Scan barcode
highlanderajax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The second in the *Dagger and the Coin* series, it shares almost all of the points both positive and negative from my review of the first entry.
This is a spectacular book. Abraham is an unbelievably good writer, a truly incredible storyteller one possessed of the immense gift of writing something that feels like the history of a continent and reads like a blockbuster. This thing is near as damnit 600 pages long, and I finished it faster than books half that length. It's a true page-turner. Everything positive said before applies here too - every action has weight, every decision is impactful, and there's a very blunt and real approach to most things that happen here. The world is interesting and far-ranging, and even has more body to it than was shown previously - an improvement.
However, there is one key thing that I found myself mildly disliking, and it's a rather odd one. This book is sometimes *too* realistic, and it's realistic in a way that hampers my enjoyment of the plot.
Essentially, at a certain point - and especially when dealing with the more bluntly human parts of the plot - I can tell what's going to happen by applying the same dull cynicism I would to real life. It's the most depressing outcome, but of *course* that's what's going to happen, because that's what *would* happen.Now, this realism is - mostly - great. It fills the book with a feeling of reading about things that actually happened or could happen. However, it does also mildly disgruntle me, because it feels like a lot of books now write this way, almost setting out to defy fantasy *novel* conventions, and it sometimes feels as though even when I'm purposefully immersing myself in a fantasy world, I'm being required to apply the same apathy and sad realism I would to daily life. It's not really a flaw, I suppose...but it does limit my ability to escape.
I should also say that I don't necessarily think this is the fault of Daniel Abraham, but this book is one where I did find myself going "well obviously X will fail and character Y will die, because this is the kind of book that won't allow this type of thing to go well." It's probably not helped that a certain part of the plot has such raw and obvious rise-of-Nazi-Germany/Great Purge parallels that it's sort of hard to overlook.
Overall, this is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it. The only thing - and it really is the ONLY thing - that knocks half a star off is where this book suffers from its own success. It's too good at being too real and too well-done to fully allow me to immerse myself in it, because it's overly reminiscent of reality at places where I'm not sure I want it to be.
This is a spectacular book. Abraham is an unbelievably good writer, a truly incredible storyteller one possessed of the immense gift of writing something that feels like the history of a continent and reads like a blockbuster. This thing is near as damnit 600 pages long, and I finished it faster than books half that length. It's a true page-turner. Everything positive said before applies here too - every action has weight, every decision is impactful, and there's a very blunt and real approach to most things that happen here. The world is interesting and far-ranging, and even has more body to it than was shown previously - an improvement.
However, there is one key thing that I found myself mildly disliking, and it's a rather odd one. This book is sometimes *too* realistic, and it's realistic in a way that hampers my enjoyment of the plot.
Essentially, at a certain point - and especially when dealing with the more bluntly human parts of the plot - I can tell what's going to happen by applying the same dull cynicism I would to real life. It's the most depressing outcome, but of *course* that's what's going to happen, because that's what *would* happen.Now, this realism is - mostly - great. It fills the book with a feeling of reading about things that actually happened or could happen. However, it does also mildly disgruntle me, because it feels like a lot of books now write this way, almost setting out to defy fantasy *novel* conventions, and it sometimes feels as though even when I'm purposefully immersing myself in a fantasy world, I'm being required to apply the same apathy and sad realism I would to daily life. It's not really a flaw, I suppose...but it does limit my ability to escape.
I should also say that I don't necessarily think this is the fault of Daniel Abraham, but this book is one where I did find myself going "well obviously X will fail and character Y will die, because this is the kind of book that won't allow this type of thing to go well." It's probably not helped that a certain part of the plot has such raw and obvious rise-of-Nazi-Germany/Great Purge parallels that it's sort of hard to overlook.
Overall, this is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it. The only thing - and it really is the ONLY thing - that knocks half a star off is where this book suffers from its own success. It's too good at being too real and too well-done to fully allow me to immerse myself in it, because it's overly reminiscent of reality at places where I'm not sure I want it to be.
rnburt92's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tregina's review against another edition
3.0
I like this on the same level as the first–the POVs are distinct and powerful and work perfectly together to tell the story. Your understanding of situations keep shifting and changing and that's a great way to tell this scope of story. Many try but few realise it like this. That said, the only person I actually cared about this time was Cithrin, and I was constantly impatient to get back to her thread of the story.
veraann's review against another edition
4.0
Dagger and Coin Series Book 2
Must read Book 1 to understand what's going on in this book.
For about the first quarter of the book it is a look at all the big players from the previous in where they are and what they are up to presently. The author does a great job of keeping it interesting and not making it tedious to recap/reintroduce characters.
Book 2 does a great job of continuing and expanding on Book 1. There's a lot of action, politics, war and mini adventures. I still don't quite grasp on all the different races and their abilities/uniqueness from each other. There is some detail about this, but it seems more about the differences between cities as we follow different characters and their travels. The author does a great job with the switching PoV per chapter and interconnecting everyone's stories.
Geder I feel in this book was more a child. Looking for direction from others and throwing tantrums. He is dangerously unstable and unpredictable.
Dawson still holds strongly to his belief in the crown. I don't know that I like what was done with his character here but it can make sense through grief and fear.
Clara is a strong woman that understands the workings of the court so well. She knows how to play the games. Looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish.
