The country is in turmoil. With the capital city occupied, half a million refugees are on the march, looking for safety on the frontier, accompanied by Lady Flint’s soldiers. But escaping war is never easy, and soon the battle may find them, whether they are prepared or not.

Back in the capital, Michel Bravis smuggles even more refugees out of the city. But internal forces are working against him. With enemies on all sides, Michel may be forced to find help with the very occupiers he’s trying to undermine.

Meanwhile, Ben Styke is building his own army. He and his mad lancers are gathering every able body they can find and searching for an ancient artifact that may have the power to turn the tides of war in their favor. But what they find may not be what they’re looking for.

So, I’m realizing now that Brian McClellan’s trilogy, Gods of Blood and Powder will be the fantasy trilogy I’ve gotten through in the least amount of time (I’m starting the third book, Blood of Empire, later today!) Which is actually really cool, and has me rethinking the way I approach different trilogies/series in general. There’s definitely something to be said for the occasional series binge, I guess!!

(insert generic & predictable warnings about spoilers for Sins of Empire, and probably the Powder Mage trilogy as well)

Things pick up shortly after the events of Sins of Empire, and the structure remains the same, with the three POVs belonging to Michel Bravis, General Vlora Flint, and Mad Ben Styke. Honestly, each of these characters would be strong enough to carry an entire series. That said (and as much as I love Vlora as a protagonist), this series is really turning into The Ben Styke Show for me. I just love everything about this guy, and his character development in this book is fucking tremendous.

While Ben & the Mad Lancers continue to provide support to Vlora’s Riflejacks, Ben gets a little…sidetracked in this one. He’s got revenge on his mind…some old scores that need settling, none more pressing than the one with himself. Oof…his bond with Celine gets stronger & even more central to nearly every decision he makes. I was also fucking delighted to see Ka-poel and Styke get to work together in Wrath of Empire! That’s two of my most favorite characters right there!

I also really enjoyed seeing Taniel & Vlora get so many scenes together, as they try to track down one of the godstones. They have an interesting dynamic/chemistry at this point, something that McClellan has been working on since Promise of Blood.

We also get to meet some fascinating new characters, including a Dynize woman named Ichtracia that Michel meets while still working undercover in Landfall. She’s just fucking awesome, and someone who seems poised to have a big impact on the story moving forward.

One of the things that I love about all the books set in this world is just how much detail is given to things that might otherwise get glossed over. Things like the buttons on a uniform, or the insignia on a flag, or, in particular with Wrath of Empire, horses. Like…I didn’t take notes or keep track or anything, but you learn A LOT about the different breeds of horses in this world (primarily through Ben Styke’s eyes, as he passes on his knowledge to Celine). And it’s never overdone or too much…it’s there just enough to give you these awesome nerdy little details, but the overall effect on the world building is immense.

Wrath of Empire was fucking incredible…this is everything I could want in a fantasy novel. The scope of the story is huge, but it still remains tightly focused on the characters. And Brian McClellan writes some seriously masterful action sequences…I’ve always felt that way reading any of the Powder Mage books. Like you can smell the gunpowder burning, and feel the horses hoofbeats in the pit of your stomach. You feel like you’re there, and it’s dizzying & thrilling.

I’ve still got Blood of Empire to go, as well as all the Powder Mage novellas. But I can’t help but feel a little sad that that might be the end of things in this world…I seriously think the Powder Mage world would translate PERFECTLY into a television series, so I’ll cross my fingers that might happen one day. Either way, I’m five novels into this world, and it’s one of my absolute favorite places to be!