Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Orbit (2013), 565 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:"Just plain awesome" � Brandon Sanderson Civil unrest cripples the citizens of Adro in the aftermath of the revolution that obliterated the monarchy. Now, Field Marshal Tamas and his lieutenants must confront the true cost of freedom in book one of the Powder Mage Trilogy. It's a bloody business overthrowing a king. . . Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces. It's up to a few. . . Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail. But when gods are involved. . . Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should. . . Winner of the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut Fantasy.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member pwaites
Trigger warning for attempted rape
Promise of Blood started off well but never lived up to my expectations. The pacing and action were pretty good, and the world building was alright. However, Promise of Blood has a serious problem: the characters.
Let me back up and explain what this book is
The world building was functional. I liked that the technology was a bit more current (well, if 1800ish is current) than most fantasy novels. However, I don’t think the magic system was really worth naming the series after. There’s three main sorts of magic systems – the super powerful magic used by sorcerers (never clearly defined what exactly they can do); the knacked, who have one skill that’s probably not worth a lot; and the powder mages who snort gunpowder and then can… push bullets with their minds, sense gunpowder and make it explode, plus get increased strength and endurance? Saying it like that makes it sound like it could be interesting in theory, but it’s really not. Maybe it’s just not explored well?
For the most part, the book alternates between three main characters (there’s a fourth who gets a few scenes that I’ll talk about later): the aforementioned Tamas; his son Taniel, a solider; and Adamat, a retired police inspector who Tamas is having investigate the mysterious words. Eventually I realized that these three leads have no distinguishing personality characteristics. Their voices sound exactly the same. Thank goodness they were never all in the same scene or I might have gotten really confused.
If you haven’t guessed from the “all three of the main characters are men,” this book contained very little in the way of female characters or really diversity of any kind. It’s overwhelmingly straight, white and male; there’s an x-ray function on my ebook that lets me see how many time each character is mentioned – eight out of the top ten most frequently mentioned characters are straight white men. (Spoiler!) Oh, and the one black guy gets shot in the head (End spoiler!). The most mentioned female character was this mysterious magical mute girl who honestly wasn’t that important and didn’t have much of a presence. The most important female character was the villainess.
Nila, a laundress, got about four total POV sections. Maybe she’ll become important later in the series, but she was not important in Promise of Blood. One of her first scenes was the attempted rape scene, which was stopped by her eventual love interest. Given that he’s in the book much more than she is, I feel like the scene was included to tell us what a wonderful guy he is, which I find irritating.
There’s more I could say about this book and gender dynamics, but I don’t want to go on to long. Moving on to something more positive, I liked the plotting and pacing. I liked the unfolding of mysteries, the involvement of the gods and religion, and the action scenes. The plot’s fairly engaging.
Unfortunately, eventually other things about the book bothered me enough that I enjoyed it less and less as I went on. If only the three leads had been at all distinguishable or the female characters had more to do, this would have been a book I enjoyed a lot more. I like the idea of a plot inspired by the French Revolution, but I wouldn’t recommend Promise of Blood if you at all care about female characters.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Promise of Blood started off well but never lived up to my expectations. The pacing and action were pretty good, and the world building was alright. However, Promise of Blood has a serious problem: the characters.
Let me back up and explain what this book is
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actually about. There’s a nation that has been ruled by a single line of monarchs for as long as anyone can remember… until a military leader named Tamas kills the king and ushers in a new regime. It’s reminiscent of the French Revolution, particularly given the changing technologies of the time, the staving peasants, and the corrupt court. However, as each royal mage is killed, they speak the same mysterious words. If the revolution weren’t enough, the gods themselves may be involved.The world building was functional. I liked that the technology was a bit more current (well, if 1800ish is current) than most fantasy novels. However, I don’t think the magic system was really worth naming the series after. There’s three main sorts of magic systems – the super powerful magic used by sorcerers (never clearly defined what exactly they can do); the knacked, who have one skill that’s probably not worth a lot; and the powder mages who snort gunpowder and then can… push bullets with their minds, sense gunpowder and make it explode, plus get increased strength and endurance? Saying it like that makes it sound like it could be interesting in theory, but it’s really not. Maybe it’s just not explored well?
For the most part, the book alternates between three main characters (there’s a fourth who gets a few scenes that I’ll talk about later): the aforementioned Tamas; his son Taniel, a solider; and Adamat, a retired police inspector who Tamas is having investigate the mysterious words. Eventually I realized that these three leads have no distinguishing personality characteristics. Their voices sound exactly the same. Thank goodness they were never all in the same scene or I might have gotten really confused.
If you haven’t guessed from the “all three of the main characters are men,” this book contained very little in the way of female characters or really diversity of any kind. It’s overwhelmingly straight, white and male; there’s an x-ray function on my ebook that lets me see how many time each character is mentioned – eight out of the top ten most frequently mentioned characters are straight white men. (Spoiler!) Oh, and the one black guy gets shot in the head (End spoiler!). The most mentioned female character was this mysterious magical mute girl who honestly wasn’t that important and didn’t have much of a presence. The most important female character was the villainess.
Nila, a laundress, got about four total POV sections. Maybe she’ll become important later in the series, but she was not important in Promise of Blood. One of her first scenes was the attempted rape scene, which was stopped by her eventual love interest. Given that he’s in the book much more than she is, I feel like the scene was included to tell us what a wonderful guy he is, which I find irritating.
There’s more I could say about this book and gender dynamics, but I don’t want to go on to long. Moving on to something more positive, I liked the plotting and pacing. I liked the unfolding of mysteries, the involvement of the gods and religion, and the action scenes. The plot’s fairly engaging.
Unfortunately, eventually other things about the book bothered me enough that I enjoyed it less and less as I went on. If only the three leads had been at all distinguishable or the female characters had more to do, this would have been a book I enjoyed a lot more. I like the idea of a plot inspired by the French Revolution, but I wouldn’t recommend Promise of Blood if you at all care about female characters.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
I enjoyed this quite a bit. In McClellan's world, there are what we would call conventional mages or sorcerors, usually known as Privileged and then there are powder mages - people who consume gunpowder to get mage-like abilities. There are also people with specific magical talents, known as
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Knacks. The magic system is reasonable and this is packed with action. I liked the characters and the writing enough that I'll continue with the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Worried about the direction his country is heading, Tamas stages a coup. This sets off a series of unforeseen events, not the least of which is angering a god. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea…
Opening Sentence: Adamat wore his coat tight, top
The Review:
I tend to prefer books that have a female lead, so I put off reading this book for a while when I saw the lead was male. I wish I had read this a long time ago! It was simply awesome! It grabbed my attention from the first page, and I had a hard time putting it down. It’s very well written, with amazing world building and strong characters. Definitely worth a read!
In this world that McClellan has built, there are basically three types of mages: Powder mages, the Privileged, and the Knacked. Powder mages can control gun powder in all its forms, which means they can direct bullets after firing them from guns, or even explode the bullets in their opponents’ guns. The Privileged are what I typically think of when I think of mages: those with the power of the elements at their fingertips. The Knacked are normal in every way, except they have one special ability, unique to each Knacked. One of the side characters in this book, Olem, for example, doesn’t need to sleep, ever, which comes in handy in his position as a bodyguard.
