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The King's Blood
(The Dagger and the Coin #2)
by
The sequel to the acclaimed series launch, The Dragon’s Path, is the perfect summer read for fans of George R. R. Martin.
War casts its shadow over the lands that the dragons once ruled. Only the courage of a young woman with the mind of a gambler and loyalty to no one stands between hope and universal darkness.
The high and powerful will fall, the despised and broken shall ...more
War casts its shadow over the lands that the dragons once ruled. Only the courage of a young woman with the mind of a gambler and loyalty to no one stands between hope and universal darkness.
The high and powerful will fall, the despised and broken shall ...more
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Paperback, 501 pages
Published
May 3rd 2012
by Orbit
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Start your review of The King's Blood (The Dagger and the Coin, #2)

4.5/5 stars
The King’s Blood was a magnificent sequel that expanded upon everything the previous book built.
The King’s Blood is the second novel in The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham. The story continues from where the previous book left off, and after using the first volume in the series to introduce the premise, characters, and w ...more
The King’s Blood was a magnificent sequel that expanded upon everything the previous book built.
“Wars are easier to start than end, and where they take you is rarely where you intended to go… It will be better for all of us to avoid it.”
The King’s Blood is the second novel in The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham. The story continues from where the previous book left off, and after using the first volume in the series to introduce the premise, characters, and w ...more

The King's Blood is another strong entry in Abraham's politically charged, character-driven fantasy series, The Dagger and the Coin.
The Dragon's Path helped get me out of a reading slump and The King's Blood features more of the same fine elements that kept me engaged during the first entry. Complex and often misunderstood lead characters, excellent drama, high stakes, and detailed point of view perspectives that sometimes intertwine. Every action and decision that a character makes seems to ha ...more
The Dragon's Path helped get me out of a reading slump and The King's Blood features more of the same fine elements that kept me engaged during the first entry. Complex and often misunderstood lead characters, excellent drama, high stakes, and detailed point of view perspectives that sometimes intertwine. Every action and decision that a character makes seems to ha ...more

Just as brilliant as the first. I love this series. It has everything I'm looking for; not just great characters, but in depth character development. The world building and culture imagined by the author is exceptionally well done. The plot is also complex and we'll crafted. Next!
...more

The last third of the book really saved this one for me and made me want to continue on with the series. All the action took place in Camnipol and Geder continues his transition to a tyrant bit by bit. Increasingly paranoid and thirsty for power/revenge and control. Looks like his priest friends are going to help him on this path. Even if you get the sense that the priests are using Geder for their own ends.
Marcus Wester snoozefest. Didn't really do anything. At least that's how it felt to me. W ...more
Marcus Wester snoozefest. Didn't really do anything. At least that's how it felt to me. W ...more

“Wars are easier to start than to end, and where they take you is rarely where you intended to go.”
In the second entry to The Danger and the Coin series Mr Abraham is down to business and he knows perfectly well where he wants his story to go. Sadly, he stumbles at times as if unsure how to get there; this concerns both the plotting and the pacing.
I really, really wanted to give this book 4 stars, the mean reader that I am, in spite of spiders, and dragons, and the most idiotic YA female lead yo ...more
In the second entry to The Danger and the Coin series Mr Abraham is down to business and he knows perfectly well where he wants his story to go. Sadly, he stumbles at times as if unsure how to get there; this concerns both the plotting and the pacing.
I really, really wanted to give this book 4 stars, the mean reader that I am, in spite of spiders, and dragons, and the most idiotic YA female lead yo ...more

Oct 05, 2016
Scott Hitchcock
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
epic-fantasy
A great second book to the series. There were parts in this book which had that electric feeling the first book as good as it was didn't. Abraham has such a smooth writing style. He's up there with Lynch in being entertaining while character and world building. Clara's character in particular really stepped forward in this book and the end of her final chapter was brilliant.
Looking forward to the rest of the series. ...more
Looking forward to the rest of the series. ...more

Nov 29, 2018
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
my-library-catalogue
Much stronger than the first book! I now find myself eager to see where it goes next. RTC! :)

'The Kings blood' is the follow-up to 'The Dragons Path', one of the best openings to a series that I've read recently. This book does an admirable job of continuing the story started in that book as it further expands the world and continues the development of the characters introduced already.
In this book we see more of the world established in book 1. This world isn't particularly deep or inventive but it is solid and serves as a good backdrop to events. The most unique feature of this world ...more
In this book we see more of the world established in book 1. This world isn't particularly deep or inventive but it is solid and serves as a good backdrop to events. The most unique feature of this world ...more

