When Lukan Gardova learns of his estranged father’s murder he makes a silverblood promise, resolving to find the killer. A three-word clue written in his father’s own blood takes him to a foreign country where he discovers the woman who might be able to help him is incarcerated on false charges and due to be executed. That leads him deeper into mystery, mayhem and a dangerous underworld ruled by the Twice-Crowned King. He discovers a massive political plot which seems to be succeeding, but which, in all conscience, he can’t ignore. This feels like a book the author has thrown everything at to see if it sticks, and mostly it does. Lukan is a decent main character, driven by an incident in his past. There are some good supporting characters, notably Flea, the street urchin.

The characters in this fantasy story make for an extremely enjoyable read. They bring witty banter, and troubled backgrounds that add spice to this tale. Lukan Gardova, a gentleman once turned card shark and presently hiding from family and his past, receives news of his father’s death, along with a strange note. Making a promise, he sets out on a journey more intriguing and troubling than he could ever imagine. But a promise made, is a promise to keep even when the odds are not in favour of a betting man. Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I recently had the pleasure of delving into this book, and I am beyond impressed with the mesmerizing world that the author has crafted. From start to finish, the intricate plot weaves a tapestry of suspense, emotion, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

One of the standout features of this book is undoubtedly its characters. Each one is meticulously developed, breathing life into the narrative with their unique personalities, motivations, and flaws. The protagonists are not just names on paper; they are relatable, complex individuals with whom readers can form a genuine connection. The antagonist, too, is not a mere foil but a multi-dimensional force that adds depth to the story. The author's ability to create such well-rounded characters is a testament to their storytelling prowess.

The plot unfolds seamlessly, drawing the reader into a richly layered narrative that expertly balances tension, drama, and moments of poignant reflection. The pacing is impeccable, maintaining a perfect rhythm that keeps the reader engaged without sacrificing the depth of the story. The author skillfully navigates through various plot arcs, interweaving them with finesse to create a cohesive and satisfying whole.

What sets this book apart is its ability to tackle profound themes while maintaining an accessible and engaging narrative. The book seamlessly combines suspense and emotional depth, making it a truly immersive experience. The author's prose is both elegant and evocative, painting vivid imagery that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned.

As I reached the conclusion, I found myself yearning for more from this talented author. Their ability to craft a gripping plot and bring characters to life is truly commendable. I eagerly anticipate future works and would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader who appreciates a masterfully told tale. If you're searching for a book that seamlessly blends captivating characters with a compelling plot, this is a shining example. I can't wait to explore more literary worlds crafted by this exceptional storyteller.

Lies of Locke Lamora meets Uncharted?

What a brilliant book. If you enjoy books that Indiana Jones/Lies of Locke Lamora type of stories then this is for you. Utterly addictive with an incredible amount of twists and turns that will keep you hooked all the way to the end.

There is definitely an argument to be had that Logan relies a bit too much on plot armour. However, if you are willing to pick up this book with being overly critical then this can easily become one of your favourite reads in a while because the story is so addictive.

I can't wait for book 2!

4/5

It’s been a while since I read an ARC because of the pressure they can emit with their looming release dates and the rush to read it quickly to ensure your review is one of the first out. Fortunately I didn’t suffer from this as I got tied down with work halfway through so this took me longer than planned to read, but I have now finished this debut book from Orbit’s Senior Commissioning Editor, James Long (writing as James Logan).

The story begins with a young man called Lukan Gardova. Not on speaking terms with his father, and with his mother dead, he roams the land doing whatever he wants but doesn’t have any of the money or grandeur you might expect from a noble family since an earlier incident cost the family dearly.

Early in the story he is tracked down by his father’s retainer who advises that his father has been murdered but left a note for Lukan. This note sends Lukan on a mission across the sea in the hope of solving his father’s murder.

I decided to read this book for a couple of reasons. The fantastic cover art by Jeff Brown really caught my eye. It gives off a caped crusader vibe with two characters on the roof of a building overlooking a city. The other reason was that it sounded like a fun fantasy story written by someone who has a lot of experience knowing what works in this genre.

From the get go this book is constantly moving, constantly pushing you to be intrigued about what might come next, while delivering fun, relatable characters who all have an air of mystery to them. The pacing in this story is perfect and there wasn’t a time when I was reading it where there was something happening that wasn’t fun.

