Lukan is a disgrace to his family name, but when you realise his grandfather was similar as far as gambling goes is it any wonder Lukan is following in his footsteps? Well, there is more to Lukan than that, his mother died when he was 11 and he and his father have gradually grown apart. Lukan is sent to train but a duel that ends badly means Luan is further alienated from his family than ever.

When his father dies, Lukan discovers more than he realised and it leads him on an amazing adventure. His father left a note with three words. He travels to Saphrona to see if he can discover the answers that are held in the note. There he meets some interesting people, who come from different backgrounds and he finds himself mixing with the elite and the waifs.

This is a fab story that is a great start to this series, introducing Lukan and his background as well as the people he meets is great. he learns more about his father and I think he also learns more about himself.

The journey he makes is full of peril and danger and he navigates from one event to another. He seems to have the knack of falling into trouble as well as still seeming to get through things. But, then he does bring a lot on himself with his quick mouth, and constant backchat. It doesn't endear him to others, but thank goodness the author decided that this was a trait for Lukan as it gets him into some serious trouble at times.

I really enjoyed the word building with this, the names and places are manageable and pronounceable, always helpful when you have to remember them! The imagery of the setting is also great, from opulent towers and palaces to basic rooms and inns. There is more to this book than is the beginning and I think there are some things that have a lot more to reveal, especially The Faceless, there are some indications as to who they are but nothing solid yet. this leaves me looking forward to the next books and following Lukan on the next part of his story.

If you are a fan of fantasy that has a mix of sorcery, corruption, deviousness and double-crossing then this is one you should have a look out for. It was a fabulous book to read and it didn't take me long before I was hooked and read it over a couple of days. It is one I would definitely recommend.

I found The Silverblood Promise in itself very promising as a start to a new epic series; there’s a lot to love in this debut novel, which gave me real Lies of Locke Lamora and Blade Itself vibes. I won’t pretend that the concept and world were wholly original in the realm of high fantasy, but I thought it was a very refined example of how to write the genre well, and I had a lot of fun reading it!

The pacing was particularly impressive in The Silverblood Promise, especially for a book of its size. Despite its chunky 600-page length, the story felt fast paced and engaging throughout, without many periods of slowing down. The plot cleverly draws you into the world, with a feeling similar to RPG games with a million interlinked side quests to help you explore the world as the plot advances. You are introduced to a large host of side characters throughout the book, a lot of them vile and nasty, and a select few secretly wholesome and lovely individuals at heart. Whilst I loved seeing these characters in their natural habitat of the streets and hideaways of Saphrona, it feels like James Logan is laying the groundwork for a far larger world, with characters coming and going as they’re needed. I respected the confidence the author had to not reintroduce characters from the start of the book for the sake of it, only bringing them back in if they were relevant to the immediate story.

Possibly a controversial opinion, but I think the weakest main character in the novel was Lukan himself! I still liked following his story - he is an ignorant, overly talkative man who you can’t help but root for - but I was hoping for a little more development in some of his key traits. His reputation as a cardsharp comes to mind here, which only plays a relatively small part in the story. That being said, his personality did feel consistent throughout the novel, with some room for growth in future books. He is honestly pretty ineffective in most situations he finds himself in, but his moral compass keeps him trying to save the day regardless. It was very refreshing to not have any ‘Mary Sue’ characters with overpowerful abilities in the main cast too, and I think his semi-useless role helped with that in a big way.

All in all, The Silverblood Promise lays the groundwork for a really interesting and vibrant world, and has given me the faith that James Logan will make excellent use of it with future books. This is a strong recommendation for readers of fantasy adventure with a subtle sense of humour and a large cast of believable characters populating the world.

Ya lo dije en su momento, hay cubiertas que captan tu atención de una manera inmediata y The Silverblood Promise tiene una de esas, obra de Jeff Brown.


La primera novela de James Logan es una fantasía bastante convencional en cuanto a su premisa, con un antihéroe que en contra de lo que le aconsejan sus instintos de supervivencia indaga en la misteriosa herencia que le legó su padre. Lukan Gardova es una personaje muy atractivo, con un pasado oscuro, un presente comprometido y un futuro desolador, con una personalidad arrolladora y muy bien arropado por los personajes secundarios que Logan pone a su servicio. Además la premisa de investigación en torno a la que gira toda la narración consigue mantener el suspense y la intriga durante todas las páginas del libros, que no son pocas.Nos encontramos sin duda ante uno de los debuts del año.

