Falcio val Mond is the the first Cantor of the Greatcoats, the the head of the king’s special Magisters who up uphold the king’s law. The problem? The king has been dead for five years. This means that Falcio and the rest of the Greatcoats no longer have a king’s law to uphold. Yet, Falcio and his friends Kest and Brasti have not given up on the king’s dream of a united land of Tristia. The Greatcoats, once a powerful group, have been scattered and are generally reviled. No matter their circumstances, Falcio, Kest, and Brasti are determined to carry out the king’s last command to them, or die trying. When a wealthy gentleman they are protecting is murdered, they find themselves on the hunt for the killer, discovering that larger power play is underway. Tristia is threatened, and perhaps the only people who can save it are three disgraced Greatcoats.

This is a fast-paced, rollicking adventure written in the same vein as The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas. The three Greatcoats believe in honor and valor, and their friendship holds them firmly together as they face their foes. The story is full of humor, swashbuckling, and breakneck action. In a fantasy field where many books contain 100 points of view, Traitor’s Blade is refreshing as it much of the story is told from Falcio val Mond’s point of view. An enjoyable read.

Annette G.