The characters are half of the story and they are well written. Unique in their own right and great when interacting with one another. There are heartfelt conversations, heated discussions and some genuinely smile-inducing banter between them. I felt that Lukan especially came alive off the pages with Flea a close second, although I think Flea really grew within this story and is my favourite.

I really liked the worldbuilding and think that James has done a good job of setting up a world that will only get more interesting as this series progresses. It has a hard magic system with the gleamers and some soft magic with the faceless but I expect this will get more fleshed out in the coming stories.

This plot driven story is a good one. It’s fun, simple enough to follow but also allows itself to be mysterious, keeping you guessing what will happen until the final chapters. I liked that it was kind of a murder mystery fantasy story but it was neither grimdark which I think some may be expecting. It skirts that middle ground that should resonate with all fantasy fans much like The Hobbit if only a little darker in places.

There are a couple of nods I noticed to Joe Abercrombie’s First Law that put a smile on my face and put me in that famous meme/gif of Leonardo DiCaprio. One of the characters has nine fingers and one of the chapters is called The Blade Itself. There are probably more but those are two that I spotted.

I think the political intrigue could have been built on further and the number of characters reduced then this could have been a tighter story. As it stands there are a handful of characters that grace the pages, and provide forward movement of the story but in the end we know very little about and so this either leaves us with unknown elements left for a later time (which is a possibility but doubtful given how this story ends) or pieces of the world that will never be explored. I hope it’s the former.

This is a fun story that will delight fantasy readers. It delivers some fun magic, devious villains and a murder mystery set against the backdrop of a large city full of hidden secrets you get to slowly uncover with Lukan, both as first time visitors. I hope the following stories really build on what James has began to build here because there is a really big opportunity for this to be an excellent epic fantasy trilogy.

THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE: The introduction to a new badass hero and a tough-as-nails world.
Fantasy is all about worldbuilding, and this is what I love the most about it: how much skill goes into making a completely made-up world seem as legitimate as possible. From The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, to A Song of Ice and Fire, fantasy is all about the care with which a world and its inhabitants are wrought.
This exceptionally-written effort by James Logan is by no means an exception to the rule.
THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE tells the story of Lukan Gardova, who is the gambling drunkard heir to an ancient noble house, who seeks to solve the mystery of his father's murder, having to go to Saphrona, a city of merchant princes, from the ranks of whom our badass rogue hero comes himself. Together with a feisty street rat known as Flea, Lukan encounters evil in both human and monstrous forms, and faces perils befitting the dark and gritty world Mr. Logan has crafted. I loved the character arc of Lukan throughout the novel, he is the type of person who rushes headfirst into danger at first, but grows more cool, calm and collected as the story progresses. I LOVED how the buildup to the Twice-Crowned-King, the villain of the piece, was conceived. And dark fantasy enthusiast will love it too.
This darkly humorous antihero's journey, reminiscent of The Last of Us, the pairing of Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane, and, of all things, Logan, the 2019 apparent swansong to the story of Wolverine is a hard-hitting, pulse-pounding epic that never lets up! Solid ten out of five! No hesitations recommending this one!

After a bit of a bumpy start, I was very eager to dive into 'The Silverblood Promise' - one of my most anticipated releases of the year. My expectations were quickly dampened by its clunky world building, which repeatedly happens through side characters, that keep telling the main character big chunks of info at once. Though the most annoying part for me was, how dense the main character was.
The book has a simple writing style, that makes it easy to fly through its 600 pages. And the author worked in some interesting plot ideas, that make the story entertaining. It also reminded me of the video game series 'Uncharted', because the plot consists of completing one level/mission after another.
On a side note, the arc didn't have a map, which would have been helpful.

“Sometimes you owed it to yourself to do what was necessary, not what was easy.”