Let’s look at our main characters. Tamas is the leader of the powder mages. As the book begins, he has just staged a coup, killing the king’s guards and taking the king hostage, declaring the age of kings to be at an end. Tamas doesn’t want to rule the country, but wants to make it a better land than it is under the rule of the current king. Staging this coup, however, has unforeseen consequences, triggering war with another land, as well as the anger of a god. Tamas is a very interesting main character. Taken at face value, he seems to be very harsh, but when you look at his actions towards those close to him, you can see that there is a caring man underneath his hard exterior. While he doesn’t necessarily come off as likeable, I still felt connected to him, especially at emotional parts of the story.
Next, we have Taniel, Tamas’ son. Taniel is also a powder mage, nursing a growing addiction to gunpowder, the effects of which help sharpen powder mages’ senses when they’re fighting. When we meet Taniel, he’s had a rough time of it, recently having found his fiancée in bed with another man. He’s tasked with chasing down the Privileged responsible for killing some of Tamas’ men during the coup. This proves harder than it sounds, as the Privileged leads Taniel on a merry chase. As a character, Taniel is similar to his father, in that he comes off as very harsh at first. As the story goes on though, Taniel begins to seem more human, and the scenes from his point of view quickly became my favorites.
Our last main character is Adamat, an inspector. We meet him at the very beginning of the novel. Tamas gives him the task of investigating the meaning behind the last words of every Privileged killed during the coup: “You cannot break Kresimir’s Promise.” While investigating, Adamat’s loyalties soon become divided when his family is threatened. Adamat is probably the most human of our main characters. His feelings are right on the surface, and it’s interesting to watch him as he struggles with his loyalty to Tamas versus his desire to rescue his family. I often found myself talking to Adamat in my head when he would make certain decisions, trying to get him to somehow listen to me. If that’s not the sign of a good book, I don’t know what is.
Overall, I honestly have nothing negative to say about this novel. Unlike a lot of long books, there was not one moment that dragged for me. I never felt lost or confused. I was completely caught up, from beginning to end. Fantasy lovers need to do themselves a favor and check out this book.
Notable Scene:
Manhouch gathered his strength and matched Tamas’s gaze. “You have no evidence! No witnesses! This is not a trial.”
Tamas flung his hand out to the side. “My evidence is out there! The people are unemployed and starving. Your nobles whore and hunt and fill their plates with meat and their glasses with wine while the common man starves in the gutter. Witnesses? You plan on signing the entire country over to the Kez next week with the Accords. You would make us all vassals to a foreign power simply to dissolve your debt.”
“Baseless claims, spoken by a traitor,” Manhouch whispered weakly.
Tamas shook his head. “You will be executed at noon along with your councillors, your queen, and many hundreds of your relatives.”
“My cabal will destroy you!”
“They’ve already been executed.”
The king paled further and began to shake violently, collapsing to the floor. The Diocel slowly made his way forward. Tamas looked down on Manhouch for a moment and pushed aside the unbidden image of a young prince, perhaps six or seven, bouncing on his knee. The Diocel reached Manhouch’s side and knelt. He looked up at Tamas. “Is this because of your wife?”
Yes. Tamas said aloud, “No. It’s because Manhouch has proved that the lives of an entire nation shouldn’t be subject to the whims of a single inbred fool.”
“You would dethrone a God-sanctioned ruler and become a tyrant, and still claim to love Adro?” the Diocel said.
Tamas glanced at Manhouch. “God no longer sanctions this. If you weren’t so blinded by your gold-lined robes and young concubines, you’d see it is so. Manhouch deserves the pit for his neglect of Adro.”
“You’ll surely see him there,” the Diocel said.
“I don’t doubt it, Diocel. I’m sure the company will be anything but dull.” Tamas dropped the empty pistol at Manhouch’s feet. “You have until noon to make your peace with God.”
FTC Advisory: Orbit provided me with a copy of Promise of Blood. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Worried about the direction his country is heading, Tamas stages a coup. This sets off a series of unforeseen events, not the least of which is angering a god. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea…
Opening Sentence: Adamat wore his coat tight, top
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buttons fastened against a wet night air that seemed to want to drown him.The Review:
I tend to prefer books that have a female lead, so I put off reading this book for a while when I saw the lead was male. I wish I had read this a long time ago! It was simply awesome! It grabbed my attention from the first page, and I had a hard time putting it down. It’s very well written, with amazing world building and strong characters. Definitely worth a read!
In this world that McClellan has built, there are basically three types of mages: Powder mages, the Privileged, and the Knacked. Powder mages can control gun powder in all its forms, which means they can direct bullets after firing them from guns, or even explode the bullets in their opponents’ guns. The Privileged are what I typically think of when I think of mages: those with the power of the elements at their fingertips. The Knacked are normal in every way, except they have one special ability, unique to each Knacked. One of the side characters in this book, Olem, for example, doesn’t need to sleep, ever, which comes in handy in his position as a bodyguard.
Let’s look at our main characters. Tamas is the leader of the powder mages. As the book begins, he has just staged a coup, killing the king’s guards and taking the king hostage, declaring the age of kings to be at an end. Tamas doesn’t want to rule the country, but wants to make it a better land than it is under the rule of the current king. Staging this coup, however, has unforeseen consequences, triggering war with another land, as well as the anger of a god. Tamas is a very interesting main character. Taken at face value, he seems to be very harsh, but when you look at his actions towards those close to him, you can see that there is a caring man underneath his hard exterior. While he doesn’t necessarily come off as likeable, I still felt connected to him, especially at emotional parts of the story.
Next, we have Taniel, Tamas’ son. Taniel is also a powder mage, nursing a growing addiction to gunpowder, the effects of which help sharpen powder mages’ senses when they’re fighting. When we meet Taniel, he’s had a rough time of it, recently having found his fiancée in bed with another man. He’s tasked with chasing down the Privileged responsible for killing some of Tamas’ men during the coup. This proves harder than it sounds, as the Privileged leads Taniel on a merry chase. As a character, Taniel is similar to his father, in that he comes off as very harsh at first. As the story goes on though, Taniel begins to seem more human, and the scenes from his point of view quickly became my favorites.
Our last main character is Adamat, an inspector. We meet him at the very beginning of the novel. Tamas gives him the task of investigating the meaning behind the last words of every Privileged killed during the coup: “You cannot break Kresimir’s Promise.” While investigating, Adamat’s loyalties soon become divided when his family is threatened. Adamat is probably the most human of our main characters. His feelings are right on the surface, and it’s interesting to watch him as he struggles with his loyalty to Tamas versus his desire to rescue his family. I often found myself talking to Adamat in my head when he would make certain decisions, trying to get him to somehow listen to me. If that’s not the sign of a good book, I don’t know what is.
Overall, I honestly have nothing negative to say about this novel. Unlike a lot of long books, there was not one moment that dragged for me. I never felt lost or confused. I was completely caught up, from beginning to end. Fantasy lovers need to do themselves a favor and check out this book.
Notable Scene:
Manhouch gathered his strength and matched Tamas’s gaze. “You have no evidence! No witnesses! This is not a trial.”
Tamas flung his hand out to the side. “My evidence is out there! The people are unemployed and starving. Your nobles whore and hunt and fill their plates with meat and their glasses with wine while the common man starves in the gutter. Witnesses? You plan on signing the entire country over to the Kez next week with the Accords. You would make us all vassals to a foreign power simply to dissolve your debt.”
“Baseless claims, spoken by a traitor,” Manhouch whispered weakly.
