This book just wasn’t for me. It doesn’t mean it’s not for you, but it just wasn’t for me. I was trying it for something different.

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. The Silverblood Promise 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.

To take a page from a story not nearly as different as I expected it to be, “So naturally, our story begins where all great stories begin; with the seediest bar in town,” not with a missing contact but with a man attempting to piss his life away one drink and one shady card game at a time.

Lukan Gardova believes that he’s merely in the process of completing a job he started years ago, when he killed a man in a duel, his family paid the price with what little was left of their fortune, and Lukan left home in a storm of regret and recriminations.

He thought he had nothing left to return to. He wasn’t quite right seven years ago when he left, but he is when the story opens, when his past catches up with him. When he learns that his father was murdered and that the old man’s last words, written in his own blood, were Lukan’s name, the name of a glittering city far, far from his home in Parva, and a third word that might be a place or might be a name but almost certainly represents both a mystery and one last chance to do right by his father. A task that Lukan always thought the old man believed him incapable of.

But needs must and Lukan needs a purpose even more than he needs air to breathe and wine to drink. Not that he hasn’t done entirely too much of the latter over the years he’s been on the run from his past. From himself.

There’s one talent that Lukan Gardova has, above all others, a knack for getting himself into ever deeper piles of shit and trouble - and getting himself out alive. He’ll need all of that, and more than a little help from friends he hasn’t even met yet, to find his father’s murderer.

His quest begins in the fabled city of Saphrona, searching for a person, place or thing named Zandrusa. Lukan thinks what he has is a clue, but what he really has is a key. The key to a long-bubbling pot of corruption and conspiracy, facilitated by figures out of myth and nightmare.

A key to his father’s past. And, perhaps, a key to his own future. If he can manage to survive the pile of shit and trouble that his dubious gift has placed in his path. The odds are against him. Exactly what he expected.

Escape Rating A+: Some stories are very much “out of the frying pan and into the fire”, some are frying pans and fires all the way down. Lukan Gardova, on the other hand, the moment he lands on yet another already hot griddle the flames lick around the edges and he throws himself right into their path. Again, and again, and AGAIN.

Reading this felt like watching TV from behind the couch, with my hands covering my eyes to keep from seeing the onrushing disaster while peeking through my fingers to see if the hero might manage, yet again, to escape that onrushing disaster.

I found myself caught between the book and the audio, over and over again, because, as much as I really, really, really, NEEDED to find out what happened next, I also really didn’t want to see Lukan crash and burn - yet I expected it at every turn, much as he himself does. (Also, the audio voiced by Brenock O’Connor is EXCELLENT.)

From the very beginning, The Silverblood Promise had me hooked on its mystery and its protagonist every bit as much as Lukan himself is hooked on finding his father’s murderer. This story also scratched the itch left from my epic book hangover after finishing In the Shadow of Lightning. (I’m still waiting for the second book in that series. It’s been nearly three years. Come on already! PLEASE!)

But as much as Lukan reminds me of Demir with the similar openings of the two stories, with both men rotting their brains as fast as they can in very low places, not quite suicidal but not quite looking out for themselves either, trying to outrun their own demons and secretly hoping the demons will catch up anyway, Lukan also reminds me more than a bit of Kihrin from The Ruin of Kings and Kinch from The Blacktongue Thief. The story, OTOH strikes me as a readalike for City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky with a touch of the upcoming Idolfire by Grace Curtis. These are all stories that I loved so it’s not a surprise that I fell hard for this one as well.

I’ve read that it reminds a LOT of readers of The Lies of Locke Lamora, but I haven’t read that - YET. Let’s just say that the repeated comparison has moved that story considerably up the virtually towering TBR pile.

Back to Lukan, who is, in spite of his cynicism and snark, really just a big softy under his fractured and fraying armor - both literal and figurative. He’s on his last nerve pretty much all the time, and it shows. He’s the fool that rushes in where angels and demons would both fear to follow, someone who leaps over and over again never assuming that the net will appear. He leaps assuming that it will be pulled out from under him if it bothers to shimmer into existence at all - however briefly.

It’s just a part of what makes the story so compelling as the reader is always on the edge of their seat waiting to see what mess Lukan is going to fall into even as he escapes the previous mess by the skin of his teeth.

He’s one of those characters whose heart is in the right place even as entirely too many opponents are attempting to reach it between his fourth and fifth ribs. He doesn’t merely feel the fear and do his damndest anyway, he feels the fear, fucks himself up over it, and still does his damndest anyway even though his road to good intentions is paved with trapdoors.

