Promise of Blood
core novel 2013 The Powder Mage
Record
| First published | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.13 (66,115 ratings, collected 2026-09-13) |
| Page count | 545 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780316219037 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Following a military coup, Field Marshal Tamas has overthrown the nation of Adro's monarchy and executed its king and much of its nobility, only for the deposed royal cabal of sorcerers to utter a cryptic curse invoking an ancient deity as they die. Tamas hires former police inspector Adamat to investigate the meaning of the curse and whether it poses a real threat to the fledgling republic, while his estranged son Taniel, a powder mage able to enhance his body and senses through gunpowder, returns to the capital and is drawn into uncovering a magical conspiracy tied to the fallen regime. Amid political upheaval, both father and son must confront enemies who see the coup as an opportunity.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Powder Mage
- Series: The Powder Mage Trilogy core; position 1 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Brian McClellan
Awards (verified)
- David Gemmell Morningstar Award (Best Fantasy Newcomer), 2014: won
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series The Powder Mage Trilogy: position 1 of 3: next The Crimson Campaign (2014)
- Internal chronology, within The Powder Mage: position 1 of 6: next The Crimson Campaign (2014)
Sources
- Brian McClellan official site
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Powder_Mage_Trilogy
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promise_of_Blood
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell_Award_for_Fantasy
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