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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
This series has a lot of potential. The characters and the setting are great. I especially enjoyed Taniel's storyline. The ending felt rushed though, so that's why I decided to give this book 4*
Very entertaining reading, I'm definitely want to continue with this series! (And I wanna know more about Ka-pole and Olem... the side characters are super cool!)
Very entertaining reading, I'm definitely want to continue with this series! (And I wanna know more about Ka-pole and Olem... the side characters are super cool!)
I know I'm in the minority but I just found this book to have really long stretches where nothing happens. Kind of boring to me and so I didn't enjoy it as much as most did. Guess it is just my own personal taste. It was fine but didn't blow me away the way I thought it would based on everyone else's glowing praise.
It is really hard for me to write good reviews for books that I absolutely love. Promise of Blood is one of those books. It literally checked off all my boxes for what I love in a fantasy book. It gave me a great cast of characters, a vast and rich world, a captivating story, and also a wonderfully crafted magic system. Brian McClellan is Brandon Sanderson's protege and you can definitely see why. Brian's writing wasn't mind blowing to say the least nothing truly special and that is totally okay because even though this was epic fantasy; it was so easy to get into. Everything was explained very well. I never once felt myself slowing down while reading because the story was so fast paced. It was like watching a TV show, every chapter was like a small episode. The cast of characters were amazing as well. That doesn't mean to say I didn't hate some characters because I definitely did, but those characters were ones I am pretty sure you were supposed to despise. My favorite of our three main characters was hands down Taniel. His and Ka-poel's story was the most together if that makes sense. I did really enjoy Tamas and Adamat but I think there stories got a little to repetitive. This books magic system was top notch. One of my favorites and also one that is very different. You have Powder Mages, people who use gun powder to heighten senses and are able to control guns that use powder. Privileged, who are pretty much just powerful sorcerer's. Last you have Knacked, who aren't really magical but have something they specialize in. For example in this book Adamat, one of the three main leads has a knack for memory, so he is able to retain lots of information. The world in the Powder Mage trilogy is vast and rich and even though we got to explore a lot. I feel like we haven't even scratched the surface yet, so I am so eager to just continue and dive right into book two!!
Originally posted at: A Girl that Likes Books
This was the June pick for the Sword and Laser BookClub
What the book is about
The book takes place in the country of Adro, where in the middle of the night the Field Marshal Tamas has overthrown the king in an attempt to stop a corrupt government. However his actions bring also a war against the neighboring countries as well as in internal fight against those who were far from opposing the royal regime. What would look like an historical fiction is touched by fantasy when you add the power of mages, Tamas' son included. Magic and gunpowder merge to deliver a book full of action and intrigue.
Final thoughts
I should've liked this book...I mean I really liked His Majesty's Dragon, so what was it about this book that I didn't enjoy?
I've read amazing reviews, boasting praises for the book. And I have to say, all the things that they mention are indeed there. An interesting magic system, with gunpowder being the source of the Powder Mages magic seems to be the part that most people agree was a strong point for the book. I agree, it was there, it was different, it...did nothing for me. I would find myself doing "meh" faces as the magic happened in the book, for it did not happen in my head sadly.
Is not that I do not enjoy a military novel, as I mentioned before, I really enjoyed HMD, but in this case it just didn't click. I never fell for any of the characters, although I have to say I started liking Ka-Poel towards the end.
It bothers me that I didn't like this book, because I think it has a lot of good things which is why I am giving it a 3, because while I didn't like it I can perfectly see why other people should and have liked it. Dear book, is not you, it definitely me, sorry.
This was the June pick for the Sword and Laser BookClub
What the book is about
The book takes place in the country of Adro, where in the middle of the night the Field Marshal Tamas has overthrown the king in an attempt to stop a corrupt government. However his actions bring also a war against the neighboring countries as well as in internal fight against those who were far from opposing the royal regime. What would look like an historical fiction is touched by fantasy when you add the power of mages, Tamas' son included. Magic and gunpowder merge to deliver a book full of action and intrigue.
