The Powder Mage
#444.30 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 6 books Status Complete 2013–2019 Reading commitment Medium Brian McClellan Last reviewed 2026-08-05
Overview
Brian McClellan's The Powder Mage universe is a flintlock-fantasy setting where gunpowder mages ('powder mages') wield magic through black powder. Core spans two trilogies: The Powder Mage Trilogy (2013-2015) and its direct sequel Gods of Blood and Powder (2017-2019). A distinct McClellan continuity, Glass Immortals (different publisher, different magic system based on 'godglass'), is explicitly excluded from this universe.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (6 works) counts toward ranking
The Powder Mage Trilogy Brian McClellan
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Promise of Blood | 2013 | 1 | core | 4.13 (65,426 ratings) |
 | The Crimson Campaign | 2014 | 2 | core | 4.35 (44,205 ratings) |
 | The Autumn Republic | 2015 | 3 | core | 4.36 (37,947 ratings) |
Gods of Blood and Powder Brian McClellan
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Sins of Empire | 2017 | 4 | core | 4.40 (20,292 ratings) |
 | Wrath of Empire | 2018 | 5 | core | 4.49 (14,446 ratings) |
 | Blood of Empire | 2019 | 6 | core | 4.44 (11,726 ratings) |
Library / Expanded (7 works)
In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015) ; Collects five previously-published Powder Mage Trilogy-era novellas/short fiction in one volume.
Forsworn (2014) ; Collected in In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015).
Servant of the Crown (2014) ; Collected in In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015).
Murder at the Kinnen Hotel (2014) ; Collected in In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015).
Ghosts of the Tristan Basin (2013) ; Collected in In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015).
Siege of Tilpur (2015) ; Collected in In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015).
The Mad Lancers (2017) ; Gods of Blood and Powder-era standalone novella; not part of the 2015 collection.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Powder Mage? The Powder Mage's Core Canon is 6 books, plus 7 more in the wider Library/Expanded material.
- What is the reading order for The Powder Mage? Publication order, starting with Promise of Blood. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Powder Mage finished? Complete (2013–2019).
- How much reading does The Powder Mage take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 6 Core Canon books · ~3,576 pages).
- How is The Powder Mage ranked? #44 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 194,042 reader ratings across 6 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #44?
Ranked #44 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.30 across 6 core books.
- Backed by 194k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #43, The Hollows (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 6 books · Complete · 194k ratings · Ranks #44 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (6 Core Canon books)
- Promise of Blood (2013)
- The Crimson Campaign (2014)
- The Autumn Republic (2015)
- Sins of Empire (2017)
- Wrath of Empire (2018)
- Blood of Empire (2019)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- David Gemmell Morningstar Award (Best Fantasy Newcomer), 2014: won: Promise of Blood
Related universes
- Same author Glass Immortals: Both by Brian McClellan. Confirmed a distinct continuity: different publisher (Orbit vs. Tor) and a different magic system (powder-based sorcery vs. godglass/glassdancing); flagged as a future candidate at The Powder Mage's own admission, then later admitted separately.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what The Powder Mage and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Black Jewels Dark fantasy / Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.15
- The Faithful and the Fallen Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.38
- Shadow of the Leviathan Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.35
- The Bound and the Broken Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.33
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.30 across 194,042 ratings on 6 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Powder Mage admitted; Core Canon; Glass Immortals excluded as a distinct continuity accepted 2026-08-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-06
Rule: New universe. Core = 6 novels across two trilogies: The Powder Mage Trilogy (2013-2015) and Gods of Blood and Powder (2017-2019), internal chronology matching publication order (1-6). Expanded = In the Field Marshal's Shadow (2015 collection of 5 novellas/short fiction) plus its constituent pieces registered individually (Ghosts of the Tristan Basin 2013, Forsworn 2014, Servant of the Crown 2014, Murder at the Kinnen Hotel 2014, Siege of Tilpur 2015), and The Mad Lancers (2017, a later standalone novella not part of the 2015 collection). Scope decision: McClellan's Glass Immortals series (a separate continuity, different publisher [Tor vs. Orbit], and a different magic system based on 'godglass' rather than powder-based sorcery) is explicitly EXCLUDED from this universe as a distinct setting, not a sub-series; flagged as a future canon-extension candidate in its own right, not folded in here.