Spellslinger

By: Sebastien de Castell

Narrated by: Joe Jameson

A would-be mage with no magic of his own has to defeat powerful enemies with only cunning and deception in the first book of an exciting adventure fantasy series from Sebastien de Castell.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first duel and proving his worth as a spellcaster. There's just one problem: his magic is fading.

Facing exile unless he can pass the mage trials, Kellen is willing to risk everything -- even his own life -- in search of a way to restore his magic. But when the enigmatic Ferius Parfax arrives in town, she challenges him to take a different path.

One of the elusive Argosi, Ferius is a traveller who lives by her wits and the cards she carries. Daring, unpredictable, and wielding magic Kellen has never seen before, she may be his only hope.

The first novel in a compelling six-book series, bursting with tricks, humor, and a whole new way to look at magic.

Spellslinger SeriesSpellslingerShadowblackCharmcaster
For more from Sebastien de Castell, check out:
The Greatcoats QuartetTraitor's BladeSaint's BloodKnight's ShadowTyrant's Throne

Critic reviews

"Told with the conviction of Ursula Le Guin and the dash of Alexandre Dumas"—New Statesman (UK)

"Spellslinger is the start of something truly special. Sebastien de Castell is a master of breakneck pacing, dagger-sharp dialogue, and twists you didn't see coming--and this series has it all."—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

"A tremendously fun read full of wit and action."—James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

"An intriguing system of magic, wry humor, and a twisting plot make for an entertaining series debut."—Kirkus

"This book is dangerously addictive. It has it all: compelling world-building, breathtaking plot-twists, a page-turning pace, and characters who soon feel like old friends. I can't wait for the next one!"—Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

"Exotic, original and gripping from the get-go, Spellslinger is a must-read"—Jonathan Stroud, author of the Lockwood and Co series

"Hugely enjoyable - fast-paced, compassionate, wise and with terrific characters."—Amanda Craig, author of Hearts and Minds

"Written with such obvious joy and brio that it demands to be read."—RJ Barker, author of Age of Assassins

"A fun, fast-moving adventure, with surprising depth and insight."—Hugo Award winning author Jim C. Hines

"A bucket-load of tension is offset with humour, power struggles, lots of magic and some great characters. Fantasy junkies will devour with relish."—Guardian (UK)

"There's room for wit and playfulness amid the high-stakes duels and death matches, and Kellen's career is likely to run and run."—The Observer (UK)

"We can confidently say that de Castell's new series has hit the ground running."—Starburst

Enjoyable adventure and easy summer read

So far this doesn't feel quite as endearing as his Greatcoats series. The characters are slightly more flat and the stakes are not as high (though he still likes to beat up his main characters as much as Jim Butcher.) However the pace is quick and the plot well thought out. You care about the outcome and the mystery of the palace intrigue is engaging. It's a fun, well paced summer read with a decent narrator. Good enough to keep going into the series that gives me great hope for big things along the road.

I Reckon I Enjoyed This

Very enjoyable coming-of-age story with an interesting world.

While I found the story a little too dense, the characters are far too entertaining for me not to love it. Will probably check out the rest of the series.

Honestly pretty amazing

Loved it. found it by accident. Had an itch for high fantasy and after a couple of failed Google searches I randomly typed in spell slinger books.

Came across this series. 2 days later I'm 2 books deep and working through my third. highly recommend if you like weird western style fantasy with a bit of high fantasy thrown in.

the voice actor fits the role of the main character perfectly as well. overall it's just fantastic. I highly recommend it

who the eff is Sebastien?

This is my third book from this author(I have read book 1 of the series and two books of greatcoats). He writes constantly great plot, good dialogue and likable characters. I am going to read his rest of his oeuvre.

Wow!

wow...wow...everything about this was amazing the performance was spot on. Onward to book two of this series. <3