Traitor's Blade

The three Musketeers meets fantasy, an intriguing take on a classic story. The greatcoats are an ancient order of enforcers, but following the fall of the king they serve they are a disgraced and despised group despite upholding their honor. The nobles who overthrew the king have managed to tarnish their name in order to cement their own power. The ultimate story hidden in here is the battle between law and privilege, which feels like a pertinent tale today as ever. The idea that wealth and influence bring you beyond the law is one that is both uncomfortably close to the bone and important to address. Traitor's blade provides a very good critique of this.

On top of the more weighty moralizing in the story we have a wonderful group dynamic represented by the greatcoats themselves. Sebastien de Castell has produced a fantastic group of characters with some real dynamism to their relationship. This helps drive the story along with a sense of fun that never goes away.