Final thoughts
I should've liked this book...I mean I really liked His Majesty's Dragon, so what was it about this book that I didn't enjoy?
I've read amazing reviews, boasting praises for the book. And I have to say, all the things that they mention are indeed there. An interesting magic system, with gunpowder being the source of the Powder Mages magic seems to be the part that most people agree was a strong point for the book. I agree, it was there, it was different, it...did nothing for me. I would find myself doing "meh" faces as the magic happened in the book, for it did not happen in my head sadly.
Is not that I do not enjoy a military novel, as I mentioned before, I really enjoyed HMD, but in this case it just didn't click. I never fell for any of the characters, although I have to say I started liking Ka-Poel towards the end.
It bothers me that I didn't like this book, because I think it has a lot of good things which is why I am giving it a 3, because while I didn't like it I can perfectly see why other people should and have liked it. Dear book, is not you, it definitely me, sorry.
A spy is not a soldier, Marshal. A soldier has a loyalty for himself, it is true, but at the end, he needs to fill his stomach and to get one month's worth salary. Spies are motivated by the love of the art. They love their country, and their king.
-- 2 3/4 Stars --
Expectations are a dreadful thing, they sour our consumption of novels when they are not met. There is a lot of hype surrounding this work, from the marketing of "The French Revolution with Wizards", to a solid mystery and excellent pacing, I was very excited by the prospect of this book. As one reviewer puts it "The book has something to offer everyone". Unfortunately, I think McClellan tried to pack to many components into the book and it collapsed under its own weight.
To begin with, there were to many POV characters for the amount of characterization within the book. For a five-hundred-page book, I did not find myself connecting with any of the characters, the pacing was too quick to allow for solid character development. I wish that Promise of Blood had only focused on Tamas and his son Taniel, it would have allowed for a better exploration of their relationship and allowed for stronger characterization. Additionally, the perspective of Nila, the maid, was under done and dragged down the book. The little plot movement provided by her section could have easily been handled at the proximity of other character's sections. I know that it is meant to set up later plot points in the series, but I thought it was extraneous and could have been dealt with better.
Part of Nila's purpose was to show how Tamas' revolution was playing out amongst the masses. Having a work that is reminiscent of the French Revolution opens a lot of dynamic and interesting avenues for exploring the morality of executing nobles for the benefit of the third estate. The thematic potential was undercooked in favored of quick plot momentum and to give time to Adamat’s mystery section. Quick pacing is great, and the novel gave it in spades, but it skipped over an exciting theme that was both exciting and inferred by the advertising. (I know this is the not the fault of the author, but the book is not solely his product (I am looking at you Orbit…))
One big positive for this book though was its world building. The setting is well fleshed out and I appreciated the author’s attention to his magic system and his world’s history. I can understand the cult following of this book when looking at it from those angles, but I found Promise of Blood to be overburdened with the mystery, four POVs, worldbuilding and plot development. I plan to continue with the series and I am predicting that I will think the series should have been spread out over four books instead of three.
Expectations are a dreadful thing, they sour our consumption of novels when they are not met. There is a lot of hype surrounding this work, from the marketing of "The French Revolution with Wizards", to a solid mystery and excellent pacing, I was very excited by the prospect of this book. As one reviewer puts it "The book has something to offer everyone". Unfortunately, I think McClellan tried to pack to many components into the book and it collapsed under its own weight.
To begin with, there were to many POV characters for the amount of characterization within the book. For a five-hundred-page book, I did not find myself connecting with any of the characters, the pacing was too quick to allow for solid character development. I wish that Promise of Blood had only focused on Tamas and his son Taniel, it would have allowed for a better exploration of their relationship and allowed for stronger characterization. Additionally, the perspective of Nila, the maid, was under done and dragged down the book. The little plot movement provided by her section could have easily been handled at the proximity of other character's sections. I know that it is meant to set up later plot points in the series, but I thought it was extraneous and could have been dealt with better.
