The Tyrant's Law (The Dagger and the Coin series Book 3)

George R.R. Martin seems to have had a huge influence on fantasy writing. Martin was one of the first fantasy authors to write about the filth, disease and hardship of feudal worlds. Martin is also famous for writing the vastly ambitious  A Game of Thrones  books with a story that never seems to end.Daniel Abraham, author of the Dagger and Coin books (and many other excellent books) has collaborated with Martin and lives in New Mexico, as Martin does. So I can at least imagine Martin's influence on Abraham's work. Abraham's Dagger and Coin books have the brutal reality of feudal worlds. Reading these books feels more like reading a history of the early Renaissance than a fantasy novel, except that we get much more detail than would ever be possible in a history. Abraham plays with the elements of fantasy novels, and then stabs them to death. There is a bit of magic here, but not much.Considering the quality of Abraham's books and the depth of his plots, he is a remarkably prolific writer (I'm sure that Martin's fans wish that he wrote as fast as Mr. Abraham does). Abraham is good at world building and at describing setting. What makes his novels powerful are the deep portraits of his characters. One of the most powerful portraits is that of Geder Palliako, the Lord Regent. The books follow Gedar from his early days as an incompetent knight to his rise as Regent and ruler of an empire.In Geder we see the banality of evil. Geder has no moral compass. He was bullied and picked on and is determined that no one will ever laugh at him again. He is easily manipulated but also a somewhat tragic character as we see him become more and more of a monster. Many writers can create characters that are evil. Only a sophisticated writer can see that evil in the real world is not so simple.Epic stories tend to be about the end of eras. This was the case of the Lord of the Rings and it is also the case of World War I and II. At the end of these epics and historical cataclysms new eras were ushered in. In the world of the Dagger and the Coin we see the rise of merchants and banking. In our world this eventually spelled the end of feudalism. One of the core characters in this story is Cithrin bel Sarcour, a banker. In this story I wonder if Cithrin will not be the harbinger of a new era that will rise out of the ashes of the conflict ignited by Geder.The only annoying feature of these books are all of the questions about the nature of the world the story is set in. There was a dragon empire, ruled by dragons. But how would that work? Dragons don't have hands and thumbs. There are cities and dragon roads. How could the dragons build them? Or create the humans and the other thirteen species of humanity that inhabit this world? Abraham has published a brief description of the thirteen species, but there's not much in the way of historical detail beyond legend.Like George R.R. Martin, Abraham writes large stories. The story of the Dagger and the Coin does not end with Tyrant's Law. Given the challenges of the plot, I'm not sure how many books will be required to bring it to an end. I hate waiting for the next book, but I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.

First of all, I loved this book. There may be some minor spoilers for book two in this review.I'll start with the bad. The editing really could have been better. I ran across missing words now and then, often enough to have noticed it. And that's pretty much all I have for bad stuff.I admit to a favorable bias toward this author. When I first began this, I was too excited to do more than reread the first couple of sentences, again and again. But once I settled down, I got into it right away. I was worried I might have forgotten what was going on since 'The King's Blood' but it was rather easy to fall back into the world.Geder is, beyond a doubt, the most terrifying villain I've ever read, because he is so very believable. I can't help imagining any number of guys I rejected, and wondering what they might have done if they had this much power. I have been afraid for Cithrin in this regard since book two.I have wondered if the author is drawing some parallels to the holocaust in here, with some of the treatment of the Timzinae. It occurred to me early on, and as I read more and more, it just got worse. I also couldn't help thinking of Geder's elusive conspirators as Bush's weapons of mass destruction that never existed. I'm not sure if that's a deliberate allegory of if it's just me seeing that. I also felt Cithrin's story served a purpose of assuring us that the Timzinae are, in fact, people, regardless of claims made otherwise.I loved the character development in here. Cithrin and Clara went through the biggest changes in this particular book. Marcus and Geder perhaps didn't evolve as much in this particular book, although I would say everyone has changed at least somewhat over the course of the series. I've found myself particularly fond of Yardem. He is perhaps my favorite secondary character, even above Master Kit.I'd mistakenly assumed this series was a trilogy. I have mixed feelings about having been wrong. I am delighted that there is going to be more, but I also really want to know what happens next right now.I highly recommend this series to pretty much everyone.

