Review of Dagger's Destiny
Posted: 05 Jun 2023, 18:31
[Following is a volunteer review of "Dagger's Destiny" by Linnea Tanner.]
Warning: May contain spoilers for Apollo’s Raven, the previous installment of the Curse of Clansmen and Kings saga by Linnea Tanner
Dagger’s Destiny continues the harrowing tale of forbidden love between Catrin, princess of the Celtic Cantiaci tribe, and Marcellus, son of Roman senator Lucius Antonius and namesake of Mark Antony. As this is a direct sequel to its predecessor, Apollo’s Raven, it will be hard to avoid mentioning critical moments of the first book in a sound review. Dagger’s Destiny picks up where Apollo’s Raven left off almost immediately. There is a short time jump to be presumed, perhaps a few days to maybe a month, but the final events of Apollo’s Raven are still fresh in our protagonists’ minds.
After the botched prisoner exchange between Queen Rhiannon of the Cantiaci and the Romans, Catrin is put on trial for treason against her father for sleeping with the enemy, in this case, Marcellus Antonius. King Amren, believing himself to be a strict and fair king, has to make the choice whether to banish his daughter, a fate worse than death, or behead her and place her skull amongst the rest of his slain enemies. A few facts come to light that skews his judgment. One, as we discover in Apollo’s Raven, his most trusted druidess, Agrona, is actually Rhan, his evil first wife who possessed Agrona while she was a child witnessing Rhan’s own beheading. Two, Catrin's sister, Vala, is still being held by the Romans as a political hostage, and he hopes the lingering love between his daughter and Marcellus will be of some use to free her. Three, Marrock, his traitorous son with a penchant for power and violence, is gathering allies of his own in order to fulfill his late mother's curse. And, finally, Catrin, still connected to the curse, is the only one who can accurately decipher the new prophecy.
King Amren gives her one final chance to redeem herself and regain his trust and love. She must train to be a warrior under Ferrex, the lion-like fighter who harbors a deep love for her, and to forsake her traitorous love. Catrin struggles with her latent feelings for Marcellus and her disownment from her family, all the while being thrown into an unfamiliar world of ancient and dark magic threatening to take her soul.
Dagger's Destiny is exceptionally heavy compared to its predecessor, Apollo's Raven. While the first book had a "Romeo and Juliet" atmosphere with sinister undertones, this installment cracks the world open like an egg. It starts and ends intensely, with only some moments of brevity throughout. This can make the experience stressful if you are one to fully immerse yourself into the world you are reading. It is here that I would like to put in a content warning for the book.
Dagger’s Destiny includes mentions of human and animal sacrifice, gory battles, sexual assault and rape, pedophilia, and death. The tense family dynamics throughout this book may also be a trigger for some readers. As a reviewer, I do feel it is a duty of mine to mention these triggers in hopes it’ll better prepare potential readers. However, this is the extent of my warning to avoid spoilers.
Despite the saga's dark turn, the world is still fascinating and humorous. The characters keep the story grounded and relatable. Adolescent relationships do maintain at the forefront of the story, even with the physical separation between Catrin and Marcellus. Catrin is growing to become a powerful young woman and training to be a leader; every choice she makes is important for her future. The complexity of the characters' interests and motives is finely written. As frustrating as it may be, the familial issues act as a solid core plot.
I would say I have approximately two qualms with the book overall. These are subjective as Tanner has obvious control over the written word, and each chapter is magnificently crafted. I was personally jarred by a weakness in Catrin’s resolution. While, at the start, she appears confident with her decision to forsake men in order to regain her father’s trust, she quickly does a 180 later on. I completely understand where the author was going with her characterization, but it felt almost stereotypical. Girls are giddy and absorbed in the men they love. Personally, if I had to choose between a man and keeping my head and body intact, I’d choose the latter. That is just me, though, and I do admit I see where Tanner was taking it.
My other issue is how certain characters seem to just… fade out. The fog of battle engulfs the cast, and some just get lost in it. That, in combination with a few other details, which you will have to see for yourself, make the ending feel a bit rushed. I will acquiesce that it is only a second installment, and the ending is meant to lead into the next part of the series. I assume it will all be properly addressed in the books to come. Intense action also forces the story to be fast, and seeing it all through Catrin’s perspective will leave out some details, as she won’t know either.
Again, those are subjective thoughts, and I would be foolhardy to let that affect my rating. Linnea Tanner receives another five out of five stars from me, as she has given us another wonderful adventure. I will absolutely be scavenging my local bookstores for the rest of the series. Dagger’s Destiny is a phenomenal read, and I definitely recommend it. Be wary of the trigger warnings, however, as I absolutely was not kidding about this book's intensity.
