Editor’s note: I have set a goal to read 26 books in 2019, and review them upon completion. Below is my review of The Promise of Blood, the 5th book I have completed so far this year.
I picked up The Promise of Blood from a little independent bookstore in San Diego that specializes in mysteries and science fiction called Mysterious Galaxy. I had never heard of this author or his series: The Powder Mage Trilogy. However, a book that mixed magic with early industrial age technology sounded interesting, so I put my money down and headed out the door. Then promptly forgot about this book for over 2 years.
I’ve mentioned before I am not much into literature anymore. Instead, I prefer non-fiction with a heavy emphasis on history, biographies, mental health and travel books. But all heavy topics and no easy reading makes for a bored MrVintageMan. So after I finished The Second World Wars, I pulled Mr. McClellan’s book off the shelf and quickly dug in.
While The Promise of Blood certainly no Lord of the Rings, it is a quick and fun read. The characters are not very fleshed out, and exactly how magic works in this world is never adequately explained, the action scenes and palace intrigues more than compensate for these shortfalls. I especially enjoyed the scenes involving an investigator and his search for the meaning of a cryptic promise.
I intend to pick up book 2 of the Power Mage Trilogy soon.
3 thumbs up:
