A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance Trilogy, Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

David Dalglish (Author)

Book Description

"I cut off his hand, yet he thanks me for not doing worse. That is the power you must one day command. Let them think every breath of theirs is a gift, not from the gods, but from you."

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Thren Felhorn is the greatest assassin of his time. Marshalling the thieves' guilds under his control, he declares war against the Trifect, an allegiance of wealthy and powerful nobles. His son, Aaron, has been groomed since birth to be his heir. Sent to kill the daughter of a priest, Aaron instead risks his own life to protect her from the wrath of his guild. In doing so, he glimpses a world beyond poison, daggers, and the iron control of his father.

A DANCE OF CLOAKS by David Dalglish
Assassin or protector; every choice has its consequences.

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About the Author:

David Dalglish currently lives in rural Missouri with his wife Samantha, and daughters Morgan and Katherine. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and currently spends his free time watching Spongebob Squarepants with his daughter.

Product Details

• File Size: 940 KB
• Print Length: 388 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1453706011
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Eschaton Press (August 16, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003ZUYP80
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,172 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 73 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A gritty dark fantasy September 28, 2010

By Kyrie

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A Dance of Cloaks is the fourth book I've read by David Dalglish. While I liked his other books a lot, I felt with them that there was something missing to make them 5-star books. That's not the case with A Dance of Cloaks. In this book, he's come into his own and A Dance of Cloaks is an exciting read. I've always said that Dalglish writes some of the best fight scenes I've ever read, and that doesn't change in this book. Added to the mix is plenty of intrigue and a large cast of characters, including some old favorites. The theme of redemption is still laced throughout the book.

If you've read and liked Dalglish's Half-Orc series, you've really got to read this - you'll learn a good bit about the politics of the world and also find out how Haern got his start as well as the Eschatons. A Dance of Cloaks stands fully on its own, though -- don't worry if you haven't read Dalglish's other books; you don't need to in order to dive right in. If you enjoy fantasy, I can't recommend this book enough.

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wild Ride Through a Dark World August 29, 2010

By L.C. Evans VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

In A Dance of Cloaks David Dalglish has created a dark world where life is easily lost and swords and daggers rule. I don't normally read fantasy, but decided to broaden my horizons with this book. I'm glad I did. I don't want to post any spoilers, so I'll simply say the main plot was between a father and son. Thren Felhorn would stop at nothing to bend his son to his will and make him into a heartless assassin and the next ruler of the thieves guilds. Sub-plots involved a variety of other characters vying for money or power. There are also two very different religions struggling to win the people to their respective beliefs.

The action scenes--and there are many--are so well-written that I could easily imagine myself observing as if from a nearby vantage point. But not too nearby--the vivid battle and torture descriptions are not for the squeamish.

The main characters are portrayed with depth and feeling and each is given a story that we follow throughout the book. I especially liked that the women were strong characters and some of them could fight as well as or better than the men.

All the action and conflict lead to a climactic event when Thren Felhorn, ruler of the thieves, attempts to wipe out the opposition and finally take control of everything. Some of the characters live and some die violently, but loose ends are tied up in a dramatic battle that overtakes the city.

Highly recommended.

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Lackluster and violent March 22, 2011

By McBeardsalot

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

So... some background. I'd been away from fantasy for awhile, until I picked up Name of the Wind. It was fantastic, and I devoured it. Then I picked up Lies of Locke Lamora, and I was pretty unimpressed by the first few chapters, but then it grew on me and I loved it. I read its sequel Red Seas under Red Skies next, and loved it just about as much.

When I picked up Dance of Cloaks, I felt the same way about it at first as I did about Lies of Locke Lamora, and I really hoped it would grow on me too. Unfortunately it just never really rang true with me. The plot is difficult to follow for the first few chapters, since every couple of pages tends to introduce a new character. These characters tend to have a great deal of similarity... they're all more or less violent, vengeful, and skilled at some form of combat. Once you have the characters and plotlines sorted out, it's difficult to sympathize with any of them, even (what I believe to be) the main character. The ending was sudden, and I felt like very little had actually been accomplished.

On the positive side, it's not a mentally difficult read. The world and social structure it creates are both fascinating and detailed. It also doesn't have the pretentiousness of a great many of the books that I've read. I genuinely believe that there's a lot of potential here, but it just didn't quite hit the right note for me.

In short, is it a match for Name of the Wind or Lies of Locke Lamora? Not quite, in my mind. Is it better than most similar books out there? Yes indeed.

More About the Author

David Dalglish graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics. When trying to be productive, and stave off returning to working fast food, he writes and self-publishes various fantasy novels, of which he's sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

He also has a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters, with all three being far better than he deserves.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#89 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#96 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#89 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#96 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy