Sebastien de Castell


Sebastien de Castell is a Canadian fantasy writer, most well known for his series Greatcoats and Spellslinger.

History

Sebastien de Castell has been nominated for several science fiction and fantasy awards, starting with his first novel, Traitor's Blade, being nominated for the Astounding Award for Best New Writer and the David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy. Two novels in his Spellslinger series would see him nominated for Grand prix de l'Imaginaire and the Sunburst Award, as well as the winner of the Elbakin.net Award. De Castell has stated his interest in writing "optimistic but flawed heroes", saying that it was the type of heroes he enjoyed reading about as a kid, but placed "in an environment that had some of the depth and darkness".
All five of his series are set in the same multiverse. The Greatcoats and The Court of Shadows series are set on the same continent as each other with overlapping characters; The Spellslinger and Argosi series are likewise set on the same continent as each other with overlapping characters but also on the same world as the other two series. No characters overlap between those sets of series. The Fifth series takes place on a different plane of existence; but people originating in Eldrasia cross over into that world. It is not mentioned when the 3 sets of series happen in relation to each other.
De Castell has at various times worked as a full-time musician, an interaction designer, teacher, project manager, fight choreographer, actor and more. Before publishing his first novel, de Castell worked at the Vancouver Film School.

Awards

Novels

YearTitleSeries
2014Traitor's BladeThe Greatcoats series
2014Knight's ShadowThe Greatcoats series
2016Saint's BloodThe Greatcoats series
2017Tyrant's ThroneThe Greatcoats series
2017SpellslingerThe Spellslinger series
2017ShadowblackThe Spellslinger series
2018CharmcasterThe Spellslinger series
2018SoulbinderThe Spellslinger series
2019QueenslayerThe Spellslinger series
2019CrownbreakerThe Spellslinger series
2021Way of the ArgosiThe Argosi series
2021The Fall of the ArgosiThe Argosi series
2023The Malevolent SevenThe Malevolent series
2023The Fate of the ArgosiThe Argosi series
2023Crucible of ChaosThe Court of Shadows series
2024Play of ShadowsThe Court of Shadows series
2025The Malevolent EightThe Malevolent series

Collections

  • Tales of the Greatcoats
  • * "Death of the Swashbuckler"
  • * "A Study In Steel"
  • * "Dance of the Chamberlain"
  • * "Grave of Thorns"
  • * "Memories of Flame"
  • * "The Assassin's Heresy"
  • * "The Wheelwright's Duel"
  • * "Duel With the Demon"
  • * "When the Sword Seems to Smile"

    Short stories

  • "Firewood"
  • The Fox and the Bowman
  • "The Kings Letters"
  • "The Dowager Magus"
  • "The Sword of Seven Tears"
  • "The Red Lily"
  • "The Obsidian Worm"
  • "Six-String Demon"
  • "Collision"
  • "Mister Farnsworth Versus the Alien Demons of Ancient Egypt"
  • "Guide to the Greatcoats"