Promise of Blood (Powder Mage Trilogy, #1)

by Brian McClellan

It's a bloody business, overthrowing a king . . .

Field Marshal Tamas's coup against the king has sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But he knows that the battle is just beginning. Because it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics and a greedy 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 . . .

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 walking the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should . . .

Promise of Blood is a spectacular fantasy debut set in a world where gods walk the earth and guns and magic create the perfect combination.

• ISBN10: 035650199X
• ISBN13: 9780356501994
• Publish Date: 16 April 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 9 July 2014
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 560
• Language: English

Reviews

[moraa]

“I’ve never resorted to assassination before. Not in twenty-five years of command.”
“I can remember a few times you should have,” Sabon said.

What in the pit?!!

I can’t believe this is over! I know there’s two more books (thank Adom for completed series) but I didn’t want it to end!

(also, meet my new favourite expletive: pit, no more ‘hell’ or ‘fuck’ or ‘heck’ etc)

STRENGTHS:
1. Characterisation (stellar work)
2. Magic system (powder mages, Privilegeds, predii – love the concepts)
3. World-building (I only know two gods so far and not much about other lands except Kez but it was enough whet my appetite)
4. Plotting
5. Writing
6. Themes (won’t say much for now because I feel like I need a wider scope)
7. That cover

WEAKNESSES:
1. That one character who died - you'll know which one - shouldn't have died (won't name them because of spoilers)

[ross91]

This series has a lot of potential. The characters and the setting are great. I especially enjoyed Taniel's storyline. The ending felt rushed though, so that's why I decided to give this book 4*
Very entertaining reading, I'm definitely want to continue with this series! (And I wanna know more about Ka-pole and Olem... the side characters are super cool!)

[Rinn]

I don't know if my enjoyment of this was hampered by the fact that I read it very slowly, often only small amounts at a time. I think I'll try and re-read it next year or something, because I was expecting to love it.

[vagasker]

I absolutely love this book! The magic system is awesome and the characters are amazing (well not all of them, but they are supposed to be not likeable). I especially love Taniel and Ka-poel, so I hope to read a lot about them in the next book.