Review by Brianna_MC_griffin97 -- Dagger's Destiny
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Brianna_MC_griffin97
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Review by Brianna_MC_griffin97 -- Dagger's Destiny
[Following is a volunteer review of "Dagger's Destiny" by Linnea Tanner.]
Catrin, Cantiaci Princess and Celtic spiritual warrior, watches her severely wounded and unconscious father in the illumination of the campfire as he tries to recover from a battle against the Romans. After the king awakens from his slumber, he explains what had happened to him during the bloodbath — Marcellus, Catrin’s forbidden Roman lover, attacked the king, nearly killing him. Bewildered and aggrieved, Catrin does not believe a word her father proclaims. King Amren sees his daughter as a traitor for sleeping with the enemy, and he wants to execute her for treason. However, Catrin is the only one who can alter Rhan’s curse. If Catrin cannot change the course of the curse, the king will meet a horrific demise and his murderous son, Marrock, will take over the kingdom. Betrayed and accused of being a traitor by her people, Princess Catrin is stuck with two impossible choices — stay loyal to her forbidden Roman lover, or betray her true love to win back her father’s trust. Where will her loyalties lie, and which decision will determine her fate?
Dagger’s Destiny is book two in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series, following Apollo’s Raven. Linnea Tanner’s unique writing style, professionalism, and dedicated research give the story an astonishing appeal. The fascinating fantastical elements in the novel are based on mystical powers of heroes and heroines from the Celtic legends of Ireland and Wales. Celtic mythology and traditions are vividly described, such as the fertility rite of the king who must marry a sovereignty goddess to gain abundant crops and livestock. The intriguing mystical experiences mentioned in the text allow readers to be openly minded and to metaphorically escape to an imaginative world full of fantasy. Linnea Tanner is an author who truly knows how to reel readers in with her mesmerizing work. Tanner incorporates significant information into the book to ensure that her readers can comprehend what is happening, such as a map of Britannia, a descriptive list of characters, and an explanatory author’s note. Although this book can be read without reading the first book, it is highly recommended to read the entire series.
The element that I liked the most was the author’s divergent word choice. The figurative language used, such as similes and personification, painted an authentic picture in the mind. An example of a simile is in chapter 17, which states: “The long day finally ended as the clouds flamed like fiery tongues in the western horizon.” I could actually imagine the clouds as flames in the dark sky. It is difficult to choose the precise words that create the perfect image, so I applaud the author for having such a creative imagination and sharing her talent with the world.
The element that I disliked the most was the repetition. I understand that the author wanted to mention significant information again in case readers did not read the first book. However, there were specific statements that were constantly repeated, such as Catrin’s ability to foresee and alter the Future on the Wall of Lives. Besides the repeated information, the story was magnificent.
The novel Dagger’s Destiny deserves a score of 4 out of 4 stars because of the originality that the author portrays throughout the entire book. Since there were only a couple of minor errors, this piece of literature does not deserve a score of 2 or 3 stars. Inappropriate scenes are mentioned, such as decapitating, gutting, and slaughtering of individuals during battles. The story includes borderline and non-borderline profanity, inexplicit sex, rape, and gory details. Readers that get queasy at the mention of blood and graphic details of killings may want to avoid this reading. For those who enjoy reading about forbidden love, historical fantasy, culture, and mystical powers will enjoy reading this book. If readers can ignore the vivacity of bloodshed, they will really enjoy the book.
******
Dagger's Destiny
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Catrin, Cantiaci Princess and Celtic spiritual warrior, watches her severely wounded and unconscious father in the illumination of the campfire as he tries to recover from a battle against the Romans. After the king awakens from his slumber, he explains what had happened to him during the bloodbath — Marcellus, Catrin’s forbidden Roman lover, attacked the king, nearly killing him. Bewildered and aggrieved, Catrin does not believe a word her father proclaims. King Amren sees his daughter as a traitor for sleeping with the enemy, and he wants to execute her for treason. However, Catrin is the only one who can alter Rhan’s curse. If Catrin cannot change the course of the curse, the king will meet a horrific demise and his murderous son, Marrock, will take over the kingdom. Betrayed and accused of being a traitor by her people, Princess Catrin is stuck with two impossible choices — stay loyal to her forbidden Roman lover, or betray her true love to win back her father’s trust. Where will her loyalties lie, and which decision will determine her fate?
Dagger’s Destiny is book two in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series, following Apollo’s Raven. Linnea Tanner’s unique writing style, professionalism, and dedicated research give the story an astonishing appeal. The fascinating fantastical elements in the novel are based on mystical powers of heroes and heroines from the Celtic legends of Ireland and Wales. Celtic mythology and traditions are vividly described, such as the fertility rite of the king who must marry a sovereignty goddess to gain abundant crops and livestock. The intriguing mystical experiences mentioned in the text allow readers to be openly minded and to metaphorically escape to an imaginative world full of fantasy. Linnea Tanner is an author who truly knows how to reel readers in with her mesmerizing work. Tanner incorporates significant information into the book to ensure that her readers can comprehend what is happening, such as a map of Britannia, a descriptive list of characters, and an explanatory author’s note. Although this book can be read without reading the first book, it is highly recommended to read the entire series.
The element that I liked the most was the author’s divergent word choice. The figurative language used, such as similes and personification, painted an authentic picture in the mind. An example of a simile is in chapter 17, which states: “The long day finally ended as the clouds flamed like fiery tongues in the western horizon.” I could actually imagine the clouds as flames in the dark sky. It is difficult to choose the precise words that create the perfect image, so I applaud the author for having such a creative imagination and sharing her talent with the world.
The element that I disliked the most was the repetition. I understand that the author wanted to mention significant information again in case readers did not read the first book. However, there were specific statements that were constantly repeated, such as Catrin’s ability to foresee and alter the Future on the Wall of Lives. Besides the repeated information, the story was magnificent.
The novel Dagger’s Destiny deserves a score of 4 out of 4 stars because of the originality that the author portrays throughout the entire book. Since there were only a couple of minor errors, this piece of literature does not deserve a score of 2 or 3 stars. Inappropriate scenes are mentioned, such as decapitating, gutting, and slaughtering of individuals during battles. The story includes borderline and non-borderline profanity, inexplicit sex, rape, and gory details. Readers that get queasy at the mention of blood and graphic details of killings may want to avoid this reading. For those who enjoy reading about forbidden love, historical fantasy, culture, and mystical powers will enjoy reading this book. If readers can ignore the vivacity of bloodshed, they will really enjoy the book.
******
Dagger's Destiny
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Finding James by Nancy Blaha
