The King's Blood (The Dagger and the Coin, #2) by Daniel Abraham

May 03, 2012 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012_release_read, genre-fantasy, read_2012, review_fbc, top_25_2012_novels

As I may not be able to do a full FBC rv close to the US publication date, I will try to have a longer "raw thoughts" review here.

The book is secondary world fantasy at its best and in addition it has a writing style quite above the usual "utility English" of the genre; maybe not quite at (the top of) literary fiction levels (see Hari Kunzru's Gods without Men for recent such), but close, while pretty much all the things that I would mark as negatives come from the nature of the genre rather tha...more As I may not be able to do a full FBC rv close to the US publication date, I will try to have a longer "raw thoughts" review here.

The book is secondary world fantasy at its best and in addition it has a writing style quite above the usual "utility English" of the genre; maybe not quite at (the top of) literary fiction levels (see Hari Kunzru's Gods without Men for recent such), but close, while pretty much all the things that I would mark as negatives come from the nature of the genre rather than from the author.

I would try to avoid spoilers so I will talk only a little about the storyline, just to mention that it is a direct continuation of The Dragon's Path and a lot of things happen by the end of the novel (at a good stopping point with no cliffhangers but not much global resolution beyond tbc either - in this sense the first two volumes of the intended 5 book series are truly volume 1/2 of a huge novel)

The structure is similar with Dragon's Path and features POV chapters from Cithrin, Dawson, Clara, Geder and Marcus with interludes from Master Kit. As mentioned lots of things happen including intrigues, conspiracies, wars, pirates, deaths of named characters, while the world is expanded to some extent and the roles of the 13 races are made a little bit clearer here, though again mostly regular humans aka "firstbloods" are of importance (and Cithrin of course who is half-blood Cinnae but much closer to her firstblood half by upbringing)

There is an appendix written from the pov of a scholar of one the "superior bloods' (of course he would claim that...) and discussing the 13 races, while many secondary characters - some new, some old and some who may become important later appear and some have really great moments

The pages turn by themselves and I literally could not put the book down and read it in one very long sitting, but i expect to revisit the world and probably reread Dragon Path too soon.

I put 2 paragraphs below in spoiler tags as they discuss my expectations about some characters in future volumes - this implies said characters will be part of future volumes (though I would say that is not a surprise from the way the series is structured); other than that (showing that these characters survive), no real spoilers, but still read this at your choice

(view spoiler)

As for negatives - as mentioned mostly due to genre - the book like most sff is about politics and the organization of society and like most fantasy it is a retrograde such where "what is your blood" counts more than anything else outside of specific commercial cities - true that say Geder who is minor nobility raises himself with luck and a strong dose of magic, but he is still noble - nobility and blood with the role of women very traditional in the "high society" - again the lower and commercial classes are different but over 60% of the book is about the nobility, a bit smaller world building than expected and occasionally feeling like a sandbox - but ultimately the novel captivated me again and showed that great writing and characters and a reasonably well thought secondary world (with the caveats above) still can keep me interested in traditional fantasy despite my feeling of "exhausting the genre" in the last 4 years.

A few more thoughts - the book also has an elegant rather than visceral feel and consequently the more emotional moments are still cerebral to a large extent rather than pure emotion and the action flows naturally rather than twisting and turning - here I tend to prefer the more visceral feel and the twists and turns with "what..?" moments, but as that is a pure personal preference, I would not count it against the book especially that it executes so well in these two categories (elegant style, natural story lines)

All in all King's Blood was the first 2012 fantasy that satisfied my expectations and of course it will have a place on my top 25 list of the year and i hope the series will continue to keep this extremely high standards all the way - i also believe that there is scope and depth for 5 books though I expect considerably more universe expansion(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Molybdenum rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

In many good series, often we see the first book is needed to set up the characters and the world, and the second book this foundation can be used to really have them develop and interact. What happens is the events of the novels start to take their toll on the characters, and all the fluff they build around themselves is pulled away.

This is what happens in The King's Blood. The Dragon's Path introduced us to young protege banker, awkward minor nobleman scholar who happens to fall into power, st...more In many good series, often we see the first book is needed to set up the characters and the world, and the second book this foundation can be used to really have them develop and interact. What happens is the events of the novels start to take their toll on the characters, and all the fluff they build around themselves is pulled away.

This is what happens in The King's Blood. The Dragon's Path introduced us to young protege banker, awkward minor nobleman scholar who happens to fall into power, stuffy nobleman and wife, and former army captain with tortured path. The characters were carved out for us in great detail and the story was introduced. But in this second book, the events cause the labels to be thrown away, and we see who each of them really are.

And at it's heart, the Dagger and the Coin series is primarily a character study. So as a result what keeps the reader turning the page is not "What is going to happen next?," but rather "How is this event going to affect the character(s)?" The characters leave the comfy confines of race and standing and are instead caused to face a decision that gets to the heart of who they are: Fight or flight? And I think they'd be surprised themselves at which each of them choose.

One interesting thing about the book is the magic system is only used by the villians (with one exception), and is inherently one that is underestimated. So the reader can see trouble coming before the characters, which builds the anticipation for how the characters are going to react when that storm comes. Related to this, often events are shown from one characters POV that will have a major impact on other characters, so there is anticipation on how the characters are going to react in that sense as well, and this is what provides most of the book's suspense.

The King's Blood is character building at its finest. The characters are all flawed yet sympathetic in various degrees, so they are all real yet still cause the reader to attach emotionally. For anyone who loves characters, and interactions, and how major events can refine and develop a personality, you are going to absolutely love this book.(less)

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Sep 22, 2012 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There’s no denying Daniel Abraham’s versatility. He has been successful in writing epic fantasies, space operas, urban fantasies, and most recently, graphic novels, with an adaptation of GRRM’s Game of Thrones.

The King’s Blood is Daniel Abraham’s second novel in The Dagger and the Coin series. The appropriately titled series tells of various factions competing for power by shrewd monetary deals and ruthless swordplay. Cithrin is an ambitious young banker who has her eyes set on establishing her...more There’s no denying Daniel Abraham’s versatility. He has been successful in writing epic fantasies, space operas, urban fantasies, and most recently, graphic novels, with an adaptation of GRRM’s Game of Thrones.

The King’s Blood is Daniel Abraham’s second novel in The Dagger and the Coin series. The appropriately titled series tells of various factions competing for power by shrewd monetary deals and ruthless swordplay. Cithrin is an ambitious young banker who has her eyes set on establishing her own bank. As she travels north, she unknowingly sets herself on a path with Geder, the puppet king of a cunning priest. Geder is clueless to the priest’s intentions and heeds his advice with rote obedience.

Dawson is aware of the priest’s hold on Geder and plans a coup. Meanwhile his wife, Clara, maintains their social rank by building relationships with others of the court. Finally we have Marcus, Cithrin’s trusted bodyguard, who desires to travel north to protect her from danger only to find himself in his own set of troubles.

There’s no denying that Abraham is a good writer and this series exemplifies it well. The world building is vast, yet the story moves at a quick pace, keeping the reader glued to the always-changing events. Dawson, who was somewhat of a dull character in the first novel, becomes one of the highlights of the second novel as his discerning eye sees through the priests intentions and he devises a plan to kill the king.

Geder remains complex. He is a scholar of the written word, but appears foolish by worldly standards. He is emotionally unstable and is prone to violent outbursts, but in quiet solitude, he has a forgiving spirit. His interactions with the priest leave the reader wondering if he is over-trusting, clueless, or really just uncaring for others.

The best part of Abraham’s writing is balance. It’s not pretentious, nor does it dwell on details. His writing is able to provide a descriptive setting, good dialog, and an appropriate depth of character. The chapters are short and there is never a point where I feel that the novel drags.

The novel is far from perfect, however. First of all, one cannot help but notice the strong likeness to Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Like Martin, each chapter is titled with the point of view character’s name. Each character has a unique plot, none of which are either good or evil. There are elements of magic, but the use of it is slight. The stories take place in a fictional locale, but the culture resembles medieval Europe. The books appendices provide character descriptions. I’m not saying that the formula is bad, but it is hard not to draw comparisons and Abraham’s novel does not achieve the same epic scale as Martin’s massive novels.

I was also disappointed in Cithrin’s character arc in this novel. The first novel was a coming of age story for her as she bravely endeavored into banking by making illicit deals. In The King’s Blood, her ambition remains the same, but she purposefully side tracks herself by helping Geder for unknown reasons. I see Cithrin as a woman of power, which she demonstrates by assisting the king, but she is also a woman of purpose. This was forsaken for the second half of the novel.

In any case, reading The King’s Blood is an enjoyable experience and for those looking for an epic fantasy in the style of George R. R. Martin, you will find yourself at home here. There is plenty of adventure and character depth to hold the reader’s interest on many levels. I wait with anticipation for the next book in the series.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Neil Pearson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed the first book and the sequel continues to establish this series as "one to watch". Picking up pretty much from where the previous book ended, the sequel sees the various characters' stories develop and overlap in ways I wasn't expecting. The overall story also continues with some fairly large developments occurring over the space of the book.
I have to say it's been quite a while since I have raced through a book so quickly. Granted, I had 12 hours of travelling over the space o...more I really enjoyed the first book and the sequel continues to establish this series as "one to watch". Picking up pretty much from where the previous book ended, the sequel sees the various characters' stories develop and overlap in ways I wasn't expecting. The overall story also continues with some fairly large developments occurring over the space of the book.
I have to say it's been quite a while since I have raced through a book so quickly. Granted, I had 12 hours of travelling over the space of a week but I found myself wanting to read throughout the trip (and at any other opportunity). Why is it such a page turner? I'd say it's mostly due to the characters. Each one has a unique voice/perspective and I can't think of any other author who can capture the voices of different aged characters as well as Abraham does (something he handled over the course of "the long price" but here they are all mixed together. He also brings to bear a lot about his world's society via his characters Cithrin gives us an insight into the economics, Clara the social politics, Dawson the machinations of rulers and the aristocracy. That said the most fascinating character continues to be that of Geder, a bitter coward and puppet who is given far too much power and wields it badly. Geder continues to commit atrocities that would almost make him a cartoon villain if not for reading his point-of-view in which his actions, while monstrous, are still understandable. Geder is definitely on the path to becoming a classic fantasy "villain".
Some characters don't get to do a great deal in this book, such as Marcus, although his chapters are still interesting. The book's final half has some great developments and Daniel manages to have all the final chapters for each character have an ending that causes you to want the next installment in your hands right away - Clara's ending being the stand-out.
I should also note that a criticism I had of the first book was an inability to distinguish all the races in the series. Despite having an appendix describing the races in this installment I actually never had to use it as Daniel does an excellent job of distinguishing the races within the text without making it feel like obtrusive description.
My only critism is that the kindle edition I have contained lots of weird mistakes such as hyphenating separate words or joining two words together. I'm sure this is a transcription error but it does interrupt the flow in places which is a shame when the writing is so good.

Considering second installments are often the "weak links" in fantasy series, this leaves me with very high expectations for the remainder of the proposed 5 part series. For anyone who wants an epic fantasy where the world is explored from multiple angles in terms of character ages/genders and segments of society - this series is a definite must.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Jacqie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's four and a half stars, really. I'm really enjoying this series so far and want to see what happens next.

SPOILERS FOLLOW*****************************************************

The Good:

It's kind of refreshing to read a book that wasn't.... dark. This is not a perfect world by any means, but it also has beauty, characters who have both positive and negative qualities, and a sense of possibility. I like dark fantasy too, but it seems like lately everything is so grim.

I don't know if this was done...more It's four and a half stars, really. I'm really enjoying this series so far and want to see what happens next.

SPOILERS FOLLOW*****************************************************

The Good:

It's kind of refreshing to read a book that wasn't.... dark. This is not a perfect world by any means, but it also has beauty, characters who have both positive and negative qualities, and a sense of possibility. I like dark fantasy too, but it seems like lately everything is so grim.

I don't know if this was done purposely, but we essentially have a reframing of the Ned Stark and Catelyn Stark characters. Dawson is authoritarian and believes in birth as destiny, but he also has strength of character and a gallantry about him. Clara works in the world of the court, building relationships and making alliances. She's much smarter about diplomacy than Catelyn, in my opinion. In the end, she finds that she's alone. I'm very curious to see what she does next.

