The King's Blood

Starred review from March 19, 2012
When the king of Antea dies, loyal and idealistic Geder Palliako is appointed regent for the young prince. But Geder is an unrepentant genocidaire and an unquestioning follower of the Spider Goddess of Truth, and his bad judgment threatens to destabilize the region. His opponents attempt a coup but are doomed by their adherence to the feudal social order, which blinds them to both the danger of the Spider priests and potential allies among the lower classes. It’s left to the people beneath their notice to set things right. Cithrin bel Sarcour and her colleagues at the Medean Bank plot Geder’s downfall, and bank mercenary Marcus Wester and former priest Master Kit set out to kill a goddess. Abraham builds on The Dragon’s Path to create and sustain a rich, satisfyingly complex epic fantasy. Agents: Shawna McCarthy, the McCarthy Agency, and Danny Baror, Baror International.