Part of Nila's purpose was to show how Tamas' revolution was playing out amongst the masses. Having a work that is reminiscent of the French Revolution opens a lot of dynamic and interesting avenues for exploring the morality of executing nobles for the benefit of the third estate. The thematic potential was undercooked in favored of quick plot momentum and to give time to Adamat’s mystery section. Quick pacing is great, and the novel gave it in spades, but it skipped over an exciting theme that was both exciting and inferred by the advertising. (I know this is the not the fault of the author, but the book is not solely his product (I am looking at you Orbit…))
One big positive for this book though was its world building. The setting is well fleshed out and I appreciated the author’s attention to his magic system and his world’s history. I can understand the cult following of this book when looking at it from those angles, but I found Promise of Blood to be overburdened with the mystery, four POVs, worldbuilding and plot development. I plan to continue with the series and I am predicting that I will think the series should have been spread out over four books instead of three.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So disappointed.
Pages 300-450 are pretty good, but the ending.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The characters didn't have any personality. Except one or two that you could just call 'funny'. And almost no character development.
There's a scene where someone gets his comeuppance, but it doesn't feel earned. The character wasn't hate-able at that point and i kind of ended up feeling sorry for him.
Spoilers, i guess.
Its all been leading to Kesimir's (whatever i don't care about spelling) return, and then he returns, then a guy shoots him twice, then he ded again. oh no. and then it reveals that he's still alive. SO THEN WHY DID HIS BODY "DIE" IF HE'S THAT POWERFUL????????!!!!!! HE SHOULD HAVE LIVED THROUGH THE GUN SHOTS LIKE THEY WERE NOTHING AND SMASHED TANIEL TO DUST!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH.
Also, at the end people have been stuck in the freezing cold and probably buried under snow for days, for like a week. but they're completely fine.
It takes about 5 days to get from Adopest (fuk spelling) to the mountain, so how come the army Tamas sent to Taniel was never mentioned to having arrived?
Also, this line too: "I can't take you anywhere safe. There's nowhere safe left. I killed a god." ................................................................................................................................................ i hate this line.
the action scenes were good to start with, but they soon started to get really bad. The author would have something strange happen, then not explain what happened for ages. So the whole rest of the fight, i was wonder what happened and i couldn't keep track of what was going on. SO ANNOYING.
I probably will read the next one, but not for a while. Then again, maybe not ever. The action scenes were so annoying, so yeah.
Pages 300-450 are pretty good, but the ending.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The characters didn't have any personality. Except one or two that you could just call 'funny'. And almost no character development.
There's a scene where someone gets his comeuppance, but it doesn't feel earned. The character wasn't hate-able at that point and i kind of ended up feeling sorry for him.
Spoilers, i guess.
Its all been leading to Kesimir's (whatever i don't care about spelling) return, and then he returns, then a guy shoots him twice, then he ded again. oh no. and then it reveals that he's still alive. SO THEN WHY DID HIS BODY "DIE" IF HE'S THAT POWERFUL????????!!!!!! HE SHOULD HAVE LIVED THROUGH THE GUN SHOTS LIKE THEY WERE NOTHING AND SMASHED TANIEL TO DUST!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH.
Also, at the end people have been stuck in the freezing cold and probably buried under snow for days, for like a week. but they're completely fine.
It takes about 5 days to get from Adopest (fuk spelling) to the mountain, so how come the army Tamas sent to Taniel was never mentioned to having arrived?
Also, this line too: "I can't take you anywhere safe. There's nowhere safe left. I killed a god." ................................................................................................................................................ i hate this line.
the action scenes were good to start with, but they soon started to get really bad. The author would have something strange happen, then not explain what happened for ages. So the whole rest of the fight, i was wonder what happened and i couldn't keep track of what was going on. SO ANNOYING.
I probably will read the next one, but not for a while. Then again, maybe not ever. The action scenes were so annoying, so yeah.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Promise_of_Blood_(Powder_Mage_Trilogy)_by_Brian_McClellan