This book is an exquisite choice for aficionados of sprawling epic fantasy narratives, particularly those who relish a profound exploration of characters and intricate world-building. The prose within is exceptionally crafted, boasting a seamless flow that captivates readers effortlessly. Each chapter unfurls with meticulous attention to detail, offering a tapestry of vivid imagery and nuanced storytelling. The wealth of intricacies woven into the narrative from the very first chapter instills a sense of anticipation and confidence in the reader, suggesting the promising trajectory of a masterfully crafted tale.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan, a good story but I had to keep coming back to it, it simply didn't consistently hold my interest. I do think others will enjoy it and thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with this ARC.

The Silverblood Promise is a fast-paced, rip-roaring fantasy debut that had me hooked from the very first page. The novel is also filled to the brim with loveable characters, interesting character dynamics, and excellent banter. And if that weren't enough to get readers interested, The Silverblood Promise also involves hair-brained schemes, heists, murder mysteries, and secrets of an extinct ancient race (or two).

The novel follows Lukan Gardova, a disreputable and all-but disowned son from a formerly prominent family, who is called back home after the murder of his estranged father. His father left a mysterious note written in his own blood for his son, pointing him towards a foreign nation. Filled with regret for not repairing his relationship with his dad while he had the chance and determined to do this one last thing for him, Lukan sets out to Saphrona to solve the mysteries surrounding his father's death. There, he quickly finds himself in over his head, and waist high in intrigue, both political and involving forces far beyond his understanding.

"I'm just wondering whether your father uncovered information―a secret, perhaps―that his murderer wanted to protect."*

Lukan is not without allies though. By his side is Flea, a young street urchin who is quick on her feet and without much left to lose. Lukan and Flea have an incredible dynamic, though not quite like father-and-daughter, it is reminiscent of it simply due to their age gap. However, Flea saves Lukan’s skin just as often as he saves hers, so it's really fun to watch. Though I have seen other reviewers compare their bond to Ellie and Joel’s relationship from The Last of Us, I personally felt more of an older brother-sister dynamic from these two rather than that of a father-daughter dynamic. Regardless of the details, I enjoyed their constant back-and-forth banter, which always felt natural to me.

Banter and dialogue in general is definitely one of author James Logan's strong suits. Conversations show (not tell) characters' back stories and tragic pasts in an organic way that never feels like mere story setup. Instead, it feels like readers merely have a front row seat to a friend bearing his or her soul to another trusted person. This type of storytelling really shows off the author's writing craft, as it never felt like it slowed down the story, and instead was a natural part of characters getting to know one another. As a reader, it also made me feel that much more attached to the characters and their relationships.

"'If you knew me better,' he replied, rising to his feet, 'you'll know I have two weaknesses.'
'Only two?'
'Dark-eyed women and unopened bottles.'
'In that case, I'm glad I have green eyes.'
And honestly, I was immediately invested in Lukan’s life. I loved that the book didn't shy away from his flaws, reminding me a bit of Han Solo—who has a devil-may-care attitude and a propensity to save his own skin. You're never quite sure if he'll show up when you need him, but somehow he always does in a way that defies all possible expectations. Fans of The Kingkiller Chronicles will love Lukan as well, because Lukan has a lot of Kvothe's quick wit (and his appreciation for women). However, Lukan feels a lot more human and less legendary to me than Kvothe, simply from his willingness to admit his own flaws to himself and others. Lukan's not telling the story of his youth years down the road and reflecting on his mistakes, in hindsight, like Kvothe, but is instead taking ownership of his faults in the present.

"'Remarkable,' Delastro said, shaking her head. 'Not content with making enemies of the three most powerful men in the city, not to mention the Twice-Crowned King, you're now intent on crossing the Faceless. How far do you intend to push your luck, Gardova?'
'As far as I have to.' Which is likely to be a damned long way."
To be quite honest, it's hard for me to even think of any drawbacks or criticisms of The Silverblood Promise because I simply had so much fun reading it. Though if I had to come up with a complaint, it's that not a lot of new territory is covered in this book. It has a lot of the same types of beloved tropes and archetypes that we see time and time again in fantasy, and while these are executed with aplomb in The Silverblood Promise, some readers may be a bit bored with the lack of newness. I, however, was not one of those readers and enjoyed every second in this world, which was filled with both political intrigue and fantastical mysteries.

I'd also say that though the characters are flawed and complex, the novel is so fast-paced and jam-packed with intrigue and the need for getting out of constant bad situations, that there just isn't a whole lot of time to be spared on tons of emotional depth. But with the characters just getting to know each other and dealing with lots of very pressing matters, this lack of trauma exploration makes sense for the story. With the groundwork for the characters, their background, and the world-building laid, I can easily see future installments in the series exploring the emotions of the characters even further, as The Silverblood Promise has definitely hinted at decorated pasts for all of its characters.

And I can't wait to find out more about all of the characters and the mysteries of the world in The Silverblood Promise. This was such a fantastic debut and I am dying to read future installments of the series. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes in the future.

*All quotes taken from an ARC and subject to change at time of publication.

This is perfect for fans of epic fantasy with a heavy focus on the characters and world. The prose/writing itself is really good, easy to follow, and I can see all these little details from chapter 1 for which I have a lot of confidence they will lead to a well-crafted story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

When I discussed this book with a friend of mine who is an author, I said "I rarely read books where the prose is this good", where she replied "the author is a well known editor, thats why. And that pretty much sets the tone. Imagine Sanderson's adventure with Scott Lynches rompy heist drama, all of it in a delightful prose that isn't overly flowery but still mature.

Logan creates a layered world where there is danger and intrigue behind every corner in The Silverblood Promise. Lukan is a disgraced noble from a lesser house, who travels to the foreign city of Saphrona to uncover the secret behind his father's murder. His journey takes him to the twisted underbelly of the city, where the secrets behind it's elite are revealed.

The Silverblood Promise hits hard out the gate with a genuinely intriguing and well set up mystery that takes the characters through twisted blood trials, prisons breakouts, and larceny. I adore fantasy mystery, but to have it mixed in with a little bit of hunger games and heist adventure is icing on the cake. All of these elements are believable, thrilling, and add to the excitement of exploring the city of Saphrona- which is brimming with personality.

Lukan as a lead character is fantastic. Equal parts immature rich kid and spirited adventurer, Lukan is the lovable scamp you want to root for every step of the way whose still capable of growing and changing. His relationship with the child thief Flea is heartwarming as you can get, and his interactions with the residents of the city are always fascinating. Lukan is part everyman, part capable adventurer with a heart of gold. Imagine Nathan Drake if he came from money.

Some of the additional side characters include the merchant princes that dominate the city, a group of heartless, money obsessed assassins with jewel themed code names, and Lady Midnight, the mysterious thief able to "walk through walls" that finds she has more in common with Lukan than she ever expected. All of the characters that inhabit Saphrona are incredible and honestly deserve their own books. I could read about the merchants twisting each other's wrists playing politics or the assassins journeys for 400 pages easily. There is a part of the book where wealthy and overconfident residents put themselves through violent trials to earn prizes...and thats a book in itself.

James Logan puts so much care in the crafting of both his story and characters that every single scene in memorable and interesting.

The Silverblood Promise will no doubt be one of my favorite books this year, and feels like such a refreshing reprieve from the same old fantasy tropes that have been trending. Its familiar yet different. I strongly recommend if you loved Lock Lamora, The Stardust Thief, and the non romanetic elements of Six of Crows.

Engaging and entertaining. This is a recommended purchase for collections where epic fantasy is popular.

I had really high hopes for this book since seeing it on BookTube as a self-published novel. And it holds up! I really really enjoyed this and can't wait to jump back into this world!

THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE is one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. The minute I saw the marketing materials outlining the synopsis of the story I knew I had to try to get my hands on an early copy if I could. Thankfully US publisher Tor obliged and with that I was on my way!

