The minor noblemen, Geder, uses the power of a mysterious priesthood to take control of Imperial Antea, the most powerful nation in the world. The King's Blood continues the story of Geder, the newly anointed protector of the Crown Prince Aster in the powerful, militaristic nation of Imperial Antea. It is the second book in Daniel Abraham's Dagger and Coin series, and the narrative picks up in the immediate aftermath of The Dragon's Path. In addition to Geder, the story of The King's Blood is told through two additional Point of View Characters: Cithrin, a young girl who grew up as the ward of a banking house and now fraudulently controls her own branch in the Free City of Porte Oliva; and Dawson, an older nobleman in Imperial Antea who originally supported Geder's rise to power, but now questions Geder's allegiance.
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The world of The King's Blood is populated by twelve humanoid races, each of which was created by a race of omnipotent dragons who died out after an ancient war. Of the twelve races, the purely human Firstbloods are by far the most powerful, with that power centered around Geder's nation of Imperial Antea.
At the outset of Geder's story, the old King of Imperial Antea passes away. This death catapults Geder overnight to the most powerful position in the kingdom. Since the Crown Prince Aster is not old enough to succeed his father, Geder becomes Lord Regent of Antea as Aster's protector. He moves with the prince to the capital city of Camnipol. Geder brings with him his mysterious priest, Basrahip, a man with spiders in his blood and the ability to tell truth from lies. Basrahip convinces Geder that he needs to conquer the adjacent nation of Asterilhold and establish more palaces to the spider goddess. Geder, forever indebted to Basrahip's priesthood, agrees.
Geder appoints Dawson to be Lord Marshal of the Asterilhold campaign. With the help of Basrahip, Dawson's army crushes the much smaller nation and Geder brings their nobility before his inquisition in Camnipol. Using Basrahip's truthsense, Geder interrogates the prisoners, executing anyone he determines will be disloyal to himself and Antea. This process includes a death sentence for the King of Asterilhold.
Dawson witnesses the subtle hints that Geder is taking from his priests. He becomes fearful that he has unwittingly installed a religious zealot on the throne of his beloved kingdom. Despite the risk to himself and his family, Dawson begins plotting to assassinate Geder.
In Porte Oliva, Cithrin is frustrated by the new restrictions placed on her operations by the holding company responsible for her bank branch. She is no longer allowed to make any substantive financial decisions, and must run all new business through her overbearing notary. Unable to bear the insult of her notary's supervision, Cithrin departs Porte Oliva for the commercial city of Northcoast where she plans to plead her case to the founder of her bank, Komme Medean.
In Northcoast, Komme Medean recognizes Cithrin's keen instincts. He acknowledges that, even though she founded her bank branch fraudulently, she was doing a fine job managing it before the notary's arrival. Medean decides to send Cithrin on an educational mission to Camnipol alongside one of his most trusted operatives. They arrive at an understanding that if Cithrin follows orders for a few years and studies under some of the older magistrates at other bank branches, she may one day be allowed to retake control of her branch in Porte Oliva.
Back in Camnipol, Dawson makes a violent attempt on Geder's life during a banquet. Basrahip helps Geder survive the attack and escape the palace. While running through the streets of Camnipol with Prince Aster, Geder bumps into the newly arrived Cithrin. Cithrin helps hide Geder in a safehouse until the conspiracy against him is rooted out. During Geder's term of hiding, he and Cithrin have sex--a move that is a calculated political gambit on Cithrin's part, but that sends Geder into an obsession.
Geder uses Basrahip to find all the people responsible for the uprising against him. He captures Dawson and publicly executes him alongside the King of Asterilhold. Cithrin watches the execution and is shocked by Geder's brutality. She takes her information back to the Medean bank. Geder, now more paranoid than ever, begins a formal inquisition of the nobility to root out any trace of disloyalty. His legend grows.
Best part of story, including ending:
The King's Blood is an interesting step forward for the Dagger and Coin series. Cithrin's banking story is still the least interesting part, but she's redeemed in this book as her storyline intersects with Geder's.
Best scene in story:
Geder, insulted publicly by Dawson, brutally hacks the traitor's head off with a blunt sword in front of Cithrin and the majority of the Antean nobility.
Opinion about the main character:
Geder becomes even more dislikable in this book. He's thin-skinned, self-conscious and all powerful--a dangerous combination.
