to mention the Dukes, who are desperate to hold on to their power at any cost, or Trin, the merciless daughter of the ruthless Duke of Rijou and the cruel Duchess of Hervor, who is determined to be Queen of Tristia. Of course, the fact that the heir to the throne is thirteen years old doesn't help, nor the fact that every day brings Falcio closer to dying from the poison running through his veins.
And then there is the Greatcoat's Lament . . . .
Tristia is a nation overcome by intrigue and corruption. The idealistic young King Paelis is dead and the Greatcoats - legendary travelling magistrates who brought justice to the Kingdom - have been branded as traitors. But just before his head was impaled on a spike, the King swore each of his hundred and forty-four Greatcoats to a different mission.
Falcio Val Mond, First Cantor, with the help of fellow Greatcoats Kest and Brasti, has completed his King's final task: he has found his Charoites - well, one at least, and she was not quite what they expected. Now they must protect the girl from the many who would see her dead, and place her on the throne of a lawless kingdom. That would be simple enough, if it weren't for the Daishini, an equally legendary band of assassins, getting in their way, not to forget the Dukes who are determined to hold on to their fractured Kingdoms, or the fact that the heir to the throne is only thirteen years old. Oh, and the poison that is slowly killing Falcio.
That's not even mentioning the Greatcoat's Lament...
De Castell's superb writing and pacing results in a headlong rush of excitement to the very last page . . . The twists and turns make "Knight's Shadow" a
page-turner in the truest, most satisfactory sense of the term
