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.
It always starts with a cover.
And one thing James Logan’s debut epic fantasy novel, THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE, really has going for it is a fucking gorgeous cover! So this book was high up on my TBR pile to begin with, when all of a sudden the cover for the second book, THE BLACKFIRE BLADE was revealed.
AND IT WAS SOMEHOW EVEN MORE EPIC THAN THE FIRST BOOK! Those blue & purple tones, oh my! The vibe of both covers is everything I love about fantasy, and I’m always so happy to see covers that have a bit of a classic look to them! Massive kudos to the artist, Jeff Brown. Both books in this series so far look absolutely incredible!
I may be mistaken, but I believe James Logan is an editor for Orbit UK. So while this is his debut novel, he’s obviously someone with a ton of experience in the fantasy genre!
I had a lot of fun with THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE! It didn’t blow me away like I hope every book I pick up does, but one of the main questions I’ll ask myself when I’m reading a book one (and definitely when I’m reviewing it) is how likely am I to continue this series. And based mostly on the quality of the writing & my affection for some of the characters in this book, I’m certainly planning on carrying on with the series. I’m always talking about how I need to be able to root for the characters, and that’s definitely the case here.
After (accidentally) causing the death of a classmate/noble, Lukan Gardova is expelled from the Academy, and basically disowned by his father. When we meet Lukan, he’s spending his days playing in high stakes card games, and drinking a lot. But an important figure from his past arrives to tell Lukan his father has been killed under extremely suspicious circumstances.
Lukan’s father has spent his life attempting to unearth & understand the secrets of the Phaeron, a mysterious race of people, now extinct.
Lukan takes it upon himself to try and solve his father’s murder, which leads him to the city of Saphrona. There, he attempts to unravel mystery after mystery, in a city where he has few allies & nothing is what it seems.
But you always need a plucky sidekick on a quest like this, so enter my favorite character in the book, Flea.
I’d have to comb through my reviews (and I’m not going to), but I know I’ve mentioned more than a few times how much I’ll always be drawn to the street urchin character in a fantasy novel. The say-anything-that-comes-to-mind, survive-at-all-costs kid, frequently with a heart of gold & a very sharp blade hidden somewhere on their person. I can’t pin down what it is about this (relatively) popular fantasy trope, but it’s one of my favorites for sure.
Flea kind of becomes Lukan’s guide through Saphrona (and through the whole story), while Lukan (unsuccessfully) attempts to try to like…teach Flea the ways of the more polite society Lukan grew up in. I think she is eleven in this book, but she’s lived a hard life & it’s reflected in her attitude & how she carries herself through this dangerous world.
Absolutely loved the dynamic between Lukan & Flea, and it’s at the very top of my list of reasons I’ll be checking out the sequel!
The plot is complex in its way, but certainly there’s a whodunnit aspect to the story. There’s also a bit of a National Treasure/treasure hunting vibe as well. And one area this book really shines is in fully transporting the reader to a variety of locations, whether it’s a nightmarish prison/dungeon, or a gladiator-style pit complete with a big-ass worm looking to snack on condemned people. The city of Saphrona becomes a character in this one, for sure, and Logan is pretty masterful at delivering you into its different environments.
I listened to more than half of this one on audiobook, and wow, so cool! The narrator is Brenock O’Connor, who (in)famously portrayed Olly on Game of Thrones! I believe this is his first audiobook & I think he’s a natural fit for fantasy. Loved listening to this one & I’m excited to hear more audiobooks from O’Connor in the future!
This was just a really solid fantasy novel. I can’t sit here & say it was wildly inventive or mind-bending, but not every book has to be that. This was incredibly well written, funny on occasion, and pretty heartfelt overall. Logan has a good ear for dialogue, and can definitely put together some very cinematic action sequences! I really enjoyed this!
Big thanks to Tor Books & Macmillan Audio for sending this one my way!
Grimdark Dad 