by James Logan
Release Date: May 7, 2024
2024 Tor
Ebook ARC: 528 Pages
ISBN: 978-1250345806
ASIN: B0CGRWG4J1
Audiobook: B0CKM37DBK
Genre: Fiction / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout,
and―thanks to a duel that ended badly―the disgraced heir to an ancient
noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and
wondering how he might win back the life he threw away.
When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father's death.
His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow. For in Saphrona, everything has a price―and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.
When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father's death.
His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow. For in Saphrona, everything has a price―and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.
My Thoughts
The Silverblood Promise was exactly what I needed at the moment, something light, fun, with the promise of deadly politics and lots of adventure. To be honest, I was looking for something along more traditional lines, including the tropes, and this delivered. It was entertaining and although Lukan annoyed me at times as he could be somewhat immature, there was enough adventure, murder, secrecy, political intrigue, and mysteries to keep me interested and intrigued.
Lukan Gardova is the main character and he could be a bit annoying a times, but in a good way. Having got himself into a spot of trouble, he had been on the run for several years until he discovered his father had been murdered. Angry because he was estranged from his father and had not been able to mend his relationship, he took it upon himself to discover why an academic would be the target of murderers. Lukan was a fun character to follow, but he was immature, given to drink whenever things got tough, and that happened a lot in this book. I believe the author's intention is to make you feel frustrated with Lukan as he is a bit spoiled despite his adventures, and needs to learn to listen and shut his mouth when necessary. And while he does show a lot of character development, there is still a lot of room to grow in the next book, something that I really liked as he didn't suddenly become this superhero. In fact, an eleven-year-old had to rescue him, twice, from certain death because he was foolish. Despite all of this, his heart is in the right place and his intentions are good even if he blunders and makes loads of mistakes. I thoroughly enjoyed the humour and sarcasm throughout though, as it lessened the tension of what is essentially a darker novel as its roots.
The plot actually moved rather quickly from one scene to another with a few twists and turns. While it has a more traditional feeling, something I loved, it was also unique and fun, focusing more on the mystery of Lukan father's death, but subtly weaving in the political intrigue that I love. The city of Saphrona where most of the action takes place is a gritty city at its root, with the wealthy trying to consolidate their power and their wealth leaving the poor to struggle, creating a clear division of power. And the city is known for worshiping money and status. As Lukan searches for his father's murderers, he finds himself caught in a deadly web of intrigue in this city that will have major consequences for him and for the citizens. I loved how the author subtly wove all of this together, and how easily it was for Lukan to get caught up in all the intrigue. Throughout all this grimness though, the author managed to really balance moments of relief with the darker moments, something I really appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I really love grimdark fantasy, but I wanted something that wasn't quite so dark and dreary and this fit the bill perfectly.
Verdict
The Silverblood Promise was a fun, solid fantasy that I just devoured. The investigation was engaging, the dialogue was entertaining, the character development was solid, and the story line, while it will continue inthe second book, had a satisfying conclusion. While there were some parts that were a bit predictable, I didn't actually mind because the story was so likable and engaging, and the author's ability to draw you into the story with his writing skill was well done. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, and I can't wait until book two is released next year.
0 comments:
Post a Comment