If any novel can make the case that a cliché is just a poorly executed trope, it’s James Logan’s debut novel The Silverblood Promise, the first in his THE LAST LEGACY series. Rakish, roguish noble? Check. Ancient civilization done in by some sort of cataclysm? Check. Scrappy, sassy street rat? Check. Mysterious, legendary thief? Mysterious, notorious criminal underground? Mysterious ancient artifacts? Unctuous, corrupt, greedy merchant-princes? Check, check, check, check. Heck, we’ve even got dying last words scrawled in one’s own blood (mysterious words, of course).

Are these cliches? Tropes? Two sides of the same coin. And in this case, the coin is always coming up, um, damn it, there goes the metaphor. Let’s say you called heads each time. Then in this case, the coin is always coming up heads. Because out of this blend of familiar ingredients, plus one part murder mystery, one part heist novel, and one part quest adventure, Logan has crafted a highly enjoyable stew of fantasy. One I thoroughly enjoyed and happily read straight through in a single setting.

The book opens by introducing us to that rakish young noble, Lukan Gardova, at one time seven or so years ago heir to a prominent aristocratic family (though one in decline), a student at the Academy, and a lover of card play and good wine. Thanks to a duel gone horribly wrong though, he’s now estranged from his father, far from home, and expelled from Academy (the gambling and drinking remain in full force). Relatively quickly though, he learns his father was murdered and that his last act were those mysterious words scrawled in blood. That message, and the desire to learn who killed his father, takes him to the grand city of Saphrona, where everything and anything can be bought or sold. A city not too far removed from a bitter war, a city across the water from the Southern Empire, a city ruled by merchant princes at the top and the Kindred — the criminal underground with its “Twice-Crowned King” — at the bottom. There he eventually teams up with Flea, the aforementioned street rat; Ashra, the aforementioned thief, famous for being able to walk through walls; The Scrivener, a master forger with a sharp tongue and very definite ideas of how things should be done; and a merchant prince currently in prison for murder. As he works with them to solve the mystery of his father’s death, he becomes ever more entangled in the politics of the city and a conspiracy meant to overthrow the current rule and spark a new war, leading to the deaths of thousands.

The worldbuilding here is well executed and intriguing. Saphrona is a wonderful city creation, reminding me a bit of Constantinople before it was Istanbul (go ask the Turks). But while nearly all the action takes place in the city, we get little snippets of information to flesh out a vastly larger world, little teasers that make me eager to see more of these places (and clearly we will based on this book’s ending). While the grounded worldbuilding is well done, my favorite part is the more abstract idea of the Phaeron, the legendary race of magical (or possibly highly technological) beings that were wiped out in some catastrophe but who have left behind a number of strange artifacts. Lukan’s father, in fact, was, in Lukan’s words, “obsessed” with the Phaeron and their artifacts, to the detriment of a relationship with his son, particularly after Lukan’s mother died when he was young. We see several of the artifacts in action in the course of the novel and what I love about them is the sense that they are beyond human ken. Maybe it’s how the Phaeron worked, maybe it’s just the rarity of the artifacts, but there’s no sense of systemized magic; they’re just, weird. I’m sure we’ll learn more about both the Phaeron and their artifacts, but here I ate up the truly mysterious nature of them, the befuddlement and sense of wonder that comes from something we just can’t fathom.

The artifacts are not the only source of magic in the story. Humans can perform magic under particular rules and conditions: paired Gleamers maintaining physical contact (emotional bonding helps as well) can draw and work power from the Gloaming (some sort of extra dimension) to do sorcery, with one Gleamer pulling it from the Gloaming and the other shaping it to their will. And finally there are The Faceless, powerful creatures thought to be the stuff of children’s stories and myth but who turn out to be frighteningly real. Their story, the little bit we see here, is absolutely fascinating.

The plot as mentioned is a mix of formats. The murder mystery of course is one, though that takes a step back and remains behind the scenes for most of the novel for all it drives events. The heist is rolled in the quest aspect, which is really a serial quest. Lukan has to talk to somebody to find some information about his father, that person is in prison, to get her out Lukan has to find someone else and gain something else, and so on, with little mini-quests accumulating one atop the other. It all moves at a fast pace with a number of twists and turns and shifting alliances thanks to the accretion of different quests.

