A Dance of Mirrors

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.