All Falcio ever wanted was to be a Greatcoat, the enforcer of the King's Laws and one of the best-trained fighters in the country. And for awhile, he had that dream, until a conspiracy led to the death of the king and the disbanding of the Greatcoats. Now he wanders and does odd jobs with his friends, Brasi and Kest, until the mysterious murder of their employer plunges them into yet more conspiracy and danger. 
 I admit I didn't quite know what to expect--and didn't expect much--going in, but I was absolutely hooked on this by the end of the first chapter. I've seen it described as a "high-fantasy Three Musketeers," and though I haven't read any Dumas (I know, I'm terrible), I have to agree. Castell delightfully blends humor and drama, quips and the depth of human pain, to build Falcio's character and the world in which he lives. Wonderfully paced, with stories from Falcio's past intermittently scattered throughout the main narrative just when they're needed to explain his motivations and character, but somehow never feeling like they're out of place or irritatingly interrupting the main action. 
 My husband often complains that there aren't enough admirable male leads in fantasy anymore, and I'll definitely point him at this one.