Tamas shook his head. “You will be executed at noon along with your councillors, your queen, and many hundreds of your relatives.”
“My cabal will destroy you!”
“They’ve already been executed.”
The king paled further and began to shake violently, collapsing to the floor. The Diocel slowly made his way forward. Tamas looked down on Manhouch for a moment and pushed aside the unbidden image of a young prince, perhaps six or seven, bouncing on his knee. The Diocel reached Manhouch’s side and knelt. He looked up at Tamas. “Is this because of your wife?”
Yes. Tamas said aloud, “No. It’s because Manhouch has proved that the lives of an entire nation shouldn’t be subject to the whims of a single inbred fool.”
“You would dethrone a God-sanctioned ruler and become a tyrant, and still claim to love Adro?” the Diocel said.
Tamas glanced at Manhouch. “God no longer sanctions this. If you weren’t so blinded by your gold-lined robes and young concubines, you’d see it is so. Manhouch deserves the pit for his neglect of Adro.”
“You’ll surely see him there,” the Diocel said.
“I don’t doubt it, Diocel. I’m sure the company will be anything but dull.” Tamas dropped the empty pistol at Manhouch’s feet. “You have until noon to make your peace with God.”
FTC Advisory: Orbit provided me with a copy of Promise of Blood. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
With a few exceptions, I'm fairly burned out on epic fantasies at this point. This series is a new exception. McClellan has created a gripping, fresh "flintlock fantasy" world based on roughly the year 1800 on Earth. There's gunpowder-based magic, intrigue, politics, dead gods, and an insane chef
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who just might be a living god. The cast of characters is diverse but easy to follow. This is a series to follow. Show Less
LibraryThing member Molecular
A Very Imaginative and Compelling Story
One of the reasons I tried this book was because it ended up on so many Top of 2013 Shortlists. To say that I am pleased by doing this, is an understatement. Mr. McClellan has a very distinctive voice, which he uses to build a world where magic and gunpowder
The story was well crafted, using intricate plotting, that had so many surprising developments that I just knew to expect surprises and that I could stop solving things on my own and just hold on for the wild ride.
The characterization in the book is quite wonderful. We don't get a lot of physical description of characters in the book - in fact most characters get barely described by their hair and their skin tone, their age and their body size. The author may even say what the character is wearing. After that, all you get is the name, unless there are injuries, or major functional clothes changes.
Emotionally and functionally we get to know the characters to some depth - both primary and secondary characters. This book has a very large cast of characters, so to do that, we are talking on the order of slightly under GRRM or Erikson cast of characters. This is a huge feat. The characters are all morally complex. There were times in the story I found myself wanting to yell at some of them, to give them some advice. or a backbone. You won't find anyone in the book who is obviously good or obviously evil. Even the criminals are just human beings who made different choices. In Brian's world, there all the people are interesting.
After I finished reading, I realized that I just completely got sucked into a story with swords and GUNS? Now, don't get me wrong, if I could shoot as well as a Powder Mage, I would do it in a heartbeat, but the two technologies were centuries apart in metallurgy. I guess it could be the time when the two overlapped, and this is fantasy after all, so I will cease and desist.
All in all, the story grabs you by the hand and throws you down the rabbit hole to Brian's World, where Powder Mages, God's, and Privileged Sorcerers fight it out with soldiers, criminals, assassins, prize fighters, chefs, church officials, university staff and mercenaries. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thumping good read. This one has it all: plot, pacing, characterization, imagery, worldbuilding, ending, the distinctive style and voice. There is nothing derivative here, just pure Brian's World. Read it at your pleasure. My advice is to buy it now!
Thank You Brian for the sheer pleasure of reading your story. I enjoyed immensely!
One of the reasons I tried this book was because it ended up on so many Top of 2013 Shortlists. To say that I am pleased by doing this, is an understatement. Mr. McClellan has a very distinctive voice, which he uses to build a world where magic and gunpowder
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are king and queen in a full-blown, no holds barred, fight to the death type war, where you aren't even sure who is on whose side. Political thriller? Yes! Action Adventure? Yes! Gritty Fantasy? Yes! War Story? Yes! It is all these things, and the reason that I gave it 5 stars is it does all these things well.The story was well crafted, using intricate plotting, that had so many surprising developments that I just knew to expect surprises and that I could stop solving things on my own and just hold on for the wild ride.
The characterization in the book is quite wonderful. We don't get a lot of physical description of characters in the book - in fact most characters get barely described by their hair and their skin tone, their age and their body size. The author may even say what the character is wearing. After that, all you get is the name, unless there are injuries, or major functional clothes changes.
Emotionally and functionally we get to know the characters to some depth - both primary and secondary characters. This book has a very large cast of characters, so to do that, we are talking on the order of slightly under GRRM or Erikson cast of characters. This is a huge feat. The characters are all morally complex. There were times in the story I found myself wanting to yell at some of them, to give them some advice. or a backbone. You won't find anyone in the book who is obviously good or obviously evil. Even the criminals are just human beings who made different choices. In Brian's world, there all the people are interesting.
After I finished reading, I realized that I just completely got sucked into a story with swords and GUNS? Now, don't get me wrong, if I could shoot as well as a Powder Mage, I would do it in a heartbeat, but the two technologies were centuries apart in metallurgy. I guess it could be the time when the two overlapped, and this is fantasy after all, so I will cease and desist.
All in all, the story grabs you by the hand and throws you down the rabbit hole to Brian's World, where Powder Mages, God's, and Privileged Sorcerers fight it out with soldiers, criminals, assassins, prize fighters, chefs, church officials, university staff and mercenaries. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thumping good read. This one has it all: plot, pacing, characterization, imagery, worldbuilding, ending, the distinctive style and voice. There is nothing derivative here, just pure Brian's World. Read it at your pleasure. My advice is to buy it now!
Thank You Brian for the sheer pleasure of reading your story. I enjoyed immensely!
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LibraryThing member amusing.nickname
Read it in two sittings... It was just so.. full! So much going on, so many diffent pov.. it was like les mis on crack! uprisings to kill of the nobility, magic, chef gods, war, shooting bullets without guns, gun powder snorting addicts... nothing was ever certain.. and the kicker, the next book is
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going to keep throwing it in loops.. can't wait. Show Less
LibraryThing member NineLarks
This is the age of kings and monarchy, where the rich throw lavish parties in the midst of poverty. And then Tamas, the field marshal, staged a coup and guillotined all the nobility until the streets ran with blood. But there is more than the throne and power of the city at stake because there are
I have to give this two stars because after 300 pages, I decided it wasn't worth it anymore. I can see how people can really get into this book, but for me, most of it was just going through the motions. I was reading to finish the book, not to see what happened to the characters or because I liked the world or anybody in the book.
I think it's because I don't really care about any of the characters. Tamas is a field marshal, burning with revenge, but still cool headed enough to foresee the necessities of the city in the middle of a coup. Tanis Two Shot is his son, forever waiting for his fathers approval while still the most talented Powder Mage of his years. Adamat is a researcher with a Knack that he never forgets a single detail who is charged to find the meaning of Kresimir's Promise and to find traitors. But I just find myself not really invested in any of these main characters. They are just.... Doing stuff. The most interesting ones are the women, and they are shunted to the side. I'd love to know more about Pole and the escaped Privilege.
