This is fantasy that blends various genres with a visceral degree of realism. With the three primary characters in mind, it is perhaps easy to find a little something for most readers here – be it Tamas’s incredible ability to survive attempts on his life Adamat’s detective work and slow uncovering of intrigue and Taniel’s quest up mountainous region reminiscent of Tibet – there is a lot going on in this story, and McClellan keeps up a relentless pace yet masterfully holds the narrative together so that the tension is just right. He has allies, however, and his journey is perhaps the most fascinating of the three story arcs, because it goes into unfamiliar territory. Taniel, also a powder mage and Tamas’s son, has an added burden – at a battle front and faced with a challenge he cannot hope to overcome. Adamat has a magical Knack – he has a perfect memory – and while intrigue stews and war brews, he has limited time to unravel plots that threaten to undermine all of Tamas’s attempts to right past injustices. That’s where the detective work comes in. Field Marshal Tamas understood that his task as the mastermind behind the coup would not be simple, but from the moment the king loses his head, plans for the military man hardly ever come to fruition as initially intended. We follow the story primarily from the point of view of three main characters. It seems almost a natural development that these same powder mages end up central to the plot to overthrow a corrupt, decadent nobility. Well, move over swords, and make space for gunpowder, bayonets and, as the title suggests, plenty of bloodshed.Ī new breed of magic has arisen, in the form of powder mages, who manipulate gunpowder to devastating effect. With main characters stating early on in the story that “The age of kings is dead…and I have killed it,” I knew immediately that Promise of Blood, by Brian McClellan was going to go places standard sword-and-sorcery fantasy novels don’t.

Powder mage book 1