In literature, there are certain characters that stay with you from the moment you start reading about them. Sebastien De Castell’s Greatcoat series is full of them. With the release of Tyrant’s Throne on the 20th April, I’ve decided to do a character spotlight on each of the three Greatcoats, Falcio, Brasti and Kest. For those who haven’t been introduced to the series, it’s a mixture of the Three Musketeers meets Game of Thrones. There’s blood, violence, witty comments and no shortage of swashbuckling. Let’s start with the protagonist, Falcio Val Mond.
Falcio is the leader of The Greatcoats and was born in the duchy of Pertine. His life’s mission is to fulfil the wishes of his dead king and friend, Paelis. The Greatcoats were forced to disband when the Dukes rose up against the king. They have been disgraced and destroyed, seen as traitors by the people of Tristia.
Falcio’s idealism is his defining trait. No matter how dark the world is, he believes the Greatcoats can bring justice and restore peace in Tristia. He wields two rapiers and is the strategist of the three.
“Brasti turned away, but I grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him back around. “If everything he cared about died with him, then why do you keep his secret? I’ll tell you why, Brasti, it’s because you know the dream doesn’t have to be dead if we keep believing it.” – Traitor’s Blade
His drive to overcome adversity is admirable, but he’s also a deeply flawed man. To begin with, he carries a lot of bitterness about the fate of the Greatcoats and his anger is hard to control. When coming across with a new incarnation of Greatcoats, he takes offense because he believes they have tarnished what he and others have stood for.
“Any man or woman who still has a greatcoat on by the time I reach them will get my sword in their belly. Take the fucking coats off and put them in the fire.” “They did everyone of them. Etricia, still in some discomfort, was helped by another woman to get Lorenzo’s coat off. In the end, the large central firepit could barely contain them, and the flames threatened to go out from the weight of the leather. Gods, but it stank.” – Traitor’s Blade
His anger took the form of berserker rages that made his enemies and friends fearful of him. A lot of his rage comes from the murder of his wife, Aline, who was killed many years before the start of the books. He’s unable to truly let go of her and therefore can’t move forward. It wasn’t until the third book, Saint’s Blood, that Falcio started to consciously try and put Aline’s memory behind him.
On top of his bitterness, Falcio’s idealism blinds him to the reality of certain situations. He loved Paelis so dearly that he couldn’t accept his friend wasn’t always truthful with him. He also talks too much, which Brasti and Kest remind him of every chance they get.
Despite his flaws, Falcio is a valiant man who continues to fight for justice. His sense of humour is one of the best things about his personality. He has a dry wit that keeps him focused even in the bleakest of situations.
Falcio’s refusal to give up is as uplifting as it is tragic. He’s fought for so long that it’s all he knows how to do. It makes him a very human character and one of the most compelling I’ve ever read.
Be sure to check back for my character spotlights on Brasti and Kest.
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Thanks for sharing.
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