But the real highlights of the novel are the characterization and the voice. Lukan at first is a bit off-putting: annoying, impatient, constantly interrupting people (he gets called on this throughout the book), harsh toward his father. But he has a good heart and as he forms close relationships with other characters, learns his father was much more than the cold, Phaeron-obsessed man he saw him as, and most importantly becomes willing to take great risks to help complete strangers, people of a city he has zero connection to, it becomes impossible not to warm up to him (save for one issue I’ll go into later). Ashra is vividly drawn, allowing her to transcend the stock character she so easily could have become. The Scrivener has only a few scenes, but honestly steals those scenes with her sternly threatening-yet-somehow-humorous manner. Even the minor characters, such as an old drunken general, a doctor to the merchant-princes, and a former-pirate-turned-legitimate (mostly)-sea captain, comes fully alive in their brief pages, and I was more than a little pleased to see we’ll be spending more time with at least one of them in the sequel.

The star of the cast though, is Flea. As with Ashra, she could have been your stock urchin rate, and she has all the backstory and mannerisms and voicing of one. But she is so vibrantly portrayed, so clearly her own inimitable self, that she even more than Ashra transcends the stereotype. She steals every scene she is in, and one gets the feeling Logan himself realizes that as the book goes on. I swear I would read an entire second book that just retold the plot of this one from Flea’s point of view. She’s a wonderful creation, and I can’t wait to spend more time with her.

As for the voice, Flea is one, but only one, of the many vectors for the humor throughout. The Silverblood Promise is simply put a funny book. It’s not a comedy, not at all. Nor is it a wearying quip-a-moment style that gets exhausting. But hardly a page or two goes by where at least one line won’t raise a smile, or a chuckle, or a laugh-out-loud moment. That humor combined with the characters makes it, as I said early on, just a fun book to read.

That’s not to say it’s not without it’s flaws. The biggest one is that flaw of Lukan’s I mentioned earlier. Sometimes, and I don’t know how else to put this, he’s just so painfully dumb. Now, we all do dumb things, but this trait was pretty relentless throughout, and it didn’t seem to matter what other people told him (sometimes repeatedly) or what previous events might have/should have showed him. It did grate a bit each time we entered one of those scenes, though thankfully not for long. The other issue was a minor one at most, and that was a sudden shift from the third-person point of view into other POV’s toward the end. I get structurally and narratively why Logan chose to do this, but it still jarred when it happened. Though it was quickly passed over.

The novel ends with Lukan (and some others) heading out on track of another clue to his father’s murder. In that respect, and with regard to a background plot about the Faceless and the Phaeron, the book clearly needs a sequel. But the main arcs of this novel — what Lukan needs to learn in the city and the conspiracy plot — all come to a resolution. So one could, in theory, end here and be quite satisfied. But really, why wouldn’t you want to learn more about the murder, about the Faceless and the Phaeron? And more importantly, why wouldn’t you want to spend more time with Flea? Strongly recommended.

When Lukan's estranged father is found murdered with a note on his pocket, he goes on a quest for answers--only to uncover a conspiracy that could shake the city.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan delivers a fun high fantasy filled with wit and deception.

I found Lukan really fun as a protagonist. He’s a disgraced academy dropout who uses more brains than brawn to solve his problems. He’s got a smart mouth that lands him in hot water at times, and to top it all off, he’s got unresolved daddy issues to work on. What’s not to love?

However, one of the things that intrigued me most about this story was the Phaeron. They’re a cool, high-tech arcanepunk civilization who mysteriously fell and left behind magical artifacts. I’m getting subtle hints of psychological cosmic horror from them, so I’m really curious to find out more about them as the series progresses.

Overall, this book is an entertaining romp and really hits the spot if you're in the mood for a rogue-like adventure fantasy.

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.

We’re gonna chat about this epic fantasy debut novel right here. James Logan did the damn thing. The Silverblood Promise is based around our FMC Lukan who came from a once prestigious family that has seen some rough times. He might’ve become something “worthy” if he hadn’t been kicked out of the academy for a VERY big accidental mistake. This incident lead to his father and Lukan becoming estranged. Right off the bat we are told his father has been murdered under suspicious circumstances and a very interesting clue was left behind. This clue kickstarts this whole journey as we try to uncover the who’s and whys of this situation. James Logan states he grew up on fighting fantasy game books and that is so evident in his writing. I felt like I was reading a script for a video game. I literally felt like I was on a journey, trying to find NPCs to give me my next quest (in the best way). Vibes? The Mummy (not so much the Egyptian aspect but the hunt for artifacts from a different civilization, Uncharted, Pacing? Good. Characters? Loveable. Plot? Held my attention for majority of the time. I LOVED the dialogue between the characters. I’m a sucker for sarcasm what can I say? Flea? LOVE her, protect her at all costs. This book has a good ending and a great setup for the rest of the series to come. If you’re looking for a romantasy this isn’t it. If you’re looking for an epic adventure with trials and tribulations and a bit of found family? Pick this.