When a duel ends badly for Lukan Gardova he goes from being the heir to a noble house to an academic failure and turns to a life of card gambling and drowning his sorrows in wine. Then when he discovers his father has been murdered, leaving him a note containing three words written in blood, it leads him on a journey away from seedy taverns to the Mother of Cities—Saphrona. As he enters a land of diverse cultures, merchant princes, deadly politics and even deadlier monsters, he seeks for answers but instead finds himself solving a puzzle which could very well prevent a war. He’s not alone though, through many dangers by his side is Flea, a young whip-smart street urchin. Together they make quite the duo.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan is a superb debut filled to the brim with action, adventure and a murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Our Lukan is immediately charming in a roguish, naive kind of way. When he embarks upon solving his father’s murder it drives him to a city that’s both bewildering and breathtaking, he has to trust people who are more than a bit shady, and to put himself constantly in harm’s way. It quickly becomes apparent that he is out of his depth, though he may have spent several years estranged from his father, living life from one place to the next, full of anger and regret, his character still has an air of aristocracy and his tongue still gets the better of him causing him much strife. Logan cleverly sprinkles in Lukan’s inner thoughts throughout which are laced with sarcasm and wit creating a humorous side to his character. He is a skilled card player which makes him good at reading people, at playing them, Lukan’s also pretty handy with a blade, but despite this he’s still prone to things going horribly against him. Yet that's what makes his character so loveable— I mean who doesn’t love seeing how characters wriggle out of every mess they create? I was entertained by rooting for a character who was a bit of an idiot, but ultimately I was charmed by a protagonist who finds purpose and grows.

“Swans have an undeserved reputation for elegance, but really they're just moody bastards.'
'Bit like you, then.'
Flea dodged his halfhearted swipe at her head.
‘The only thing that's elegant about me,’ Lukan replied, ‘is my swordplay, and in that respect my reputation is well deserved’
‘Didn't do you much good last night, did it?' the girl asked, grinning at him.”

The book also has a strong cast of side characters, all of which are distinct, and for me this is a sign of a skilled author who can make even characters which appear briefly, extremely memorable. Yet there is one I know every reader will fall in love with—Flea is a young girl who survives by pickpocketing and in fact that is how she is introduced to Lukan. Flea and Lukan, at least in my opinion, share the best bantery dynamic, with Flea being Lukan’s guide turned sidekick. Who doesn’t love a good character duo? Flea may be just a child but as Lukan often observes, she’s a “smart one”, and life on the streets has left her more clued up than even he is. She rescues Lukan from more than a few scrapes and the way they tease each other brings just the right amount of mockery to keep me chuckling throughout. Another side character I was rather drawn to was The Scrivener, a master forger. Her character was the perfect amount of threatening but extremely useful to have on your side. Lukan may not have always been wise to deviate from The Scrivener’s orders, but damn those scenes were entertaining! Ashra was yet another standout character but the less you know about her, the better experience you’ll have.

“‘You think your vision for this city - this vision of might and conquest - is born of loyalty to Saphrona. Love, even. But it's not. It's born from fear, from a desperate need to reforge the world into a vision that you don't feel threatened by—’”

Our tale is set in Saphrona, the central city of commerce in the Old Empire and Logan does a fantastic job of vibrantly bringing it to life. From the market, taverna’s and gambling houses to the Ebon Hand prison and the Bone Pit, where barbaric executions were held, we explore the beautiful and the dark corners of this wondrous place. It’s a city that houses wealthy merchants, the Kindred criminal organisation and street urchins alike. It’s a place where anything can be bought at a price, a place where The Lady of Seven Shadows deals out justice and it bursts with a medley of culture and beliefs. It is a fitting place to hold a murder mystery and continuing with that mystery is the use of Phaeron relics. Here is where our magic system plays a part as each relic had magical properties and puzzle-like ways to use them, their inclusion gave vibes of Indiana Jones. There are also gleamers and The Faceless who use arcane powers, but discovering their abilities for yourself is immensely fun. Just know that Saphrona is a setting full of surprises which I loved exploring!

The Silverblood Promise deftly blends high fantasy and mystery together to deliver a tale which readers will eagerly devour. Logan perfectly balances humour, charm and intrigue to create a pure riot of a read. I can’t wait to see where the next book will lead us.

ARC provided by Ayo at Jo Fletcher Books in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

The Silverblood Promise is one of those fantasy books that is already getting quite a bit of hype. Billed as Lamora meets Abercrombie with a dash of Nicholas Eames.

Well, does the book live up to its promise? Well, it does and it doesn’t!

