Magic is neither good nor evil; it is how we use it that dictates its purpose. 
 Spellslinger is a rip-roaring-humdinger of a fantasy adventure novel (Ferius' vocabulary is rubbing off on me), with likeable and despiseable characters, plenty of jeopardy, twists, turns, and best of all, squirrel cats. 
 Our protagonist, Kellen, lives in a society which values magic above all things. His Jan'Tep people are powerful, and value power and grace and strength above all things. Each Jan'Tep has 6 tattooed bands around their forearms for the 6 branches of magic - Ember, Sand, Silk, Breath, Iron, and Blood. There's also a seventh branch of shadow magic, but this is considered too dangerous and demonic. Young Jan'Teps must spark their bands in order to pass tests and become mages, and therefore accepted members of society. Those that fail to do so are destined to become Sha'Tep, who are little more than servants at best, slaves at worst. 
 Kellen comes from a vastly powerful family of mages. His mother, father, and younger sister all crackle with magical energy and have sparked many, if not all of their bands. Kellen, on the other hand... well, he's yet to spark a single band, and his time to prove himself is quickly running out. 
 So Kellen has to use his wits and his cunning to survive and avoid the unpleasant fate of becoming relegated to Sha'Tep. This aspect of the book is truly excellent. Kellen's anxiety over his fate is a huge force that propels both the plot and his actions and thoughts, and it's written so well. Castell had me rooting hard for poor Kellen, and furious that his own clan and family could so easily overlook his intelligence and his other skills. Kellen is likeable, sometimes a little pathetic, but ultimately brave. 
 Other characters in the novel are equally well rounded. Kellen meets Ferius, a wandering Argosi traveller. The Argosi are a race of people generally spurned in this world, but Ferius handles herself with such confidence and strength that she is impossible to dislike, despite the fact that she is rude, obstinate, and just plain odd. Her weapons are smirks, smoking, drinking, and a deck of steel edged cards. The cards are not just for slicing people up, though - they're also like tarot cards, and are hugely important in her culture. They feature more than once, and had me very interested. 
 The final character forming the golden trio of Spellslinger is Reichis. He's a squirrel cat - an animal believed demonic by the Jan'Tep. Although he's not quite as violent, insane, and terrifying as they believe, it's a close thing. In a society where Jan'Tep can try to attract a power animal to be their familiar, Reichis is definitively the opposite, insisting to Kellen that he is, at best, his 'business partner'. 
 It's a very weird bunch of heroes set in a very well-built world, rife with injustice and violence and magic. The story moves quickly yet manages to be very detailed in its world building, and even the secondary characters are fun and interesting (Ke'heops, Shalla, and Panahasi - I'm looking at you). The story is one that is best begun without knowing too much about the plot - it's fun to guess at what's going on at the same time as Kellen. 
 Suffice to say, Kellen is smarter than me. 
 Plus, the writing is FUNNY. Kellen is witty, Ferius is snarky, Reichis takes great pleasure in hyperbolic threats. Even in times of dire need, Castell makes sure to lighten the mood: 
 He bellowed for the other initiates to get out of the way and then launched into a spell which, if I heard it properly, had many of the same syllables as the one cooks use to keep food from spoiling. OsiaaEUR(tm)phest is a kind old man, but he isnaEUR(tm)t exactly the most powerful mage youaEUR(tm)ll ever meet. His voice was shrill and desperate, which is a bad way to start out since the high magic requires complete calm and perfect focus. 
 But on top of being funny as hell, there are also serious moments. All of our characters have their demons, some literal and some metaphorical. I'm very excited to learn more about Ferius in particular: 
 When you see the world outside your home town, outside the walls of what you were brought up to see, then you discover that you almost never know if youaEUR(tm)re doing the right thing. One action, brave and true, leads to war and destruction. Another, craven and greedy, leads to peace and prosperity. 
 At the time of writing, I have just finished the second in the series - Shadowblack. It does not disappoint. I love this mad bunch.