Review by Savage3 -- Dagger's Destiny by Linnea Tanner

[Savage3]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Dagger's Destiny" by Linnea Tanner.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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As a fan of historical fiction, I had high expectations for Dagger’s Destiny. Written be Linnea Tanner, this is the second novel in her Curse of Clansmen and Kings series, but the first that I had the pleasure of reading. Dagger’s Destiny picks up with our two main characters Marcellus, a Roman solider and Catrin, daughter to King Armen, having recently been separated after pledging their undying love for one another. The novel follows our star-crossed lovers as they navigate a tense political landscape of Roman invaders and warring clans. Marcellus’ ambitious and plotting father attempts to maneuver the clans to his own benefit while Catrin’s father will do anything to break the curse placed on him by his traitorous first wife, add in Catrin’s sadistic shape-shifting brother Marrock and some unpredictable magic and the reader is left with a number of unexpected twists and turns.

I’m giving the novel 3 out of 4 stars. I found the book fun to read, and as the action picked up, a bit of a page turner. The novel contains so many interweaving subplots it’s apparent Tanner took her time devising the story and put plenty of work into assuring the reader was left in the dark along with our heroes. The writing demonstrates a great deal of skill and care, the language was never stifling or repetitive and she obviously invested in some fantastic editors.

Coming into the series with the second book I found the beginning overwhelming with the heavy exposition. I’ve started other series in the middle and I find giving appropriate background is always difficult- however, I felt in this case it could have been a bit smoother and made me doubt whether I was going to enjoy the work early on. Nevertheless, after trudging through the first few chapters I found myself becoming more invested in the characters which were multidimensional and relatable. I was also left confused by an early erotic scene; I have no problem with sexual scenes, but it felt oddly placed in that it wasn’t connected to anything going on and seemed a strange tangent.

I’m frequently put off by books that center on inscrutable prophecy as I find they’re often easily decipherable and I grow frustrated with the characters for being so dense, but Tanner crafted a head scratcher and I can’t wait to see if it continues into the next book. Having little background in Celtic history I found the interweaving of myth and historical fact absorbing. Without fact checking, the historical aspects felt authentic and added to the story instead of detracting from it. Most of all I enjoyed the twists and turns which were often unpredictable but felt faithful to the setting of the story.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, interested in Celtic mythology and beliefs, or action driven novels with an edge of fantasy then this may be a series for you. I would not recommend the book to anyone put off by violence, gore, or the deaths of women and children. The novel includes many graphic battles scenes as well as corpse desecration, rape, and incest. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable than this is not the book for you. Conversely, if you’re fans of series like Game of Thrones and Vikings you may find this book highly enjoyable.

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Dagger's Destiny
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