Unfortunately, for me I thought it was a little unfair to put it in this cache of stories and those who are expecting a Lamora style heist novel, or an Abercrombie level of grimdarkness may possibly feel a little mislead.

However, taken on its own merits, this book is a cracking little book (again, that is misleading coz it ain’t small!). I think for me it bears little resemblance to anything I have read before, but if I was going to pull some comparison out of my head, I would say that the nearest thing to it would be M.J. Kuhn’s first book (which I loved!), or as I have seen Petrik Leo comment in his review, Foundryside. Which I can totally see!
The story centres around our main protagonist, Lukan Gardova, a disgraced nobleman’s son who after being estranged from his academically minded father following an incident in the Academy that he went to in his own town (I can’t exactly recall the name of where Lukan comes from as he moves around a lot following the incident).

He is subsequently tracked down by his father’s retainer, Shafia, who tells him that his father has been murdered and that he has left him a note scrawled in his own blood. The note contains three words; Lukan Saphrosa Zandrusa.
He can make out two of the words, but he has no clue what the final word means. Obviously, the first word is his name, the second refers to the southern city of Saphrosa, but he has no clue as to what the final word of the message may be.

In an effort to solve the mystery of his father’s untimely demise, Lukan sets sail for Saphrosa. There he will enlist the aid of the criminal underground, come into contact with mysterious ancient artefacts and also find himself in the midst of events that will change the course of his life.

The book comes out in April, and I must say that I really enjoyed this one, and I am sure that when it is released a lot more readers will too.
Initially, I was a little sceptical, and it took me a while to warm to the main character. However, when the story actually starts you can’t help but actually loving him. I mean there is something about the loveable rogue isn’t there and it is a trope that always has me coming back for more. More than that, this book has three of them.

There is the impish Flea. A child that has grown up stealing to make her living on the streets of Sarphona who becomes embroiled with Lukan when she attempts to steal from Lukan in the early pages of the book. And then there is the mysterious Ashra (I won’t say much about her as you can find out for yourself who she is)
One of the main things that I enjoyed in this book was the growing relationship between Lukan and the impetuous young girl Flea, who he takes under his wing, and I must say that the relationship and banter between the two is what makes this book so enjoyable. And then when Ashra joins the fray, it seems to elevate it that little bit more.
The story itself is a twisty, turny plot that becomes more surprising as the story goes on. Each time Lukan thinks he has solved one more piece of the puzzle that can lead him to solving the mystery of his father’s murder, ten more problems emerge, each proving more dangerous than the last.

The prose is slick and fast paced and once you actually get past the first chapter you find yourself mysteriously engrossed in Lukan’s plight and I simply could not put it down until I had finished. In addition to that, the story is peppered with copious amounts of humour, especially the banter between the characters.
Now to the fantasy elements of the book. There is magic in the book, but it is a soft system that moves the plot along when it is needed rather than being a hard magic system that is integrated into the world as a whole. In addition to that, I really liked the basis of the world. In particular, The Phaeron, a race of beings that were ambiguously described as a race of magical beings that had great technological advancements, or a race of other dimensional beings. I am sure that as we learn more of the world, this will become clearer.

The Silverblood Promise is an exciting new fantasy series from an exciting new voice in fantasy and I cannot wait to see where the next instalment will lead us.

Blown away. This was one of my most anticipated reads. I was not disappointed in the least. This has it all. Great characters, I particularly enjoyed Flea a lot. Great world building and lore. This was one fantastic adventure. I am most definitely looking forward to more from the author.

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for allowing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Just…wow.

I’ve been sat with this review in my drafts for a couple of weeks and just when I thought I hit the nail on the head with what I want to say, I find the words don’t do this book the justice it deserves.

Lukan Gardova has arrived in Saphrona to find out the truth behind his father’s murder. What seems to be a simple murder mystery turns into much more with political conflict and the magic system is interesting in that - there really isn’t one! The magic comes from artefacts from an ancient civilisation.

The world building is magnificent. The little pieces of information scattered throughout the book about our location is just the right amount without it being too overwhelming.

The characters were fantastic. Lukan is an excellent protagonist but my love went to Flea with her smart mouth and banter. Every single character has a purpose and is fleshed out so wonderfully that I actually loved them all.