I had an absolute blast following Lukan and his friends and frenemies as they find their way into the rot at the heart of Saphrona and out the other side - more or less intact - on the run yet again. I’m on pins and needles waiting for the next book in The Last Legacy series, The Blackfire Blade, coming in November. I’m definitely NOT waiting most of a year to read, or more likely listen to it this time around. Because Lukan’s journey has clearly just begun, and I can’t wait to see what trouble it leads him into next!

The Silverblood Promise is a fantastic start to The Last Legacy series, offering a mix of thrilling action, mystery, and character-driven storytelling. The audiobook format enhances the experience, with Brenock O’Connor’s narration bringing Konrad’s sharp wit and the book’s atmospheric tension to life. His performance is engaging, making it easy to stay immersed in the story.

While the pacing slows in a few areas and some plot points feel predictable, the overall execution is strong. Fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora or The Blade Itself will appreciate the mix of roguish charm, political maneuvering, and high-stakes adventure.

THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and it surely did not disappoint! I found this story to be fast-paced, keeping the reader of the edge of their seat. As I listened to this via an Advanced Listening Copy, Brenock O’Connor does a phenomenal job at bringing this grim dark fantasy to life and keeping the reader engaged. This was a solid first book in a series and I can't wait for book 2!

Performance rating: 5/5 stars
Overall rating: 4.25/5 stars

I enjoyed this book, it has some great world building and I liked the characters more than I expected to. There was also a really cool magic system, definitely unique. I think Lukan and Flea’s relationship was cute, even though they didn’t start off on the best foot, their story and how they came together and formed their brother/sister type relationship was sweet, especially due to their different backgrounds and privileges. Overall 4 ⭐️‘s

Thank you to NetGalley for access to the audiobook!

This story really intrigued me. I thought that the world building, magic system, and character development were all done really well! And the narration was excellent with the use of different vocal effects and distinct character voices. It took a bit to really get sucked it and for the fantasy elements to come into play, which made it feel like half murder mystery, half fantasy story. Overall, I enjoyed myself listening to this!

Netgalley Review

Star Rating: ★★★★☆

Great audiobook, great narrator glad I gave it the chance!

Like always though, read it and decide for yourself

4.5 Stars

This is definitely the best debut fantasy book I’ve read so far this year.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan tells the story of Lukan Gardova, a dropout, gambler, and disgraced heir of his house looking for a way to get back what he’s lost.

That’s when someone from his past shows up to let him know that his estranged father has been murdered. Denied the chance to ever make things right with his dad Lukan makes a Silverblood Promise to unravel the mystery behind his father’s death.

If you’ve seen my other reviews you know I love a fantasy book with great worldbuilding and found family and this does not disappoint.

The story takes place in the city of Saphrona which almost feels like a character in its own rite. Delivering a complex history and with both political and criminal elements driving events currently it kept me turning pages.

The characters felt real and engaging I particularly liked the street urchin Flea never missing a chance to take a shot at Lukan’s choices

The pacing here is pretty much full throttle the whole time even if it wasn’t an “action sequence” I didn’t want to put it down

Overall while this doesn’t do anything groundbreaking in terms of mystery or fantasy, it did deliver a really fun read and I will definitely be reading the next installment.

Also the cover art is gorgeous

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book early. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

I’ve waited 2 months and I still can say …

I recommend this book! Read it or listen to it, it’s fantastic! In contention for BOTY.

Gritty, funny, dark world, mystery, questions, fun & I’m thankful it’s just the beginning!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio, awesome book!

6 plus stars

I really enjoyed this book!

Brenock O’Connor is one of my favourite narrators and his voice was absolutely perfect for Lukan’s adventures.

I loved the story, the plots, the characters, the world-building… everything was cohesive and it made my picky heart so happy!

I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book.

I feel like a lot of you have been waiting to here my thoughts about this book and well here it is, I freaking loved it. I’ve been waiting for a new epic fantasy to come into my life and to be obsessed with and how could I not be excited about a book being compared to Joe Abercrombie? It was immersive and fun. The character dynamics were fantastic like Lucan and Flea were such a great duo to witness. The plot and mystery were spot on for me with the push and pull of everything that was going on like the games they had to play. We follow Lucan who is this rag tag kind of guy who was kicked out of school for an accident that happened. This book actually reminded me a lot of The Will of the Many so if you enjoyed that book, I definitly think you’ll enjoy this one. And because of that accident, he becomes estranged from his father and hasn’t talked to him for years. He suddenly gets new that his father has been murdered under suspicious circumstances which leads Lucan to venture into a land that is chock full of misfits and thieves trying to find one of his fathers old contacts and of course runs into a lot of roadblocks throughout his whole mission. The world building was really well done and we get to see the city 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 and we even 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 books. Overall I really loved this one and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy.