Cithrin I liked more in this book. She shows a stronger mind and seems less of a child.
Marcus I'm not sure how much I like him. He doesn't seem to have as much depth as some other characters. A fighter, a broken man, grieving for the loss of his family.
Kit is interesting for the potential to see more of him, about him and what he will do next. Aster is still just a boy, but has seen so much and surrounded by so many other peoples plans. How much will he take in and what will he one day do.
Overall a great fantasy series so far.
Must read Book 1 to understand what's going on in this book.
For about the first quarter of the book it is a look at all the big players from the previous in where they are and what they are up to presently. The author does a great job of keeping it interesting and not making it tedious to recap/reintroduce characters.
Book 2 does a great job of continuing and expanding on Book 1. There's a lot of action, politics, war and mini adventures. I still don't quite grasp on all the different races and their abilities/uniqueness from each other. There is some detail about this, but it seems more about the differences between cities as we follow different characters and their travels. The author does a great job with the switching PoV per chapter and interconnecting everyone's stories.
Geder I feel in this book was more a child. Looking for direction from others and throwing tantrums. He is dangerously unstable and unpredictable.
Dawson still holds strongly to his belief in the crown. I don't know that I like what was done with his character here but it can make sense through grief and fear.
Clara is a strong woman that understands the workings of the court so well. She knows how to play the games. Looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish.
Cithrin I liked more in this book. She shows a stronger mind and seems less of a child.
Marcus I'm not sure how much I like him. He doesn't seem to have as much depth as some other characters. A fighter, a broken man, grieving for the loss of his family.
Kit is interesting for the potential to see more of him, about him and what he will do next. Aster is still just a boy, but has seen so much and surrounded by so many other peoples plans. How much will he take in and what will he one day do.
Overall a great fantasy series so far.
storytimed's review
3.5
Marcus goes on... some kinda quest? Whatever. I'm not super big on journey narratives
Geder becomes Lord Regent to the child king and joins a spider cult whose priests have a magic ability over lies and truth. The spiders can tell when someone else is lying, and everything they say is believed
Dawson sees this cult taking over the kingdom and decides that Geder's a liability who must die.
There are a few fun and interesting collisions between our POV characters in this one. Marcus works for Cithrin and sees her sort of like a daughter! Dawson is trying to kill Geder, who is nominally his boss! Cithrin saves Geder in the aftermath of Dawson's riot and they spend two weeks hiding in a hole... where they fuck.
Immediately Geder lives up to his full incel potential and starts talking about how he is in LOVE and she's like. Uh, no??? It was one night?
But thankfully she is able to quickly flee the country and escape him, which is just as well because Geder has just killed Dawson in a combination public execution / fit of uncontrolled rage
Cithrin has an interesting relationship with sexuality actually: in the previous book, she 1) almost gets with the vaguely scummy fellow teen actor in the acting company, then 2) tries to seduce a business rival... and immediately gets played because he planned for her to go snooping and betray him.
It's a very teenage vibe of like, she likes the idea that her sexuality gives her power, but still feels ambivalent about the actual execution of it
She and Geder are actually really interesting foils in this one: both young, both bought into the idea that ruthlessness is strength of character, both prone to taking wild risks
chammar's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lastname26's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This one started off slow, and I was so disappointed because The Dragons Path (book one of The Dagger and the Coin) is one of my favorite books. I really think when reading this book, it would be helpful to have read The Dragons Path recently, or at the very least, be able to clearly remember the events of the first book.
I couldn't really remember it, and I think that was part of my problem. I could remember a little bit, but not specific details, or my thoughts after reading book one. So I felt, if not exactly lost, not quite on track when reading the first 1/3 or so of The King's Blood. I also think it just took a little bit of time for the book to get going.
But then when it did, I remembered why I loved the first book so much. I got sucked into the world, and had a hard time putting the book down. I was very invested in what happened. Not necessarily because I really cared about the characters, but because the story drew me in. Daniel Abraham has a talent for writing where you forget that you're reading a book. The world unfolds and you're carried away in the story.
The worst part was turning the last page, and realizing the book had ended. I wanted more. I'm not ready to wait for another year or so to find out what happens next. But then, that's the mark of a good author and a good book. I'll be eagerly awaiting book three.
I couldn't really remember it, and I think that was part of my problem. I could remember a little bit, but not specific details, or my thoughts after reading book one. So I felt, if not exactly lost, not quite on track when reading the first 1/3 or so of The King's Blood. I also think it just took a little bit of time for the book to get going.
But then when it did, I remembered why I loved the first book so much. I got sucked into the world, and had a hard time putting the book down. I was very invested in what happened. Not necessarily because I really cared about the characters, but because the story drew me in. Daniel Abraham has a talent for writing where you forget that you're reading a book. The world unfolds and you're carried away in the story.
The worst part was turning the last page, and realizing the book had ended. I wanted more. I'm not ready to wait for another year or so to find out what happens next. But then, that's the mark of a good author and a good book. I'll be eagerly awaiting book three.
noranne's review against another edition
3.0
The first half was more of the same as the first--that is, not particularly interesting but not terrible--but the second half finally started to pull me in. Some of the characters finally began to act like people and a couple of plot seeds began to sprout. Still not sure how I feel about this series overall, but I do plan to read the next one.