The Tyrant’s Law, the 3rd entry in Abraham’s The Dagger and the Coin series, is another steady and enjoyable epic fantasy read. It increases the stakes and drama, adding layers to the flourishing world-building whilst not quite being up to the same high standards as The King’s Blood. The events of The King’s Blood were wrapped up neatly so – in The Tyrant’s Law – it seems like new tales are beginning or critical next steps in a character’s journey are taking place.The titular “tyrant” Geder Palliako is still, arguably, my favourite character, and when I started this read, I thought that was a rather unflattering word for him. He’s a highly complex individual, and as his insecurities and frailties are revealed to us, his reputation, renown, and awe-inspiring skill for thwarting conspiracies grow to the observing characters. The “tyrant” title does become more understandable as the narrative progresses, however; due to us seeing his precarious uncertainties – as we’re sharing his thoughts – I can’t help but sympathise with him. He’s overwhelmed, paranoid, and has the blessing of the Spider Goddess all to contemplate. As the novel progresses so does Geder’s instability.Marcus Wester and Master Kit’s tale – although taking a backseat in The King’s Blood – is driven to the forefront of the focus in The Tyrant’s Law, and I had so much time for that! Their adventures and escapades take them across half the world, with a fair amount of memorable and cinematic moments happening to them. Their overall importance and knowledge regarding which side they may be fighting for during this war become more apparent, and I couldn’t help chuckling to myself thinking that much of their actions were alike quests from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Their screentime was often unlike, and a pleasant change in pace from, the more political undertakings of Geder, Clara, and the financial and political happenings of Cithrin bel Sarcour’s point of view perspectives.“The world disappoints us all, and the ways we change our own stories to survive that disappointment are beautiful and tragic and hilarious. On balance, I find much more to admire about humanity than to despise.”There are no weak point of view perspectives in The Tyrant’s Law. As you can see, I’ve already written about half a review just discussing two of them. Cithrin is still an amazing character and the reason I said “arguably” when I described Geder as my favourite, as, at some instances, it could be her too. Clara’s chapters show a side of the Capital that we weren’t privy to in the first two books, reflecting her fall from grace. War and horrid happenings feature throughout this novel but I felt that Clara’s chapters had a dark, high-stakes edge, where any page could ooze either violence, degradation, disruption, manipulation, or stark loyalty. Hers is another arc that weaves a complex and multifaceted presentation that just feels pretty special.“Find competent, trustworthy servants, treat them with respect, and let them do their work. Listen when spoken to. Remember everybody’s name and something about the peculiarities of their lives. Forgive any mistake once, and none twice.”In my previous reviews, I haven’t really talked too much about The Dagger and the Coin’s world-building. Before this novel, the series’ world-building seemed like interesting sprinkles and sparkles of information here and there, either through dialogues, plays, or historical texts, which tended to make it seem a fantasy tale rather than a political intrigue set of books. In The Tyrant’s Law, it’s as if these sprinkles and sparkles have finally settled, with more solid knowledge about The Dragon’s War given, enough information presented about the 13 races of humanity, and as some of the mysteries surrounding The Spider Goddess have become unshrouded. These neat moments and nuances have now been artfully fabricated to be of the utmost importance to the characters we follow in their current happenings.There is a lot to admire in Abraham’s work. As mentioned, I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous novel, but the author has moved the overall story forwards dramatically and multiplied the complexities and the stakes, again. This read was sitting at a steady and well-respected 3/5 stars but the fantastic endings move it up to 3.5/5. The Dagger and the Coin is bulging with potential and many wonderful elements. The series could be about to transcend and become something truly spectacular. I’m hopeful that The Widow’s House carries on doing what this series has done so well so far, and directs it to an engaging and breathtaking next level.

(Spoilers for the entire series so far)I love this series and it's shaping up to be one of the best I've ever read and I have read a lot of incredible stuff.As with the previous books we follow Geder, Clara, Marcus and Cithrin, the chapters are divided up whereby each of the them is the main point of view character and we get to witness events through their eyes. What I love is that each character is so different - not just in age and gender - so every chapter is fresh, you see things from a different perspective and they all have distinctive voices; this author is such a talent.The story arc is fantastic, Geder is a revelation of a character; I feel sorry for him at times and yet he's a monster. Cithrin describes him perfectly at one stage: "He's a terrible person, you know. But he's also not. I don't think I've ever known anyone who managed to make himself so alone".Marcus was a little underused in the previous book but his adventures with Kit are the strongest chapters in the book in my opinion. Secrets are revealed that shocked me and I have no idea how this will all end but I can't wait to read more and find out.If you're onto book 3 then you already know the standard of the prose, plotting, character growth, world building and story arc that Abraham exhibits. It's complex, clever and hugely enjoyable.Exceptional. 10/10.