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.

THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE by James Logan
Finally, a protagonist I can relate to, Lukan is stubborn, driven, prone to unwise verbal outbursts and emotionally vulnerable which leads to overcompensation. Oh, he also drinks too much. Lukan is on a quest due to a promise he makes. The quest is arduous and leads him to unforeseen perils.

Lukan’s personality is off-set by Flea who provides him with a street-wise sidekick who protects his undeserved six.

There is magic, monsters, greed, mysteries, treachery, perfidy, and action. What more could you want.

I highly recommend the book and can’t wait for the sequel.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

Next year is not even here yet, but the potential of The Silverblood Promise becoming, at least, one of the best fantasy debuts of 2024 is guaranteed.

“You can’t escape the past, Lukan. It’s our lifelong companion, always at our side.”


I have always considered myself blessed that I’m now in a position where I often get asked to read and review fantasy and sci-fi books early. When I received the email from James Logan asking whether I would be intrigued to reveal the cover art of The Silverblood Promise and read the book early, I immediately accepted it. How could I not after seeing that gorgeous cover art by Jeff Brown? Wait until you see the full spread art later. But back to the point, the honor and opportunity to read and review an upcoming book this early is irregular for me. Remember, this email goes back to last March and April, and The Silverblood Promise is being released in April 2024. I know. It’s still 5 months before this book is released to the public. That’s also why I waited 6 months before I read The Silverblood Promise, even though I wanted to instantly. I knew from reading the premise and first chapter there was a good chance I would enjoy it. And full disclosure, I have been asked to read and review some books this relatively early a few times. But if the specific book doesn’t capture my attention enough, or maybe it is something I dislike, I usually let it sit in my TBR pile or wait until its publication date before I post a review. Luckily, The Silverblood Promise is a big hit. I had so much fun reading it, and I have faith that this debut novel will earn a spot on many future readers’ bookshelves. This is a well-paced epic fantasy debut suitable for fans of Scott Lynch, Robert Jackson Bennett, and a more hopeful Joe Abercrombie.

“You have to stand up for yourself, you understand? You can’t let someone have their way just because they were born into wealth and privilege. That doesn’t make them better than you.”


The Silverblood Promise by James Logan is the first book in The Last Legacy series, and it centers around Lukan Gardova. Lukan 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 a fresh purpose. After seven years of running from the past, Lukan swore a silverblood promise to carry out his father’s final wish. Determined to amend his mistakes, Lukan vows to unravel the mystery behind his father's death. His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, the fabled city of merchant princes, traders and thieves, monsters, and murderers, 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, where coin rules as the true god, everything has a price—and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.

“I remember the joy when the fighting finally stopped– it was thick as honey, you could almost taste it in the air. The whole city was dizzy with the thought of peace after decades of war, with the belief that our enemies across the sea could become our friends. But the world turns and younger generations forget the lessons learned by the old . . . and the wolves of greed and prejudice come slinking back from the shadows.’


As you can tell from the premise, The Silverblood Promise employs a murder mystery plotline in an epic fantasy setting. Written by a different author, I believe The Silverblood Promise could theoretically become a grimdark fantasy novel, and there is nothing wrong with that because I am an enthusiast of grimdark fantasy. However, I will let you know upfront this is not a grimdark fantasy. The city of Saphrona is ruthless, violent, and full of injustice. It treats most of its citizens poorly, and it is certainly not shy about it. The rich prosper, and the poor perish. This saying has practically become the slogan of Saphrona. But although Lukan’s quests and investigations into the mystery behind his father’s death lead him into brutal games and conspiracies he never expected, the balance between the heavy and funny moments was always deftly handled. It is a grim setting and society, no doubt about that, but the narrative never fully taps into grimdark territory. And the book is more entertaining for it. If Logan’s intention in writing The Silverblood Promise is to write something compelling and gritty while keeping the fun, humorous, and hopeful tone intact, he has accomplished his mission in full spades. And this is thanks to the charming and likeable newly formed trio.

“You might think you fight a duel with your blade, Shafia had told Lukan, the first time she’d placed a wooden practice sword in his hand. But you’d be wrong. You fight a duel with your mind, before the swords have even been drawn. A show of confidence–whether a smile, a stare, or a strut,– can sow doubt in your opponent, even fear. And that can be just as deadly as a perfect thrust or a well-timed riposte.”


Told in a third-person past tense narration, for the majority of The Silverblood Promise, Lukan dominated the story as the singular POV character. And honestly speaking, I didn’t find myself immediately attached to him in the early portion of the novel. Lukan Gardova is a drunkard. He is rude and impatient, and he likes to cut people off when they’re talking. And this cutting people off when they’re speaking is something he kept throughout the whole book. It is a part of him. But, it would be a difficult task for me to dislike him. Lukan’s heart is in the right place. He is the type of character who makes jokes in the most dangerous and inappropriate times, and more importantly, Lukan tries his best to help people—even strangers—as best as he can. His personality is one of the main reasons the book constantly felt exciting and delightful. And as I read more and more chapters, the more I felt invested in his mission and found friendship with Flea and Ashra. Especially Flea, as Lukan became an unexpected father figure for her. Even when he is reluctant to admit it to her face.

“In that moment Flea had realised 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.”


Mysteries upon mysteries. There’s always another secret. Lukan’s succession of questions-raising missions has led him to form his own—sort of—group of thieves in Saphrona. The dynamic and relationship between Lukan and his newfound allies is easily the best aspect of the novel for me. I absolutely loved reading Lukan and Flea together in a scene. They’re a bloody riot entertainment, and hey, the badass and a child is one of my favorite tropes in storytelling. I know, I know. Lukan is not old. He is not a badass, too. But what I loved most about this trope is how an encounter with a seemingly random kid—usually a complete stranger—could change the trajectory of their lives. Both individuals. In the overwhelming face of fear, cruelty, and death, company and friendship (even from someone you just met) can become a beacon of hope, after all.

“Death is the great equaliser, the philosopher Volendt declared in his treatise An Unseen Philosophy, a text that Lukan had been forced to read during his first year at the Academy. A dark mistress who holds no regard for wealth, nor power, nor birthright. All souls are equal before her gaze.”


For those of you who are not familiar with this trope, here are some popular examples of the badass and a child trope. Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us or Mando and Grogu in The Mandalorian. The relationship development that can be achieved from it, when it is done right, is ceaselessly superb for me. And in that regard, the badass and a child duo trope in The Silverblood Promise was incredibly well-implemented. Lukan and Flea became a source of strength and support for one another. There was never any dull moment when Lukan and Flea were together on the same page. Their banter is hilarious, and the chemistry they found and nurtured felt genuine and easy to attach to. My enjoyment of The Silverblood Promise was clearly enhanced due to this trope. When I finished reading the novel, I felt sad that I didn’t have the sequel to read yet. I know that is probably an unfair thing to say because this book is not published officially yet. Not for almost half a year. But it is true. Flea and Ashra has only one POV chapter in this entire book, near the end, and I have a feeling that frequency will increase in the sequel. It better. And I want more amazing banter like this:

‘ . . . did it have a hundred legs?’
‘I don’t know, kid. I was too busy screaming to count.’
‘Because it hurt?’
‘No, because I was enjoying it tickling my balls.’


Once The Silverblood Promise is released and has been read by more readers, I am confident it will be recommended to readers who love Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Maybe even Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson due to the thieves aspect. And also, the relationship between Lukan and Flea can be correlated to Kelsier and Vin. Understandably. Thievery, profane language, gambling, and devilish games are integral to the plot and the city of Saphrona. The Pyramid game, in particular, is destructively painful to its players, both mentally and physically. I will let you experience that for yourself. And this is me saying I do agree with these comparisons, especially The Lies of Locke Lamora and Foundryside. But just in case, to not mislead future readers. It needs to be noted that The Silverblood Promise doesn’t feature any hard-magic system like Foundryside or Mistborn did. Phaeron magic is in charge here; it is a soft magic, and it is relatively minimal in its usage. I am sure its application and The Faceless will be more prevalent in the sequel.

“One of the first things he’d learned about gambling was that a little bravado went a long way. If you could plant a seed of doubt in your opponents’ minds, and nurture it with the appropriate words and gestures, you could force them into making mistakes.”


The world-building prospect of the world is bigger than what is portrayed here, but I couldn’t really gauge it yet because the edition I read did not have any map, and as I said, 90% of the story in The Silverblood Promise took place in the city of Saphrona. Lastly, before you ask, rest assured that there is no cliffhanger in The Silverblood Promise. Mistborn: The Final Empire and The Lies of Locke Lamora work absolutely well as a satisfying standalone novel, and The Silverblood Promise follows that similar notion. The next book will take place in a different city. Other series like The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch or The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, to mention a few, did this kind of series progression magnificently. And I look forward to witnessing what kind of page-turning chaos James Logan will unleash in the next installments of The Last Legacy.

‘A few books went missing from the library… Several rare first editions, or some such. Apparently they’re quite valuable, though why anyone would waste good coin on some dusty old books is beyond me.’


Well... I crave the first hardcover edition of The Silverblood Promise. If The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch or Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett are some of your favorite books like they are for me, I cannot recommend The Silverblood Promise highly enough. Pre-order The Silverblood Promise. It is not an explosive or mind-blowing read, but if your value or preference of escapism is measured by how immersed and compelled you are by smooth-flowing prose and narrative, The Silverblood Promise will do its best to absorb your time. There were possible nods to The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie that I enjoyed reading, too, like a chapter being named The Blade Itself, Death as an equalizer quote, Brand and Balinor Banking House—which may be a homage to Valint and Balk bank from The First Law—and Flea having nine-fingers. The Silverblood Promise exhibited a gritty world with more upbeat main characters and tone taking the spotlight. It is not too far-fetched to claim this is a good alternative when you are in the mood for a more optimistic version of Joe Abercrombie’s storytelling style. From the engaging investigations, murder mysteries, dialogues, and characters you will gradually come to love, The Silverblood Promise was an exceptionally riveting and captivating fantasy debut novel. It is, indisputably, a strong candidate for the best fantasy debut of the year. With The Silverblood Promise crafted, James Logan offers readers his pinky finger with a promise that Lukan's adventure will ensure they have a blast should they choose to read it. Whenever the sequel is ready, Korlsakov, the City of Spires, awaits me. And I hope when the time comes, you will be there with me to read the next chapter of Lukan, Flea, and Ashra's swashbuckling adventure.

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


You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

"The Silverblood Promise" by James Logan is a fast-paced epic fantasy debut set in a city of traders and thieves, monsters, and murderers. This novel is recommended for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Nicholas Eames, and Scott Lynch.

Lukan Gardova, the protagonist, is a cardsharp and academy dropout. Due to a duel that went awry, he is now the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days are filled with cheap wine, rigged card games, and the constant contemplation of how he might reclaim the life he lost.

The story takes a turn when Lukan learns that his estranged father has been murdered in mysterious circumstances. This revelation gives him a renewed sense of purpose. Driven by a desire to make amends for his past mistakes and to uncover the truth behind his father's death, Lukan embarks on a journey that leads him to Saphrona, a fabled city of merchant princes.

In Saphrona, a place where anything can be bought if one has the coin, Lukan discovers that seeking the truth comes with a high cost. The city is fraught with danger, and every shadow hides secrets. As Lukan delves deeper into the mysteries of his father's demise, he realizes that in Saphrona, everything has a price, and the price of truth might be the deadliest of all.

"The Silverblood Promise" promises an engaging tale of mystery, danger, and discovery in a richly crafted fantasy world.