A Dance of Cloaks

August 12, 2013
The first volume of Dalglish’s Shadowdance trilogy, a “frenetic masterpiece” with “growing pains” (to quote the author’s modest afterword) that achieved self-published success, has been substantially revised for this edition, but its core remains a winning combination of A Game of Thrones, sword-and-sorcery RPGs, and vivid description. Aaron, the son of master thief Thren Felhorn, is an unprepossessing introvert who catches his father’s attention by stabbing an intruder—at age eight. Five years later, Aaron is learning the thieving trade in Veldaren, a city defined by internal war between the thieves’ guilds and the merchants’ guilds, with the weak, paranoid king a pawn on the board. The point of view shifts continually, encompassing bit players and major characters from every angle of the struggle, and Dalglish handles his cast of thousands with aplomb. Despite the inevitable quasi-medieval setting, saucy dagger-wielding maidens, and very convenient magic, this is a fun read. Dalglish puts familiar pieces together with a freshness and pleasure that are contagious. Agent: Michael Carr, Veritas Literary Agency.

October 15, 2013

As the son of Thren Felhorn, head of the Assassin's Guild of the city of Veldaren, Aaron has trained all his life to become his father's perfect weapon and, one day, the continuation of Thren's powerful ambitions. When commanded to kill the daughter of a man whose words have been troublesome to the guild, Aaron discovers he has reached his limit, thus opening a rift with his father. As he questions his father's orders and his own place in the guild, he realizes he must choose, once and for all, which path to follow. VERDICT Dalglish's (the "Paladins" series) latest novel, the first of an originally self-published trilogy (A Dance of Blades; A Dance of Mirrors), relies on strong characterization as well as detailed action and fight scenes to produce a believable tale of a young man's coming of age and the difficult decisions he must make. His saga should appeal to fans of R.A. Salvatore and Richard Lee Byers.

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