Often, series get accused of middle-book syndrome but this is a very solid entry and brings in quite a lot of new threads to the story that are sure to change the outlook of the remaining books.What stood out for me in this installment was how each of the four POVs brings a very distinct voice and aspect of the story to life. We have the cringe-worthy tyrant (Geder) the power that banking and commerce can have (Cithrin), the affect of politics/rumours (Clara) and good old fashioned sword wielding (Marcus). What I enjoyed was how the lone hero is possibly the least effective which makes for a nice change of pace in epic fantasy.The lead characters are interesting but Daniel does his usual trick of having excellent supporting characters in the form of Kit, Vincen and Yardem who easily come to life despite not having in-depth POVs and feel more "real" in the sense we don't know their inner thoughts.Fans of action may be disappointed as there isn't much hands-on fighting and the large battles tend to happen off the page. Then again the book does have more than enough drama and tension exploring the other aspects of the war so the lack of action wasn't an issue for me.Daniel also starts to explore racism among the 13 races - something that is often ignored in fantasies with such diverse inhabitants and I'm curious to see where this leads.I also appreciated some unexpected developments in the book as there were at least two story threads that resolved differently one was plot driven and the other was character driven. The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but the revelation of the final chapter has me eagerly awaiting book 4.

The second book was disappointing but this one got back on track.The same old characters, but with added depth, as well as some new ones.The various sides of the war are shown as individuals and nations struggle against the unexpected power of Geder's priests.There is plenty of action but the book bypasses tactics for magic leaving the actual prosecution of the war as a very shallow affair.The personal side is better written and much more interesting, Clara's quiet war is an unusual angle to take and handled deftly, Cithrin's role in this book is less interesting but still keeps you interested and Geder's disconnected dual personality is shown throughout.The plot thread with Marcus and Kit is by far the most interesting as it exposes new history, several plot twists and a potential new direction.The ending is good and it really makes you want to get the next one.

I don't often write reviews for anything at all, but Daniel Abraham continues to be frustratingly under-appreciated.I won't bother with a synopsis as they are readily available in other corners. Allow me to simply give you my view on this book, this series and this author.I first came across Daniel Abraham through George R R Martin - Abraham is one of Martin's unofficial apprentices, if you will. I began with The Long Price Quarter and was astounded it hadn't caught a wider following. The Dagger and the Coin is similarly superb and apparently widely ignored by the greater reading world, even to my dismay the more niche fantasy fiction fans like myself who voraciously devour everything fantasy. Let me say plainly, Daniel Abraham is up there with the best - Martin, Hobb, Rothfuss, Abercrombie, Lawrence and Lynch.There is a precision and crispness to Abraham's prose that few can match. There are no long winding stuffy descriptions of the landscape or surroundings, yet somehow they manage to bleed through in perfect, startling clarity. The different cities of Camnipool, Porte Oliva and the other destinations are all vibrant, unique settings brought to life through the perspectives of some seriously compelling characters.As with many of the best fantasy series, the focus shifts a little in this third entry in the series with supporting characters like Clara Kalliam, Vincen Coe, Yardem Hane and Master Kit taking significant promotions into the limelight while series staples like Geder and Marcus continue to keep you turning the pages until dawn. The real genius of the novel for me though, is the dialogue. It snaps off the page like a firework. Characters speak to each other with bare minimum of conversation at times, yet underneath is an ocean of meaning, depth and an intimacy masterfully portrayed as few other authors can accomplish. Case and point: a rather significant conversation between Marcus and Yardem perfectly encapsulates their relationship. They truly do sound like people who have been around each other so long that each understands the others thoughts with a few simple words.If you like your fantasy fresh, surprising and with just the right amount of bite, don't hesitate to get involved. And please, of course, start at the beginning. I hope Abraham keeps writing for years and years. Bravo.