James Logan debuts with an impressive fantasy that not only sidesteps common fantasy tropes but also avoids many of the mistakes you find in writers establishing themselves in the fantasy genre. The excellent worldbuilding these books need is here, but it never clumsily takes center stage. Instead, the story rightfully gives the characters room to drive the action forward and give readers the time they need to fall in love with fast-talking, not always possessing the chops to back it up Lukan and his truly adorable sidekick Flea, who acts as both guide to the city of Saphrona and as a check to our naive hero, My only complaints are that everything wrapped up a little too neatly and that in a book with such strong character work that Lukan would sometimes make such stupid mistakes that I would be thrown out of the world.

A very promising start to an epic fantasy series! Libraries should be sure to keep a spot on their shelves for this book, and be ready to save a spot for the next entry in the series.

This book was overall a fun read. While it was not perfect by any means, I did have a great time reading it and found myself wanting to get home to decompress with these characters and their story. In this epic fantasy debut novel, we follow Lukan who is estranged from his family after k*lling a classmate and being kicked out of a prestigious academy. Early into the story, he learns of his father’s death and makes a vow to find out the circumstances behind the murder – and the culprit.

Lukan is an… interesting main character. He is not particularly likeable and he talks too much (even the characters in the book continuously express their annoyance with him). I can’t say that his behaviour (and bro-ey jokes) got better as the story progressed (i.e. character growth), but reading from his POV was definitely – something. I will say, however, that the author does a great job of writing dialogue between Lukan and the side characters. Some of these side characters ended up being my favorites, but I am neither here nor there where Lukan is concerned.

My biggest qualm with this book is that it is an adult fantasy novel, there is a very serious mystery subplot, but everything just falls into place for Lukan during his quest. For me, the stakes felt nonexistent and there was very little tension throughout the story. The progression of the plot was very formulaic. Something would happen, the main character would go off on another leg of his mission, and then he would happen to be in the opportune place at just the right time to overhear dialogue from side characters that gave him the information he needed to solve whatever issue needed solving. This happens throughout the entire book and really dulled my reading experience. Lukan did not propel the plot forward in any way, rather the side characters were the ones who kept the story going. Lukan felt like a very passive character in his own story, and that took this book from being a possible 4-star read to 3 stars for me.

Nevertheless, I was very intrigued by the world building and the cliffhanger and I do think there is potential here, so I will be continuing on with the series.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me both a physical finished copy and an e-arc (via Netgalley) of this title!

Rating of 4.75.

Promising new author James Logan presents an epic fantasy debut in the form of The Silverblood Promise, the first entry in his planned The Last Legacy series, and one of my most anticipated books of 2024.

Lukan Gardova, the disgraced heir of a noble family, is a man who has lost everything following a duel that ended tragically. Forced to drop out of his prestigious academy and abandoned by his family, Lukan travels the wild edges of the world, gambling, drinking, and seeking what adventure he can. Despite his malaise and despair, Lukan is still shaken when he is informed that his estranged father has been murdered by mysterious assassins.

Armed with fresh purpose and a determination to find out who was responsible for his father’s death, Lukan follows the only clue he has, a note his dying father wrote in his own blood. The names it contains lead him to Saphrona, an old and prosperous city ruled by merchant princes where everything can be bought. Filled with rogues, scoundrels, thieves, and miscreants, Saphrona seems an unlikely place to find his reclusive, academic father’s killers.

Engaging in an exhaustive search throughout Saphrona, Lukan discovers that the answers he seeks lie with one of the city’s merchant princes. Unfortunately, they have been condemned to death for the murder of another merchant prince, and if Lukan wants the information they have, he will first have to prove their innocence. Working with an unlikely group of criminal acquaintances, Lukan follows the few clues surrounding the merchant prince’s unusual murder. But the further he digs, the more danger he finds himself in. There is a deadly conspiracy at work in Saphrona, one that seeks to undermine everything the city stands for. Forced to contend with desperate nobles, deadly criminals, and dangerous forces beyond his comprehension, Lukan fights to keep his promise and find the truth behind his father’s murder.

Wow, now this was an awesome debut from Logan and one that I was really glad I got the chance to read. The Silverblood Promise has been on my radar for a while, and Logan did not disappoint with its excellent and exciting story, which is loaded with action, intrigue, cool fantasy elements and some great characters. Entertaining and fast-paced, The Silverblood Promise was an absolute joy to read, and I had an amazing time getting through it.

To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/05/12/the-silverblood-promise-by-james-logan/

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As a huge fan of the Lies of Locke Lamora, I was really excited when I saw people making these comparisons. While I do think the comparison is apt, this story definitely holds its own. I loved the characters, they were all so compelling and interesting--they each had so many layers and they felt really real. I also thought that, for epic fantasy, the world-building was really accessible. The world and the magic, the setting and the characters, were all so cohesive and really fascinating. I loved this and I cannot wait to see what comes next!

**Full review to be added**

Now this is the fantasy I've been waiting for! I had such an incredible time diving into this epic new fantasy. I've seen some Lies of Locke Lamora comparisons and I totally understand why, but it's very much it's own book, The world-building was excellently crafted and the characters were full of life and had so many layers to them. This is the type of fantasy that I love–the type that is full of detail, incredible world-building, cool magic, and so much more. I cannot wait to see where James Logan takes this story!

Wow! What a fantastic epic fantasy! If this is James Logan's debut novel, then sign me up for everything that he writes in the future!

In this book you are following Lukan, who makes a Silverblood Promise, that takes him on a journey to a far away city to complete his quest and satisfy his promise.

This book has everything I look for in a fantasy novel. It has an epic adventure, pirates, shady taverns, odd executions where a prisoner could survive, gambling dens, found family, clever characters, and of course, the writing is fantastic!

4.5 I devoured half of the book in one sitting although it's about 530 pages, after 40% the cast grows, and the action, plot twists, and conflict too. The main character (Lukan) is fun and a bit naive. He's going to be dropped in the middle of a huge (murderous, magic, supernatural) game of conspiracy and danger that is too much for him to deal with. This will create a lot of side quests and mini adventures where his reactions and quick solutions result in a lot of humorous situations.

This is a murder/mystery and the investigation to solve his father's death takes him to a new city. His sidekick (Flea) is a feisty, smart (sometimes more than he is) ten-year-old girl, this street urchin helps him around the city but becomes one of his most valuable allies. Their relationship is hilarious. I always loved the dynamic of the Main character and the kid companion since Indy and Shorty, or Alan and the Kids in Jurassic Park not to mention Last of Us.

Another high note is the vibe of the world and the story. It's mostly humor and action. When I want to take a break from long slow-burn fantasy books I turn to those that are super entertaining, fast-paced, and not always very complex but enough to remind me of my favorite RPG structures such as Assassin's Creed with secret cults and different villains. But sometimes the humor, rhythm and fast-pacing of the silver blood promise lean more toward cartoonish/comic book types of villains, especially with the choices of their code names. I immediately see a superhero with a suit whenever I hear Ashra's name.
This book made my expectations higher for the next volume. Looking forward to reading the rest.

Love the cover as well.

Thank you, Publisher and Netgalley for this e-ARC.

I had an absolute blast reading The Silverblood Promise. It was fun, adventurous and fast-paced.

What I must start with saying, is that Í really enjoyed was James Logan's ability to describe and create scale and the general look and feel of places and cities. It's easy to get immersed and to picture the place in your head.

The constant comparisons between Lukan's first impressions of a location or place and that of Velleras Gellame, the author of a guide to the city of Saphrona. It was a fun way to incorporate lore and history of places without getting too info-dumpy. I loved being in Saphrona, it's a thrilling port city, ruled by a council that is split into two sections: The Oldbloods that inherited their money, and the Newbloods that made their own fortunes. As Velleras Gellame so nicely put it in his guide: Coin is said to be the true god of Saphrona.

One of the strengths of The Silverblood Promise, is it's characters. The story centers around Lukan, a disgraced noble who is haunted by a duel that went wrong. He hears of his father's murder, and therefore sets out on a mission to find the killer, wherever it leads him. Lukan is sharp and witty, but also a man that also runs head-first into situations just to rely on his wittiness to get him out of it. More than once he relies on talking his way out, or to get him things he wants. He mouths off to people constantly and to a point it's almost a character flaw, because this man does not know when to shut up. It makes him very entertaining however.

Lukan, despite being a disgraced noble and spending most night hustling in taverns, still carries a certain way of talking that only nobles do, which is frequently pointed out by Flea, an orphaned girl and his travel companion in Sephrona. It was a fun way to still tie him to his old life. This is also something that makes the dynamics between him and Flea very entertaining. I mean, they meet when Flea tries to rob him.

The story itself keeps you on your toes. It's fast-paced and it feels like the reader is going on a grand adventure. What started out as a simple quest to find a person with answers, turned out to be something so much bigger and I kept on getting surprised by how the whole thing seemed to spiral into something so much bigger the longer the story went on. It kept me guessing.

I am also a sucker for a world where there is a previous civilization lost. The Phaeron and the glimpses we got of them were both frightening and exciting all the same. A powerful civilization that simply disappears? It certainly got me hungry for more.

To conclude, The Silverblood Promise is a thrilling and adventurous first installment in a series, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for the ARC!

TL;DR

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan exceeded all my expectations. This novel features a main character worth rooting for, a city worth exploring, and a plot worth reading. This is a promising debut and wonderful opening to The Last Legacy series. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

Death always comes too soon. We don’t think about it as a survival mechanism, but it’s out there waiting for all of us. Yet, we delay things because we believe tomorrow will come. Whether optimism or naivete, we put off doing things that are difficult, that are painful. We put off reconciling. Sometimes, we put it off too long and can never reconnect. Lukan Gardova in The Silverblood Promise by James Logan has done exactly that. One day as he’s playing cards in a city far from home, he learns that his father has been murdered. Now, not only is Lukan head of a minor noble house, he’s no longer able to reconcile with his father. But his father left him a mystery to solve. Maybe if Lukan can figure out who murdered his father, he can get some closure.

Lukan Gardova has regrets. Don’t we all? After a night of cards and drinking, Lukan makes his way to his lodgings and finds himself followed. His shadow is from his past; the woman who raised and educated him after his mother’s passing. She tells him that his father has been murdered. Lukan and his father haven’t talked in some time; actually, Lukan avoided his old man ever since the incident that made him leave home. Lukan is now the head of a minor, maybe disgraced, noble house. Who murdered his father and why aren’t clear. But as his father lay bleeding out, the man wrote three words on a scrap of paper in his own blood. Lukan Saphrona Zandrusa. The first two words are obvious; Lukan is his son; and Saphrona is a rich port city. But who or what is the third word? To find out, Lukan must travel to the port city. Hearing about the loss of his father, Lukan feels the door to reconciliation shut. But maybe if he can solve his father’s murder, he can make peace with his old man. So Lukan makes a promise with blood and silver to find his father’s murderer. What he doesn’t know is that Saphrona is filled with dangers and adventures that might take precedence over his promise. In an attempt to uncover his father’s murderer, Lukan finds himself embroiled in political machinations that could destroy a decades old peace. Saphrona, like any merchant city, has a price that Lukan must pay.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan is a third person novel with Lukan as the narrator for the majority of the read. Near the end, other narrators take over a few chapters, and it can be jarring. However, it works. The style is fast-paced without losing the character exploration that I find necessary for a good novel. The worldbuilding is quite good, and I cannot wait to explore the world further. This novel engaged me from the first chapter, and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s 512 pages long, and I read it in 6 days. My wife even commented on how fast I read the book because I couldn’t put it down. In other words, I highly recommend this book.

Lukan Gardova

Lukan is a fascinating character. He’s a mix of self-reflection and zero thought whatsoever. His concern is the people around them. Like any good narrator, he observes closely. We get his regrets on the duel that cost him and his family a fortune. We learn about his regrets with his father. We hear his internal debates about engaging his allies to help him. On the other hand, he runs head first into schemes and relies on his quick wits and luck to save him. As a long term strategy, it seems flawed. Yes, he is protected by plot armor, of course. And honestly I didn’t care because he was so entertaining. Often, he used his quick wit and words as a strategy to get his way. More than once, his mouth got him in trouble, and sometimes it seemed as if he were mouthing off simply for plot reasons. Again, I was okay with it, but YMMV.

We learn at the beginning that Lukan’s father passed. But we don’t see him grieving. In fact, his reflections on not making up with his father are quick. I interpreted that as the mission giving him purpose and taking up so much of his thought processes that he didn’t grieve. In my head, he grieved in his own way on the trip to Saphrona. But the problem with grief is that it shows up at inconvenient times. Seeing a book might remind someone of their lost parent. I hope that in future books we get see Lukan’s grief.

At the same time, this mission he’s undertaking for his father lets him connect to his father in a way that’s new. When we’re kids, we have a hard time seeing our parents as people, as fallible humans doing their best to deal with their own emotions and fears. As adults, we begin to understand that aspect of our parents. If you’re lucky, this happens before a parent’s passing. Lukan isn’t lucky. However, he does get the chance to reflect on the past from his father’s point of view. The immediate emotions of the moment have disappeared, and we can get perspective on what the other side was thinking and/or feeling. This perspective is a way of connecting with a parent as an adult that can deepen a relationship and, in my opinion, is necessary in the process of forgiving that parent. Seeing Lukan begin the process of understanding his father was fantastic. It added a wonderful undertone to an already fantastic novel.

Saphrona and the Larger World

Logan has built an intriguing world. Lukan starts in a tavern close to the Grey Lands where treasure hunters seek out relics from a lost, advanced civilization. And that’s all we get to know about the Grey Lands because we’re soon off to Saphrona. The lost Phaeron civilization weaves its way through the novel, hinting at a world older and more mysterious than the current moment. Legends and travel guides make up the fun that Logan has created, and Saphrona is the jewel of the novel.

In order to accomplish his goal, Lukan travels through the power pathways of the city. What the reader sees is a port city brimming with trade, culture, and danger. From the heights of noble society to the underworld domain of the criminal, Lukan experiences Saphrona in a way no tourist would ever want to. But it really does sing as a city. Commerce from all over the globe takes place in the port city. Lukan encounters people from numerous other countries and citizens of the fair city itself. Make no mistake, the book isn’t a travelogue describing the sights and smells of the city. There’s plenty to Saphrona that we don’t get. Yet, from what we saw, there’s much more to explore. I can’t tell if I want Logan to return to this city or give us another wonderful setting in future books.
Action

The Silverblood Promise is full of action. Full of it. Logan balances this with character growth, with time for reflection. But the one thing that Lukan has no time for is planning. He rushes headlong into an adventure when others might hesitate. This makes for an action filled novel, and the way the action comes about naturally is wonderful. You see, for every success that Lukan has, that success complicates the situation further and requires more action to resolve the situation. It’s clear that Logan plotted this story out, but it feels as if the story grows as we read it. I kept reading because I wondered what sort of trouble Lukan would get into next.

Conclusion

James Logan’s The Silverblood Promise was excellent. It’s a book that I wish I could read again for the first time because it was so engrossing. It sets a high bar for the second novel in the The Last Legacy series, and I have confidence that Logan will easily clear that bar. A likeable protagonist in a captivating background with a mission to reconnect with his murdered father is a recipe for a bestseller. I hope this book becomes one because it deserves it. The Silverblood Promise exceeded all my expectations, and I cannot wait for book two. Highly recommended.

There is so much I love about this story. Some of the main characters (Lukan and Flea) are some of my favorites in my recent reads. There is something refreshing about Lukan’s vulgarity that I do not see in enough fantasy novels. And the way that the friendship between these two grows over is just so satisfying and compelling.

The way James Logan effortlessly weaves backstory and world-building into his plot shows a mastery of storytelling that is not often seen in debut books. I could not put this book down and read it twice before writing this review because I needed more of it.

The thing that really solidified this as an easy contender for favorite read of the year was all of the hints and mentions at the bigger world to come. This whole story is taking place pretty much exclusively in Saphrona, but with his level of world-building, I feel like we already have a glimpse outside of the city.

I could go on and on about how all of the characters, no matter how small of a role, are well-developed too. This one has me very excited for a future of fantasy stories and worlds with James Logan.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so, so much to Tor for my #gifted physical advanced copy of this book and to Tor and NetGalley for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Some favorite quotes:
“Volendt can keep his dark mistress. No one has less regard for wealth, power, or birthright than a cat.”

“Perhaps I’ll attack them with my wit.” - Lukan
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” - Ashra

“No one chooses to be a thief; it’s something that’s thrust upon us. We just have to make the best of it.”

In that moment Flea had realized that trust freely given was more valuable than any trinket she’d ever stolen. It was an almost physical presence inside her chest, lending her a degree of confidence and pride that she’d never felt before.

“Men like him are afraid of anything that threatens their view of the world and their sense of where they belong in it.” - Zandrusa

Unfortunately this was a dnf at 20%. I had really really high hopes for this and can see the authors potential but the main character was infuriating. Every single time he had to enact a plan or go talk to someone he would waffle back and forth and nearly chicken out entirely just for the plan to work exactly like he needed it.

I think this could still be a very good book for most people and I think this author will do really well it's just not for me.

5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Lukan Gardova is living a carefree life gambling and drinking to his heart’s content. When news of his estranged father’s death arrives, he finds a need for direction in finding his father’s killer. His father left an ominous note as he was dying and Lukan is determined to unravel it’s meaning.

Lukan has a straight path for this journey, but instead the course veers off, like all good paths do, until he is led back to having to rely on himself but also to put trust in others he does not know well. He entrusts few but my favorite had to be Flea. Lukan initially exploits this young girl for her pickpocketing abilities and skill at being invisible. But it turns into much more than that. The bond they create is something neither was looking for but both desperately needed. He didn’t become her father figure, she became his sidekick and it was perfect. I adored their banter and Flea’s quick wit, especially for an 11 year old. She had spunk and a mouth to back it up.

This was exactly the type of fantasy I was needing and I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2!

AUDIO REVIEW: I adored his voice! Brenock O’Connor sounded like he was the storyteller in a tavern amidst many listeners. It felt that if I didn’t pay attention, I would miss out on this wonderful adventure he was crafting. I could listen to him all day. He truly grabbed my attention immediately with his soft accent and easy flow. I have added another to my favorite narrator’s list!

Thank you to Tor Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies!

Wow! Great, original Grimdark! Will definitely be getting this at our library! Our readers will love this.

This book suffered from too many side quests.

The idea for the story is fun and had so much potential. A young man, disgraced by a single moment of his entire life, finds his father was murdered. A cryptic note, written by his dying father in his own blood, starts a quest to find out why. The "why" is in a box in a vault no one can open except a condemned pirate in an inescapable prison.

I'm going to stop there and just say I'm already not liking this story. People don't do this. If his father had left a will with "Tell my son this when I die", fine, that's fine. If Dad had a letter in his desk with the son's name on it, ok, acceptable. But if something is THAT DAMN IMPORTANT, you don't keep it a secret and hope you don't have a stroke in your sleep. The drama is already annoyingly close to a soap opera.

So we're off to a stupid start, whatever. Next is an excellent scene that shows how well Logan can worldbuild. Our main character has a conversation with a deaf "mute" girl, and she hasn't been introduced. She's just in the mix and we roll with it, the pirate is believable, the threats of violence are scaled right and believable, honestly, just an excellent scene that shows the potential Logan brings to this story.

The book then proceeds to piss in my Cheerios by having our intrepid young swashbuckler run into every side quest like a D&D golden retriever chasing squirrels. I understand you have to set up a plot and then change something to build drama, but this is like a Spinal Tap of bait and switch, everything is cranked to 11.

The book is still well-written, Flea is an excellent character, most of the others are weak but whatever, the story is moving, it's fine, until the end. Logan, no, bad author. Really, the dying wish was for his son to open the box and find something so stupid it hurt my feelings? I'm trying to not spoil anything, but really?!?!

I want to read the sequel just to see how Logan evolves as a writer. And this book has so much potential, I hope he brings the 11 down to a 9 and I bet I love that book.

This is James Logan's debut and what a great way to start! This was chalked full of adventure and mystery, but the places it really shined were the interactions with Flea. I loved her as a character and the attitude she brought. I think the book only got better with the introduction of a third main character and by the end of it, it was non stop action. I even chuckled when things came around full circle within the last few pages and an old character resurfaced.

I'm eager to continue with this series and learn the answers to some secrets uncovered.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Books for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

One of those book you start "just-to-check-how-it-is" and keeps you reading till 3 am as it's just one-more-chapter.
Lucas is not always the sharpest knife but i liked him as I like the fleshed out characters.
The world building is excellent and intriguing, the storytelling kept me hooked. It's fast paced and full of surprises, never drags and I found it highly entertaining.
There's humour, action, intrigue, secrets and mystery: a book according to my heart.
An excellent debut and I can't wait for the next in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine