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

[kljrox]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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The author transports you on a journey through a fantastical tale with themes of love, honor, duty, betrayal, and destiny. Set in the ancient times of Tiberius, second Roman emperor, this work of fiction blends historic figures, Celtic mythology, and rituals with a story of forbidden love between the great-grandson of Mark Antony and a young Celtic Princess who possesses the mystical powers of the ancient Druids. This is the second book in the Curse of the Clansmen and Kings series.

Catrin is a courageous and impulsive girl of 16 and the youngest daughter of King Armen, King of the Cantiaci in southeastern Britannia. She was thought to be disloyal when she fell in love with a Roman prisoner and helped him escape during a prisoner exchange that injured her father. Now, it is up to her to undo the curse brought to her kingdom by her father when years ago he executed his first queen, a Druid sorceress. As Catrin blossoms into a Celtic spiritual warrior that can merge with her spirit guide, the Raven, she must decide where her loyalty lies when she faces exile from her family and becomes a faithful champion for her kingdom.

Marcellus is the son of a Roman politician who finds himself labeled a traitor for protecting Catrin after she helped him to escape. His father wants to align with Catrin's malicious half-brother, Marrock (a shape-shifting Blood Wolf) to conquer King Armen. He must risk death and defy his father to prevent war between Rome and Cantiaci while attempting to reunite with his true love.

I appreciated the relatability of Catrin’s powers of prophecy that can be used in our own life. For example, when Catrin asked, “Can I reweave my own life thread to change the Future?” and the Raven answered back, “You’ve always had the ability to change the Future by the choices you make.” I believe we all have the ability to alter the future by the choices we make in the present. I love that the author illustrates the strength and social standing of women in Celtic Britain. What I didn't enjoy were the extremely graphic death scenes, although the emotion in them was fundamental for the development of the story. I wouldn’t recommend this for youthful readers because of the violence and there are several erotic scenes and profanity not suitable for children.

I give Dagger’s Destiny by Linnea Tanner 4 out of 4 stars because the author brings to life the characters in this story for me with her descriptive creativity and provides their unique perspective on events developing around them. I found myself spellbound while reading it. She weaves fiction with folklore and history in her narrative writing technique. You can tell the author has performed extensive research and the timeline flow kept everything in chronological order and easy to follow. This book was skillfully edited, and I did not discover any errors in grammar while reading. I would recommend Dagger’s Destiny to anyone who likes historical romance based on Celtic mythology. Following the travels of Catrin as she navigates her spiritual powers and her deep love and devotion to both her father and Marcellus was particularly enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what happens in the 3rd novel of this series.

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Dagger's Destiny
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[Caffrey_19]

It seems this historical fiction is narrated based on the happenings in Rome amongst other locations. I hope the novelist is as creative as the review suggests. Nice work.

[Jackie Holycross]

I’m not a fan of historical fiction or romance, so I will pass, but it sounds well written.

[DBNJ]

Well researched historical fiction surrounding events taken place in Rome. I love authentic and plausible historical fictions and this one fits the bill. Thanks for your informative review!

[kljrox]

Well researched historical fiction surrounding events taken place in Rome. I love authentic and plausible historical fictions and this one fits the bill. Thanks for your informative review!

Thank you for the comment. I felt the author did extensive research on Celtic lore.

[kljrox]

It seems this historical fiction is narrated based on the happenings in Rome amongst other locations. I hope the novelist is as creative as the review suggests. Nice work.

Thank you for the comment. And yes I thought the author was very creative.

[kljrox]

I’m not a fan of historical fiction or romance, so I will pass, but it sounds well written.

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[kingobi]

It seems this historical fiction is narrated based on the happenings in Rome amongst other locations. I hope the novelist is as creative as the review suggests. Nice work.

Good book. I enjoyed every page.