Another problem with the book is that there is no clear plot. Essentially, it's just about those three men doing their duties as soldiers and such in this time of change and trouble. But there's not a central goal. It's all over the place and it's like there is no rising action. Just a ton of background information to set the scene. But mind you, I've read 300 pages of this book. That's 50%. So if there still feels like not rising action, there's kind of a problem.
I could finish if I were more bored. But I'm not. So this is going into the unfinished pile.
Two stars. I don't think I would recommend this book.
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strange murmurs of a broken promise. Kresimir's Promise. And it seems like gods are soon to be playing in this game. I have to give this two stars because after 300 pages, I decided it wasn't worth it anymore. I can see how people can really get into this book, but for me, most of it was just going through the motions. I was reading to finish the book, not to see what happened to the characters or because I liked the world or anybody in the book.
I think it's because I don't really care about any of the characters. Tamas is a field marshal, burning with revenge, but still cool headed enough to foresee the necessities of the city in the middle of a coup. Tanis Two Shot is his son, forever waiting for his fathers approval while still the most talented Powder Mage of his years. Adamat is a researcher with a Knack that he never forgets a single detail who is charged to find the meaning of Kresimir's Promise and to find traitors. But I just find myself not really invested in any of these main characters. They are just.... Doing stuff. The most interesting ones are the women, and they are shunted to the side. I'd love to know more about Pole and the escaped Privilege.
Another problem with the book is that there is no clear plot. Essentially, it's just about those three men doing their duties as soldiers and such in this time of change and trouble. But there's not a central goal. It's all over the place and it's like there is no rising action. Just a ton of background information to set the scene. But mind you, I've read 300 pages of this book. That's 50%. So if there still feels like not rising action, there's kind of a problem.
I could finish if I were more bored. But I'm not. So this is going into the unfinished pile.
Two stars. I don't think I would recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member ConalO
First impression after just finshing this novel by Brian McClellan was "what a fun read". Anyone who is a fan of epic fantasy needs to pick this one up.
For those who enjoy this genre, you pretty much know what to expect when you start reading a new epic fantasy series, action, intrigue and lots of
5 stars for one of the best original stories I have read in some time. All fantasy fans are going to want to read this one.
For those who enjoy this genre, you pretty much know what to expect when you start reading a new epic fantasy series, action, intrigue and lots of
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battles in a good vs. evil type of story. Brian McClellan has included all of that in the Powder Mage series but he doesn't stop there, powerful sorcerers (Privileged), Powder Mages with power over (and from) gunpowder (Marked) and others with many different individual powers (Knacked). Throw in rifles, pistols and the odd assorted God and you have the beginning of a new type of epic fantasy that I might call "weapons and wizardy". Great world building and interesting characters that will keep you entralled all the way through and wanting more. 5 stars for one of the best original stories I have read in some time. All fantasy fans are going to want to read this one.
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LibraryThing member stefferoo
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Promise of Blood from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. So, here's the bare truth of it: I think I only got about a chapter and a half in before I felt the need to go out and buy a copy of my very own. From the intro alone, I
About the book:
You have to understand, I love stories that begin by thrusting you into the thick of things, which was why I was completely smitten with Promise of Blood right from the start. The book is aptly named, because it begins with blood, and lots of it. The kingdom of Adro has been badly run for years, and the king has decided to settle its debts by practically selling his people's freedom to the neighboring nation of Kez. Furious with the decision, Field Marshal Tamas leads a coup to take the throne, rounding up the king and all the influential nobles of the land for the guillotine. The mass executions that follow last for days.
But no revolution happens without serious repercussions. During his takeover, Tamas also wipes out the king's entire royal cabal of Privileged, a group of sorcerers who are loyal to the monarchy. They are also bitter rivals of the Marked, also known as the powder mages, the order to which Tamas himself belongs. To a one, the words on the dying lips of every Privileged was the same: "You can't break Kresmir's Promise." Invoking Kresimir, the name of the one god of the Nine Nations, is an ill omen perhaps, but it could mean something more. Though not a superstitious or overly religious man, Tamas nonetheless hires the services of retired police inspector Adamat to investigate these mysterious last words.
His troubles do not end here. An assassination attempt not long after the coup makes Tamas realize that one of his co-conspirators has betrayed him. Furthermore, relations with King Ipille of Kez are still shaky. Tamas' estranged son Taniel, also a powerful powder mage in his own right, is disturbed when he discovers Ipille's army at their door, preparing for war. The question is, is the Kez simply taking advantage of the political turmoil in Adro to invade? Or is this a sign of something bigger, more sinister, and much, much worse?
My thoughts:
As you can see, Promise of Blood encompasses an epic scope of events, including war, politics, and religion amongst other things. It is a complex, well-constructed and thought-out world, with every aspect of life considered, which really helped to immerse me into the story. The setting is reminiscent of late 18th-century France, thanks to the image of the uniform on the cover as well as the book's theme of revolution and the symbol of the guillotine. The industrial age is in full swing, with talk of steam-powered printing presses (when they're not exploding for our hapless characters) and other technologies associated with the era. This setting and its ambiance alone sets the book apart for me, makes it special and something else.
At the same time, I felt really comfortable reading this. There are a lot of original ideas in the book, but also a familiarity to them that made me feel right at home. In a way, it was like reading an amalgamation of some of my favorite epic fantasies: a magic system that's as creative as anything by Brandon Sanderson, backstabbing and political scheming that reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire, and a religion with gods that bring to mind Jacqueline Carey and her Kushiel books. All of these can potentially be built upon and filled out a little more, of course, which I'm sure will be throughout the course of the Powder Mage trilogy, but I'm also intrigued and quite happy with what's been established for now.
The magic system could definitely do with a little more praise from me, though. Here, Sanderson's influence is really apparent, which is not surprising given how Brian McClellan is a former student of his. The world of Promise of Blood is home to many types of magic users, not the least are the Marked, powder mages who ingest or snort black powder into their system to reach a state called "powder trance", giving them greater strength, sharper senses, and enabling them to do things like ignite nearby sources of powder or guide bullets to their targets. Then there are the Privileged, who are more your traditional of type mages, manipulating the elements to hurl fireballs and create shields, etc. Then there are the Knacked, who are only in possession of a single "talent", but are able to do that one thing really, REALLY well.
Characters who are Marked, Privileged, and Knacked alike are central to the book's story, since so often their abilities are the main driving force. I find that powder mage sorcery is explained pretty well, but wish there were more details provided for the other classes of magic users too. What's up with those white gloves with the red and gold runes the Privileged wear, for example, and why exactly do they have to wear them in order to do magic? Knacked magic is also somewhat unclear, as despite their having only one talent, what I read makes it seem like anything might be possible with them.
I feel a similar way about the character development. Some, like Tamas, are written really well. He's a completely fleshed-out and multilayered person, at various times making it difficult for me to make up my mind about him. Some of his decisions, like the coup, are motivated by his well-intentioned desires to do right by the Adran people, but I also have to question how much of him is driven by raw emotion and pure hatred for the Kez, especially at the beginning. In the aftermath of all the executions, I admit I did wonder for a brief moment if the author is setting Tamas up to become a misguided villain. Getting to know his character was one helluva ride.
However, my favorite character had to be Adamat. His role in the book provided a bit of mystery to the story, and I always looked forward to returning to his sections. I thought his character and others were given varying degrees of attention when it comes to development, though. I felt more connected to many of them towards the beginning of the novel, only to find myself questioning more and more their perspectives as I progressed. For example, one blackmailed character went on with his work seemingly clearheaded enough, even when presented with the severed finger of his son, while I imagine a family man like him would probably be freaking out like any parent, or at least be feeling a bit more distracted.
