The Silverblood Promise is a mysterious and fast-paced fantasy, set in a world of merchant princes and ancient secrets. Exploring themes of danger, secrets, and the price of truth with a healthy dash of dry / sarcastic humour.

📚 We follow Lukan an academy dropout and disgraced heir to a noble house due to a duel that ended badly. His days now consist of cheap wine and rigged card games. In all honesty he's abit of a loser!!

When Lukan finds out his estranged father was murdered he vows to unravel the mystery behind his death.

His leads him to the city of Saphrona where danger and secrets lie in every corner.

📖 Review:
I had so much fun with this. It's set in a dark and gritty world and Lukans investigation leads him into a brutal conspiracy but the humour throughout add a lightest and made it incredibly entertaining.

The characters really made this for me especially the dynamic between Lukan and Flea. Lukan is rude and impatient but oddly charming and Flea is a young orphaned pickpocket. A chance encounter when Flea targets Lukan sets off the best friendship. These two together made for the most hilarious duo filled with banter and laughs and yet there is heart to it as well in the way they drew strength from one another. (It was giving Indiana Jones and I loved every second) Flea is one of the best little sidekicks I've come across.

The world-building was fantastic and easy to immense yourself into. I loved the magic system. Our MCs don't have magic themselves but we have sorcerers known as gleamers, different creatures and this is filled with action. I love how this put our MCs at a disadvantage and it only added to the entertainment value.

This was addictive, full of twists and turns. I can't recommend it enough. This was a solid debut.

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

Wow! What a bombshell debut by James Logan. The Silverblood Promise centers around Lukan Gardova, a disgraced nobleman’s son who was estranged from his father following an incident in the Academy we frequented in his town. When is subsequently tracked down and discovers that his father was murderer, he sets sail for Saphrosa to solve the mystery of his dead. However, he’ll find himself in the midst of events that will change the course of his life.

This book has a strong cast of side characters which makes Logan a skilled author for being able to create such memorable characters that only appear briefly throughout the story. The displays of dark sorcery were amazing, and I wasn’t expecting them. This is a fantasy with a touch of mystery to it, making it such an interesting book.

Overall, I had high expectations that were more than met in this impressive debut by Logan and I cannot wait to read the sequel. This is intriguing and a well set up mystery that takes the characters though twisted blood trials, breakouts from prisons, portals and so much more. It was such a thrilling and addictive book that took me deep into the conspiracy that Lukan was in. I highly recommend it especially if you liked Lock Lamora, The Stardust Thief or the politics of Mistborn.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan is the first in a new epic fantasy series and is filled with intriguing characters, dangerous plots and thrilling adventures.
Lukan Gardova is in disgrace, having dropped out of the academy and relinquished his position in society following a duel that ended badly and almost bankrupted his family. When he learns that his father has died in mysterious circumstances with a note to Lukan written in his own blood clutched in his hand, Lukan promises to avenge him and regrets that he did not make amends with him sooner.
Forced to embark on a quest to the distant city of Saphrona, Lukan makes some new friends along the way, friends that he may not want but will find that he needs if he is to survive his quest never mind succeed. This found family is probably my favourite thing about the book, though I did also very much enjoy the world building and the skill the author showed in crafting a story that drew me in quickly and held my interest to the very last page. The pacing is fast and there are lots of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing... and determined to read just one more chapter.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I've read and enjoyed The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. First, let's address the stunning cover of this book. The illustration is by Jeff Brown and I really recommend checking out his art! I've already ordered the special edition from The Broken Binding.

In this story, we follow Lukan, who gets the message about his estranged father having been murdered. That pushes him to decide if he should continue his life as it is, gambling and drinking, or try to get some answers... And if he had chosen the first option, we wouldn't get this book. 😅

For me, this story was one that really transports you to the setting- you can forget you're reading because you get really immersed in the world. In the beginning, I was pretty irritated by our main character, but as the story progressed, I've started appreciating how his journey was crafted and his growth was nice to follow.

I've liked the worldbuilding and I'm intrigued by its many secrets.

The main thing I'd say about this book is it's very entertaining! It's been compared to The Lies of Locke Lamora and I can say I see the similar vibe in these works. Also, I'd say if you've liked The Tainted Cup, you'll like this book! They both are murder mysteries with an effortless sense of humor despite the dire circumstances, and they both have amazing found family. That is actually my absolutely favorite part of following Lukan's story and what ultimately made the book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me. It's a fun, fast, heartwarming but grim book and I'll definitely continue reading the series!

✨✨✨

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for granting me access to an e-arc.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. This is the first in the new series The Last Legacy from this debut author.

Thanks to Quercusbooks , Arcadia Books and Netgalley for the earc

Lukan Gardova is an heir of an old noble family and has left his home in disgrace after a duel has gone badly. On a night of drinking and gambling he is found by his family steward who informs him of his father's death and that he is now the head of the family. She also shows him a note left by his father which sends Lukan on an investigation to discover more about the suspicious death of his father. The note leads to the distant city of Saphrona.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story of Lukan trying to solve a mystery to get to the bottom of his father’s death was really interesting as he kind of semi-blunders his way through the city, getting in the way of the various elements of the city who eventually kind of all just want him gone.

Lukan was an interesting character to read, he is smart but does not know when to be quiet and has a bad case of what I like to call foot-in-mouth disease. I like how he manages to fumble through a lot of encounters with people. His companion Flea, a street child, is fun to read but also brings that bit of grit to the duo and both are naive in their own way at times.

The world building was really well done and we get to see the city of Saphrona come alive as Lukan makes his way through the different parts of the city in his quest. We also get a good idea of the world outside through the various factions within the city and Lukan’s investigation. We also get a glimpse of some of the more powerful beings in the world and I can't help but wonder what other supernatural entities may appear in a future book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of fantasy especially those fans of the Gentleman Bastards . I am excited for the next book as I really want to find out more about Lukan’s father.

From Goodreads:
Full of action and adventure with twists and turns galore. Engrossed from the start. A fine cast of interesting and damaged characters.
Can't wait for next one.

Thank you Quercus Publishing and Netgalley for a e-proof of this book!

Very slight spoilers but spoilers all the same- beware!

This book is a solid debut from new author James Logan. My favourite part of The Silverblood Promise is the character work. Logan quickly establishes Lukan Gardova and side kick Flea with both their own endearing characters with a fun yet wholesome dynamic. Ashra, Grabulli and Zandrusa are others I throughly enjoyed.

My second favourite? Pacing. This book was easy to dip in and out of because the fast paced events meant that you could pause and easily pick back up. It also means you don’t want to put the book down! Well done, James Logan!

There are some aspects Logan can work on though. On a fair few occasions I felt the answers to sticky situations were too easy. It would build up to a very well constructed situation that you were grasping for ideas to how Lukan could escape, and it would be some what of a let down how simple it was, too easy for Lukan. Without giving full spoilers, his adventure in prison for me had a lacklustre conclusion that left plot holes. This is something that Logan can 100% work on, as the conclusion of Silverblood Promise shows us. Logan is a very capable author, as seen by the brilliantly thought through world building and magic system.

I will be reading the next instalment of this series! By the end of this book I adored Lukan, Flea and Ashra and can’t wait to see where this murder mystery of Lukan’s father leads us. I can’t wait to see how their dynamics transform either, and in all embarrassing honesty- I can’t wait to see Grabulli in the next book being his ridiculous self. I actually laughed out loud seeing him pop up at the end.

That’s 3.5 stars out of 5 for me, and I hope/ can’t wait for the next instalment to get a better rating!

The novel Silverblood Promise is an absolute must-read that will captivate you from start to finish. It follows the story of Lukan Gardova, a disreputable son from a once-prominent family who is called back home after the murder of his estranged father. Upon his arrival, Lukan discovers a mysterious note written in his father's blood, which leads him to a foreign nation, Saphrona. Determined to uncover the truth behind his father's death, Lukan sets out on a dangerous journey that will test his limits and push him to the brink of danger.

The author's world-building is intricate and filled with details that create a vivid and realistic landscape. The various cultures and beliefs of the world are expertly crafted, and the lore is gradually revealed throughout the book, avoiding massive infodumps that can be tedious to read. Lukan's character is compelling, and his determination to solve his father's murder is admirable, making him a character that readers will root for.

Overall, Silverblood Promise is a thrilling and action-packed novel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The story is filled with mystery, intrigue, and political maneuverings that will keep you guessing until the very end. This debut novel is a testament to the author's talent and is not to be missed. My thanks to both Netgalley and Quercus books for a review copy.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley. However I did subsequently buy a physical copy of the book as I enjoyed it.

An entertaining fantasy novel combining murder mystery elements with political intrigue. Our main character learns his father was murdered and left a note written in blood with just three words. Using these clues Lukan must travel to a far off city to uncover what and who caused his father’s death.

The bulk of the book takes place in one city and this was really effective. It created a real sense of nowhere to run for our main character once he started gaining the notice of certain groups who would prefer to silence him. There’s a lovely bit of found family in this too, with unlikely personalities coming together and forming bonds to stop the nefarious plans of others.

Some interesting magic and creatures in this book too. After reading the first book, it’s a series I would happily continue with.

I had the pleasure of doing immersion reading on The Silverblood Promise - both the eARC and the voice narration were fantastic.
I will not go through the plot, the blurb does a very good job at that already. I can instead say that the whole cast of characters, the mysteries and the storyline itself has been a pleasure from the first to the last page.

The subtle connections between existing European countries and the regions in Logan’s world helped me immensely in imagining the world even more vividly - the touch of Spain in Saphrona, Italy, middle east and Russia - I could see them all (and hear most of them in the audio version).

Lukan reminded me so much of that good friend that makes bad decisions, but that deep down deserves all of your trust and needs all of your good advice. The book wrapped up this first part of the adventure in a very satisfying way - I really want book two and three out right now, but I am appreciative of how this first installment ended and feels like I will be able to pick up and go as soon as the continuation will be available.

To me, this book was a solid 5 stars.
One of these books where you know already at the 50% mark that it will be a 5 stars, regardless of what happens next.
I was fully immersed in the story, in the atmosphere and in the mystery - in this first volume we just scratched the surface of Lukan’s quest, but also of the lore around the Phaerons… James, if you happen to read this thank you - The Silverblood Promise wasn’t just what I was hoping it would be, but much, much more than that. To anyone else, go and grab a copy - even better if you grab both print and audio. This book and its narration are perfect for immersion reading.

Lukan is a disgrace to his family name, but when you realise his grandfather was similar as far as gambling goes is it any wonder Lukan is following in his footsteps? Well, there is more to Lukan than that, his mother died when he was 11 and he and his father have gradually grown apart. Lukan is sent to train but a duel that ends badly means Luan is further alienated from his family than ever.

When his father dies, Lukan discovers more than he realised and it leads him on an amazing adventure. His father left a note with three words. He travels to Saphrona to see if he can discover the answers that are held in the note. There he meets some interesting people, who come from different backgrounds and he finds himself mixing with the elite and the waifs.

This is a fab story that is a great start to this series, introducing Lukan and his background as well as the people he meets is great. he learns more about his father and I think he also learns more about himself.

The journey he makes is full of peril and danger and he navigates from one event to another. He seems to have the knack of falling into trouble as well as still seeming to get through things. But, then he does bring a lot on himself with his quick mouth, and constant backchat. It doesn't endear him to others, but thank goodness the author decided that this was a trait for Lukan as it gets him into some serious trouble at times.

I really enjoyed the word building with this, the names and places are manageable and pronounceable, always helpful when you have to remember them! The imagery of the setting is also great, from opulent towers and palaces to basic rooms and inns. There is more to this book than is the beginning and I think there are some things that have a lot more to reveal, especially The Faceless, there are some indications as to who they are but nothing solid yet. this leaves me looking forward to the next books and following Lukan on the next part of his story.

If you are a fan of fantasy that has a mix of sorcery, corruption, deviousness and double-crossing then this is one you should have a look out for. It was a fabulous book to read and it didn't take me long before I was hooked and read it over a couple of days. It is one I would definitely recommend.

I found The Silverblood Promise in itself very promising as a start to a new epic series; there’s a lot to love in this debut novel, which gave me real Lies of Locke Lamora and Blade Itself vibes. I won’t pretend that the concept and world were wholly original in the realm of high fantasy, but I thought it was a very refined example of how to write the genre well, and I had a lot of fun reading it!

The pacing was particularly impressive in The Silverblood Promise, especially for a book of its size. Despite its chunky 600-page length, the story felt fast paced and engaging throughout, without many periods of slowing down. The plot cleverly draws you into the world, with a feeling similar to RPG games with a million interlinked side quests to help you explore the world as the plot advances. You are introduced to a large host of side characters throughout the book, a lot of them vile and nasty, and a select few secretly wholesome and lovely individuals at heart. Whilst I loved seeing these characters in their natural habitat of the streets and hideaways of Saphrona, it feels like James Logan is laying the groundwork for a far larger world, with characters coming and going as they’re needed. I respected the confidence the author had to not reintroduce characters from the start of the book for the sake of it, only bringing them back in if they were relevant to the immediate story.

Possibly a controversial opinion, but I think the weakest main character in the novel was Lukan himself! I still liked following his story - he is an ignorant, overly talkative man who you can’t help but root for - but I was hoping for a little more development in some of his key traits. His reputation as a cardsharp comes to mind here, which only plays a relatively small part in the story. That being said, his personality did feel consistent throughout the novel, with some room for growth in future books. He is honestly pretty ineffective in most situations he finds himself in, but his moral compass keeps him trying to save the day regardless. It was very refreshing to not have any ‘Mary Sue’ characters with overpowerful abilities in the main cast too, and I think his semi-useless role helped with that in a big way.

All in all, The Silverblood Promise lays the groundwork for a really interesting and vibrant world, and has given me the faith that James Logan will make excellent use of it with future books. This is a strong recommendation for readers of fantasy adventure with a subtle sense of humour and a large cast of believable characters populating the world.

Ya lo dije en su momento, hay cubiertas que captan tu atención de una manera inmediata y The Silverblood Promise tiene una de esas, obra de Jeff Brown.


La primera novela de James Logan es una fantasía bastante convencional en cuanto a su premisa, con un antihéroe que en contra de lo que le aconsejan sus instintos de supervivencia indaga en la misteriosa herencia que le legó su padre. Lukan Gardova es una personaje muy atractivo, con un pasado oscuro, un presente comprometido y un futuro desolador, con una personalidad arrolladora y muy bien arropado por los personajes secundarios que Logan pone a su servicio. Además la premisa de investigación en torno a la que gira toda la narración consigue mantener el suspense y la intriga durante todas las páginas del libros, que no son pocas.Nos encontramos sin duda ante uno de los debuts del año.

La pareja o trío protagonista tiene una química envidiable, con una relación que comienza de la nada pero que a base de pullas y diálogos se va cimentando de una forma muy creíble e incluso entrañable. Por supuesto, el trabajo de construcción de mundo es bastante completo como el cualquier fantasía que se precie, pero cabe destacar que Logan muestra tan solo una parte de lo que ha creado, porque está clarísimo que se ha dejado muchas cosas para la siguientes entregas, que leeré (o me leerán, ¡vivan los audiolibros!) en cuanto me sea posible.

¿He dicho que hay pruebas de fe sobre objetos arqueológicos mágicos? Ese toque a lo Indiana Jones tampoco te creas que le sienta mal a la novela.

The Silverblood Promise tiene recorridos por los bajos fondos y tiene magia, tiene lucha de clases y contrabando, tiene extraños seres con poderes incomprensibles y objetivos incognoscibles, tiene humor y ternura… todo mezclado de una manera que resulta muy agradable disfrutar de su lectura. Yo no dejaría pasar la oportunidad.

What a superb page turning fantasy epic. Not enjoyed one like this since way back in my younger days in the 1980s when I discovered the works of messers Eddings, Brooks and Feist.

Lukan is a likeable character as is Flea and love the empire building the author has done in this novel.

Moves at a fast pace with sorcery, the Faceless (a great creation), corrupt
leaders, with thrills and spills aplenty.

One for any fan of epic fantasy.

This is a very strong debut. Lukan's journey begins when news arrives from afar of his father's murder and his final wish in the form of a mysterious quest. Lukan must travel to unfamiliar places to unravel this mystery. What ensues is nothing short of an absolute blast.
We learn so much about Lukan so quickly, making it very easy to root for him and grow fond of him. He's a genuinely likeable smart-arse protagonist with a penchant for trouble.
All of Lukan's main allies are powerful, competent women and it fucking rocks. Female fantasy readers rejoice! Someone has finally done right by us.
Here is a writer who knows how to keep his readers gripped. This book is paced fantastically. Everything that happened was important and exciting, with every chapter offering action, adventure, plot progression, or character development.
A very, very impressive debut. This is also one of those rare occasions where the comp titles actually do the book justice. Scott Lynch, Nicholas Eames, Joe Abercrombie? I don't think I've read such a strong debut book since...well, those guys.
Full review on goodreads.

4.5 ⭐️ What a treat! This one was hard to put down! I was really caught up in this fantastic story - the world building is extraordinary, the story is rich, plot driven, with lots on twists and turns, mysteries and suspense throughout. Epic fantasy, murder mystery, multi-layered story, a strong group of rogue characters - I loved all the female characters, especially Flea and Ashra - so witty, strong and refreshing. It would have easily been a 5 stars but for 2 small things: Lukan’s thoughts (in cursive) were completely unnecessary, and the duel chapter is discussed three times at the start of the novel - it felt a bit over explained. It was a great read, and I am excited for the rest of the series. I am seriously surprised that this is a debut novel! And The Broken Binding edition is glorious. Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC!

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The prose in this book is well written with great descriptions. I enjoyed the interactions between the hero Lukan and Flea, a street orphan, who is trying to help with his quest to find his father’s murder. I liked Ashra who joins halfway through the book.
This is less a heist book and more a murder mystery in a fantasy setting.
I have to confess I did struggle with this one and I’m not sure why. It has everything I like in a fantasy- great world building ,intrigue, interesting characters and strong women. I just couldn’t get into book, and it took me a while to get to the end but I think most people will enjoy the book, especially fantasy fans.

This was a brilliant, fast moving fantasy story involving a disgraced young nobleman, a mouthy street urchin, various monsters and some strange artefacts and I really enjoyed it.
Lukan has had to leave his home city after a duel goes badly wrong. He ends up playing cards for a living when he is tracked down by his father’s steward. His father has been murdered but has left a note containing just three words.
The three words lead Lukan to the city of Saphrona where he discovers that the third word is the name of a woman who has just been condemned to death. As Lukan tries to navigate the city’s rules and to free Zandrusa, he meets 11 year old Flea who begins by helping him in return for coppers but becomes involved in Lukan’s endeavours. As Lukan becomes more involved with the city, he realises that there is a plot which extends far beyond his first impressions.
Lukan is the sort of likeable character who has appeared in countless fantasy novels but he has a nice moral streak and will not give up on what he has set out to do. The book is mainly told from his POV of view but he is engaging company with a nice line in humour. The relationship between him and Flea is argumentative at first but he gradually begins to care about her and look out for her. The dialogue between them is generally fun especially when she makes fun of his educated vocabulary. She is as stubborn as he is and refuses to be left out of anything that is happening. I really liked the relationship between them and the way it develops during the novel.
I loved the city of Saphrona which is ruled by a council who are mainly motivated purely by their own concerns. One of my few criticisms of the book is that the male characters other than Lukan appear to be very two dimensional and seem to be completely bad. The female characters such as Delastro and The Scrivener are more complex and have a bit more depth
The plot zips along with lots of twists and turns and Lukan is forced to make life or death decisions at regular intervals. There were also some brilliantly tense moments in the book such as in the pit and again in the catacombs. The author does a great job at building tension and keeping the pace going although this isn’t surprising as he is actually an editor for the publishers.
The magic is an understated but important part of the book. Some people have magical powers and there are also strange artefacts left behind by the mysterious Phareon. These artefacts seem to be little more than toys but there is always the feeling that there is more to them than that. Finally, we have the Faceless who appear to be strangely interested in purple crystals and possibly come from somewhere completely out of this world.
I also really like the fact that although this will form part of a series, this particular book has its own story arc and doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. I hate being left on the edge of a cliff for a year or more!
I loved this book and am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Quercus Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to see what happens next .

(Review to be edited/ review to come)

Well written high fantasy book with a compelling main character. This definitely is something that I love love love to read.

Lukan finds himself amid chaos after discovering his father has been murdered and he left a final note for him, written in his own blood, Using the clues from the note he finds himself travelling to unravel the mysteries surrounding his fathers death. He employs an eleven year old street urchin and their relationship was one of the best parts of the story. There is magic, terrifying beasts and creatures, deadly assassins, elusive thieves . and Lukan plotting terribly. 'The plan stank worse than a week old corpse.'

'I suppose evil is at its most powerful when it wears a smile and smells of rosewater.'

This debut was so much fun! I loved every part of it and was hooked with the story from the beginning to the end. It was relentless in action, mystery and sarcasm throughout. I look forward to book two and travelling to Korslakov!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.