La pareja o trío protagonista tiene una química envidiable, con una relación que comienza de la nada pero que a base de pullas y diálogos se va cimentando de una forma muy creíble e incluso entrañable. Por supuesto, el trabajo de construcción de mundo es bastante completo como el cualquier fantasía que se precie, pero cabe destacar que Logan muestra tan solo una parte de lo que ha creado, porque está clarísimo que se ha dejado muchas cosas para la siguientes entregas, que leeré (o me leerán, ¡vivan los audiolibros!) en cuanto me sea posible.

¿He dicho que hay pruebas de fe sobre objetos arqueológicos mágicos? Ese toque a lo Indiana Jones tampoco te creas que le sienta mal a la novela.

The Silverblood Promise tiene recorridos por los bajos fondos y tiene magia, tiene lucha de clases y contrabando, tiene extraños seres con poderes incomprensibles y objetivos incognoscibles, tiene humor y ternura… todo mezclado de una manera que resulta muy agradable disfrutar de su lectura. Yo no dejaría pasar la oportunidad.

What a superb page turning fantasy epic. Not enjoyed one like this since way back in my younger days in the 1980s when I discovered the works of messers Eddings, Brooks and Feist.

Lukan is a likeable character as is Flea and love the empire building the author has done in this novel.

Moves at a fast pace with sorcery, the Faceless (a great creation), corrupt
leaders, with thrills and spills aplenty.

One for any fan of epic fantasy.

This is a very strong debut. Lukan's journey begins when news arrives from afar of his father's murder and his final wish in the form of a mysterious quest. Lukan must travel to unfamiliar places to unravel this mystery. What ensues is nothing short of an absolute blast.
We learn so much about Lukan so quickly, making it very easy to root for him and grow fond of him. He's a genuinely likeable smart-arse protagonist with a penchant for trouble.
All of Lukan's main allies are powerful, competent women and it fucking rocks. Female fantasy readers rejoice! Someone has finally done right by us.
Here is a writer who knows how to keep his readers gripped. This book is paced fantastically. Everything that happened was important and exciting, with every chapter offering action, adventure, plot progression, or character development.
A very, very impressive debut. This is also one of those rare occasions where the comp titles actually do the book justice. Scott Lynch, Nicholas Eames, Joe Abercrombie? I don't think I've read such a strong debut book since...well, those guys.
Full review on goodreads.

4.5 ⭐️ What a treat! This one was hard to put down! I was really caught up in this fantastic story - the world building is extraordinary, the story is rich, plot driven, with lots on twists and turns, mysteries and suspense throughout. Epic fantasy, murder mystery, multi-layered story, a strong group of rogue characters - I loved all the female characters, especially Flea and Ashra - so witty, strong and refreshing. It would have easily been a 5 stars but for 2 small things: Lukan’s thoughts (in cursive) were completely unnecessary, and the duel chapter is discussed three times at the start of the novel - it felt a bit over explained. It was a great read, and I am excited for the rest of the series. I am seriously surprised that this is a debut novel! And The Broken Binding edition is glorious. Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC!

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The prose in this book is well written with great descriptions. I enjoyed the interactions between the hero Lukan and Flea, a street orphan, who is trying to help with his quest to find his father’s murder. I liked Ashra who joins halfway through the book.
This is less a heist book and more a murder mystery in a fantasy setting.
I have to confess I did struggle with this one and I’m not sure why. It has everything I like in a fantasy- great world building ,intrigue, interesting characters and strong women. I just couldn’t get into book, and it took me a while to get to the end but I think most people will enjoy the book, especially fantasy fans.

This was a brilliant, fast moving fantasy story involving a disgraced young nobleman, a mouthy street urchin, various monsters and some strange artefacts and I really enjoyed it.
Lukan has had to leave his home city after a duel goes badly wrong. He ends up playing cards for a living when he is tracked down by his father’s steward. His father has been murdered but has left a note containing just three words.
The three words lead Lukan to the city of Saphrona where he discovers that the third word is the name of a woman who has just been condemned to death. As Lukan tries to navigate the city’s rules and to free Zandrusa, he meets 11 year old Flea who begins by helping him in return for coppers but becomes involved in Lukan’s endeavours. As Lukan becomes more involved with the city, he realises that there is a plot which extends far beyond his first impressions.
Lukan is the sort of likeable character who has appeared in countless fantasy novels but he has a nice moral streak and will not give up on what he has set out to do. The book is mainly told from his POV of view but he is engaging company with a nice line in humour. The relationship between him and Flea is argumentative at first but he gradually begins to care about her and look out for her. The dialogue between them is generally fun especially when she makes fun of his educated vocabulary. She is as stubborn as he is and refuses to be left out of anything that is happening. I really liked the relationship between them and the way it develops during the novel.
I loved the city of Saphrona which is ruled by a council who are mainly motivated purely by their own concerns. One of my few criticisms of the book is that the male characters other than Lukan appear to be very two dimensional and seem to be completely bad. The female characters such as Delastro and The Scrivener are more complex and have a bit more depth
The plot zips along with lots of twists and turns and Lukan is forced to make life or death decisions at regular intervals. There were also some brilliantly tense moments in the book such as in the pit and again in the catacombs. The author does a great job at building tension and keeping the pace going although this isn’t surprising as he is actually an editor for the publishers.
The magic is an understated but important part of the book. Some people have magical powers and there are also strange artefacts left behind by the mysterious Phareon. These artefacts seem to be little more than toys but there is always the feeling that there is more to them than that. Finally, we have the Faceless who appear to be strangely interested in purple crystals and possibly come from somewhere completely out of this world.
I also really like the fact that although this will form part of a series, this particular book has its own story arc and doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. I hate being left on the edge of a cliff for a year or more!
I loved this book and am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Quercus Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to see what happens next .

(Review to be edited/ review to come)

Well written high fantasy book with a compelling main character. This definitely is something that I love love love to read.

Lukan finds himself amid chaos after discovering his father has been murdered and he left a final note for him, written in his own blood, Using the clues from the note he finds himself travelling to unravel the mysteries surrounding his fathers death. He employs an eleven year old street urchin and their relationship was one of the best parts of the story. There is magic, terrifying beasts and creatures, deadly assassins, elusive thieves . and Lukan plotting terribly. 'The plan stank worse than a week old corpse.'

'I suppose evil is at its most powerful when it wears a smile and smells of rosewater.'

This debut was so much fun! I loved every part of it and was hooked with the story from the beginning to the end. It was relentless in action, mystery and sarcasm throughout. I look forward to book two and travelling to Korslakov!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. This is a fantastic debut that I really enjoyed. The characters were well fleshed out with complex motivations and backstories, and the plot and the pacing kept me engaged throughout. I loved the worldbuilding within Saphrona, but the world as a whole could have used a bit more attention. For example, what is the significance of the silverblood promise? what happens if you fail to uphold the promise. I did enjoy how the ending managed to wrap up the Saphrona portion of the story while still leaving some interesting questions still unanswered. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Hello again dear reader or listener, it is not often you see an arc review from me this early ahead of release but let’s just say The Broken Binding and their pesky habit of making gloriously beautiful special editions twisted my arm into reading this book ahead of plans! Rude really.

First then, a huge thank you to Ms Ayo Okojie at Quercus books for offering this free arc! My thoughts remain honest.

With the exception of De Castell’s Crucible of Chaos which carries a few disclaimers re genre, I realized it’s been a minute since I last read classic epic fantasy, with several of the genre staples I love finding in it. So, reading The Silverblood Promise by debut author James Logan felt like meeting an old friend again. We have references to a mysterious and ancient civilisation, the big city with a tumultuous past, its criminal underground, an inquisition, and its partially corrupt royalty/governing body. And last but certainly not least, the motley crew of characters, be they supporting or primary, that enrich everything. Not to mention how a majority of them are women with varying levels of FAAFO energy. I’m a simple gal, I see well written characters like that, I thrive.

Self-aware and very done with everything protagonist Lukan immediately won me over. He’s imperfect and still bitter over past events (which honestly, being close to him in age, huge mood) and just aimless at the start of the story, but his father’s death propels him into something far more complex than he could ever have imagined. With a renewed sense of purpose, he slowly warms to, Lukan is an unwilling hero because someone has got to do the right thing even if he’s going to be regretting his life choices for a solid 80% of this book. That made for endlessly entertaining moments but also made you respect the character all the more and appreciate the growth he goes through over the course of the story. Simply put this is the kind of hero I feel like rooting for the most. Another well integrated staple was the child sidekick, in this case sharp minded and foul-mouthed Flea, who immediately kicks down the door of your heart and takes her own place there, daring you to defy that decision. The budding familial relationship between her and Lukan was also a soft touch on the feels and, if you know me, dear reader, you know how big of a sucker I am for acquired parental figures.

