Re-read recently; the subplots about racial prejudice and resistance against the mad dictator hit closer to home for me on this reading due to current events. I enjoyed the banker's story arc and her character development. The mercenary captain's dungeon crawling seemed more interesting to me this time, as did the fallen aristocrat's resistance efforts. ( )

another excellent instalment in the middle of a fine epic fantasy series. in this one they are all in the midst of a war that is really about taking over the world, and every one of their loose company has a world to travel and more than one part to play on the big stage. come for the great characters, stay for the side quests, an insidious theme on the subject of the thinking of tyrants, and a startling ending. ( )

Better. Either the writing is smoother than in "The King's Blood," or I've developed an immunity to it. It helps that my least favorite narrator has exited the story, and is replaced by one I find more tolerable.

One of the elements that impressed me with the first book was the intricate world-building that left a lot of space for mysteries to remain mysteries. I appreciate that in my genre fiction: there's no satisfaction in turning over every single stone, and I like when some big questions just stay unanswered in the background. Now that this is no longer the case, I find myself still liking the books but liking them differently. I am very much looking forward to the fourth one, since I have been surprised more than a few times by the series so far.

Final note: the character Geder, if he existed and were alive today, would totally be a men's rights activist and/or going to pick-up artist seminars, in a totally pathetic, silly, and ultimately sinister & evil way, and now that that thought has occurred to me, I can't un-think it. ( )

Continues the excellent run of less obvious paths chosen ( )

Continuing the consistently excellent work in the series, after [b:The Dragon's Path|8752885|The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin, #1)|Daniel Abraham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1292362307s/8752885.jpg|13626110] and [b:The King's Blood|12759057|The King's Blood (The Dagger and the Coin, #2)|Daniel Abraham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356495172s/12759057.jpg|17901316]. It is striking how I'm 1,500 words and three books into a five-book series and it still has the feel of setup, of the author moving pieces into place for a grand finale, rather than a series of lesser climaxes with a broader, slower-moving ur-plot. This isn't a complaint — there are plenty of dramatic moments in this book and its two predecessors, and they're both fun and thought-provoking. It's just striking how in much the same way that episodes of serialized TV series often feel like chapters in a broader story, "The Dagger and the Coin" series feels like a single entity split up into volumes rather than a series of distinct books. ( )