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

First off, I absolutely love the fact that there are only five POV characters in this book. Six if one counts Kit. 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. I realize that he's been a mentor to Daniel Abraham, but Abraham outshines GRRM in pretty much every way, as far as I'm concerned.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!

Overall review at least 4 stars, maybe 4.5.Pretty much a great story in every way.Pacing is excellent. Characters travel a great deal, time passes, but you don't really need to spend 15 pages with one character on a sailboat. And thank heavens there aren't too many characters so you can look forward to something actually happening in the near future.Characters are great.Cithrin. When she shines she does it right, unexpectedly and with intelligence. I love a smart woman. Too bad modern bankers/banks are more like the creepy spider priests ("The economy is great, this bank is solvent despite its 71 trillion dollar derivative exposure, LISTEN TO MY VOICE"). On the contrary, the Medean bank and Cithrin, whose loans are based on accumulated wealth and whose investments grow the real economy, should set up a branch here in NYC.(SPOILER It is kind of disturbing that Cithrin seems to be able to stomach the dude who oversaw the death of an entire city, man woman and child! Kind of makes me not like her so much.)Marcus. Hilarious and awesome and smart. This is how an aimless/fallen hero character is done.Geder. Perhaps the most disturbing character in any book I have ever read. Seriously, the last book made me want to cry and vomit. This one has a couple shocking scenes with him, but nothing like the last one. Nonetheless, he is getting creepier as things progress, especially since the author goes out of his way to show a human side to Geder whenever possible.Dawson. I liked this guy way more in this book. He is a badass. He also proves that he isn't just a racist and elitist bastard trying to keep the nobles on top. Well he still is those things, but he isn't a hypocrite and he cares for his country more than his own life or family, which he obviously cares for a great deal.Clara. I usually hate court politics in fantasy books, but it isn't so bad learning about it from Clara. At first I kept picturing Ned Stark's wife from the GRRM books, but by the end of this book she became fully fleshed human, and awesome. I actually like her and want to read more of her even though she doesn't fight or run a bank or run a country or anything that makes the other characters more interesting.The characters are all written so consistently throughout. This book should serve as a shining example of how to write characters. Get their personality out in the dialogue. Keep the self-introspection concise and to the point, don't repeat the same crap ad naseum.In fact the prose is so tight, yet really creates an immersive experience, that it will actually be hard to read other books.Finally, the plot is excellent. Lots of events in this book. There is no single climax, but several interesting turning points that occur throughout the novel. And despite the pacing, the plot does not seem rushed. We are just lucky enough to be at the right places at the right times to actually enjoy the story without getting bogged down in boring mundane stuff.

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 have consequences, some causing shocking and unexpected outcomes in The King’s Blood, and some, do doubt, planting the seeds for what is to occur in The Dagger and the Coin’s remaining three novels. Words and truths are powerful here and have lasting effects.The way that Abraham writes and the pacing really connects with the rhythm of my thoughts, creating vibrant and clear images, feeling almost meditative to me, and had me truly engrossed. Hypnotic almost, yet, not in a sleepy manner, in a way that kept me fully focused and attentive. The series is adult in nature and it has a similar tone to A Song of Ice and Fire with political maneuvering, backstabbing, plotting, and ambitious characters aplenty. The King’s Blood doesn’t feature many detailed lengthy battles or as much bloodshed on-screen as some fantasy mainstays, although there is a war ongoing throughout the duration of the novel and also a potential revolution. When these moments do occur, though, they have a massive impact. There is one moment in particular with Geder; the climax of which stands out in my top ten most haunting and sure to be most unforgettable moments I’ve ever read.In a similar fashion to the first novel, Geder is an absolute gem of a creation, and I don’t want to say too much about him because the way he changes, the consequences of his actions on himself and others, and the mythology that seems to surround him makes him an enticing lead player. The fact he’s a point of view perspective – where we follow his actions and thoughts as if sitting on his shoulder – makes it really interesting and occasionally harrowing to see how he is witnessed, differently, by other point of view characters. Whether they are misunderstanding his ideals and intentions or not.Dawson is similarly stubborn in nature and loyal to the crown as he was in The Dragon’s Path yet I enjoyed following him more this time. His partner Clara is another point-of-view perspective, and it starts to develop here how important, I believe, the whole Kalliam family will be to the overarching story. It’s nowhere near a neat analogy yet I think this family will be the closest this series has to the Stark family as The Dagger and the Coin progresses further.Like Geder, I don’t want to say too much about, arguably, the series’ other main character, Cithrin. That being said, I can confirm she has many excellent moments, shares the screentime with some important players, and her tale goes down unexpected avenues. I’m often completely drawn into the way her mind works and how her analytical nature makes her a success with finances, and in other areas here as well. Captain Marcus Wester has a few important and exciting moments in The King’s Blood but he seems to drift away to being a secondary character, however; his importance to the overall series is blatant and I can’t wait to follow his arc further in The Tyrant’s Law as the novel sets where his journey will go next nicely.The Dagger and the Coin is building up exquisitely with its detail, drama, layers, intrigue, and very real consequences. The novels in this series don’t work as standalone so might not be suited for fantasy fans who want a quick-fix, adrenaline rush. This is a series for those who will embrace its intricacies, its depth, its wonderful characters, the build-up, the stand-out moments. The more time I spend in Abraham’s world, the more intense and invested I will get. Although parts of this series have been a slow burn, I’m absolutely invested now. Let’s see how The Tyrant’s Law ups the ante.

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.

This is the second in this series of fantasy novels and, although I liked 'The Dragon's Path', this one is just that bit better. The characters that were introduced in the first book are now old friends in whom the reader has invested commitment and you really care about them. I really like the way that a likeable character is slowly turned into a monster and the whole book is laced with a thread of ambiguity; there are no clear cut issues or tidy outcomes. I also liked the surprise event two thirds of the way through that changes the plot significantly.All of the richness of the first book is here and it the detail of the fictional world that helps to make this so compelling. This is a really good read.Daniel Abraham doesn't write 'the usual' and I'm grateful for that. I'm into the third in the series now, 'The Tyrant's Law', and will have to see how long I must wait for conclusion.

It's great, but...So slow, the story/action/characters been drip fed onto the pages, the first book similar.There's that so annoying thing of recapping the first book at the start for those that didn't wade through that.All in all a bit like going to the dentist, slightly uncomfortable and a relief when it's over.BUT...The premise, and the promise of what to come IS there and will be reading the further books in the series and if it plods its way to a good ending, then 5 stars...However...If it's a slow 'teeth pull' to a tepid let down, then will want an option to give it nothing and the irritation of time wasted may send the kindle out of the window.

Book two of The King,s Blood continues this story in masterful fashion.But what a dreadful e-book.The worst i have ever seen.Hyphenation? of over 100 words.My favourite,ages-peckled.I spent many minutes over that one.Suddenly in the middle of a conversation THE KINGS BLOOD in capitals.Was it ever proof read Orion?I think not.It would not be acceptable in a paper book so why do we have to suffer it in ebook form?If you wish to continue selling Kindles Amazon;I love mine; you will have to address these problems.mld