Geder is a very interesting take on the anti-hero. He's kind of clueless, and I suppose that and fear of ridicule are his biggest flaws. But he's also capable of affection and seems to be genuinely trying to enact the regent role, at least so far.

Marcus may have had the least interesting arc in this book. He keeps on thinking about rescuing the girl, but never actually does. It's kind of amusing.

Cithrin is a great character. I'd love to see more female characters written like this. She's practical, brave, smart, and ambitious. The only issue I had with her:

The Bad:

Cithrin does something that makes absolutely no sense except that in terms of plot it had to happen. This is largely responsible for the book not being 5 stars for me. Cithrin rescues Geder in the coup about halfway through the book. She shelters him for about two weeks, bringing him food, hiding him, encouraging him. After the coup fails, though, she returns him to his place and expects nothing in return. Why would this hard-headed merchant behave this way? I can kind of see why Cithrin would want to help him- she might be reminded of her own flight from Vanai. But then to ask nothing in return? Geder offers the installation of a branch of the bank, but that' his idea, not hers. And by that time she had good reason to see why getting away from Geder is a very good idea. But again- even if Cithrin wanted to help him, why not see some gain from it? And I can't believe she'd buy Geder's story about not being responsible for Vanai.

I'm not sure that the thirteen races add anything to this story. There are all sorts of ways to play with race, but I guess I'm not seeing any of the expected ways here. There's a brief mention of derogatory nicknames, but everyone seems to treat everyone else pretty much the same, whether they've got the head of a human, a dog, an insect, or an orc. It makes the world seem kind of Disney-esque: you know, talking animals that act just like people without any cultural differences that matter. I'd like to see more about unique cultures here, I guess. It seems strange that so many different sorts of creatures in this Early-Modern world are so lackadaisical about their differences. No nationalism? No inter-species war? Heck, we can't even manage those feats in this world with only one intelligent tool-building race. It makes the psychology of the characters feel somewhat lacking. Maybe the author didn't want to re-tread well worn racism tropes. It just rings a bit strangely to me.

Anyway, to end, I really am enjoying the series. Multiple viewpoints, but not too many, if you know what I mean. I'm really not sure quite what's going to happen, and I'm looking forward to finding out.(less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went back to the first few chapters of the first book, and I can now say: Abraham is an author who loves setting his toys up early. (I don't even mean the prologue with "the apostate" and its ominous prologuing. No, look at the book Geder is translating when we first meet him in _The Dragon's Path_, and what it says about the Timzinae. Too, the business of "cutting thumbs" turns into a riff every bit as nice as GRRMartin's offhand comment about messenger ravens.)

This book continues with our fo...more I went back to the first few chapters of the first book, and I can now say: Abraham is an author who loves setting his toys up early. (I don't even mean the prologue with "the apostate" and its ominous prologuing. No, look at the book Geder is translating when we first meet him in _The Dragon's Path_, and what it says about the Timzinae. Too, the business of "cutting thumbs" turns into a riff every bit as nice as GRRMartin's offhand comment about messenger ravens.)

This book continues with our four protagonists: Marcus (old soldier), Cithrin (young banker), Geder Palliako (shy, bookish sociopath), and Lord Dawson (aristocratic patriot and jerk). With Master Kit (apostate) as an occasional look-in. Life in the Empire is going to hell in a hurry; we follow this trend from the various viewpoints. Each of the story arcs progresses nicely or surprisingly, and some (though not all) of them intersect in various ways.

The interesting question to discuss here is: what game is the author playing? Several games, of course, starting with "write a bunch of engaging lines and exciting scenes that will carry the reader along." But beyond that?

In the large, we seem to have a developing argument for why the spider goddess and her priests are bad news. The first book's prologue tagged that with a big "looky here", and set forth executioners with poisoned swords, followed in short order by creepy mind-influencing powers and an apparent yen for world domination. This book, if I may be a *bit* spoily, continues on interesting lines: the spider priests, obsessed with truth and conviction, are *inherently* biased towards fanaticism -- both in themselves and in others. Furthermore, they are biased *against* the written word (since they can only detect *spoken* lies). I think this is building to a full-on collision with modernity -- personal, face-to-face power is unable to encompass the world of written law, written history, written contract and commerce. It is no wonder that the counter-thread in this series concerns a *bank*.

Beyond *that*, we clearly have the business of unreliable history and subjective viewpoints. The characters in this book see common events (and each other), and interpret them differently, over and over. But -- the narrative's lading varies, and here's where I become unsure.

Marcus and Cithrin are straight-up protagonists. Both make mistakes and neither is a paragon -- we learn more about Marcus's nasty past in this book, and Cithrin, as people repeatedly point out, is a fraud and an extortionist. But they are nowhere near the line that makes an antihero. (Does anybody see Cithrin as anything *other* than triumphantly resourceful at the end of book one?) Their chapters show us their viewpoints, some of which turn out to be false views, and this is fine; this is the game of subjectivity and tight-third-person.

Then we have Dawson, who can be admirable by parts, until he (or his tight-third-person) reminds the reader that he's a racist, sexist, class-mired ass who has barely been kept civilized by a lifetime of pressure from his way-smarter-than-him wife. (Clara, you may be interested to know, is promoted to first-class POV by the end of this book.) And *then* we have Geder, who is continuously awful; *his* tight-third is a litany of "yes, dear reader, this man is a goddamn idiot".

But that isn't the same game, is it? If Abraham is trying to garner our sympathy for Geder, he's been failing dismally since That Scene In Book 1, and I don't know why he's still trying. Geder's POV is clear but it's *wrong*, all the time. No subjectivity in that, see? I think the *closest* we get to a sympathetic moment is when Geder lies to a woman so that she'll like him more.

And then we have the spider priests, who are unequivocally creepy, all the time. Even when seen from Geder's POV. *He* trusts them, but the narrative can't manage to.

If the point is to riff on the uncertainty of history, I don't know where all of this is going. Geder isn't going to turn out to be secretly a good guy, and the spider goddess isn't going to turn out to be benevolent. (If I have to come back and eat those words after book 3, I'll be *really impressed*, mind you.) If the point is to see people's mistakes from the inside, Abraham is running about 2.5 out of 4.

I *suppose* Geder might turn out to be *capable of learning*. Honestly that's the only motive I can imagine for his storyline at this point.

Anyhow. That's a boatload of analysis for a book that I blasted through on the basis of good dialogue and exciting scenes. Will keep reading series.
(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Zappster rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

I'm highly biased but I thought this book was fantastic. Epic fantasy with the fat (and the excesses of the genre) trimmed. Some people wanted more time and development spent on key scenes. While I understand the complaints, I still call those people mad! Mad, I tell you! So many other epic fantasies fall into that trap *cough* GRRM *cough* Sanderson *cough* I don't need to have every journey described in painstaking detail, with the plot subsequently crawling along. I think I mentioned as much...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spec-fic

C2012: The wait for this book was quite long and I had managed to forget a lot of the sub-plots and characters. There is no synopsis of “what came before” and I didn’t feel like looking it up on the ‘net to recap. So, it took a while for it to start making sense again. Even the recaps sometimes mentioned in the narrative did not startle enough attention from the grey cells to be able to understand all the plotting. Thank Heavens that there is a Dramatis Personae and a brief introduction (but at...more C2012: The wait for this book was quite long and I had managed to forget a lot of the sub-plots and characters. There is no synopsis of “what came before” and I didn’t feel like looking it up on the ‘net to recap. So, it took a while for it to start making sense again. Even the recaps sometimes mentioned in the narrative did not startle enough attention from the grey cells to be able to understand all the plotting. Thank Heavens that there is a Dramatis Personae and a brief introduction (but at the back of the book) to the various races created by the dragons. Mr Abraham seems a little fixated on face mobility in this book: “eyebrows bolt toward her hairline” P61; “eyebrows had to rise up to meet her hairline” P29, “hoisted her eyebrows” P155 and “eyebrows crawling up his forehead” P429 etc. The plots for the third book have been set up and I am considering whether or not to copy the synopsis into these comments as somehow I am sure that I am not going to be able to remember all the subtleties. This is still a great read but I wish that I had either re-read the first book before reading this one or just had some patience and waited until the whole trilogy or whatever had been published. Information “out there”, is that there are 5 books planned...and there is no way that I can wait that long so I hope the publishers/author get enough feedback to put some sort of plot summary at the beginning of the book. Don’t make the border line readers balk at the starting post. There are about 6 POVs which help to explore the world and the plots in play. There is no blurb on the cover about this book with the printed praise all referring to the first book, “The Dragon’s Path”. FWFTB: protector, war, bank, apostate, doomed. FCN: Geder Palliako, Cithrin bel Sarcour, Dawson Kalliam, Clara Kalliam (a nice strong female POV and not your normal starry eyed teenager – in fact – nowhere near a teenager – great character building in this particular book), Marcus Wester. “Wars are easier to start than end, and where they take you is rarely where you intended to go.”(less)

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May 26, 2012 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: Daniel Abraham’s debut series had a lot of readers and critics praising his original premise and that did get fans excited for his next series which was a move back to the favored pseudo-European setting. This series was also going to be an amalgam of some classic literature as well as genre favorites. The first book in the series really gave the readers a nice look into the world created by the author wherein dragons ruled a long time ago...more
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: Daniel Abraham’s debut series had a lot of readers and critics praising his original premise and that did get fans excited for his next series which was a move back to the favored pseudo-European setting. This series was also going to be an amalgam of some classic literature as well as genre favorites. The first book in the series really gave the readers a nice look into the world created by the author wherein dragons ruled a long time ago and created the thirteen races. The main characters were introduced and enough intrigue was created.

With the King’s Blood, we are once again swept in to the world of the Dragons. Cithrin has been successful with her moves and in setting up a front for the Medean bank in costal city of Porte Olivia what she didn’t bargain for, are the chains the bank would set on her in the form of a clerk who cross-checks her each and every move. Geder Palliako never thought his star would ever rise so high but as the royal regent he now holds the most powerful court position and enjoys a good comfort level with his ward prince Aster. He however does not know that his ascent has only begun and further events will propel him into the limelight unsuited for him. Dawson and Clara Killiam are further faced with trials as they weave familial and political situations and try to do the right thing. Lastly there’s Master Kit who remembers his past life and decides that the time has come for him to step back in his earlier life and accomplish what he first set out to do.

Thus begins the second chronicle of the Dagger and the Coin, the author has raised the stakes in this book by further evolving the characters from the roles that they were assigned or deemed to follow. Characterization has always been Daniel Abraham’s forte and he absolutely shines in this book as well. Geder, Cithrin, Dawson, Clara and Marcus are all rounded individuals however the author completely immerses the reader in their thoughts and actions and fleshes them out to such an extent that it becomes harder to differentiate between their good and bad sides. Particularly Geder and Dawson, these two characters are ones whose actions can particularly viewed in a horrific light however the author manages to make the reader connect with them and particularly create doubt in the reader’s minds.

This book’s theme is about the folly of certainty and the actions based on it. There are a few lines in the book that highlight it well:
“Truth and lies, doubt and certainty. I haven’t found them to be what I thought they were. I dislike certainty because it feels like the truth, but it isn’t. If justice is based on certainty, but certainty is not the truth, atrocities become possible. We’re seeing the first of them now. More will come”.

The author very conveniently plays with this theme and it is largely prevalent in the lives of Geder and Dawson, both of whom have the most upheavals in this book. Cithrin and Marcus however are not entirely exempt from this but their journey is more of an introspective one that makes them realize what they wish to do with their lives from this point forward. The POV count is also kept the same however the next book might see the introduction of a new character or two. In this regard the author has learnt a thing or two from his mentor and friend George R.R. Martin, namely the pitfalls in introducing more and more POV characters thereby complicating the story threads. The author keeps a tight rein on the storyline and keeps it focused with the help of the limited number of POVs.

