8.6 /10 1 Votes
8.3/10 Fantasy Book Review Country United States Publication date 16 April 2013 Originally published 16 April 2013 Series The Powder Mage trilogy Followed by The Crimson Campaign | 4.2/5 Goodreads 4.6/5 Barnes & Noble Language English Pages 545 pp Genre Fantasy Publisher Orbit Books | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cover artist Gene Mollica and Michael Frost Media type Print (hardcover & paperback) Similar Brian McClellan books, Fantasy books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Promise of blood book one of the powder mage trilogy
Promise of Blood is the first book in The Powder Mage trilogy written by American author Brian McClellan. It was first published by Orbit Books in 2013. A sequel titled The Crimson Campaign was released on May 6, 2014. It won the 2014 Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer.
Contents
Plot
At the beginning of Promise of Blood, Field Marshal Tamas has just committed a brutal coup against Adro's monarchy. When he kills every single member of the Royal Cabal, they all utter the same mysterious phrase: "You can't break Kresimir's Promise".
Adamat, a former police inspector who is now a private investigator, is asked by Tamas to help solve the mystery. Meanwhile, Tamas is busy with purging the country's nobility and struggling to maintain peace during the inevitable civil war.
Taniel, Tamas's son and a talented powder mage who is able to consume gunpowder to give himself supernatural powers, is given the task to hunt down an uncommonly powerful member of the Royal Cabal who managed to escape during the coup. Soon it becomes clear that overthrowing the monarchy was just the beginning.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review stating: "A thoroughly satisfying yarn that should keep readers waiting impatiently for further installments." Publishers Weekly, in reviewing the book, stated "McClellan neatly mixes intrigue and action..." and gave the book a generally positive review.
In 2014, Promise of Blood won the Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer. The book's cover, by Gene Mollica and Michael Frost, was also nominated for the Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Book Jacket/Artist.