Promise of Blood
by Brian McClellan
Powder Mage (1 of 3)
fantasy
copyright 2013
read in January 2014
rated 8 / 10: really quite good
Quite a few characters -- but only a handful of major characters, characters who need to be remembered. Good ! There is one major story -- and each of the characters is playing a part in that one story. Excellent !
I do so dislike multi-volume fantasy "sagas" -- soap operas -- where several dozen characters are following their own storylines. Where the "plot" is just a tangle of unrelated stories, joined only by their common fantasy universe.
Promise of Blood is an actual story: a beginning, a middle and an end. With a set of characters who are each essential to the story and who each *add* to the overall story. That rare item -- an actual fantasy *novel* !
So how can you combine guns with magic ? By adding magic to the use of guns... Which leads to conflict: traditional magic users versus users of gun magic. Clever !
Good characters, too...
You know the character who is quite likeable... Who is sadly misunderstood... And you just know that they will be driven to evil. Blood offers a similar character... but I am almost certain that they will choose niceness rather than evil.
It's a bit like that: There are characters who have a history of being honest and dependable. And despite the standard conventions of soap opera fantasy -- they turn our to be honest and dependable !
Likeable characters, often with rough edges. But likeable. And I like that.
Then there's the "book one of a trilogy" problem: how to leave the reader wanting to continue with book two...
The absolute loser hack writer simply leaves each and every character hanging by their fingernails off the edge of their own cliff. The market-oriented writer with no ability at plotting does the same, but spends a lot of time trying to make us like the characters. Like them enough to start reading book two. (Which may begin, "With a mighty leap, all characters reached the top of their respective cliffs...)
The best writers are not afraid to make book one a standalone novel. With a beginning, a middle and an end. These best writers provide a satisfactory ending -- and are also able to leave the reader wanting to read more...
Promise has a very satisfactory ending. Sure, several heroes are at death's door. I have no doubt they will survive...
They are at death's door because they succeeded in what they set out to do ! They *concluded* a solid plot line ! The book is *finished* -- but there is still a lot left to be done !
Yes, McClellan has written a book one which has a very satisfying ending. (How do you deal with a returning god who will have death and destruction on his immediate agenda ? Very nicely, thank you :-)
And yet... I want to read more !
I finished the second half of this book in one very late-night session. It was great ! An excellent ending, a thoroughly enjoyable book.
And yes... I look forward to reading book two.
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Problems ? Solved
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