An excellent fantasy debut that I will scream from the top of my lungs about how much I adored this, in fact, this might possibly be my favourite book of 2024 and it’s only January! I need the next book yesterday.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I was excited for this new fantasy novel, the description was interesting, the cover was calling my name but...
It did not meet my expectations. I could not get on board with the narrative style, the pacing and the actions/decisions of the main protagonist. I read all the book because there was potential, and I was sufficiently intrigued to keep reading and discover what happened at the end.
For me is a three star book because of its potential, but sometimes it was difficult to find the motivation to pick it up.

I saw this book everywhere on Twitter at the beginning of the year, and I have to say that all that hype was well deserved. Sure, it’s not a perfect book, there were some things that could have been better developed (more on these in a moment) and I think that the author has some space to grow yet, but… but it is a solid book. And since I started it, I was completely immersed in it. Every time I had to put it down it was just so hard! All I wanted was to continue reading, to still be between those pages, in that fascinating world, with those intriguing characters. I was fascinated from the start, and the book never let me down!

The book is not heavy on world-building, but we get enough to see that this is a fascinating world. Magic is there, even if the magical system is quite complex, and the magic wielders are very few. We have an ancient society that is dead and almost forgotten, but that was so technologically/magically advanced that its artifacts are still a wonder for the people who took their place. And sure, I would have loved to see more of the world-building perhaps, but we get to explore the rich and fascinating city of Saphrona, the main place in wich the story took place, and I have to say that I am satisfied with it. Sure, I’ll say that world-building is not the strongest point here, but it is not bad: it works, it is fascinating and for me, it was enough.

What the book is heavy on are the plot and the characters. And since I am a character-driven kind of reader, I wasn’t disappointed in the least. Our MC is Lukan, a young-ish man who is the disgraced heir of a former rich family, a sort of rascally type with a good heart, who starts, at the beginning of the book, along the road of personal redemption, in the form of a quest to find who assassinated his, now estranged and obviously  dead, father. And his quest will take us around, exploring the rich and ruthless city of Saphrona, where the only Gods are money and power, and where we accompany him in all sorts of adventures. And it’s mainly his POV that we follow. And Lukan’s head, or POV, is a really good place to be. Sure, he is not the happiest man out there, and he finds himself in all sorts of… unhealthy situations, from time to time, but he is witty, he is sharp and he is an absolute pleasure to follow around.
And to counterbalance him we have Flea, a street urchin with an attitude who doesn’t belong with one so small. She is sharp, she is pragmatic, she is strong-willed, and headstrong, but she is also so damn fun! (In a sort of endearing cutting way!). We have also a later addition to our party, Ashra. She is resourceful, amazingly good at what she does and she is a really powerful ally, but since she came later to the party I have yet to take her proper measures. I mean, I am not disliking her, but I am not so sure I really like her, either. But that’s all about personal preferences, and she is a great character all the same.
And around our three main characters, if I can say so, we have a lot of interesting secondary characters that are alive and complex. They never feel bidimensional or plain. And all of them are intriguing!
And before going to the plot let me tell you one thing more: I loved Flea and Lukan’s relationship. I am not talking about romance here, mind me! (She is an eleven years old girl, and he is 27 years old, I think… I can’t remember Lukan’s age right but it’s something like that!). But their relationship is so well developed! I really enjoyed it!

And now to the plot… We have a high-fantasy setting with a murder mystery. But things are not really so straightforward. We have heists, daring escapades, secret missions, strange and mythical creatures, the sort of a city on the balance, and justice to be done. It is a lot. There is no rest for our characters, and there is no rest for us who follow along. And it was pure bliss. It is a lot, but it is never too much. You follow from one thing happening to the next, almost tumbling from one another, and you are there for the ride. You will not want to be anywhere else, and as far as the reading progresses it will become harder and harder to put down the book because you’ll need to discover what will happen next.
And all along we are in the company of the wit of our characters and their banter. It could have been quite a dark book, and even if it is not all rainbows and giggles, is more lighthearted, in a way, than one could expect. And I am not complaining at all. I loved this!

