The Dragon's Path: Book 1 of The Dagger and the Coin

Der Titel klingt pathetisch, die Story beginnt auch etwas billig mit diesem giftigen Drachenschwertern im Prolog, aber dann liest man sich durchwegs in ein episches Stück "Hochlyrik" des Low-Magic-Fantasy-Genres ein. Die Charaktere sind auf geerdete Weise nachvollziehbarer und scheinen mir etwas komplexer als in Martins ASoIaF, dafür haben sie nicht so diesen gewissen provokativen Entertainment-Faktor. Die Story ähnelt im Aufbau Abercrombies First Law, flutscht aber nicht so, zumal er seinen Figuren eher stoische als süffisante Weltsichten verpasst. Der explizite Verzicht auf Schmutzsprache ist erfrischend (Bsp.:"he said something obscene") und mein Englisch-Wortschatz erfährt wieder eine Erweiterung. Unbedingt Wörterbuch neben hin legen!

J'ai attendu de finir toute la serie (les 5 tomes du The Dagger and the Coin) avant d'écrire ce retour. Je me suis régalé avec ces livres : la petite touche fantaisie, les personnages très riches et évolutif durant les tomes. Abraham nous décrit avec merveille les deux côté d'une guerre : le combat (Dagger) et la banque (Coin). Donc en plus de s'évader on y apprend des choses ! Et petit plus : c'est canon dans son bibliothèque :)

Muy buen principio, lastima que se arruina conforme avanza la serie.

good plot and story so far

This was hugely enjoyable and satisfying read. The Dragon's Path is book one in a completed quintet and if the next four keep up the excellent standard found here, it has the potential to be a classic series. George R R Martin describes this as everything he looks for in fantasy: me too. The world building is rich and varied. The plot is intricate and clicks together well but it's the characters that will stay with you. Multiple point of view structured books are a gamble; because if one character is weak, that chapter will suck the life from the book and destroy the momentum. That's not a problem here. All the characters are fascinating - not necessarily likeable - but fascinating all the same. There are two characters in particular who are simply outstanding creations. First is Geder: a bullied, put upon, bookish but highly intelligent minor noble, he is a revelation. His story arc stunned me in a truly positive way. Next is Cithrin: a young woman who was orphaned and brought up as a ward of the bank. As with Geder, she shows growth albeit in a more subtle and complex way. Both are a marvel. It's also a unique novel in that it uses finance, economics and trade to rationalise and explain characters actions and interactions. If I've made it sound dry, don't worry it's not. Abraham makes it very accessible and it blends seamlessly into the plot as all good exposition should. The magic element is perfectly executed. This review is as spoiler free as possible but the magic is something I haven't seen much of in the genre and it's such a clever thing and has the potential to create intriguing plots. One slight problem was the character of Dawson. As stated above not all the protagonists are likeable and he is absolutely odious. But he's still interesting and that's what counts. It was a brave choice to have chapters based around him but it works. Complex, satisfying and highly recommended. 10/10.