Lastly the pacing of this book is much smoother than the first one and also with the addition of the taxonomy of the races, the classification seem to help the readers in understanding the differences in the races prevalent. The only negative for me in this book would be that this book lacks the EPIC feel that this series is supposed to be about, as right now it’s more focused on the action of the few that will lead to repercussions for the many. Perhaps the author intends to change this in the last three books but I would like the epic part of the story to begin as well so we can truly get to see this story come alive and discover more about the dragons and other mysteries of this world. The magic as well as the world setting if further explored will add to awesomeness of the series. (less)

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May 21, 2012 Marleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

That rating should really be 4.5 but I'm perfectly happy to round the number up for this book.

Troubled times lay ahead in the Kingdoms.
In Anthea, Geder Pallaiko, protector of the crown prince is elevated to regent when the king dies.
From noble but lowly beginnings, Pallaiko wasn’t raised to be a ruler, and finds himself in his elevated role almost by accident. Relying heavily on Basrahip, High Priest of the Spider Goddess and able to both tell truth from lie and to influence people’s actions, t...more That rating should really be 4.5 but I'm perfectly happy to round the number up for this book.

Troubled times lay ahead in the Kingdoms.
In Anthea, Geder Pallaiko, protector of the crown prince is elevated to regent when the king dies.
From noble but lowly beginnings, Pallaiko wasn’t raised to be a ruler, and finds himself in his elevated role almost by accident. Relying heavily on Basrahip, High Priest of the Spider Goddess and able to both tell truth from lie and to influence people’s actions, the Regent finds himself on a path to war while allowing petty grievances from the past to influence his present decisions.
Also in Anthea, Dawson Kalliam, a Baron, loses a close childhood friend when the old king dies. Unimpressed by Pallaiko and suspicious of the influence the High Priest has over the Regent, Dawson is looking for ways to save Anthea for Aster, the crown prince. When he’s promoted to the head of Anthea’s army when the country goes to war he has no choice but to follow orders. But will a war fought for a regent he doesn’t believe him change his mind about man?
Cithrin bel Sarcour finds herself deeply frustrated. After having saved a branch of the Medean Bank from destruction and rebuilding it in a new location, she now finds herself supervised by a rigid and unimaginative actuary. Rumours about an upcoming war give Cithrin an opportunity to spread her wings and advance her position.
Captain Marcus Wester, former king-killer and present day protector of and enforcer for Cithrin is in the unusual position where he’s not in the middle of a violent conflict. Still haunted by past nightmares he has dedicated his life to protecting the young banker. But when Cithrin goes away without him and his friend betrays him, he finds himself recruited to a quest he doesn’t really believe in.
Master Kit, former apostate of the Spider Goddess can feel the danger the world is in and abandons his acting troupe to go on a quest to kill a Goddess and save the world from a desperate fate. A quest he isn’t sure he can complete or survive.
All are people caught up in events they can’t really control, brought on by a past too ancient to be remembered. They stand on the brink of an age of madness and death and seem too weak and divided to prevent disaster.
This is turning into a fascinating and powerful fantasy saga. Building on the events in “The Dragon’s Path”, the story slowly and almost imperceptively moves towards darkness, death and destruction. And while the reader, with inside into all parts of the story, can see the danger with ever greater clarity, the characters in the story, with one exception, have no idea what is lying ahead of them or the depth of the danger they are facing.
Daniel Abraham has done a wonderful job building a world the reader can easily believe in. While the thirteen races described in the book are mostly completely unlike any we know in our own world, the separation and discrimination between them is all too familiar.
And that is what makes this series of books so interesting.
This is not an action packed story. It is a tale of intrigue, politics, undercurrents and subterfuge. It is a fascinating read because, although the setting and characters are completely fictional and firmly set in a fantasy world, the ideas behind the story are real and easy to translate into the world we know so well. Both are worlds in which money and political games rule. Both are worlds in which the right thing to do isn’t always clear or possible to achieve.
There are hardly any clear-cut black or white characters in this book. Everyone acts first and foremost in their own best interest, with the concerns of and for others coming second at best. And while this could, in the hands of a lesser author, have resulted in a book filled with uninspiring characters, Abrahams has succeeded in delivering a novel filled with realistic people who the reader will end up caring about. It is impossible not to hope that even those characters who are making all the wrong decisions will come to their senses before it is too late.
This is the second book in a series, and while it can easily be read without reading the prequel first, I would advise anyone tempted to try this book to start with “The Dragon’s Path”. Reading the books in the order in which they were published will, without a doubt, increase the reading enjoyment experienced.
This is a great read, and my only regret is that it will probably be another year before I can get my hands on the next instalment.
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May 16, 2012 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fantasy

Two books in to this series and I'm still not sure about it - this is not a totally positive sign. I'm finding it hard to put a finger on what I don't like, as many of the parts are appealing. Maybe it's a bit of disappointment that I'm not loving this like the totally brilliant Long Price Quartet. Maybe it's because it's a more traditional medievalish universe - yes, there's a bank and merchants involved, but the overwhelming tone is knights and castles. The different races of men and the long...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Jon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Considering how many positive reviews this book has I wonder if we read the same thing. Anyway.

First of all the book is not bad. It could be worse. The story is not bad either. It lacks originality, lacks surprise, but the same could be said for the first one, so not that I expected any of these here. What makes this book bad is the writing style and the badly, horribly created characters. And plot holes. There were moments when I was holding my kindle and shouting at it: "WHERE DID THAT COME FR...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Oracleofdoom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off, I absolutely love the fact that there are only five POV characters in this book. I'm really tired of the trend in fantasy to bloat the books with dozens of perspectives that honestly, most people don't care about. Yes, I'm looking at George R.R. Martin. He really should pay closer attention to Daniel Abraham. He knows how to tell a story, a good story, as opposed to a series of horrific and shocking events.

This is the sequel to The Dragon's Path, and it is really not meant to be read...more First off, I absolutely love the fact that there are only five POV characters in this book. I'm really tired of the trend in fantasy to bloat the books with dozens of perspectives that honestly, most people don't care about. Yes, I'm looking at George R.R. Martin. He really should pay closer attention to Daniel Abraham. He knows how to tell a story, a good story, as opposed to a series of horrific and shocking events.

