Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell
Published by Bonnier Zaffre Ltd.
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Action, Adventure, Epic Fantasy, Camaraderie, Cards, Coming of Age, Magic Users, Outlaw Characters, Mental Health, Various Magic
Series: Argosi Duology #1, Spellslinger #0.5
My Rating:
Published on: 15th April 2021
Pages: 400
Disability Representation: Depression, Mental Health, PTSD, Suicidal Ideation
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Ten year old Ferius Parfax has a simple plan: kill every last inhabitant of the spell-gifted nation that destroyed her people, starting with the man who murdered her parents. Killing mages is a difficult business, of course, so Ferius undertakes to study the ways of the Argosi: the loosely-knit tribe of tricksters known for getting the better of even the most powerful of spellcasters. But the Argosi have a price for their teachings, and by the time Ferius learns what it is, it may be too late.

Perfect for fans of The Dark Tower, Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

This book was provided for free by Edelweiss and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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I was super excited to get my hands on Way of the Argosi as I fell in love with Sebastien de Castell’s Spellslinger series when I read it, and Ferius was one of the highlights of that series. So when I found out that de Castell was writing a prequel dedicated to Ferius, I was very excited for more Ferius! I could not have imagined the brilliant backstory that he had in mind for her, and this book was even better than I imagined.

In the Spellslinger series, Ferius is a mysterious woman who turns up and takes a young mage on a wild adventure, introducing him to the ways of the Argosi. But long before that, she was a young girl who was introduced to the path by another Argosi, and this book is the story of how Ferius started on that path.

On GoodReads, de Castell was asked whether you need to read the Spellslinger series first, and he said that you can read either first. Personally, I’m glad I read the Spellslinger series first, as I think I would have looked at Ferius in a completely different light if I’d read Way of the Argosi first. She’s one of those characters who it’s better to meet the legend and then fill in the background. There’s also a very significant fact about her identity that we don’t find out until much later in the series, but we know from the onset of Way of the Argosi. Personally, I feel knowing that makes a huge difference to the Spellslinger series and how you, as a reader, will look at things; however, that’s just my two cents.

I always knew that Ferius would have an epic backstory; I just was not prepared for this. Everything that she goes through before she even meets Durral Brown is just so much. It also made perfect sense for her, and I know that sounds extremely vague, but this is a character who never gives up. It’s not an attitude; it’s a way of life to her, almost as if it’s coded into her genetics, and after reading this book, I can see where she got that spirit from.

It was fantastic to see her getting frustrated with Durral about wanting to learn the Argosi ways the same way Kellen did with her, and that is just one of many “easter eggs” that Spellslinger series fans will notice. I always love to read authors’ acknowledgements at the end, and I loved that de Castell confirmed the name of a squirrel cat (sadly, no, it’s not Reichis, as this is a prequel), even though I’m sure I’m not the only person who had already worked out who it was. I loved Durral in the Spellslinger series, so it was brilliant to see more of him, and him teaching a young Ferius. Their relationship is everything I expected, and wanted, and so much more.

Way of the Argosi is a brilliant start to a new duology, which stands on its own two feet while also continuing the wonder world and writing style that de Castell created in the Spellslinger series. It’s a different time, and the characters are at a different point in their life, so they’re not quite the same people we knew and loved, but it’s the same Argosi doing their thing, and it’s as chaotic and brilliant as always. I will add that I found this book to be a lot darker than the series, which, while it did have some dark times and themes, did not go where this one went. Please check the content warnings above before picking this one up.

About Sebastien de Castell

Sebastien de Castell’s acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats was shortlisted for both the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy and the Gemmell Morningstar Award. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, is published in more than a dozen languages. He spends his time writing, travelling, and going on strange adventures.

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Thank you for reading my book review for Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell, the first book in the Argosi Duology, and the prequel to the Spellslinger series. If you’ve not yet read the Spellslinger series, I highly recommend it, as you are missing out on some seriously fun shenanigans (usually caused by a squirrel cat).

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!

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