Also, the female presence in this book could have been more efficiently presented. A story not having enough of a female perspective isn't actually something I mind, quite honestly not something that would normally occur to me at all, and I probably wouldn't even have noticed here if not for Nila, the royalist laundress who gets caught up in the consequences of the coup. Nila's character is introduced early on in the beginning, but her sections come up sporadically, and once she disappeared for so long that it took me a while to remember who she was. I'm hoping I'll get to see more of her in the second book. Same goes for other female characters like Vlora and Ko-poel, both of whom I found very interesting but underutilized and deserving of more focus.
I want to point that out that none of these weaker points were major enough to take away from my overall enjoyment, though. As with a lot of debut novels, there's a certain raw quality to the writing and storytelling, which becomes slightly more noticeable in the later stages of the book, but it didn't really bother me at all -- mainly because I was so enraptured by the magic and the plot. A lot of great fantasy books have been written over the years, and despite being new on the scene, Brian McClellan has definitely written a novel that can stand on the shelf next to any of them.
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just knew I had to own this book and add it to my personal fantasy library, and even now that I'm done, I do not regret that decision one bit! While it is true that the novel is not without its flaws, it is nonetheless an amazingly solid debut. Mark my words, I have a feeling that Brian McClellan is going to be a new author to watch.About the book:
You have to understand, I love stories that begin by thrusting you into the thick of things, which was why I was completely smitten with Promise of Blood right from the start. The book is aptly named, because it begins with blood, and lots of it. The kingdom of Adro has been badly run for years, and the king has decided to settle its debts by practically selling his people's freedom to the neighboring nation of Kez. Furious with the decision, Field Marshal Tamas leads a coup to take the throne, rounding up the king and all the influential nobles of the land for the guillotine. The mass executions that follow last for days.
But no revolution happens without serious repercussions. During his takeover, Tamas also wipes out the king's entire royal cabal of Privileged, a group of sorcerers who are loyal to the monarchy. They are also bitter rivals of the Marked, also known as the powder mages, the order to which Tamas himself belongs. To a one, the words on the dying lips of every Privileged was the same: "You can't break Kresmir's Promise." Invoking Kresimir, the name of the one god of the Nine Nations, is an ill omen perhaps, but it could mean something more. Though not a superstitious or overly religious man, Tamas nonetheless hires the services of retired police inspector Adamat to investigate these mysterious last words.
His troubles do not end here. An assassination attempt not long after the coup makes Tamas realize that one of his co-conspirators has betrayed him. Furthermore, relations with King Ipille of Kez are still shaky. Tamas' estranged son Taniel, also a powerful powder mage in his own right, is disturbed when he discovers Ipille's army at their door, preparing for war. The question is, is the Kez simply taking advantage of the political turmoil in Adro to invade? Or is this a sign of something bigger, more sinister, and much, much worse?
My thoughts:
As you can see, Promise of Blood encompasses an epic scope of events, including war, politics, and religion amongst other things. It is a complex, well-constructed and thought-out world, with every aspect of life considered, which really helped to immerse me into the story. The setting is reminiscent of late 18th-century France, thanks to the image of the uniform on the cover as well as the book's theme of revolution and the symbol of the guillotine. The industrial age is in full swing, with talk of steam-powered printing presses (when they're not exploding for our hapless characters) and other technologies associated with the era. This setting and its ambiance alone sets the book apart for me, makes it special and something else.
At the same time, I felt really comfortable reading this. There are a lot of original ideas in the book, but also a familiarity to them that made me feel right at home. In a way, it was like reading an amalgamation of some of my favorite epic fantasies: a magic system that's as creative as anything by Brandon Sanderson, backstabbing and political scheming that reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire, and a religion with gods that bring to mind Jacqueline Carey and her Kushiel books. All of these can potentially be built upon and filled out a little more, of course, which I'm sure will be throughout the course of the Powder Mage trilogy, but I'm also intrigued and quite happy with what's been established for now.
The magic system could definitely do with a little more praise from me, though. Here, Sanderson's influence is really apparent, which is not surprising given how Brian McClellan is a former student of his. The world of Promise of Blood is home to many types of magic users, not the least are the Marked, powder mages who ingest or snort black powder into their system to reach a state called "powder trance", giving them greater strength, sharper senses, and enabling them to do things like ignite nearby sources of powder or guide bullets to their targets. Then there are the Privileged, who are more your traditional of type mages, manipulating the elements to hurl fireballs and create shields, etc. Then there are the Knacked, who are only in possession of a single "talent", but are able to do that one thing really, REALLY well.
Characters who are Marked, Privileged, and Knacked alike are central to the book's story, since so often their abilities are the main driving force. I find that powder mage sorcery is explained pretty well, but wish there were more details provided for the other classes of magic users too. What's up with those white gloves with the red and gold runes the Privileged wear, for example, and why exactly do they have to wear them in order to do magic? Knacked magic is also somewhat unclear, as despite their having only one talent, what I read makes it seem like anything might be possible with them.
I feel a similar way about the character development. Some, like Tamas, are written really well. He's a completely fleshed-out and multilayered person, at various times making it difficult for me to make up my mind about him. Some of his decisions, like the coup, are motivated by his well-intentioned desires to do right by the Adran people, but I also have to question how much of him is driven by raw emotion and pure hatred for the Kez, especially at the beginning. In the aftermath of all the executions, I admit I did wonder for a brief moment if the author is setting Tamas up to become a misguided villain. Getting to know his character was one helluva ride.
However, my favorite character had to be Adamat. His role in the book provided a bit of mystery to the story, and I always looked forward to returning to his sections. I thought his character and others were given varying degrees of attention when it comes to development, though. I felt more connected to many of them towards the beginning of the novel, only to find myself questioning more and more their perspectives as I progressed. For example, one blackmailed character went on with his work seemingly clearheaded enough, even when presented with the severed finger of his son, while I imagine a family man like him would probably be freaking out like any parent, or at least be feeling a bit more distracted.
Also, the female presence in this book could have been more efficiently presented. A story not having enough of a female perspective isn't actually something I mind, quite honestly not something that would normally occur to me at all, and I probably wouldn't even have noticed here if not for Nila, the royalist laundress who gets caught up in the consequences of the coup. Nila's character is introduced early on in the beginning, but her sections come up sporadically, and once she disappeared for so long that it took me a while to remember who she was. I'm hoping I'll get to see more of her in the second book. Same goes for other female characters like Vlora and Ko-poel, both of whom I found very interesting but underutilized and deserving of more focus.
I want to point that out that none of these weaker points were major enough to take away from my overall enjoyment, though. As with a lot of debut novels, there's a certain raw quality to the writing and storytelling, which becomes slightly more noticeable in the later stages of the book, but it didn't really bother me at all -- mainly because I was so enraptured by the magic and the plot. A lot of great fantasy books have been written over the years, and despite being new on the scene, Brian McClellan has definitely written a novel that can stand on the shelf next to any of them.
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LibraryThing member kenzen
I bought the book when it was available crazy cheap. While I had heard of it before I was never interested. But I ended up liking this book a lot. Good writing, nice story, grippingly told.
LibraryThing member Chris_El
Brent Weeks said this was going to be good. He was right. :)
The idea of the way magic works here is interesting with powder mages being able to ignite gunpowder and channel the energy to fire musket balls much further and more accurately than one could with a musket even being able to bend shots
The characters are formed fairly well and there is a nice twist at the end you suspect if coming and it pays off nicely. Of course, as book one you are left with dangling plot threads and wanting more. But wanting more is just what you want to feel like after a good book right?
Very happy book two is coming in a couple months. :)
The idea of the way magic works here is interesting with powder mages being able to ignite gunpowder and channel the energy to fire musket balls much further and more accurately than one could with a musket even being able to bend shots
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in ways traditional firearms could not. They are not the only magic users but two of the main characters are powder mages. The characters are formed fairly well and there is a nice twist at the end you suspect if coming and it pays off nicely. Of course, as book one you are left with dangling plot threads and wanting more. But wanting more is just what you want to feel like after a good book right?
Very happy book two is coming in a couple months. :)
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LibraryThing member sdmouton
Brian McClellan has written a rip-roaring zinger of a novel, and I keenly await the next entry in the Powder Mage series. I don't give four- or five- star ratings to novels unless there's something truly exceptional about them, so don't let my three-star rating throw you off - this is a truly
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enjoyable novel and I recommend it without reservation. Show Less
LibraryThing member DWWilkin
This work comes highly rated at Amazon, and even at LibraryThing it is rated on average higher than I found it. It is listed as a debut novel and as such I would note that the writer gives us grief over having several point of view characters and using them to jump about the story timeline.
There
Using that as a guide, the first glaring error of logic and suspension of disbelief comes at the first chapter when we discover the coup against the ruler whose guards have all disappeared, and his most powerful guards, sorcerers of near godlike powers, taken completely by surprise by a much smaller group of magus who are not nearly as powerful. Not ever really explained. Further, the main protagonist seems to be a very old man, perhaps as powerful as an Otto Bismarck as a politician, but when Otto was in his seventies asking him to carry nearly all the actions on his shoulders instead of delegating would be hard to fathom.
And that is the crux of things. If one view could have been our primary, a trusted lieutenant, of which there are several to the character McClellan has chosen as his main, this would no doubt be stronger. If the clues had been all in once place instead of suggesting having to travel across a kingdom. If such foolish sequences as the hunt had been given logic, then this could have been a much tighter, stronger fantasy. As such, there are cliches combined with novelty and novelty let down by ill thought device.
Once the price comes down to earth for the rest of the series, or the library has these, I could consider getting the books to see how things finish. At full price, I can't justify it.
There
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is a mystery and some characters seem to know what is buried deep within that mystery, while others seem to be foolishly blind to not only the mystery but where the various clues point. As well as the time it takes to gather one clue, or a hundred clues, sometimes each taking a day, while other times it takes weeks to uncover one clue, and weeks to uncover 100. And only one man able to do so effectively within a kingdom that is much like France in 1780, where the nobles abuse power terribly for the most part forcing a revolution.Using that as a guide, the first glaring error of logic and suspension of disbelief comes at the first chapter when we discover the coup against the ruler whose guards have all disappeared, and his most powerful guards, sorcerers of near godlike powers, taken completely by surprise by a much smaller group of magus who are not nearly as powerful. Not ever really explained. Further, the main protagonist seems to be a very old man, perhaps as powerful as an Otto Bismarck as a politician, but when Otto was in his seventies asking him to carry nearly all the actions on his shoulders instead of delegating would be hard to fathom.
And that is the crux of things. If one view could have been our primary, a trusted lieutenant, of which there are several to the character McClellan has chosen as his main, this would no doubt be stronger. If the clues had been all in once place instead of suggesting having to travel across a kingdom. If such foolish sequences as the hunt had been given logic, then this could have been a much tighter, stronger fantasy. As such, there are cliches combined with novelty and novelty let down by ill thought device.
Once the price comes down to earth for the rest of the series, or the library has these, I could consider getting the books to see how things finish. At full price, I can't justify it.
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LibraryThing member Schlyne
I had a hard time starting this book for some reason. I don't know, maybe I wasn't in the right head space. It took me a few false starts to get a grip on the world, but once I was there, I really enjoyed everything. Loved the gunpowder take on everything.
LibraryThing member arning
Fantasy with magic set in a pre-industrial time. Enjoyed the book, but no enough to read the rest of the series.
LibraryThing member majkia
Rating: Exciting and unpredictable. Interesting world/magic building
First book in the Powder Mage trilogy, a Flintlock Fantasy outing, with lots of action, and well-drawn characters. The magic is complex and interesting, the action and plots drawing you in. Just who the good guys are can sometimes
First book in the Powder Mage trilogy, a Flintlock Fantasy outing, with lots of action, and well-drawn characters. The magic is complex and interesting, the action and plots drawing you in. Just who the good guys are can sometimes
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be unclear, which is all to the good. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Found that it dragged a bit occasionally but overall I found it an interesting story.
It's the aftermath of a revolution, Field Marshall Tamas has killed the aristocrats and the members of the elite magical corps, he himself is a powder mage, someone who has affinity for gunpowder and in fact uses
Dude, Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance... it's a military adage and at his level he should have known better.
I think the story could possibly have been better if it was told from the point of view of only one character but overall I found it interesting, I want to read the sequel but non-urgently to be honest. Some of the concepts sounded a lot familiar from other series, the gunpowder is a straight riff from the metal-mages from Brandon Sanderson, but it was also interesting to see a magical world with gunpowder.
It's the aftermath of a revolution, Field Marshall Tamas has killed the aristocrats and the members of the elite magical corps, he himself is a powder mage, someone who has affinity for gunpowder and in fact uses
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it like a drug. The complications that ensue are not what he expected. Dude, Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance... it's a military adage and at his level he should have known better.
I think the story could possibly have been better if it was told from the point of view of only one character but overall I found it interesting, I want to read the sequel but non-urgently to be honest. Some of the concepts sounded a lot familiar from other series, the gunpowder is a straight riff from the metal-mages from Brandon Sanderson, but it was also interesting to see a magical world with gunpowder.
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LibraryThing member Benjamin.Timmins
Very good. Lots of original ideas and not your typical boy saves world story. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member samaside
Wow.
Let me just say - wow.
I absolutely loved this book.
On GoodReads I very seriously considered giving it a five star rating which I almost never give to books. My five star books are my absolute favorites and this almost made the cut. I usually don’t do the whole fantasy thing but this seemed
Promise of Blood is marketed as ‘flintlock fantasy.’ It’s a fantastic sub-genre. I loved the setting. It was a world sort of on the brink of the industrial revolution. Where steam power is starting to come into play and science and technology are developing alongside magic. It wasn’t a very developed system of technology just yet. There are no cars or anything like that. Printing presses are just starting to become a big deal.
And, of course, there are guns.
Mostly the guns are on par with the American revolution style weapons, I think. Lots of gunpowder and the like. That’s where the powder mages get their power. And most of the characters you are supposed to really care about in this series are, in fact, powder mages. It’s a cool sort of magic development. As science brought them gunpower, the mages adapted. Sniffing up powder like cocaine, the powder helps them focus and hone their abilities. It’s only one of the really cool aspects of this world’s magic system. This world has a tiered magic system with varying levels and abilities. Plus there are various regional and aboriginal magics. But the coolest things – I think – are the Knacks. There are people with actual powers and then there are people with ‘Knacks’ which are just little sometimes useless abilities that are just magical enough to make them special but not to give them any amount of power. One guy remembers everything he’s seen, another guy never has to sleep. I don’t know. It’s just cool.
The whole book is pretty cool. At least I think so.
The basic plot is that Tamas, a military general, has decided that the only way to stop the king from signing over his country’s rights to a rival nation is to remove the man from power. And, you know, also remove his head. Plus the heads of a few hundred other nobles. It’s all very French Revolution. Of course, while Tamas has all these great plans of getting rid of the nobility and making something of this nation as a republic… he’s pretty much in over his head. He’s a military man. Not a politician. And even though he surrounds himself with people a whole lot smarter than himself things aren’t going very easily. Tamas has to call in retired inspector Adamat – who has his own problems to deal with – and his estranged son Taniel (along with his former fiance and the native girl Ka-Poel). Even then, there’s a lot going on. Class warfare, Royalist resistance, secrets, promises, and maybe a few supernatural elements…
It’s pretty crazy. And fun. And just great. I love political fantasies. That’s probably why I generally like Game of Thrones so much. Except for the fact that nothing good ever happens and everyone dies.
A Promise of Blood has a fantastic cast of characters that I absolutely loved. I mean, I didn’t care about everyone but the main characters are so well developed and the stories were so fantastically woven together. Adamat was my favorite – obviously. I am a sucker for the police types. And he’s basically a socially competent Sherlock Holmes. I liked Taniel, too, and his relationship with Ka-Poel. Who, by the way, is an awesome character in her own right. There are just so many memorable characters that weave in and out of the epic storyline. I feel for Tamas so much – especially in the beginning Strong military guy. Totally out of his league when it comes to politics. He knows what he thinks is right and he does what he thinks is right but a man his age should really know that’s not enough…
Basically, the story and the setting and the characters in this book are pretty freakin’ awesome. I can’t recommend this book enough.
I’m so glad I gave this book a chance because I am pretty much dying in anticipation of the rest of the trilogy now.
Fantasy fans: you need to read this book.
Let me just say - wow.
I absolutely loved this book.
On GoodReads I very seriously considered giving it a five star rating which I almost never give to books. My five star books are my absolute favorites and this almost made the cut. I usually don’t do the whole fantasy thing but this seemed
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well enough outside the realm of fantasy and maybe a bit steampunky (something I also don’t really read) so I figured I would give it a try. I was wrong, by the way. It’s not really steampunk in any sense. And there is a lot of fantasy going on there. But obviously I still really like it.Promise of Blood is marketed as ‘flintlock fantasy.’ It’s a fantastic sub-genre. I loved the setting. It was a world sort of on the brink of the industrial revolution. Where steam power is starting to come into play and science and technology are developing alongside magic. It wasn’t a very developed system of technology just yet. There are no cars or anything like that. Printing presses are just starting to become a big deal.
And, of course, there are guns.
Mostly the guns are on par with the American revolution style weapons, I think. Lots of gunpowder and the like. That’s where the powder mages get their power. And most of the characters you are supposed to really care about in this series are, in fact, powder mages. It’s a cool sort of magic development. As science brought them gunpower, the mages adapted. Sniffing up powder like cocaine, the powder helps them focus and hone their abilities. It’s only one of the really cool aspects of this world’s magic system. This world has a tiered magic system with varying levels and abilities. Plus there are various regional and aboriginal magics. But the coolest things – I think – are the Knacks. There are people with actual powers and then there are people with ‘Knacks’ which are just little sometimes useless abilities that are just magical enough to make them special but not to give them any amount of power. One guy remembers everything he’s seen, another guy never has to sleep. I don’t know. It’s just cool.
The whole book is pretty cool. At least I think so.
The basic plot is that Tamas, a military general, has decided that the only way to stop the king from signing over his country’s rights to a rival nation is to remove the man from power. And, you know, also remove his head. Plus the heads of a few hundred other nobles. It’s all very French Revolution. Of course, while Tamas has all these great plans of getting rid of the nobility and making something of this nation as a republic… he’s pretty much in over his head. He’s a military man. Not a politician. And even though he surrounds himself with people a whole lot smarter than himself things aren’t going very easily. Tamas has to call in retired inspector Adamat – who has his own problems to deal with – and his estranged son Taniel (along with his former fiance and the native girl Ka-Poel). Even then, there’s a lot going on. Class warfare, Royalist resistance, secrets, promises, and maybe a few supernatural elements…
It’s pretty crazy. And fun. And just great. I love political fantasies. That’s probably why I generally like Game of Thrones so much. Except for the fact that nothing good ever happens and everyone dies.
A Promise of Blood has a fantastic cast of characters that I absolutely loved. I mean, I didn’t care about everyone but the main characters are so well developed and the stories were so fantastically woven together. Adamat was my favorite – obviously. I am a sucker for the police types. And he’s basically a socially competent Sherlock Holmes. I liked Taniel, too, and his relationship with Ka-Poel. Who, by the way, is an awesome character in her own right. There are just so many memorable characters that weave in and out of the epic storyline. I feel for Tamas so much – especially in the beginning Strong military guy. Totally out of his league when it comes to politics. He knows what he thinks is right and he does what he thinks is right but a man his age should really know that’s not enough…
Basically, the story and the setting and the characters in this book are pretty freakin’ awesome. I can’t recommend this book enough.
I’m so glad I gave this book a chance because I am pretty much dying in anticipation of the rest of the trilogy now.
Fantasy fans: you need to read this book.
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LibraryThing member High_Enginseer
The king is dead and Field Marshall Tamas must hold the country together after his coup. But his intentions for liberating the people are tainted with personal revenge. The king was preparing to sign a treaty that would leave Adros as a vassal to Kez, the nation that executed Tamas' wife. Tamas
The three POV characters, Tamas, Taniel and Adamat, are all fully developed with conflicting motives as the plot unfolds. Tamas, as mentioned, may have other motives for his coup. To call Taniel's relationship with Tamas strained would be generous, though he will do most anything to win his approval. Adamat's loyalty is tested when he is blackmailed while working for Tamas.
The world is pretty detailed, with flintlock weapons and early steam power technology existing alongside magic. The magic systems are interesting, especially the powder mages. Only one remains unexplained, the magic used by Ka-Poel which no one else has seen before.
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enlists the help of his son Taniel and the retired investigator Adamat, both of which will be tested as much as Tamas.The three POV characters, Tamas, Taniel and Adamat, are all fully developed with conflicting motives as the plot unfolds. Tamas, as mentioned, may have other motives for his coup. To call Taniel's relationship with Tamas strained would be generous, though he will do most anything to win his approval. Adamat's loyalty is tested when he is blackmailed while working for Tamas.
The world is pretty detailed, with flintlock weapons and early steam power technology existing alongside magic. The magic systems are interesting, especially the powder mages. Only one remains unexplained, the magic used by Ka-Poel which no one else has seen before.
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LibraryThing member odinblindeye
Holy. That was awesome. Great start to a career, interesting characters, interesting places, and a mystery that seems to have started to come together. I need the next volume soon please.
LibraryThing member kinwolf
A really fun and fast paced story. Magic is fun(at many points I was sure I was in a Brandon Sanderson Mistborn novel) and the characters are great. A really solid first novel.