This is the sequel to The Dragon's Path, and it is really not meant to be read on its own. It does not waste time catching me up to speed on the events of the previous book, which I greatly appreciated. Since a little bit of time has gone by, I did notice the first few chapters did briefly reiterate each character's defining personality traits.

Now, I'm going to talk about the actual book, so if you don't want to be SPOILED, stop reading here.

I initially disliked Dawson intensely. He does not experience any real change in outlook, although his wife does a good job mitigating some of his prejudices. Yet, I found what happened with him in the book incredibly tragic. I was sorry to see him die, although it was fully expected, but it still hurt to read. Clara, I generally like. There was only one thing I disliked about her, but overall, I like her and just felt incredibly sad for her.

Geder is an incredibly frightening person. He is incredibly complex and incredibly believable. If he were living today in the modern world, I really think he's exactly the sort of person who would bring a gun to school and kill as many people as possible. He's bookish and awkward, occasionally sympathetic. But he lacks empathy, and seems to see the world as a strategy game. Which means that people's lives have very little value to him. He's the sort of person who is the object of ridicule, and he is vengeful toward every perceived slight against him. I knew someone once who said he fantasized about transforming into his D&D character and frying everyone with lightning who was ever cruel to him. This is Geder. Except it's now within his power to punish anyone who has slighted him. And this makes him terrifying.

Geder is also the sort of person who will become obsessed with a woman who shows him a moment of kindness. I also believe he's the stereotypical "Nice Guy," as in, he isn't nice, but he perceives himself to be, and he believes therefore that this entitles him to a woman's affections and will become extremely hostile and abusive when rejected. I suppose the next book will show if I'm right, with how he deals with Cithrin's avoidance.

I really wouldn't have expected Cithrin to be attracted to him. The circumstances that put her with him, though, were extenuating and I did believe it. And afterward, all I could think was, "Run. Run NOW." But she has good instincts. Afterward, if not before.

Out of the whole story, I found Marcus Wester the least interesting, since it was in this book that he was really trying to find a purpose. By the end of the book, he has finally found one. I admit, though, I am eager to see a reunion between him and Cithrin. Hopefully that will manage to happen.

I can't wait for the next book. And unlike some authors, I trust it won't take 10 years for Mr. Abraham to write it!(less)

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May 21, 2012 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-male, high-fantasy, read-2012, rated-4-star

The first book of this series got mixed reviews in my circle. A lot of people saw some cliches, a simpler story than they expected, and strange world building that left a lot of questions. I was one of the people who loved it anyway, and hoped beyond hope that some of the minor quibbles would be taken care of over the course of the series.

Hopefully the people who had some quibbles but liked parts of Dragon's Path read this, because it shows where the series is heading, and that is no where but u...more The first book of this series got mixed reviews in my circle. A lot of people saw some cliches, a simpler story than they expected, and strange world building that left a lot of questions. I was one of the people who loved it anyway, and hoped beyond hope that some of the minor quibbles would be taken care of over the course of the series.

Hopefully the people who had some quibbles but liked parts of Dragon's Path read this, because it shows where the series is heading, and that is no where but up.

It is clear that Abraham wanted to borrow old tropes and rather than subvert them, twist them back to freshness. In my opinion, he is succeeding. Case in point is Geder. In the first book we saw what could have easily have been the low ranking soldier who is not quite what he seems. Instead we learn that he is EXACTLY what he seems, the good and the bad. It isn't a spoiler to anyone who read the first book that we may be getting one of the greatest villains to take the page, and his path is even more interesting the second time.

I love the depth that the author is getting in short books. Abraham is truly managing to keep the pace and avoid the bloat that holds up other series. By keeping it to only six PoV's, we can get plenty out of each, while still keeping a brisk pace.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find a new PoV, that of Clara. She had a part in book one, as a dutiful wife who may have been the most confidant character of the book. In this book we see how she responds to her whole world being torn apart, and we have glimpses that she may turn into a pivotal character.

Flaws in the book? Sure, being book two of a planned series means that there are all the annoying loose ends to drive you nuts. Not a bad thing, but I have always liked books within a series that still ties up some plot lines. Also, the "coin" angle of the Dagger and Coin took a complete back seat, and really was almost non-existent.

All said, I say read this series. I think it has the potential to stay one of the best(and Abraham's track record with Long Price backs it up).

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Oct 05, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-reviews

I'm really loving the Dagger and Coin series. This book was every bit as good as the first one. I like that the series (as of now) is slated to be a quintet, and this book doesn't drag along like middle books often can.

One thing I noticed is that I actually care about all the different character perspectives in the book - in other books that follow a similar plot layout (where each chapter title is the name of the character that you are following in that chapter), I find myself skipping the "bo...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Kara Prem rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book 2 in the Dagger and the Coin series picks up just about where book one ends. There is an interesting overlap of characters that I didn't expect, additionally, a surprise reveal at least to me - the identity of the escaped apostate from book one. I really didn't think we'd ever hear about him again.

Clara's path really changed in this novel, and I've come to be very interested in seeing where her character goes next - she's becoming a much stronger woman than she ever was while just the wife...more

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May 18, 2012 Neil McGarry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **Here be spoilers. Read accordingly.**

Let me say at the start that I really wanted to like this The King's Blood, and the series of which it is the second part, The Dagger and the Coin. I like Abraham's focus on characters, something you don't see very much in fantasy, and his willingness to alter the story in interesting ways. In The Dragon's Path, for example, I loved when Cithrin stops trying to be an adventurer and starts acting like a banker. That's the work of an author who's thinking abo...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Raja rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

I liked it, but not quite as much as its predecessor. Abraham's prose and plotting are actually TOO perfect for my taste. The first book had the advantage of presenting a new setting, but now that we've all got our heads around the place, none of the developments really felt unexpected. I did see a few of them coming, but not so many that I would call the story predictable. It's more that almost none of the plot developments actually surprise the reader -- generally you can see a couple of poten...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Burgoo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

“The King’s Blood” picks up more or less where we left “The Dragon’s Path”. The writing style & major POV characters remain the same.
Abraham does a great job with the moral ambiguity of some of these characters. Because portions are presented from their POV, characters whose actions (& at times motivations) are repugnant become somewhat sympathetic. I found myself liking the characters even while they did horrible things.
My major complaint is that this book is not enough of a stand alone...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle

These books are ok, not great just ok. I'm finding I like the story of the bankers much more than the supernatural story of the "spider cult". It has taking such a long time for the story to develop and I guess I'm just not getting into it as much as I'd like to. However, saying that it is interesting that the "big bad" in the story is subtly moving and taking over. I do think that the author is trying to make a point as to what can happen if you don't keep your eyes open to evil in the world. S...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Aloysius rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 20, 2012 Terry Simpson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It has taken me a while to write this review and mull over this book in my head. Again to me, it's a 3.5 but with Goodreads' ratings, I'll give a 4.