But, as I was saying at the beginning, there were a couple of things that I think could have done better. The silverblood promise that give the title to the book, for example. We discover what that is at the beginning of the book (and I loved to see where the title of the book comes from!) but it is a tad… uncalled for? I mean, it won’t be a big spoiler because it is what starts all things but still, I’ll try to be a bit vague all the same, that Lukan decided to do a certain thing, and it was highly motivated to do it, it wasn’t undecided or else, he was dead set on doing it so… why the promise? It seemed a tad unnecessary to me. And mind me, it is not a big thing, but nothing I’ll say here is about big things, because the book is a solid one, it works well, and I had an amazing time reading it, but still I think it’s right to point out what didn’t work perfectly to me.
This was one thing, the other one is about Flea. She usually tags along because saying no to her is hard, because she is really really headstrong. But it is not an excuse that work so well, I mean (again, trying to be vague and no spoilering anything) “we are going to do this really dangerous thing, and no 11 years old should be involved in it, but she said she will come with me and so here we are”. If you put it simply like that it doesn’t really work so well. Especially if you use it time and again. I understand that Flea needs to be there for the story to work well, but I think the whys she is there should be a tad more elaborated than “I tried saying her no, she didn’t agree with it, so I let her come”. Exactly like that. It was a tad maddening, from time to time, but again, it is not really a big deal.

The last thing I want to say is that I had a great time with this book, I am really really happy to have read it, and I cannot wait to have the next one between my hands. I want that book, and I want it now!!

Possibly the best fantasy debut I’ll read the whole year (and it’s just January)


This book is truly addictive. The pacing is great, the worldbuilding is great. The characters are beyond great.

What starts out as a simple murder mystery escalates into a political conflict with ancient magic at its centre. Lukan Gardova arrives in Saphrona searching for the truth behind his father’s murder and ends up being thrown head-first into several side quests involving daring heists, sword fights, and a sinister assassination plot.

The worldbuilding is truly wonderful; I have been captivated by every passage describing the city and its inhabitants, from the Merchant Princes' villas to the seedy underworld of Saphrona. Reminiscent of both A Song of Ice and Fire’s Braavos and real life Venice, James Logan does this beautiful setting justice wonderfully with every vivid description. As for the magic system, the world of The Silverblood Promise features an interesting one, as there is little to no magic present, and the only source of magic comes from the scattered artefacts of a now-extinct civilisation, the Phaeron. I felt that the little tidbits of information we got about the Phaeron really enriched the story and the worldbuilding, and I hope we get to learn more about the lore surrounding them in the future books.

As for the characters. The characters. If the worldbuilding I loved, the characters I adored. Most of the novel is told from the limited 3rd person POV of Lukan, with two chapters from other characters’ POVs. Flea was definitely my favourite character (who wouldn’t love a smart mouth street urchin with ‘wise beyond their years’ trope written all over her?) and her interactions and banter with Lukan were both heartwarming and hilarious.
What I appreciated the most about the characters was, however, just how fleshed out each of them was. Even if they appeared for a few pages or a few chapters, every character had such a well-defined personality, from the Jewels and Ashra to much more minor characters, like Juro and captain Grabulli.

I appreciate that, despite sometimes veering into grimdark territory, the author keeps a light edge to the story. The humour, the banter, the little heartwarming interactions between the characters do a wonderful job to balance the bleak elements.

All in all, this was one great fantasy novel. The only downside I could possibly think of is the long long wait I will have to endure for the next book in the series.Until then, I will fill my time with screaming from my little soapbox to everyone who’d listen about how they need to read this book immediately.

Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley for the free eARC of "The Silverblood Promise" by James Logan.
This Dark Fantasy Debut was a fun reading experience, full of adventure, mysteries, conspiracies, and great side characters.
As a reader you will have two options with this book: go with the flow, enjoy the ride and have a great time with it, or be a critic and be upset about all the coincidences. I am glad I chose the first option, to go with the flow.
While the main character was nothing exceptional, the secondary characters were so fun to spend time with, that I ended up urming up a little towads the main hero when he was in their presence.
This was a fast paced adventure and I appreciated how entertaining it was.
Some hints about this world were hinted in "The Silverblood Promise", but I think more will be revealed in the next installments.
Highly recomended to fans of Fantasy Adventure.

Strong contender for fantasy of the year. This came out of nowhere but deserves all the recognition it is getting. I'm so buzzed about this release. Logan has created an insurmountable presence and this story needs more already.

DNF @ 15%

I really wanted to love this book, and I fully expected to--the Locke Lamora books are among my all time favourites, and based on the description, all the elements of the Silverblood Promise should have added up to something which pressed all my buttons. However, this book very quickly revealed to me that those elements are no longer enough for me to enjoy a book, unless the execution brings something to elevate the mix. Ultimately, nothing about the execution here stood out enough for what I read not to feel derivative and tired, and for me to dread the significant page count enough that I didn't want to keep reading. Furthermore, the technical polish was far below what I'd expect for a career editor: the stilted, expository dialogue and frequent unnecessary use of direct thought were enough alone to make me really surprised when I heard.

I do think this book will land well for a significant set of readers; like I said, it's got all the ingredients for a fun fantasy heist, and the way they're put together will certainly be to plenty of people's taste. Regretfully, however, they just weren't to mine.

Many thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review!

I really liked this book, but the pacing was all over the place. It took me a long time to get into (20%). I almost gave up. I am glad I persevered because the overall story is good. However, even once I was invested in it, there were times the story seemed to drag quite a bit, and I just wanted the story to come to the point.

The characters were quite good. My favourite was obviously Flea. She was a cute kid with a lot of spirit, steadfast, and loyal. Lukan was likeable enough, but he was saved way too many times.

Whilst I'm giving it 4 stars, I would say it's more like 3.5.

4.5 Shining Stars

The Silverblood Promise is a brilliant debut novel that somehow reminded me of The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Name of the Wind. Given how much I loved the previously mentioned books, it just goes to show how much I enjoyed reading this one.

The Silverblood Promise is a vibrant and addictive adventure that traverses the city of Saphrona with its corrupt powerful politicians, underworld kings, inquisitors, priests, mercenaries and magic. There’s definitely a grim dark atmosphere, but it is combined with an intrinsic
set of values and morality. Every character has it’s own story, struggles and flaws that make them feel so real, and yet, even if they sometimes don’t know who the good guys are, they show morality in the hard times instead of just doing what is easier.

This was beautifully written in a fast paced way that slows down just in the right moments. There are contextual moments where characters remember and share their past, but these are always relevant to the history and included in the narrative. And the action scenes are gripping and fast paced, making you unable to put the book down. And all the darkness and angst is somehow intertwined with a dry sense of humor. Lunkan had a dry humor and some clever turns of phrases, but here my absolute favorite was Flea, street urchin who tried to rob Lukan as soon as he arrives in the city and soon becomes his biggest ally and companion, matching his sharp tongue and even bigger heart.

The descriptions painted a vivid picture whilst never losing that wit that keeps you entertained. You get introduced to a huge set of characters, from street urchins to the most powerful men and women from Saphrona, without losing interest for one second. The complex political system and magic system are very well introduced in a fashion that resembles the big names in Epic Fantasy and I just can’t wait to get more of it. You can feel that there is a bigger story brewing and I’m here for it, just (not so) patiently waiting for book 2.

Thank you very much Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and NetGallery for providing me this ARC.

The Silverblood Promise (the last legacy 1) By James Logan

Release date 25th April 2024

Rating 4.5



This book is going to be the next big fantasy hit and mark my words you will be seeing this everywhere next year. I already had this preordered but after it popped up on Netgalley, I feel as if I needed to read this book.

I am very glad I did. The book starts with probably the most vivid descriptions of a place that have had me hooked from the first paragraph, it may be my love for medieval taverns and that was the first setting but we won’t read too much into that. This is where we meet Lukan, a person who has been kicked out of the academy after a duel did not go well, Lukan pulled me in straight away. I felt myself being able to visualise, see and almost smell everything in view and I loved the adventures that he got himself in and all the people he met along the way, this book was so compelling that I found myself not being able to stop until I finished it because I was that captivated by the world that James Logan created.

I now have to wait 4 months to find out what other people think but I am so happy that I do because I will be pushing people to give this book a go and give it a try. I would say to anyone undecided by this book to take a chance, there is adventure, characters that will make you laugh and possibly cry, those who you will root for and those who you will wish to never be seen again but that is the magic of the new series and all I can say is I really, really, really need the second book now please and thank you.

review to be posted on Instagram 4th January