Overall a solid start to a series. I did find the pacing abit inconsistent and it was quite slow at times but really enjoyed the story overall. Great world building & Morally grey characters (my fave). Can't wait for book 2.

Thanks, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Solid 4 stars from me! Amazing first book in this new epic fantasy series. Solid fantasy world-building, morally grey main character with heroic heart, murder mystery, professional narrative that handles fun, emotional and serious moments with great balance. Can't wait to see what's in store in Book 2.

hi hello I'm Sam Harrison I read review
and discuss fantasy and science fiction
books today I have a review for you of
the silver blood promise by James Logan
this is a 2024 brand new one I bought it
not when I'm reviewing it release uh in
the fantasy genre it is a firsttime
novel from James Logan who is a uh
fairly prolific editor in the fantasy
space
so for example he has edited for Richard
Swan he's edited for John Gwyn so both
of those authors um I absolutely love um
I've got a lot of time for their books
and this one I had been highly
anticipating kind of on the back of that
so knowing that for example Richard Swan
thought a lot of James Logan and trusted
him to edit his books and knowing how
much I loved justice of Kings I was like
this book is this book going to be the
one is it going to be the one for me um
and I have very very high hopes for this
book that were not let down so this is a
non-spoiler review but I will give you
the rough pitch for this book so the
main character is Luc and goova he is a
Dropout of the most
prodigious uh Academy in the land and uh
was he a drop out or was he expelled it
feels kind of like he dropped out before
he could be expelled from this most
prodigious canedy and he was expelled
for dueling defeating and then
killing um another student now I won't
spoil the exact what goes on there the
why um but that's something you kind of
learn early on is that he he wins this
Jewel and then due to events that are
out of his control he is is kind of
forced to murder his opponent to save
his own
life now um what happens after that
Jewel he is disowned his father then has
to pay a lot of money and reparations to
the family of the the child who was
murdered teenager manam I guess I don't
know teenager who was murdered and um
Lucan is disowned and basically
becomes kind of a nomad and he uses his
skills so Lucan can talk the talk he can
um gamble real well he's got a cards and
he's also a duelist as we know because
we he won that Jewel famously and he
kind of uses these trades to ply his way
through you know back rooms and taverns
and gambling dens um for several years
and then one night
uh his father Steward who is um kind of
his closest Confidant comes to find
Lucan and is like Lucan I'm sorry but
your dad's dead and this is the only
clue I have as to who murdered him and
this clue sets um Lucan off on the path
to a city called safona which is a
trading City on the coast um which is
essentially ruled by a set of merchant
princes and um he then is kind of set on
a collision course with the nastier
elements of this Society the higher
elements of this society and multiple
Merchant princes um and uh he becomes
kind of not becomes but the book almost
kind of becomes a heist or like
mystery um and it's kind of combining a
load of the tropes that I like so much
so you know we have the elaborate Heist
Trope we have the murder mystery Trope
we're trying to find out what happened
to lucan's Dad and why he was killed and
we've also got um the kind of found
family Trope with Lucan and a couple of
other characters that he bond with over
the book so all in all if you like those
things then I would probably say you can
safely go read this book because it's
very well executed it's very well
written um one of the things I like the
most about it was how fast-paced it was
I mean like this looks like a chunky
book right we're looking at you know 600
pages I think in this broken binding
Edition 500 basically 600 it's like 585
or whatever in fact I've pulled it open
quite far from the end is it over
600 592 including accomplishments the
text I will say is not massively small
so it's not like Wheel of Time size I
would imagine you could fit four of
these pages on the Wheel of Time page um
I've just been reading world of time
which is why it's kind of on my mind um
this is also the broken binding Edition
which I would highly recommend um
obviously you're going to be buying this
on the secondary market now so you can't
buy this from on the broken Bing anymore
it sold out fairly quickly within a few
days um the thing I've shown it a few
times before on the channel so I will
show it to you very briefly so it has
those sprayed edges that you've probably
already seen that continue the cover it
then has multiple scenes from the book
depicted
so it has this one as the naked hardback
it has this one which is probably my
favorite which is the first the first um
board cover whatever they're called end
paper end paper so obviously got a
lovely little signature from James Logan
here it's pretty cool um it's got a
number as well it's got a ribbon
bookmark which I'm a big fan of and then
finally it has this other pivotal scene
depicted here in the other end paper so
so yeah I mean I've talked a lot about
this I love this Edition um this is
probably the nicest broken binding book
I've got that's funny see I've got some
from the subscription which you would
think would be the best um I also have
the um black tongue duology from
Christopher buman um so uh and those
have less artwork but have very cool
redesign covers and spines so big fans
of those but but this is probably the
nicest and I would say if you're looking
at top to bottom all the features I
think everything is right about this
book so it's got the you know uh new
artwork it's got the um spine that the
spry the sprayed edges that continue to
cover and it's got really high quality
paper and a ribbon and all the things
that everybody loves
so that's like two and it's talking
about the physical book that you can't
buy anymore
so the story in this book is really good
I really liked the um characters and so
Lucan is the is the primary point of
view um and you spend most of the book
in his head there are a couple of other
chapters from other points of you um
which um one of my friends pointed out
they thought was a little clumsily
handled um it didn't really stand out to
me in terms of like a oh I didn't expect
this it was more of a like it made me
realize when we got to those that we'd
only had lucan's point of view which I
thought was quite a fun way of of
reading the book um the pros is very
strong um it's not like you know lyrical
or like Poetic in the way that you might
see something like the first
binding um is is is trying to be um this
is more um this is more closer to that
kind of accessible style of Pros which
is my personal favorite
um so things like um Wheel of Time
Sanderson Justice Kings John Gwyn all of
them I feel have very accessible and
very
emotive um strong descriptive pros and
James Logan absolutely fits that bill
he's just as good of quality as as most
of those writers in terms of Pros
quality
um I like that the cover to cover the
um name of the book The Silver blood
promise is a big pivotal part of the
book um and you it comes very early in
the book and it is very descriptive is
the wrong term it the the silver blood
promise really sets off the action of
the entire
book um I there were very very few
scenes where I was like oh this is a bit
like it never dragged pacing was always
nice and upbeat um there were a couple
of surprises um towards the end of the
book um that were really strong um and I
like when um I have all the same
information as the characters and
they're surprised and I'm surprised
rather than you often find like you're
reading a book and like it's so obvious
going to be this and the characters are
like oh my God I never expected it to be
this like it was it was all over the
book you know especially when you're
looking at like a first- person point of
view um Jim but does this very well this
isn't
first person this is third person um Jim
but does that very well in dren files
where he will surprise you um but all
the clues are there um something that
he's just really really good
at um so yeah I really enjoyed the story
uh overall I'm really excited to see
where this goes I believe I saw somebody
saying this is going to be four books um
and I've seen the cover for the second
book which is by the same artist by Jeff
Brown who legit Ely I think is the best
cover artist in the business um like if
I was writing a book I would be looking
up to see how much Jeff Brown costs
because he is just
beyond anything I'm seeing from any
other artists um like looking at a few
other um covers recently I've been like
this is good but if you're going to do
this star you might as well get Jeff
Brown cuz he is literally the
best
um and uh
yeah I really like the city of safona I
felt that it had a real personality and
a real atmosphere to it um I liked a lot
of the kind of local flavor of the
characters so you you meet um a
character whose Name Escapes me who is a
um blind beggar with a mystery um which
you know there's definitely something
going on with this character but you
don't learn it for a little while and
then you meet loads of characters from
across the Spectrum you know you meet
like crime Lords all the way up to these
Merchant
princes religious leaders political
leaders and all of them have this kind
of touch from safona so like saona where
a city where basically everything is up
for sale for the right price um means
that all of the characters have the
these kind of even the the ones that are
like the most like good guy characters
have little shades of gray which I
really appreciated um the characters
felt quite real um and even the like
cartoon villain bad guys um you know you
could feel their motivations there was
some really interesting World building
around the uh crime Lords that are
referenced quite a lot in the book um
and I like the way that they were
portrayed um and overall I felt like you
get a real sense of place and a real
sense of character from the city and the
people that live there um in terms of
the ending I found it was very
satisfying um I thought a lot of the set
pieces were very good across the book so
the you know execution set piece near
the beginning was was really cool um and
the way that things were brought back
later in the book um that you kind of
learn across the book um they eventually
kind of come everything pulls together
and you you get to really get some good
stuff out of the city and the people and
the characters um yeah it's it's hard
for me to go too deep into this book
without spoiling and it is the first
book in this series so uh I'm going to
try and keep it as spoiler for as
physically possible but I'll tell you
right now this is definitely a book that
I recommend I would imagine um it is a
fun audio book read I think I listened
to a sample of the audio to check out
and I did quite enjoy the the sound of
it um the narrator is very good and
overall it was just a really fun
experience and so if you're looking for
something to you know do something like
bust your slump um if you're in a bit of
a reading slump or if you've been
reading some slower paced more you know
lyrical Pro style books like I I think
this would have been a great
Counterpoint to something like the book
that I've been reading recently the
first binding or to a more dense kind of
story cuz this is lighter um and this
lighter not in a perjorative I'm not
saying that it's too light or that it's
um doesn't have much depth because it
does have a lot of depth but I think
that
um the uh the story is familiar in a
positive way you know you've got this
cool you this cool setting you've got
this Heist you've got this mystery
behind all of it um and all in all um I
just really enjoyed it and I thought it
was really well put together so um let
me know what you think if you have read
um the silver blood promise don't know
why I kind of forgot the name of the
book there if you read this silver blood
promise let me know what you thought and
tell me who your favorite characters are
if you're thinking about reading the
silver blood promise please do so down
below so let me know whether you're
thinking of reading it and whether I've
convinced you and of course please while
you're on your way down to the comment
drop a like on the video and a subscribe
on the channel if you haven't every
little subscription helps we are so
close to not being that close to a th000
but we're much closer than we were last
week um and uh that first th000 is um my
big goal for the channel um and I would
love to hit it um you know soon I guess
thanks so much for watching I'll speak
to you tomorrow
[Music]
- Generated with https://kome.ai

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC and ALC of this book

I was intrigued by this book because of the cover and its fantasy but this book was so good that I loved every moment of it, the main character was so interesting to me and I thought that there was also very good world-building & I loved the little girl called flea she was adorable and a cheeky little madam and her character made me smile so much. Also, the connection formed between the main character and she is sweet to see, I am so excited to see how this continues in the next instalment of this series ( I cannot say too much or I give the story away but this is so so worth the read ).

I really enjoyed this book, very strong start to a series that I will be continuing! It had all the elements I enjoy in a good fantasy book

The Silverblood Promise is the first book in the Last Legacy series and the author's debut novel. I really enjoyed this book - the characters are well written, the plot compelling throughout and the world is an interesting one. I would definitely recommend checking this book out.

You will like this if:

You are looking for a secret identities and political intrigue. A slower pace than usual, more focus on dialogues rather than action. Have you read ‘The lies of Locke Lamora? There you go.

You are keen on a fantasy novel with one main POV (making the story a more linear one) alongside a sidekick that gives a light counterpoint to the story.

You don’t bother for an open ending. Good news! Book 2 in the series is announced for summer 2025 (And I can’t wait to read it).

Really fun reading.

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
🔲 mostly 2D
✅ great main cast, forgettable side characters
🔲 well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are fictional

PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
✅ nothing memorable
🔲 gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
✅ OK
🔲 nicely detailed
🔲 meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
✅ immersive
🔲 you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
✅ inconsistent
🔲 picks up with time
🔲 page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

I'm so sad but this book didn't work for me.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a lot of fun. Lucan, the MC, is trying to solve the mystery of his father's death and has to use a small clue left by his father to unravel what happened. He ends up meeting a whole host of characters in the cities' underground and otherwise, some of whom become allies and many who become obstacles as he realizes the conspiracy goes deeper than he initially expected.

The heart of the novel is his relationship with Flea, a preteen street urchin who Lucan has a fantastic relationship with, their banter is really funny and at times heartwarming. The worldbuilding felt reminiscent of Scott Lynch in how it builds out the entire city and the political and underworld spheres, and I think it lays very interesting groundwork for further entries in the series.

My one drawback would be sometimes there was just a bit too much "go there, get this, to give to someone, who will give another clue" going on. I enjoyed each individual "side quest" and was never bored, but there were times where I would briefly forget why he was doing X, and how that related to the overall goal.

I think if you enjoy the comp authors of Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, and/or Sebastian De Castell, you will probably enjoy this, but be aware that Logan's style is still his own.

8.5/10

James Logan delivers loveable outcasts, sharp banter, pulse-pounding action, riveting suspense, and intricate webs of conspiracies in The Silverblood Promise. And I can promise you, this fun fantasy mystery has a dangerously addictive “just one more chapter” quality that will keep you turning the pages way too late into the night!

As the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house and expelled academy dropout, Lukan Gardova has not exactly been thriving for a couple of years. But when his estranged father is found murdered under mysterious circumstances, he embarks upon a quest for answers that brings him to the magnificently mystifying city of Saphrona, where unlikely adversaries and even more unexpected allies await him. Armed with little more than his quick wit and sharp tongue, Lukan will have to navigate an intricate web of deadly secrets and dangerous conspiracies, but he has promised to stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

Now, The Silverblood Promise is one of those books that feels quite familiar in its plot beats and character archetypes, yet somehow the story doesn’t feel tired or unoriginal at all. No, Logan does not reinvent the wheel here, but he does deliver on the promise (pun very much intended) of what this story will be, and brilliantly at that. In a way, The Silverblood Promise almost feels like if Michael J. Sullivan or Brandon Sanderson wrote a twisty and turny fantasy mystery with a setting and atmosphere reminiscent of The Lies of Locke Lamora, and I mean that in the most loving way possible!

Right from the very first page, this story just moves. Lukan’s strong voice immediately pulled me in, and I absolutely loved going on this wild adventure with him. Even though he is undeniably a bit of a hot mess when we first meet him, it soon becomes clear that there’s a lot more hiding behind his witty remarks and devil-may-care attitude, which made him such an instantly intriguing and endearing character to me.

And as if Lukan wasn’t fun enough to follow by himself, we also got blessed with the wonderful presence of the street-urchin Flea. Now, THIS is how you write a loveable and believable young female character that doesn’t drive you up a wall with their ridiculous antics (looking at you, Lift). The unexpected friendship that started to bloom was just entirely too wholesome, and I was highly amused by all the class/culture clashing and light-hearted banter between the two of them.

The Silverblood Promise honestly just has so much heart, which gives it an inexplicable air of warmth and comfort despite its dangerously high stakes and darker twists and turns. And trust me, things definitely get creepy and ominous real quick when the mysteries start to unravel. From dark sorcery, to legendary creatures, to corrupt authorities, and to dangerous rogues, there’s simply no shortage of suspenseful chills and thrills in this story.

At some points the entire plot almost started to feel like a wild and chaotic goose chase through the increasingly darker parts of the city of Saphrona, and I personally wouldn’t have minded a couple more quiet moments of reflection and introspection. Yet at the same time, I honestly don’t feel like the character work or world building suffered from the faster pacing at all, and I just loved how all the different moving pieces came together in the end.

Even though this first instalment in The Last Legacy wraps up its core mystery in a satisfying way, there’s no doubt in my mind that I would have jumped into book 2 immediately if that had been available already. Logan is both an extremely good storyteller and a very strong writer, which just made for one of the most bingeable books I have read in a long while. Seriously, I read this 500+ page book in just 2 days; I didn’t devour The Silverblood Promise, it devoured me!

Both fantasy veterans and newbies to the genre will find much to love here, and I can already see this series becoming a comfort favourite for anyone who just loves a good immersive and thrilling fantasy adventure to escape into. If you have been looking for a fun and fast-paced epic fantasy with rich atmosphere, endearing characters, riveting mystery, heartwarming found family vibes, and plenty of murderous magic and mayhem, then I can’t recommend The Silverblood Promise highly enough!

Thank you to Netgalley, Quercus Books and James Logan for providing me with a free

I finished this book 2 weeks ago and I loved it. I then read it again. Still loved it!

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

I will be the first to admit I am a sucker for a good Damaged male lead with a heart of Gold and a streak of vicious. My bookshelf is groaning with Sparhawks, Durzo Blints, Dresdens, Lock Lamoras and the like, and now I add Lukan to that list of beloved characters. He's reprehensible, self loathing, drunk and disillusioned and I am here for it.

The story of Lukan's road to finding answers is brilliant, the pacing is a little off, but not massively, I think any new series can have a few pacing bumps while the author is still deciding how long the series will be. The world building is solid enough that I know where I am but still a few unknowns that make me want to read more to learn more. Secondary characters are well thought out and substantial, adding to the depth of the story.

Love Love Love! Roll on book 2

4.25⭐

A high-stakes fantasy adventure with fun characters.

Lukan Gardova finds a new purpose in life after learning that his estranged father has been murdered. With his only lead being the city of Saphrona and a word that could mean anything, the journey won't be an easy one. He soon finds himself in over his head, catching the attention of some very dangerous people. To prevail, he will need to think fast on his feet.

I really enjoyed this adventurous story. The plot was more about outsmarting the enemies rather than taking them head-on. The stakes were kept high all the way through.

Lukan was a fun character to follow. He is the kind of guy that just seems to attract problems. Along his journey, he makes some new friends, with the most prominent being Flea, a street urchin with a big mouth and fast fingers. Their exchanges injected humor into tense situations.

The worldbuilding, based on my favorite trope of a world built on the ruins of an ancient advanced civilization, added exciting elements to an otherwise fairly magic-less world, as well as some mystery.

Overall, I was very pleased with all aspects of the book. The only negatives I found were some info-dump scenes and instances that were a bit too convenient. Nothing too major, though.

I definitely look forward to the sequel.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh this was absolutely fantastic.
Fast paced, well writtten fantastically brilliant characters and top notch world building

Cannot recommend this enough

The Silverblood Promise was one of my most anticipated books for the first half of this year - I kept seeing it everywhere and, with a slight touch of FOMO, I really really wanted to read it. So, I was extremely delighted when it lived up to all my slightly childish expectations and presented me with a tightly written, exciting package. I loved this epic fantasy with it's daring raids, some larger than life characters and found family feels. For a debut novel, I think this is exceptional.

Lukan Gardova is our main protagonist and has already gone through a lot by the time the story begins. Expelled from the Academy and disowned by his obsessed father, he drifts from one place to the next. His father is murdered and it is up to Lukan, as heir to the Gardovan name, to find out who killed him. Lukan finds himself shipped off to the coastal city of Saphrona, where he finds himself embroiled in some very impressive high-jinks. Lukan is quite a complicated character; slightly morally grey but with too much of a conscience to prevent him being too grey. He will do what it needs to succeed and then worry about the cost later. He also has issues with controlling his mouth, which gets him into more than one spot of bother! But he is loyal and kind and he makes for an interesting POV. His side kick, Flea, is a more scruffy, sassy character and I loved that she wouldn't bow down to her social betters.

The plot could be said to be pretty standard for an epic fantasy but it's execution makes The Silverblood Promise stand out from a crowded pack. The prose is decent and lends a quick pace to the proceedings, making sure it doesn't get bogged down. Most of the story takes place in Saphrona, which is depicted as a fairly standard merchant city. But again, innovative touches like the Bone Pit and the Twice-Crowned King ensures that this doesn't fade into the fantasy background. The city is wonderfully depicted, lending to a sometimes frantic atmosphere. The magic system is soft - I felt that it could be split into two pieces. We have artefacts left by the Phaeron Empire, that disappeared suddenly in days gone by, and the Gleamers, who work as pairs to perform their sorcery. We don't learn a lot about the magic system but I imagine there will be a lot more it in further instalments.

The Silverblood Promise was an exciting and fresh entry in this genre. It didn't always go where I thought it was going, delighting me with its twists and turns. Dangerous and spooky in parts, it was a genuine adventure to read. Found family elements led to some touching moments at appropriate times, giving it a large heart in desperate times feelings. I enjoyed every second of this book and can't wait to see where Lukan's quest takes them next.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the author for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

I have to admit, I initially picked up "The Silverblood Promise" based on its cover alone. However, upon delving into the synopsis and discovering the promise of a heist, I was sold.

James Logan's novel centres around Lukan Gardova, a fallen aristocrat with a complicated relationship with his father and society. His has a very jaded view of the world and doles out sarcasm on the regular even against his better judgement. However, his wandering ways are brought to a halt upon learning of his father's murder. Lukan embarks on a quest for answers, guided by the enigmatic three words his father left behind, his name, a city and a third that isn't familiar.

On his arrival, he meets a street urchin called Flea who acts as his guide and banter buddy whilst he tries to find meaning in this final clue. As Lukan delves deeper into the mystery, he only seems to find more questions than answers, whilst uncovering far more than he bargained for.

There are many twists and turns throughout, punctuated with dry humour and witty comebacks between Lukan and Flea. Their relationship was so hilarious, wholesome and one of my favourite aspects. There are clearly still some loose ends on finishing the book which leaves me hopeful that the 5 star feeling will continue into the next one.

My enjoyment of this book was so thorough that I have purchased a physical copy and eagerly anticipate the day I will (hopefully) be able to request the ARC of the second instalment.

Received arc from Quercus Books and Netgalley for honest read and review,this review is my own personal experience.
This book had so much promise and I did give it a go, but for me.It was a little slow to get into and I think James Logan tried a bit too hard to be funny, where he should have just told a heart story.
All in all I was glad to finish it and am looking forward to the next one.

Lukan Gardova is a bit of a rascal, cast out of both school and his noble but impoverished family after a duel goes wrong. Estranged from his father for years, the news of his death – his murder – is about to set Lukan on an epic, dangerous quest. Can he put a life of failure behind him, and unravel the mysterious last words his father left for him, in a city where coin can buy you… anything.

The Silverblood Promise was touted to me as perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Sebastien de Castell, and Joe Abercrombie. I’m always a little wary of such comparisons, but having just enjoyed Play of Shadows I was delighted to find this hit in much the same way: good fantasy, based more in reality than magic (or rather, magic with limits, and a lot of artefacts that no one quite understands), and told with just enough sense of humour to make the whole thing a joy to read.

The plot offers mystery and intrigue, as Lukan finds his way in a strange – in both ways – new city, aided by a street rat called Flea who fills in the gaps in Lukan’s knowledge and skills. I did fear a child character could get annoying, but other than being a little too wholesome at heart, Flea is very likeable and fun. Lukan is also easy to get behind – a bit of an idiot at times, but he’s got enough charisma and charm to keep the reader invested.

The worldbuilding is also great, never heavy handed but with just enough otherworldliness to be interesting. I do love the trope of ‘mysterious artefacts of unknowable power’ and they are sparingly and well used here.

There’s also a ton of action. Lukan’s quest attracts all sorts of wrong’uns, so there are plenty of fights and peril. And a few monsters of varying terrifyingness!

All in all, I found this a fun and engaging romp of mostly down-to-earth fantasy (if that’s not too much of an oxymoron!). I’m surprised that this is a debut novel, as it is told deftly and with an excellent balance of humour, action, and mystery.

The Silverblood Promise can be read as a standalone – it finishes its story well – but also leaves a door open for further adventures. I’m thoroughly looking forward to the next chapter, and can indeed recommend this to fans of Sebastien de Castell et al.

4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/05/02/the-silverblood-promise-the-last-legacy-1-by-james-logan/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Hooks you with Indecent Haste

I really enjoyed The Silverblood Promise. It just worked really well for me. The writing is smooth. The characters are easy to become attached to. There’s the whole mystery and saving the CIty element to the story which never became dull. The setting was easy to imagine. And, well, it was very entertaining with this really easy going style of banter and bluff going on between the MC and his companions.

So, as the story begins we meet Lukan Gardova. Lukan is the disgraced son of a noble family fallen on hard times. Basically, they have little cash but they compensate by having a long history that keeps them in good stead, that is until Lukan’s actions result in his expulsion from the Academy he attends and a life on the move, estranged from his father and living a life not dissimilar to that of an outlaw. Lukan is set on a path of wine, women, and cards until his father’s trusty retainer seeks him out with the sad news of his father’s demise. Lukan will never have the chance to make amends and the pill is made more bitter to swallow with the knowledge that his father was murdered. However, in his dying moments his father wrote a letter to his son, three words, written in his own blood that will set Lukan on a strange journey in search of answers.

This is very enjoyable and a great start to a series. Let’s have a look at what worked well for me:

The world building was great – and in fact the City we spend most of our time in was fascinating. There’s the sort of attention to detail that bring the place to life without being clunky or purple. Just little snippets of religion, festivals, the way people live, the huge disparity between the rich and the poor that make this a rich and believable place. There’s a tall tower set within the sea where criminals are taken, we soon learn that this is run by the much feared Inquisitors. We have the merchant princes who control everything that takes place, corrupt religious officials who don’t practice what they preach and a twice crowned king of the underworld, nobody so much as picks a pocket in this city without giving him his tithe.

I really liked the characters. Lukan is a lovable and cheeky rogue with a heart of gold. His journey has him racing round the City in search of clues, usually as one door closes another opens and frequently this takes him on a new magical mystery tour that he must solve before he can get any further with his own quest. I will say that Lukan is very easy to read and what makes this more so is that he isn’t perhaps as good as he thinks. He can use a sword but he’s perhaps not the best and he sometimes just runs headlong into trouble. So, he’s not perfect and that goes for the rest of this cast. He is fairly quickly joined by a sassy street urchin known as Flea. She’s a great character, talks too much, but is endearing and her tough early years have given her a hard outer edge. Yes, this is an obvious and frequently used trope, it allows our MC to travel around easily (because he has a knowledgeable companion) and it gives us an ongoing commentary that delivers other snippets of information but, it succeeds because the two work so well together. There are plenty of other characters along the way and they all felt distinct which is a really winning element of the story for me.

I loved the locations we travel on with Lukan. His journey sees him conning his way into a place that most people are trying to escape from, creeping through the dark and creepy catacombs and being chased by a huge magical wolf. Well, I won’t go into everything else because you need to read and discover these things for yourself.

Basically, if you love a fantasy story with great world building, characters that jump off the page, funny banter and plenty of entertainment, a murder mystery that morphs into so much more and offers plenty of promise for the future, portals, magic and strange ‘faceless’ ones, don’t wait any longer – do yourself a favour and jump on this series now. Yes, right now. You know you don’t want to get left behind and this first in series has ended on a perfect note with a great set up for the next book that promises a whole new location and an entirely different mystery for Lukan to solve.

In terms of criticisms. Well, I don’t know, I might have had some along the way but to be honest I was enjoying myself too much to give them much thought and I didn’t make any notes – either good or bad – I simply read.

An impressive debut – my only problem now – waiting for No.2.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4.5 of 5 stars

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

7/10

I didn’t know what to expect going into reading this and I ended up having a great time! This is such a fun fantasy book and it felt so easy to read and get into. The plot and the mystery is fantastic and really engaging. This book is also very fast paced, which was both great but also left me wanting a little more time to bond with the characters. On the whole though, the characters were great. The bond between Lukan and Flea was really a highlight and anytime they were on page together was where the book was at its best. There’s also a major character introduced later in the book that I LOVED, I just really wished she was around for more of the book.

I highly recommend this book to any fantasy readers as you’re in for a fantastic and tense plot and great characters. I can’t wait to read the sequel and learn more about this world and unravel more of its mysteries.