In ways, it's better than the first book. In others, it isn't. There's certainly more action. You do get a better feel for the races and what they look like. You have a better grasp of the world on a whole and the different factions.

Character wise, give me Dawson, Marcus, Geder and Cithrin, and away we go. Any other POVs were irrelevant to me. Dawson...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Rick Gingrich rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book, while still engaging wasn't quite as interesting as the first in the series. A lot of time is spent on details in this book, but I didn't feel like the details progressed the characters or story very much. The POV shifts are done well, however, and it isn't a chore to read. The author continues to try and create an interesting villain in Geder, but doesn't quite get there. I think that is where this book founders a bit--there isn't really any clear obstacle for the characters to overc...more

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Feb 22, 2013 David L. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This series is just downright satisfying. Like Daniel Abraham's coauthored "The Expanse" trilogy, the Dagger and the Coin books present a complicated story in a straightforward way. Prose is clear, characters are well-developed, common fantasy tropes are familiar but reconfigured in interesting ways.

Each chapter is named for a character, with four or five characters in regular rotation. This device allows Abraham to shift the storyteller's perspective without resorting to first-person narration...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 12, 2012 Joshua Simon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Strong second book. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:
- Characters who fell flat for me in the first book a presented much better to me in book 2 (Dawson, Geder). I'm not saying I necessarily like the characters, but they are interesting and enjoyable to read.
- Marcus, Kit, and Cithrin continue to shine. Great developments here.
- Several nice surprises and overall development of the plot.
- Enjoyed the historical backstory presented throughout.
- Easy to read prose.
- Very strong finish that has my l...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Wm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy

In some ways this is a fairly straightforward epic fantasy. But it's got these little twists and additions that I really enjoy. From he Medici style bank and the incorporation of economics to a greater extent than most epic fantasies) to the magic system based around amplified rhetorical power to the weirdness of the various races. With this second volume you get some deeper characterization, major happenings and a lot more clarification on the worldbuilding.

Now, it will be slow for some reader...more

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May 27, 2012 Tamara added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, economics, medieval, secondary-world, author-male, female-protagonist, male-protagonist, dragons

Better than the first one. Very readable. Still a little tepid somehow. Everyone is much too sensible and believable. It seems to be deliberate - and realistic - that they only inhabit their roles, heroic, selfish or villanious, rather than really being them. The downside is that it does make the whole plot seem like a series of unfortunate misunderstandings that could really be solved if everyone just got together for a nice cup of tea and realized that they'd really all like to be friends. Som...more

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May 10, 2012 PaulineMRoss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fantasy, price-full, 4-star, next-not-out

Daniel Abraham is one of my must-read authors. I reckon his Long Price Quartet to be the finest work of modern fantasy I've yet read, and his current sci-fi and urban fantasy series are coming along nicely too. Yes, he's prolific, and, even better, he writes fast - a new book a year for each series. No long waits. This book is the second in the Dagger And Coin Quintet, his first attempt at a more traditional form of fantasy, and as such is still settling in. The first book was promising, if a bi...more Daniel Abraham is one of my must-read authors. I reckon his Long Price Quartet to be the finest work of modern fantasy I've yet read, and his current sci-fi and urban fantasy series are coming along nicely too. Yes, he's prolific, and, even better, he writes fast - a new book a year for each series. No long waits. This book is the second in the Dagger And Coin Quintet, his first attempt at a more traditional form of fantasy, and as such is still settling in. The first book was promising, if a bit uneven. This one follows the same four characters, Cithrin, Geder, Dawson and Marcus, plus one extra, Dawson's wife Clara. Cithrin is the figurehead for her bank, but kept on a short leash by the bank's notary, Pyk, who has an unimaginative risk-averse strategy and a strong personal dislike of Cithrin. Marcus is still a guard with a history. Geder has accidentally reversed into a position of great influence. Dawson is still a traditionalist nobleman and friend of the king. Clara is still the smart woman behind the public figure of her husband. These last three are involved in the political machinations surrounding Aster, the king's son and heir, in Camnipol. Meanwhile, Master Kit, an apparently minor character in the previous book, is following his own agenda against the spider goddess.

Like most fantasy, this one takes a while to get going. The early chapters are reflective, and work well to set the scene as well as gently reminding the reader of the events of the previous book. I never felt at a loss, wondering who a character was or what was being referred to. The writing style is elegantly spare, with some nicely lyrical flourishes that never seem overblown. This is a writer at the very top of his game (did I mention I'm a big fan?). Even so, the slow pace early on is a bit of a turn-off. I'm not mad keen on the current fad for named point of view chapters; it's all too easy to turn the page and think: hmm, another chapter about X, and put the book down. But after the initial settling in phase, things begin to get going and the pace picks up nicely, and somewhere around the midpoint, the proverbial hits the whatsit and all hell breaks loose.

The world-building is a little less perfunctory in this book. For the first time, there seems to be some real depth and structure to the various nations, so that the few cities which have a role seem less like islands in the midst of vast expanses of nothing very much. There is some attempt, too, to expand on the various races (the original First Bloods, and the twelve races created by the dragons long ago to fulfil various roles). I still get them mixed up, mind you, but it doesn't seem to matter much, and it was nice to see the Drowned close up (I have a suspicion they're going to be important). There are some hints about the dragons themselves, too, and what happened to them. There is also plenty of description of places and little snippets of history, which work very well to illuminate the author's created world without becoming too heavy on the info-dump scale. We also get to see a little more of the religion (or cult, maybe?) of the spider goddess, and there are some moments here that are truly chilling.

I feel the slightest tinge of disappointment that Abraham, a man of infinitely fertile imagination, has plonked his characters into such a conventional world. Even though he set out from the start to create a more traditional form, this is very much the off-the-shelf fantasy world - a patriarchal society where men rule and plot and fight as kings and dukes and soldiers, women stay home and raise families and broker marriage deals, slaves do a lot of the work, and virginity is prized in a bride. Beyond the nobility and wealthy, fortunately, there is more variety, and the economic element (the coin of the series title) introduces a different perspective. Within the banking world, for instance, women can and do take an equal part in affairs (as Cithrin demonstrates). And it has to be said that so far the author has done a very good job of pointing out the deficiencies of a hereditary patriarchal system, which throws up a fair number of idiots and incompetents, thrusts unsuitable people into roles of great power, sometimes entirely by accident, and wastes fifty percent of its resources by leaving them sitting at home with their embroidery. It's also a system which doesn't seem to leave many options apart from war or not-war. There are three more books in the series for him to make his point (or not) on this, so I'll reserve judgment until it's done.

The characters always felt like real, rounded personalities, and that is even more true now. Geder, in particular, is one to ponder. I've no doubt readers will be arguing for years about his peculiar mix of naivité, insecurity and sudden bursts of vicious cruelty, but Cithrin and Marcus also have abrupt swings between common sense and reckless stupidity. Dawson I still find dull, and although Clara has her moments, she has too little to do here to really shine. Even the minor roles have great depth, and you really feel that they have lives outside the confines of the story, where they just get on with things until their arcs intersect with the main plotlines once more. Abraham has an amazing ability to show both the good and bad in people, so that even someone like Pyk, the notary, or the pirate, either of whom could have been made into a caricature mini-villain, are given complex motivation which brings them perilously close to being sympathetic. All the characters behave in believable ways, and if occasionally you feel the author's hand nudging them along so that they meet up at convenient times, that's acceptable, I think.

I found the politics of the first book quite confusing - so many odd names and titles and nations and shifting allegiances, and the difficulty of not knowing quite who's important and who is just passing through for a chapter or two. This one is much easier to follow, although whether this is the author's surer hand or just comes from greater familiarity with the story I can't say. But Abraham has an uncanny ability to toss up the difficult questions. Is a decision right just because it seems logical? Where exactly does (or should) loyalty lie? Who can you ever trust? Which is the greater power, military might or money (the fundamental question of the series)? The hazy boundaries between truth and faith and certainty. And then there's the matter of unintended consequences - in the last book, it was the events at Vanai that changed everything, this time it's Dawson's conscience that spirals out of control. And as always Abraham shows us both sides of every equation, so that there is no black or white, no good or evil, only people doing the best they can with whatever they have to work with, and trying to do what seems right at the time. Sometimes it turns out well, and sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it's impossible to tell, and sometimes you just wonder, what on earth were they thinking? (Cithrin, I'm looking at you here.) And yet in all sorts of ways it makes sense.

Abraham is often compared with George R R Martin, which is probably unfair to both authors, and I suspect arises largely because they are personal friends. In reality, they are very different writers. Martin has larger than life characters, a cast of thousands, a depressing hyper-medieval setting and a sprawling mess of tangled plotlines spilling over two continents and numerous doorstopper volumes. Abraham populates his books with believably realistic characters, a tightly woven plot and a deeply intelligent sub-text. If Martin were a painter, he would be hurling great sweeps of colour over the entire gallery wall; Abraham would be more of an oil on canvas man, painstakingly building the layers, every brushstroke placed with considered precision. I love them both in their different ways.

A better comparison for this series is with The Long Price Quartet, Abraham's much admired debut work, and no, this doesn't quite reach those heights of awesomeness. The Dragon's Path was a good, promising start to the series, and The King's Blood is better, an excellent next step, but not quite extraordinary. For me, fantasy is about the otherness of a world that is alien, not like ours, and where the differences emerge - the spider priests, the cunning men, the lost dragons, that tantalising glimpse of the Drowned - the book is spine-tinglingly good. There are moments, too, when the characters step outside the boundaries and do something quite unexpected (well, unexpected to me, anyway, although always within the parameters of their natures), and these too raise the book to a different level.

However, the conventional nature of the setting is too commonplace to be interesting; there's nothing surprising about men waving swords around while women stitch, and I do like to be surprised. Nor do the characters draw me in. Geder, of course, is fascinating, in a horrifying way, and Cithrin and Marcus are interesting too; Dawson and Clara not so much (I hope Clara has more to do in later books, since she has potential). But none of them really resonate with me (by which I mean, do I care what happens to them? and the answer is no, not a great deal, not yet). More worryingly, the book never pulled me into that desperate got-to-know-what-happens-next state; even at the height of the Camnipol mayhem, it was just too easy to put the book down (partly those pesky chapters named after characters, I suppose - it just breaks the tension). So no staying up till 3am to finish it. The final few chapters were a bit choppy, too, because of the need to tie up loose ends and set the pieces in place for the next book.

Having said all that, these are trivial complaints and this is still way better than the vast majority of fantasy around these days. It's not high on action, but what there is makes sense and has consequences that have to be dealt with. Abraham's elegant prose is a pleasure to read, the tight plotting is masterful, and the characters have a very human mixture of intelligence and idiocy, common sense and irrational impulse, completely believable. As always, there is a raft of thought-provoking ideas here for those who want them, particularly in the latter half of the book. I have every confidence that (as with The Long Price) each individual book in the series will be even better than the one before. A good four stars. Highly recommended.
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Jun 08, 2012 Brett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As an avowed Daniel Abraham aficionado, it's no surprise that this is getting a full 5 stars from me (as did the first book in the series, The Dragon's Path).

Abraham excels at character. Dawson and Geder Palliako continue to be extremely interesting characters. Dawson, representing political conservativatism and strictly class-centric, is fantastically well done. Geder is equally fascinating. I can't think of any characters anywhere I've read like them. In this novel Clara gets more time and bec...more

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The King's Blood (The Dagger and the Coin #2)

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