2,5 ( )

It was ok, but I prefer my mass-murdering assassins to be a little less 'the karate kid' and a little more 'the professional'. ( )

I can't do it anymore. This entire series has read like a badly done, butchered Brent Weeks Wannabe. The first book started off with such promise and then sort of halfway through, it sagged into medocrity. (The first book deserves its own review). Every major character is overpowered. Nobody really has a solid tight personality that makes you care about the character, or as soon as they shown any sign of it, they die.

Apparently this whole series is becuase "Hearn had more stories to tell". I have not read his half orc series, and at this rate, I doubt I'll want to. Twenty-five pages into this book and now there are elves to deal with (along with all the other weird god stuff floating around from the last two books) and look, it's somebody just as powerful and as awesome as The Watcher, Hearn. I'm done.

Rarely have I ever started a series, where I either liked the first book, or thought it was ok, and not finished it. This is one of those times. ( )

Well Dalglish topped his previous book A Dance of Blades with this one! He has crafted a stunning plot with the perfect balance between characters, seamlessly switching from one character’s POV to another, building up the tension and storyline with each chapter. And Dalglish makes sure to eliminate characters artfully, putting us on the edge of our seats, waiting to see what will happen to our favorites. He is unafraid to write about the darkness inside of people and the conflictions they face with the choices made each day for the supposed greater good. With this novel we see both sides of the story, good and evil, finding that the line between each isn’t as far away as we would like to believe.
Now for a bit about the plot…confronted with a new character called the Wraith, Haern witnesses firsthand how someone can feel justified when killing to better a city and people. Haern’s guilt from killing wears on not only himself but the reader as well. I know I felt satisfied when witnessing Haern kill members of the Trifect and dole out his own form of punishment, but when perspectives change with a new city, I began questioning his role as a hero. When an author can dive into my head as much as their character’s, you know they are skilled in writing.
I am glad that I continued with this series, despite the hang ups I felt about the first book. ( )

Valdaren is finally enjoying a period of peace albeit an uneasy one thanks to the actions of Haern who is now the King’s Watcher. However, now there’s a vigilante in Angelport copying the Watcher’s style and mark at his kills, implicating Haern. Haern can easily prove his innocence but, after the son of a Trifect member is killed, Alyssa Gemstone convinces him that they, along with her bodyguard Zusa should go and investigate. But they aren’t prepared for the political intrigues, rivalries, and gamesmanship that are the norm for Angelport. The Merchant Lords are battling the Trifect, the elves are killing citizens who are trying to invade the forest, a new and powerful drug has hit the streets, and the Wraith, the vigilante who is copying Haern’s style, may be even more dangerous and skilled than Haern. He is also more realistic and honest about his actions and his motives and he may force Haern to take a long hard look at himself, that is, of course, if he and his friends can survive long enough for reflection.

And it is in the absolute moral decay of Angelport where I found my only objection to the book. There is noone here to root for outside of our three main protagonists. There is seemingly nothing and noone in the town worth saving. There are no lofty motives, no innocents caught in the crossfire, just corruption and greed and even that is on a scale so petty that it is hard to care about the fate of the city and its citizens.

Still, despite this, I have to say I really enjoyed this tale. A Dance of Mirrors is the third installment in author David Dalglish’s Shadowdance series and, if anything, it is perhaps even more violent and more blood soaked than the previous two books. It is also a rollicking good time. For fans of grimdark who prefer their fantasy with more sword than sorcery, this is one addicting series. ( )