A Dance of Cloaks

A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book i was disappointed. The first few pages of the book didn't deliver the story I was expecting. Then I came to the last page of the Prologue. >>SPOILER<< ["He bowed low as behind him the body of his brother bled out on the floor."] That was when I felt this could actually be good.

The story tells us the backstory of Aaron/Haern from David Dalglish's previous Half-Orc series, one of it's favourite characters, if I've got it right. (I haven't read it.) Obviously this means it's an exiting story for any fan of the H-O-series, and for the writer himself. To quote what Dalglish said about Haern the Watcher (as he was called in H-O) when first approached with the idea of a book about him, "Uh, but I have no idea what his backstory is." Thankfully the story became so independent it works for "newbies" as well.

Right from the beginning you're thrown into Dalglish's world of thieves, assassins, magic and war. Everything feels like it belongs there(which it didn't in A Game of Thrones, the last book I read). Once your in the world it feels like everything is happening. Parallel plots that you don't always knows why they are there, for example I begun to wonder more and more the further I read what Alyssa's part was. Action has a huge part with the fights described in detail. Although Aaron is the main character we see the story through (it feels like) everybody's perspective.

The speed of the story almost makes it feel like reading a fan fiction. (Explanation: fan fiction often have quite short chapters and have to deliver something exiting in every chapter for people to continue reading. A book often have longer chapters and can put more time into descriptions and "normality".) This is both good and bad.
Good: Stuff happens all the time and you never get bored.
Bad: Not as much time given to the characters and some of the professional feeling is lost.
However, I liked this book and will continue with A Dance of Blades as soon as I get it from the book store, aka tomorrow. Can't wait to see how this whole father-son relationship works out!

As the nerdy fantasy reader I am it's always fun to find good authors I haven't read before. And I think I've found one in David Dalglish.