Review by houligan19 -- Dagger's Destiny by Linnea Tanner

[houligan19]

[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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Young lovers Catrin and Marcellus are separated by war, and each stands accused of treason by their respective peoples on opposite sides. Will each survive their harsh accusations and prevent war between their nations?

Princess Catrin’s Roman lover, Marcellus Antonius, returns home to face his father after a secret botched prisoner exchange that will likely lead to war. His father, Senator Lucius Antonius, accuses him of betraying the Romans by saving Catrin’s life. He allows Marcellus to bravely, or foolishly, face King Amren in hopes of evading the war but is expected to end in death.

King Amern also accuses his child, Princess Catrin, of betraying the Cantiaci people at this same prisoner exchange by saving Marcellus’s life. Catrin is banished and forced to train as the King’s guard to regain her father’s love and trust.

While the treasonous children are being dealt with, the real enemy is running wild causing hate and discontent among kingdoms. Wicked spells, shapeshifting, ambush, ferocious animals, slaughter and destruction roam through the lands affecting all those involved in the treachery. Will the Red Wolf succeed in his deceptive plans to start war and take his self-proclaimed place as heir?

I rate Dagger’s Destiny a 4 out of 4. Book Two in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series was even better than the first book. Linnea Tanner brings in even more details from history through this heartbreaking love story set in land cursed and at war.

I enjoyed the details of how the various peoples lived in 24 AD Britannia. From the comforts of the senators in Rome to the farmers of the Cantici Celts. “Ferrex greeted some farmer-warriors equipped with pitchforks, hatchets, and wooden-tipped spears.” You feel their courage in defending themselves while seeing how hopeless their situation must be against the mighty Romans with their interlocking shields.

My favorite aspect of the story was the constant bravery shown by the sixteen year-old Catrin. She has to endure the standard parent issues a teenage girl must, while having the pressure of having her entire kingdom’s well-being riding on her decisions. Even her own father turns on her after she did what she thought was the right thing to do. Through all this she is developing into a strong woman, always true to herself. She is a Druidess gaining skill while still being a fierce Cantiaci Warrior. “How can you call yourselves Romans after this girl showed more fighting instinct than all of you put together.” Here a Roman scolds his men after Catin’s escaping them.

If I had to pick something that I didn’t like, I would said that I was almost disturbed by some of the gorey details of the events in the story. It caught me off guard a little bit because the first book hadn’t been so graphic. These descriptions pulled me more into the story once I was aware how much detail the author would be providing.

I would recommend this book to a variety of readers. It is a well put together story with aspects of romance, action, history, mythology and fantasy. While this book would be good on its own, I would recommend reading the first book in the series. I also look forward to reading the next book. I would not recomened this book for young readers due to violence, sex, and inappropriate language.

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Dagger's Destiny
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[Ashley-Osuna]

I love a good book that mixed romance and fantasy so this seems like a great fit for me! I enjoyed reading your review, thank you!

[houligan19]

Thank you, I hope you find the time for it as well!