A Dance of Cloaks
(Shadowdance #01)
The first volume of
Dalglish's Shadowdance trilogy, a frenetic masterpiece with growing pains (to
quote the author's modest afterword) that achieved self-published success, has
been substantially revised for this edition.
Its core remains a winning
combination of A Game of Thrones, sword-and-sorcery RPGs, and vivid
description. Aaron, the son of master thief Thren Felhorn, is an
unprepossessing introvert who catches his father&'s attention by stabbing
an intruder—at age eight. Five years later, Aaron is learning the thieving
trade in Veldaren, a city defined by internal war between the thieves' guilds
and the merchants' guilds, with the weak, paranoid king a pawn on the board.
The point of view shifts continually, encompassing bit players and major
characters from every angle of the struggle, and Dalglish handles his cast of
thousands with aplomb. Despite the inevitable quasi-medieval setting, saucy
dagger-wielding maidens, and very convenient magic, this is a fun read.
Dalglish puts familiar pieces together with a freshness and pleasure that are contagious.
No comments:
Post a Comment