Book Review - THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE by James Logan

 

(Title: The Silverblood Promise / Author: James Logan / Publisher: Tor Books / Publication Date: May 7, 2024 / Total Pages: 544)

Back Cover Blurb

Set in a city of traders and thieves, monsters and murderers, this fast-paced epic fantasy debut is a must-read for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Nicholas Eames, and Scott Lynch.

Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and - thanks to a duel that ended badly - the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and wondering how he might win back the life he threw away. 

When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father's death.

His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow.

For in Saphrona, everything has a price - and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.

Review

THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE is one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. The minute I saw the marketing materials outlining the synopsis of the story I knew I had to try to get my hands on an early copy if I could. Thankfully US publisher Tor obliged and with that I was on my way!

This book has been compared to The Lies of Locke Lamora and I have to say after reading this book I think that's a bit misleading. Lamora was much more of a heist fantasy story than this one but where I will draw a slight parallel is in the dark and sinister locations that the characters move through as we journey along in the world that James Logan has so deftly created. The dripping dingy catacombs and mausoleums that are the backdrop of one particularly memorable scene definitely hearkened back to the feel and setting of Scott Lynch's classic debut. But that's where the similarities end as this is a wonderful tale of mystery and magic all its own.

Speaking of magic, that aspect really stood out to me as there are a number of extremely cool displays of dark sorcery in THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE, including the ability to create portals that allow for quick and safe travel. But these portals are also quite dangerous because it takes a while to be able to regenerate another one afterward, making it imperative to pick and choose wisely the times that you use them and the places you decide to be transported. Travel to the wrong place at the wrong time and you could just find yourself stuck in a very sticky situation without the ability to escape again quickly. I found myself really caught up in how the awesome magic of this story worked and honestly it was one of my favorite elements.

This is a fantasy that also has a big central mystery at its core, mainly trying to find out what exactly happened to the MC Lukan's father and the reasons why. These are the best types of sff books in my opinion because not only are you treated to amazing worldbuilding and magic that is the staple of any good fantasy, but the characters here have a daunting mission - one that is fraught with peril and suspense throughout. This kept me completely engaged the entire time even when the pacing slowed a bit. 

I'm happy to say though that those moments where the action lulls somewhat are few and far between. I tore through the chapters in this book at lightning speed and that is mainly because the action is pretty hot and heavy most of the time. Another reason is the fact that the characters are each fascinating in their own way. Logan keeps you curious as to their backstories and motivations. In addition there are a couple of dastardly villains who I absolutely despised and they had me constantly fearing for the safety of Lukan and his friends.

Ultimately my high expectations were more than met in this impressive debut by James Logan. My only complaint is that I hope I don't have to wait too long for the sequel because this book ends on such a thrilling and tantalizing note that I really need to know what happens next. By all accounts this is a book that should delight most fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy perplexing mysteries, magic of the highest order, a world that holds many secrets and is muti-layered, and characters who stay with you long after you put down the book. You are definitely going to want to preorder THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE and I suspect it will be hugely successful once an even larger audience gets an opportunity to read it. Frankly I am flabbergasted that this is James Logan's first full-length novel because he writes like a seasoned pro.

Rating: