Last Updated on December 28, 2022 by ThoughtsStained
Finally, I have read a Brian McClellan book.
It’s taken ages to finally get to this point (and it honestly shouldn’t have). McClellan’s books have been on my radar ever since they came out, honestly, but somehow, they just kept getting put on the back burner, claiming that, one day, I’d finally read these and see what all the hype was about.
Finally reading Promise of Blood made me wish I hadn’t waited so long.
Book Info
Publisher: Orbit Books | Release Date: April 2013 | Pages: 545
Age Range: Adult | Genre: Fantasy | Format: Hardcover | Source: Borrowed
The Age of Kings is dead . . . and I have killed it.
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.
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…
In a rich, distinctive world that mixes magic with technology, who could stand against mages that control gunpowder and bullets?
On the Page
Referenced
Minor
Content warnings are written up by me, unless specified. Subject to being an incomplete list, though guided by referencing this list and trying to highlight as many as I can identify.
Review
Likes
- You’re immediately thrown into the action and I don’t think you ever take a moment to breathe. 10 pages suddenly turns into 100. There wasn’t a night where I went to bed on time this week. I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next, wanting to check back to X’s chapter so I could find out about Y SPOILER, only to get so caught up in W’s chapter that, when we suddenly switch to Z’s, I am like, Wait a second, but W’s was just getting [insert intense expletive adjective here]!
- I can’t decide which aspect of the book I liked most. The intriguing world and magic system that felt like war-time, revolutionist history I was (vaguely) familiar with. (But with a twist of magic and sorcery I enjoyed immensely.) Or, if it was the way in which it was written, showing me events, actions, emotions and inner thoughts of a character to make me root for them, only to twist that and then suddenly I’m questioning if I should be rooting for them at all. Both of these elements made this book immensely immersive and enjoyable and an absolute page-turner. It was brilliantly done.
- My favorite characters might surprise you or they might not, if you’ve read the book. But I couldn’t get enough of Olem. Pole, I want to know so much more about (and perhaps not through the eyes of Taniel). I also just adored Mihali and wouldn’t mind not only reading an entire book about him and his life, but also perhaps just eat in his kitchen for an eternity?
Dislikes
Rating
Then, of course, as all great books do, I get towards the end and, with barely enough awareness to realize that I’m actually reading and not immersed into this epic battle where I’m on the edge of my seat and trying to read faster, only to realize that I have less than fifty pages left and there is no way this can all be wrapped up by then, because there is still SPOILER and SPOILER and you can’t tell me you aren’t going to resolve SPOILERY SPOILER SPOILER before the book ends!?
But, of course, it does.
And the person who has the copy of The Crimson Campaign checked out at the library has it until Oct. 15th.
And that’s if they turn it in on time.
If you were like me and still haven’t read this top notch fantasy author yet, trust me, love, you’re not doing yourself any favors and you’ll regret waiting. Truly. I certainly did, but I’m excited to continue this fantastic series…whenever my library will let me.
Read on!
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![I'm so excited to stop by today and share a client highlight. This time, celebrating the publication of Veo Corva's novel, THE BEAUTIFUL DECAY, out today!
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Love this series so damn much!!!
Gosh, I am SO BUMMED that the sequel isn’t ready yet at the library. But also, so excited for it!
Yay! This is a great book!
It definitely was! I can’t wait to get caught up on the rest of the series!
My bookstore had book 2 out of stock for months so I finally got it at Half Priced Books…only to have put off reading it for two months. I suck I know. But I’m getting to it!
Hahaha, story of my life, honestly. I can’t tell you how many books I immediately went out and bought, only to never get around to reading them, because I’m *just that talented*. I bet you’ll like it, once you do read it, though!