Jennavier Recommends: Promise of Blood by Brian McLellan

I’m a little leery of books by debut authors. I read a lot of YA, and YA is an open field with a ton of debuts so it’s not like I actually avoid them. It’s just that I know going in that there are probably going to be a lot of rough edges. So when I read a debut that comes across as seasoned veterans book it’s something I’ve got to tell you guys about.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan is awesome. It’s got a fun, fascinating premise with ‘powder mages’, magic users with an industrial age edge. The characters are interesting and McClellan never slips when it comes to them, juggling main characters and minor characters deftly into a smooth narrative. It’s epic fantasy in the style that I just can’t get enough of. The tension kept me flipping pages even though it’s a big book.

The one problem I did have is that despite McClellan trying to use women in non-traditional roles as well as traditional ones every main female character and most of the minors had a narrative that hinged on their personal relationships, versus only one or two male characters who had their love lives as a main focus.

Cool side note, it’s on sale at Amazon for $1.99 right now. It’s pretty hard to pass that up!

 

 ***Update: I'm sad to say I read the second book and completely lost my faith in this series. I wasn't even able to finish it. Read at your own risk.While the first book is still amazing, the second book is a sewer, especially if you're a women.