Oct 14, 2016
Jenna Kathleen
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
buddy-reads,
fantasy
Awesome development from the first book.
I didn't really like Dawson in The Dragon's Path, but he really developed as a character throughout this book. (view spoiler)
Geder is fascinating and so frustrating at the same time, but you can really see the consequences his power has brought to the world. His meeting with (view spoiler)
I'm happ ...more
I didn't really like Dawson in The Dragon's Path, but he really developed as a character throughout this book. (view spoiler)
Geder is fascinating and so frustrating at the same time, but you can really see the consequences his power has brought to the world. His meeting with (view spoiler)
I'm happ ...more

Traditional fantasy done magnificently. This book, and series, doesn't subvert any tropes. It doesn't break new ground. What it does is give us an intriguing plot, enjoyable characters, and excellent writing. This is a 120,000 word book, but the pages simply flew by. If only all fantasy authors could write this clearly and efficiently (this coming from someone currently bogged down in the middle-mire books of the Wheel of Time.) Abraham doesn't sacrifice setting, character, plot, anything to ach
...more

I liked this better than the first one, especially at the end. This was bound to happen since I’m spending so much time with these characters, and Abraham is a consistent, talented writer. The first half continued a lot of the issues I had with the first book, though, so I can’t really give this four stars. Maybe the third book will earn it?
It’s been a little over a year since the start of the series. Geder Palliako has gone from social pariah to Lord Regent of Antea. Cithrin is still at her Ban ...more
It’s been a little over a year since the start of the series. Geder Palliako has gone from social pariah to Lord Regent of Antea. Cithrin is still at her Ban ...more

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

This was a hard book to rate for me, and it may change depending on the rest of the series. I liked it more than the first book in the series, The Dragon's Path, but it took me a little while to really get into it. I feel like things are being purposefully set up in a way that will pay off later, much like Abraham did in his Long Price Quartet series, but at the moment it's not always apparent where things are going.
The character work is still fantastic, and Abraham's writing continues to be so ...more
The character work is still fantastic, and Abraham's writing continues to be so ...more

http://www.rantingdragon.com/review-o...
At the opening of The King’s Blood, we find ourselves back in the remains of the Dragon Empire and the world of the Thirteen Races of Humanity. Geder Palliako is suddenly an important figure in the Antean Court, with the mysterious Spider Priests at his side. Kalliam Dawson, a noble of the old order, works to maintain the tradition of the court while Cithrin bel Sacour struggles to hold on to her branch of the Medean Bank, and Captain Marcus Wester, haunte ...more
At the opening of The King’s Blood, we find ourselves back in the remains of the Dragon Empire and the world of the Thirteen Races of Humanity. Geder Palliako is suddenly an important figure in the Antean Court, with the mysterious Spider Priests at his side. Kalliam Dawson, a noble of the old order, works to maintain the tradition of the court while Cithrin bel Sacour struggles to hold on to her branch of the Medean Bank, and Captain Marcus Wester, haunte ...more

The comparison of Daniel Abraham with George RR Martin naturally leads to a comparison between their characters. The honourable lord who gets himself killed for the sake of honour, sound familiar? Eddard Stark? Yes. Dawson Kalliam? Also, yes. Both childhood friends of the recently demised kings. But that's where the similarities end. Where Ned Stark's honour was about learning the truth about the lineage of his king and friend, and dissecting out the conspiracy against the regime, Dawson's honou ...more

This series keeps getting better and better! I gave the first book four stars as well but only because it was very well written. I didn't feel like it would be one of my all time fav rereads however with book two this series is starting to really grow on me.
I'm still a little confused about a few things. For instance, I wish the thirteen races would be explained a little more. Right when I think I really know a character I realize that they have tusks or dragon scales! Superficial, I know but w ...more
I'm still a little confused about a few things. For instance, I wish the thirteen races would be explained a little more. Right when I think I really know a character I realize that they have tusks or dragon scales! Superficial, I know but w ...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 tha ...more
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

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
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

Pardon me, but bloody hell this is a great series !
I can't put the books down !
RTC when I am done with them all.
On to book 3 ...more
I can't put the books down !
RTC when I am done with them all.
On to book 3 ...more

This was a good follow up to The Dragon's Path. I enjoyed the pace of this book more than the first. The story is developing well, and the characters are starting to take on a life of their own.
Cithrin is striving to prove her worth to the Medean Bank and find her place in the world.
Geder is given a position of power that he doesn’t deserve and not equipped to handle.
Dawson the loyal nobleman trying to keep his country from being torn apart from within.
Marcus begins a journey that borders on ...more
Cithrin is striving to prove her worth to the Medean Bank and find her place in the world.
Geder is given a position of power that he doesn’t deserve and not equipped to handle.
Dawson the loyal nobleman trying to keep his country from being torn apart from within.
Marcus begins a journey that borders on ...more

Now that I have finished this story, I have to say that I am a little bit disappointed. We had some character growth in characters like Geder and Cithrin, but that is it. I was expecting a big part of the this novel to focus on the Spider Goddess and her plans to take over the world and the was nothing. Not even a hint of anything new. The story itself carried on where we left off, but in all honesty, it kind of just mosied on down the river, picking up some small insignificant character story a
...more

the politics in this book are a shakespeare-history joy, i love cithrin, i love clara, the kalliam marriage makes me want to eat a shoe, i love clara, i adore and highly value the deep contempt dan abraham holds for nerd boys who project onto tyrion, spiders, no-shit pacing, awful people confusing the shit out of each other, honest to god the kalliam marriage, i docked a star because i skimmed the marcus chapters, i added it back because AN ENTIRE SHOE I SWEAR TO GOD
i am so upset. i am so ready ...more
i am so upset. i am so ready ...more

Another solid entry from Daniel Abraham. It is well paced, the characters have their own distinct voices and are so diverse in their thoughts, but still manage to be unpredictable in their actions when you read about them from another POV.
I see why some people see Geder Palliako as an unbelievable character. I however see him as an intriguing one. He is inherently kind-hearted but also prone to weird cruel gestures. He is very smart but being inexperienced he is also susceptible to manipulate. ...more
I see why some people see Geder Palliako as an unbelievable character. I however see him as an intriguing one. He is inherently kind-hearted but also prone to weird cruel gestures. He is very smart but being inexperienced he is also susceptible to manipulate. ...more

Not sure if I have a ton to say about this one ... It's the second in a five-volume epic fantasy, so the characters from the first volume (The Dragon's Path) are back, joined by a few new ones, some of them are meeting for the first time and the plot is, as they say, thickening.
As in the first volume, there's a particular attention paid to economics and banking (Cithrin, one of our POV characters, is a banker by trade although she spends a large part of the book being ridden herd on because she ...more
As in the first volume, there's a particular attention paid to economics and banking (Cithrin, one of our POV characters, is a banker by trade although she spends a large part of the book being ridden herd on because she ...more

While I was hesitant with my praise for The Dragon’s Path and waiting to see the real shape of the story before committing to it entirely, Abraham has officially won me over with The King’s Blood. An almost near perfect sequel and a significant enhancement of everything I enjoyed about its predecessor. In particular, some of the things that felt more polished in this installment were the characters. While I quite enjoyed reading about Geder and Marcus- as they felt the most developed and true to
...more

Abraham improves on what was already an excellent start to this series. The Dagger and the Coin is satisfying for all those A Song of Ice and Fire fans who are looking for in depth, extremely fleshed out worlds populated with a range of well realized characters, but Abraham shows his strength in his tight focus on a smaller cast of characters and really gives the reader the chance to fall in love with them, and root for them throughout the arc of their lives.
This is a fantastic book, and I can ...more
This is a fantastic book, and I can ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Play Book Tag: The King's Blood 4 stars | 1 | 6 | Nov 24, 2021 10:16AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: King's Blood [Nov 15, 2018] | 72 | 31 | Dec 03, 2018 08:40AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: The King's Blood | 44 | 28 | Oct 20, 2016 03:25PM | |
Fantasy Book Club...: Dagger & Coin-The King's blood (#2)--Roll call! Planning to read? (no spoilers) | 19 | 32 | Apr 15, 2016 11:37AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Covers Missing | 1 | 15 | Dec 26, 2015 08:03PM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: TKB: Section 4: 7th Marcus - Entr’acte (Full Spoilers) | 18 | 19 | Sep 15, 2015 05:41PM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: TKB: Section 2: 3rd Cithrin - 4th Geder | 7 | 16 | Jul 20, 2015 06:36PM |
Daniel James Abraham, pen names M.L.N. Hanover and James S.A. Corey, is an American novelist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of
The Long Price Quartet
and
The Dagger and the Coin
fantasy series, and with Ty Franck, as the co-author of
The Expanse
series of science fiction novels, written under the joint pseudonym James S.A. Co
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