Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell

I'm not normally a YA reader. But when I'm stood in a library with a fantasy section that I know more or less by heart, it's just common sense to go give the YA section a gander and see what's up there.

This is one of the books I ended up with.

For a while I wasn't sure I'd actually end it. I found Spellslinger a slow start for reasons I am still not completely sure about. Part of it is that while the opening conceit of our hero, Kellan, trying to cheat his way through his manhood trials because he doesn't have enough magic is an interesting one, it also reminded me heavily of Codex Alera and suffered for the comparison. Part of it is that I think De Castell didn't particularly follow up that conceit, leaving me with confused expectations.

Part of it is that I didn't really warm to a cast that seemed rather two-tone in portrayal. The bullies are more or less unredeemable; the mentor figure is morally unimpeachable and has an answer to everything. Infallible know it alls are rather irritating. The TV adaption of Sherlock is a great example of how to work with that. Spellslinger isn't.

I should note now that I haven't really read any other De Castell. I don't know what's him writing for YA and what's just him. I feel that this could be particularly relevant to this point.

Despite these little things, I found myself turning pages quicker and quicker as I got near the half way point. The core of Spellslinger is a series of mysteries and I am a sucker for a good mystery. These are very good mysteries. They tie together all the worldbuilding conceits that De Castell introduces early on, they touch interesting parts of the human condition and they are well paced. There's also the right mix of surprise and inevitability. And we even get to see a few characters show different dimensions as a result (although not as much as I'd like).

Alas, I must grumble slightly about the end. I do so knowing many will disagree with what I'm about to say. And that is - when you've just given me a really fun mystery book, I'm not really in the mood for several long and protracted fight scenes. Different tastes for different folk I guess.

All in all, Spellslinger was an enjoyable fantasy mystery. What I like are things that most will like; what I didn't are things of personal preference. The only thing I can mention again in criticism is the two tone nature, which is all the odder given how many of the book's themes attack this sort of thinking. Maybe its a foundation for the series and something that gets exploded throughout - I liked this book enough to find out.

Or maybe its a YA thing. Or maybe its a De Castell thing. Or maybe I'm wrong and stupid. Who knows? The most important thing is that Spellslinger is a good read for anyone looking for something mysterious and magical.