Logan’s writing is evocative and his worldbuilding strong. In tandem with the gorgeous illustrations that TBB previewed moreover, it was truly wondrous. I felt like I was in the scene myself at times! As made clear by my previous comments in fact, while the author does lean into all the tropes, he makes sure to keep them fresh and interesting so that you don’t feel like it’s the nth high fantasy tale you’re reading, but rather that you get to cozy down with a comfort read even if it is the first time you’re enjoying this story. The way the author goes about unveiling the plot and mysteries within, is methodical and archetypal but, once again, just because you feel it call to all the classics, it doesn’t make it any less riveting or fun. Also, for the videogame fans out there, the plot structure does have a lot of missions and side missions/levels type of vibe that kinda reminded me of AC for some reason. I am not complaining one bit though because I definitely enjoy that kind of narrative.

Was I amused by certain style/inspiration choices for city names like Virenze? Absolutely! Growing up in Italy has “ruined” my ability to take anything of that sort seriously, but I’m in a good mood these days and that one particular name was the worst perpetrator, so I’m gonna let it slide as a fun lil Easter egg.

Overall, I’d say this is the kind of story that balances character and plot work fairly well so that it’s not overly driven by either of the two in particular, while gradually getting you more and more invested. I will say this though, the murder mystery aspect of the plot had its red herrings and big plot twists that either were sign posted a bit too much by the author, or he didn’t overly care to keep that veiled. Since the strength of the overall book does not hinge on how unsolvable the mysteries are however, that is not necessarily a downside. Logan does maintain a suitable suspense throughout, regardless of whether you can call the twists, because you can never exactly figure out the many details that determine precisely how some things will turn out, or what led up to them. That also lent itself to making this book feel like a comfort read to me so I’m not at all bothered.

The only thing that didn’t quite work for me in an otherwise delightful read was a certain heavy handedness in the introductory scene to the criminal underground. Truly, while I found the Twice Crowned King a really interesting figure, and the particular spin regarding his person fascinating, (as it implied some intriguing ramifications that made me want to know more about how they came to power etc.) I thought Logan went a mite too hard on trying to showcase the decadence and otherworldliness he wanted to push across. It’s clear what the author wanted to do with that scene, and while it does toe the line of giving the idea without falling into caricature territory, unfortunately for me it reminded me a bit too much of 300’s Xerxes and his court, than I would’ve liked. Put another way, while taken separately, that whole scene can be strong in its own right, it didn’t quite fit with the rest of the novel’s ambiance and tone, in a way. Being that it still toes that line, however, and it was in the wider scheme of the book a very short interlude, I can’t say it harmed my enjoyment of the rest of the novel that much.

Sadly, in wanting to avoid spoilers I have to stop here but, Logan’s debut is proof of a grand new entry among the ranks of epic fantasy and I cannot wait for more people to read this and enjoy its imperfect but lovable characters and rich worldbuilding! Wrapping up with my favorite kind of ending, in fact, we get to relax in the knowledge that the first book’s micro plot is rounded up and the wider series’ macro plot is merely now beginning, with hints and new questions propelling us into what promises to be an adventure full of action, shenanigans, and found family vibes to fill your heart.

The Silverblood Promise comes out April 25th and if lots of aggravated heroes, strong women, mysteries aplenty, stealth and thieves, bustling fantasy cities, and dangerous creatures, are of your liking, then I warmly recommend you preorder this as soon as possible!

Until next time,
Eleni A. E.

Great story, reminiscent of Gentlemen Bastards, with charming characters and a plot to keep you guessing. Lukan and Flea are an excellent duo, who you root for from the very beginning.

The only part I disliked was I felt the world building was being forced, rather than organic and flowing, if that even makes sense. Although, never took anything away from my score, just a little dislike.

Looking forward to the next instalment. 4/5

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

A fun adventure story with a classical fantasy, The Silverblood Promise is fast paced and slickly written. The pages fly by. It's easy to sit down intending to read only a few chapters and end up reading a lot more. Unfortunately I also found it easy, once I put the book down, for days to go by before wanting to pick it up again.

While the mystery story is compelling, and there are many fun action scenes to hold my attention, the characters felt were all very one-note and flat. It made it hard for me to really care about them. There was also no moral complexity to be found - the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this but it does make the comparisons to Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie misleading.

The writing felt like it was trying to hit me over the head with the emotions it was trying to convey. While I don't mind that I didn't find the humorous scenes funny - sense of humour is personal and you can't cater to everyone - I did mind that they were very repetitive. There were just too many versions of Flea insulting Lukan or Lukan annoying the Scrivener.

Despite my problems with the characters I did enjoy the book overall, and I recommend it. I will probably read the sequel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Im very excited for future material from this author.

