To combat this, weapons using compressed air were made, meaning that these weapons can’t be touched by Powder Mage magics and are especially effective against them.

For example, Powder Mages can manipulate gunpowder, making them brilliant in battle. I like when magic is a known element within a story’s setting, especially if then on top of that, the author has worked in ways in which it has moulded society. All three make for interesting uses and consequences within the world. The Privileged are a bit more of your standard mage type, flinging spells and creating magical barriers, but never to the point of being overpowered, they are still very much weak to, let’s say, being shot in the face. Marked are the Powder Mages, people who can manipulate gunpowder and its energies (along with ingesting gunpowder to enhance their abilities like strength, speed and accuracy), making for some incredible action scenes. Knacked are people born with a particular talent, something very useful like not needing to eat or drink for weeks, or never needing sleep. Whilst I mention magic, it has to be said that the magic system (or systems to be more apt) are really great! We see three at play Knacked, Marked & Privileged. It also offers up a number of gripping questions why has this event come to pass? Who are these people that are involved? How will this change the world? And where will McClellan take us from here? Well, where McClellan takes us is essentially on a Napoleonic era style rollercoaster of gunpowder, revolution and magic!

Instead, we are put into the here and now, as we discover what is certainly going to be a major turning point in this world’s history along with one of the main POV characters. There’s no confusing prologue that foreshadows the remainder of the book, or a scene set hundreds of years prior. Within the first 10 pages, the stakes are immediately set high. Promise of Blood begins where I’d expect a sequel to begin, with the tail end of a (mostly) successful coup. And from my experience with Promise of Blood, the first book of the trilogy, I can safely say that I totally agree with him! A rumour about a broken promise, omens of death and the gods returning to walk the earth.īrandon Sanderson once blurbed the Powder Mage trilogy, calling it “just plain awesome”. Now, amid the chaos, a whispered rumour is spreading. It’s a bloody business, overthrowing a king.

*Winner of the 2013 David Gemmell Morningstar Award*

Promise of blood by brian mcclellan