But beware that this book is NOT self-contained. It ends with alot of stuff hanging so don't expect a self-contained story,
One thing the author needs to work on is the timeline in his stories, it was horribly wrong in this one. As an exemple, it takes characters hours to travel in the city, and yet they seem to teleport instantly to the far and remote South Pike mountain. This happens alot in the book.
Getting the second book is a given.
But beware that this book is NOT self-contained. It ends with alot of stuff hanging so don't expect a self-contained story,
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but enjoy the fact that it's a trilogy. :)One thing the author needs to work on is the timeline in his stories, it was horribly wrong in this one. As an exemple, it takes characters hours to travel in the city, and yet they seem to teleport instantly to the far and remote South Pike mountain. This happens alot in the book.
Getting the second book is a given.
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LibraryThing member Narilka
I went into Promise of Blood with reservations. I've had mixed results reading "flintlock" fantasy in the past. For whatever reason I can do guns in a modern, urban fantasy setting and I love magic with swords in medieval-style worlds but put guns in my quasi-medieval fantasy and I tend to lose
"The age of kings is dead, Adamat, and I have killed it."
Field Marshall Tamas has just overthrown the highly corrupt monarchy of Adro. Through extreme self-indulgence and an utter disregard for his people, the old king had brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy, the citizens are starving in the streets, and was about to sell what was left to the enemy nation of Kez to fund his lavish lifestyle. To finish the coup, Tamas sent most of the aristocracy to the guillotine and has been hunting the royal cabal of Privileged mages. With their dying breath every single cabal member utters the same peculiar phrase: "You can’t break Kresimir’s Promise." Unsure of what this means Tamas hires a private investigator to uncover the mystery behind the saying. What no one expects is how the coup is only the first in a series of events that will have divine repercussions.
Magic, muskets and mayhem! Revolution has never been so glorious. Promise of Blood uses the French Revolution as its backdrop and turns it into a fun, if bloody, fantasy story with a lot going for it. Good characters, clever dialogue with a sly wit, interesting world building with its own mythology, tons of action, an intriguing plot and an inventive magic system. Basically all of my favorite things.
The magic system is inventive and divided into three tiers: Privileged, Powder Mages and Knacked. Each has its own benefits, with Privileged being the most familiar as your typical fantasy genre sorcerers. A Knacked has a single special power that may or may not sound useful on the surface but tend to give its wielder an edge, such as not needing sleep. Powder Mages gain supernatural abilities by ingesting gun powder, hence the name, and it reminded me strongly of the magic system in the Mistborn books. Turns out that McClellan was a student of Sanderson and I can see the influence of his teaching in this respect. It didn't detract from the story for me at all.
There are three primary point of view characters - Field Marshall Tamas, his son Taniel and Inspector Adamat. Both Tamas and Taniel are strong Powder Mages and have a complicated relationship. As his superior Tamas struggles to treat his son like any other soldier and Taniel strives desperately for his father's approval though he kind of hates himself for it. Taniel also suffers from gun powder addiction, which will be interesting to see how it plays out in the rest of the series. Inspector Adamat is a Knacked and a retired police officer who ends up in a tricky personal situation that will test his loyalty. There is a pretty great supporting cast as well. I can't wait to learn more about Ka-poel, with her voodoo-bordering magic, just how much trouble Jolene stirs up, more of Olem's sly wit and all the rest.
The book is not without some flaws, though they are quite minor and didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story for the most part. The most annoying thing was towards the end of my book I found some glaring editing mistakes, characters being called by the wrong name and the like, that was particularly jarring. I hope this was fixed in subsequent publications.
Promise of Blood is definitely the start of something bigger. The story ends with many dangling plot threads. I'll be moving on to the second book very soon.
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interest. I needn't have worried. Brian McClellan works his gunpowder magic quite well into the fantasy world he has created and I enjoyed the heck out of this book."The age of kings is dead, Adamat, and I have killed it."
Field Marshall Tamas has just overthrown the highly corrupt monarchy of Adro. Through extreme self-indulgence and an utter disregard for his people, the old king had brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy, the citizens are starving in the streets, and was about to sell what was left to the enemy nation of Kez to fund his lavish lifestyle. To finish the coup, Tamas sent most of the aristocracy to the guillotine and has been hunting the royal cabal of Privileged mages. With their dying breath every single cabal member utters the same peculiar phrase: "You can’t break Kresimir’s Promise." Unsure of what this means Tamas hires a private investigator to uncover the mystery behind the saying. What no one expects is how the coup is only the first in a series of events that will have divine repercussions.
Magic, muskets and mayhem! Revolution has never been so glorious. Promise of Blood uses the French Revolution as its backdrop and turns it into a fun, if bloody, fantasy story with a lot going for it. Good characters, clever dialogue with a sly wit, interesting world building with its own mythology, tons of action, an intriguing plot and an inventive magic system. Basically all of my favorite things.
The magic system is inventive and divided into three tiers: Privileged, Powder Mages and Knacked. Each has its own benefits, with Privileged being the most familiar as your typical fantasy genre sorcerers. A Knacked has a single special power that may or may not sound useful on the surface but tend to give its wielder an edge, such as not needing sleep. Powder Mages gain supernatural abilities by ingesting gun powder, hence the name, and it reminded me strongly of the magic system in the Mistborn books. Turns out that McClellan was a student of Sanderson and I can see the influence of his teaching in this respect. It didn't detract from the story for me at all.
There are three primary point of view characters - Field Marshall Tamas, his son Taniel and Inspector Adamat. Both Tamas and Taniel are strong Powder Mages and have a complicated relationship. As his superior Tamas struggles to treat his son like any other soldier and Taniel strives desperately for his father's approval though he kind of hates himself for it. Taniel also suffers from gun powder addiction, which will be interesting to see how it plays out in the rest of the series. Inspector Adamat is a Knacked and a retired police officer who ends up in a tricky personal situation that will test his loyalty. There is a pretty great supporting cast as well. I can't wait to learn more about Ka-poel, with her voodoo-bordering magic, just how much trouble Jolene stirs up, more of Olem's sly wit and all the rest.
The book is not without some flaws, though they are quite minor and didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story for the most part. The most annoying thing was towards the end of my book I found some glaring editing mistakes, characters being called by the wrong name and the like, that was particularly jarring. I hope this was fixed in subsequent publications.
Promise of Blood is definitely the start of something bigger. The story ends with many dangling plot threads. I'll be moving on to the second book very soon.
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LibraryThing member malexmave
The book took a while to grow on me. At the beginning, I had problems telling all the characters apart, since many had similar names and they were all introduced fairly quickly. That has gotten better over the course of the book.
Still, there are some parts of the book that were just a bit... weird.
I was hovering between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but decided on four in the end, as the book really did get better over time. I'll read the second part of the series next, and hope that it keeps getting better.
Still, there are some parts of the book that were just a bit... weird.
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Sometimes the motivations of people weren't very clear. It was never so bad as to be unbelievable, but it was... well, weird.I was hovering between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but decided on four in the end, as the book really did get better over time. I'll read the second part of the series next, and hope that it keeps getting better.
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LibraryThing member thegreatape
Promising world and magic, with action that moved along briskly, but some rough edges on the delivery. This was the author's debut, so hopefully he'll gain polish with time; I'd love to see this world explored further.
Awards
David Gemmell Legend Award (Shortlist — 2014)
Language
Original publication date
2013-04-16
ISBN
9780316219020