4,5 stars

The Silverblood Promise is James Logan's debut novel and the first instalment in The Last Legacy series. It is a fast-paced epic fantasy adventure where a LOT is going on. And I mean a LOT. Logan's debut novel has all the ingredients you need (and in the right dose) for a splendid and immersive read: interesting and complex characters, a captivating plot and skilful worldbuilding (providing the reader with enough information about the world, avoiding info dumps and allowing the reader to discover more as they progress through the book itself). There's plenty of humour, action and witty banter which reminded me of Sebastien de Castell's works.

In my opinion, The Silverblood Promise was not a "smooth" reading experience throughout the whole book as de Castell's works. At the start of the book everything from the humour to the writing, setting and characters hinted that I would fly through the 600 pages in record time. However, for about 150 pages I struggled with immersion. I realise this could be a personal thing, so I'm not holding it against the book. Additionally, I wished that the author introduced multiple POVs earlier than he did. The perspectives of the other characters gave additional flavour to the story and enhanced my enjoyment.

I think the best way I can explain the issues I had at the start of the book is that it took a while for the engine (story) to warm up and when it did (and the story got rolling) I was flying through the pages with ease. As I already mentioned, these are minor issues that other readers might not even notice or be bothered by. After all, The Silverblood Promise is Logan's debut and I could see the author's writing skill and potential in the text itself. I do not doubt that the author will keep improving the more he writes and that his future works (including the sequel to this book which I am very excited about) will be even better.

A few short, somewhat unhinged reasons why you should check out The Silverblood Promise

- fast-paced epic fantasy adventure
- humour aplenty
- politics of a dubious nature
- found family
- lovable MG sidekick character (Flea is always right and she won't hesitate to let you know and you'll love her for it)
- why is he like this?!
- humour aplenty
- ancient civilisation
- I'm not sayin' the [redacted] are aliens, BUT...

This was an entertaining and rollicking ride! The main character was not one I felt was that compelling and I found it a bit annoying that he managed to get away with his stupid decisions! Flea was a great companion. The story was well written and kept my attention throughout. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

This is story that very nearly succeeds on all levels, but where it is lacking undermines the read.

The author has created a credible world that is readily visualised and there is a good balance of description to flesh out both location and history. Characterisation is generally good, particularly between the two central characters. Secondary characters have some development, but this could have been more effectively done as pivotal characters lack clarity and motivation.

The plot is rich and there is much to keep the reader interested. Scene divides tend to be at chapter boundaries and so with a fast pace it can feel episodic at times.

The major limitation in the story is how tension is handled. There are a lot of situations where characters, particularly the hero, are placed at risk, but every time this is resolved very quickly. This heightens the episodic feel of the book and undermines the credibility of plot and empathy with the characters. If they spent a little more time digging themselves out of problems rather than jumping to the next exciting twist the story would have had more depth and interest.

The writing is very approachable and it is a very easy and interesting read. I would happily read more by this author and look forward to a more fully developed plot in subsequent books.

This was such a brilliant debut!!

The Silverblood promise is a murder mystery set in an epic fantasy world.
The characters are sarcastic, witty and morally grey. What’s not to love.

The city of Saphrona, in which most of the novel takes place, is one of the main characters in itself. As throughout the book you are taken to every corner of this city uncovering more of the pieces of the mystery.

I would definitely recommend if you were interested in reading an epic fantasy story which had the similar vibe to Abercrombie but lighter in tone.

I can’t wait to see where the story takes us in book two, and go to the city of Korslakov and see what Lukan, Flea and Ashra get up too!

I really liked The Silverblood Promise. After reading more than a few disappointing fantasy novels last year, this one actually felt like a breath of fresh air. It had me hooked from the beginning to the end.

The story focuses on Lukan, the disgraced heir to a noble house. After he finds out his father has been murdered, he is set on a journey to find out what happened, which leads him into a world of mystery and danger. He has to head to the city of Saphrona to look for someone called Zandrusa, which leads to a series of tests and adventures which were all very entertaining to read.

I really liked Lukan as a protagonist. He’s a likeable character and you really want him to succeed and I really liked Flea, a street urchin who ends up hanging out with Lukan after he catches her trying to pick his pocket. She is a wonderful mix of cheeky and vulnerable and she lights up every page she appears on.

There’s a lot of darkness in the book but also a lot of humour, which I very much enjoyed. It’s very adventurous with a lot of action happening on every page. It was such a fun read, I had so much fun with it from the first page to the last. Logan really manages to engage the reader with a compelling story and some really good world building.

I found The Silverblood Promise to be a very entertaining read. I enjoyed the story, the characters were all very compelling and the world was very well realised. It was an excellent beginning to the series and I look forward to seeing what happens next.