There are some missteps for a first novel – mainly some of the major players not being fleshed out enough.

McClellan keeps the pace fast, at the same time putting wheels within wheels and machinations, traitors – shifting attention with each chapter to a key player but never boring or confusing the reader. There are the traditional magics/sorceries, and then there are the powdermages – people with an affinity for gun powder who can do amazing things with it. The magic used here is definitely unique. Are gods really being reborn, or is it just a rumor, or were they always myth? Tamas’ main allies are his estranged son, one of the best marksmen and powdermages ever to be born, and an investigator who is being blackmailed.Īnd then there are the gods to deal with. And the coup has provoked war with at least one of the Nine Nations. Once the heads have fallen and the dust has settled, there are the royalists to contend with, and then Tamas’ council starts making demands: the labor unions, the church and his mercenaries all scramble for power and money. The hard part is keeping things together after it all. Leading the revolution and ousting those in charge is the easy part. After that, things get really interesting. Field Marshall Tamas has just completed a coup against a corrupt king and noble class and sent them all to the guillotine.

McClellan drops you into the middle of the action from the first page.

Promise of blood review