Happy reading!
******
Dagger's Destiny
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Warning: May contain spoilers for Apollo’s Raven, the previous installment of the Curse of Clansmen and Kings saga by Linnea Tanner
Dagger’s Destiny continues the harrowing tale of forbidden love between Catrin, princess of the Celtic Cantiaci tribe, and Marcellus, son of Roman senator Lucius Antonius and namesake of Mark Antony. As this is a direct sequel to its predecessor, Apollo’s Raven, it will be hard to avoid mentioning critical moments of the first book in a sound review. Dagger’s Destiny picks up where Apollo’s Raven left off almost immediately. There is a short time jump to be presumed, perhaps a few days to maybe a month, but the final events of Apollo’s Raven are still fresh in our protagonists’ minds.
After the botched prisoner exchange between Queen Rhiannon of the Cantiaci and the Romans, Catrin is put on trial for treason against her father for sleeping with the enemy, in this case, Marcellus Antonius. King Amren, believing himself to be a strict and fair king, has to make the choice whether to banish his daughter, a fate worse than death, or behead her and place her skull amongst the rest of his slain enemies. A few facts come to light that skews his judgment. One, as we discover in Apollo’s Raven, his most trusted druidess, Agrona, is actually Rhan, his evil first wife who possessed Agrona while she was a child witnessing Rhan’s own beheading. Two, Catrin's sister, Vala, is still being held by the Romans as a political hostage, and he hopes the lingering love between his daughter and Marcellus will be of some use to free her. Three, Marrock, his traitorous son with a penchant for power and violence, is gathering allies of his own in order to fulfill his late mother's curse. And, finally, Catrin, still connected to the curse, is the only one who can accurately decipher the new prophecy.
King Amren gives her one final chance to redeem herself and regain his trust and love. She must train to be a warrior under Ferrex, the lion-like fighter who harbors a deep love for her, and to forsake her traitorous love. Catrin struggles with her latent feelings for Marcellus and her disownment from her family, all the while being thrown into an unfamiliar world of ancient and dark magic threatening to take her soul.
Dagger's Destiny is exceptionally heavy compared to its predecessor, Apollo's Raven. While the first book had a "Romeo and Juliet" atmosphere with sinister undertones, this installment cracks the world open like an egg. It starts and ends intensely, with only some moments of brevity throughout. This can make the experience stressful if you are one to fully immerse yourself into the world you are reading. It is here that I would like to put in a content warning for the book.
Dagger’s Destiny includes mentions of human and animal sacrifice, gory battles, sexual assault and rape, pedophilia, and death. The tense family dynamics throughout this book may also be a trigger for some readers. As a reviewer, I do feel it is a duty of mine to mention these triggers in hopes it’ll better prepare potential readers. However, this is the extent of my warning to avoid spoilers.
Despite the saga's dark turn, the world is still fascinating and humorous. The characters keep the story grounded and relatable. Adolescent relationships do maintain at the forefront of the story, even with the physical separation between Catrin and Marcellus. Catrin is growing to become a powerful young woman and training to be a leader; every choice she makes is important for her future. The complexity of the characters' interests and motives is finely written. As frustrating as it may be, the familial issues act as a solid core plot.
I would say I have approximately two qualms with the book overall. These are subjective as Tanner has obvious control over the written word, and each chapter is magnificently crafted. I was personally jarred by a weakness in Catrin’s resolution. While, at the start, she appears confident with her decision to forsake men in order to regain her father’s trust, she quickly does a 180 later on. I completely understand where the author was going with her characterization, but it felt almost stereotypical. Girls are giddy and absorbed in the men they love. Personally, if I had to choose between a man and keeping my head and body intact, I’d choose the latter. That is just me, though, and I do admit I see where Tanner was taking it.
My other issue is how certain characters seem to just… fade out. The fog of battle engulfs the cast, and some just get lost in it. That, in combination with a few other details, which you will have to see for yourself, make the ending feel a bit rushed. I will acquiesce that it is only a second installment, and the ending is meant to lead into the next part of the series. I assume it will all be properly addressed in the books to come. Intense action also forces the story to be fast, and seeing it all through Catrin’s perspective will leave out some details, as she won’t know either.
Again, those are subjective thoughts, and I would be foolhardy to let that affect my rating. Linnea Tanner receives another five out of five stars from me, as she has given us another wonderful adventure. I will absolutely be scavenging my local bookstores for the rest of the series. Dagger’s Destiny is a phenomenal read, and I definitely recommend it. Be wary of the trigger warnings, however, as I absolutely was not kidding about this book's intensity.
Happy reading!
******
Dagger's Destiny
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes