Saint's Blood: The Greatcoats Book 3

I've read this book three times now, and I still had to cry at certain parts of the book. I really love the character developments we see and the plot that focuses on the Saints and the mysterious power of Tristia's religion. Even though, this time around, the murder mystery-part didn't make me guess anymore, I still enjoyed it. One of my favorite characters, Ethalia, finally gains the chance to shine in this book. She develops into a complex character beyond "the love interest" and I'm here for it! I love how she owns her past and how confident she is in her feminine traits while still kicking ass. It's great to read more about her. Also, Falcio's utter failure at romancing her is a constant source of entertainment for me. The fights and problems the Greatcoats run into seem progressively more hopeless and dire, but it's great to see how they stay courageous nonetheless. I do feel a little bad for Falcio literally never catching a break, though. I can only emphasize how much I love this series and how much I recommend it to anyone!

This book put me for close to a week in a shock induced paralysis :) Mr. Castell is really a master in torturing his fans. However, The Saint's Blood was an immensely enjoyable read. Where Knights Shadow spent some time shaping the characters in separated events, the third installment shows us insights of Kest, Brasti and Falcio, I feel uncomfortable having. It's the kind of thoughts, acts and words people have on their death bed, where judgement doesn't matter. Our band of heros is on the verge of breaking or already beyond it, depending on the perspective. Falcios world is in chaos, as usual. The Greatcoats are laziying around at court while Aline and Valiana try to build a stand in the political schemes, until one day a Saint walks into the court and almost dies in Falcios arms.(A bit dramatic but that's how they roll) The search for the culprit leads us back on the road, meeting more Greatcoats (yay!) and discovering more dead Saints. The reason why I enjoyed this installment more than the others is the finesse Castell put into it. On the surface we have our merry band, fighting a threat, Brasti being bravado incarnate, Kest perfecting tenacity to an artform and Falcio taking stubbornness to a whole new level. But then there are the moments where you can peer through the cracks into the canyon of pain, terror and mental exhaustion the Greatcoats are trying hard to surpress. Castell has broken the Kings Greatcoats so thoroughly, it left me crying and cursing at my ereader in the middle of the night. But at the same time it was the funniest installment in the series and I love how the author collects this tiny pieces that will (hopefully) form a reasonable Happy Ending!! What didn't work for me: I really love how the author gives a new identity and thus mends the broken souls of our Great Coats, because that's exactly what the First Cantor failed to do. But somehow it felt a bit shallow. I do understand that they want Aline on the throne because it's their Kings dauther but that's exactly it. The Kings. Them pledging their identities to someone some of them met barely a day ago, just feels like an empty gesture. It's true that all of them are literally lost, no feel of self, no purpose, no future. So it feels like they've done it just because there's nothing better to do. I don't know how else to put it. The whole renaming-rutual was off and Brasti Goodbow stays the Kings Arrow to me! And then there's Falcio, keeping his title as the Kings Heart, which didn't make any sense since Aline is his final order from the King. He's the most dedicated to the quest putting her on the throne and quite frankly loves her the most, right after her own grandmother. But we can't rename The Kings Heart because there's the Hearts Answer that would be in need of a new name too, right? Right, Valiana. I have a problem with the fact that I have a problem with her. She's supposed to be this badass character and she certainly has her moments but feels unconsistent to me or maybe I missed her great moment. I haven't payed her much attention in the last book, since she didn't seem like a character that will stay, so maybe it's me.