An enjoyable fantasy story that kept me eager to find out what was going to happen next. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the sequel!

This is one of my top reads of the year so far. I loved the world building, characters- especially Flea!!- and the story. Really fun and engrossing listen!

I really enjoyed this one! The world is interesting and I loved the characters. I enjoyed the plot and the sort-of murder mystery, and I like that we stuck to just one city, mostly. The magic system sounds really cool and I hope we get to explore more of that in the next book. I also loved the concept of the ancient civilization that this book introduced, and I can't wait to see how it plays out in the next one.

Watch my full video review here: https://youtu.be/RWX61Qeu9hA

A perfectly adequate fantasy debut that keeps you guessing with each new mystery of just how far the conspiracy goes. The duo of Lukan and Flea is one of my recent favorites in modern fantasy. I could listen to the two of them argue for much longer in book two, which hopefully isn't a long wait aways.

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. The audiobook was very good!

8.5/10

Possible Triggers:
Death | Mild Gore

Characters:
Lukan: Lukan isn’t my favorite main character. Cocky, arrogant, entitled, mouthy as all get out, and he DOES NOT learn his lessons in the book. Despite his many flaws, his backstory is interesting. I feel like the chip on his shoulder outweighs the actual reason given thus far and hopefully we will find out more. I enjoy the interactions he has with his allies and especially love when he is explaining culture and history of the world.

Flea: What a cheeky little imp. I am so excited to see intelligent youth written out. She reminds me of the cheeky shenanigans that my children will spring on me; either with clever little retorts or sneaky little child plotting. I want to see this character age throughout the series so very badly.

Positives:
+ I love this introduction we get into the ancient fantasy culture, their unknown mystical magic, and abandoned artifacts. I love the mystery of it all. What happened to this race of magically advanced peoples? Will we hear more about the myths and stories that have arisen around them? Will their magic be defined more? I am so excited to find out. This by far was my favorite aspect of the story.
+ Twisty twisty goodness. Every time you think you know where the story is going there is a trapdoor that drops you deeper into more and different awesomeness. The plot is ALWAYS thickening!
+ I really liked the dynamic between Flea and Lukan. They are such a fun pair together. It almost felt like a sibling dynamic, albeit with a fairly large age gap.

Final Thoughts:
I was absolutely 100% drawn in by the blurb written by Scott Lynch for this book. I was further intrigued by the comparisons from others to both Scott Lynch and Nicholas Eames works. While I disagree entirely about the writing styles, I am delighted to find another author that has such interesting and fleshed out fantasy world cultures.

This was a solid fantasy entry. Interesting plot, neat world building and cultures, fun ancient relics that are used in interesting ways.

While I wasn't the biggest fan of Lukan himself, I am sure there is plenty of room for me to grow on him as he continues his adventures in the next book (and hopefully more?). His interactions with other characters really make them shine, so I am looking forward to seeing who else joins him as a crew in the future. Can’t wait to see what happens and where we get to in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review: I loved this audiobook! It was hard to put down during the first half and almost impossible to put down in the second half.

Lukan is not the most sympathetic of protagonists, but I liked him. A LOT. Even from the beginning where it's clear that he's ethically challenged (whether it's when playing cards or indulging in other vices). But I loved the fact that he's unwaveringly loyal to his friends. He's willing to put himself in harm's way when the life of someone he cares about is on the line.

The audiobook is narrated by Brenock O’Connor and, looking at his audible listings: this is his first audiobook, and I think he did a wonderful job for a rookie! I wish he'd read the book just a tiny bit faster (especially the action scenes), but it's a minor issue which was easily fixed by boosting the playback speed a bit.

But other than that, I loved his narration. He gave each character a distinctive voice and accent. I thought all the different character voices were awesome. I am really looking forward to the 2nd audiobook for this series not only for the story and the characters, but also for his excellent narration.

Highly recommended for fans of fantasy stories with mystery and fantasy heists. The heist sequence at the end of this book literally had me on the edge of my seat: I was absolutely glued to my headphones. What a great debut novel by James Logan and a great debut voice performance by Brenock O’Connor.

I will pre-order the next one as soon as it's available!

The Silverblood Promise presents a classic fantasy tale enriched with elements of revenge and mystery. While it doesn't stray far from familiar tropes, James Logan's storytelling prowess breathes life into the narrative, crafting a world that feels both immersive and engaging. The characters are vibrant and dynamic, their interactions driving the plot forward with a sense of urgency and intrigue.

Brenock O'Connor's narration enhances the experience, bringing depth and emotion to the characters and their journey. His skilled delivery captivates the listener, drawing them deeper into the story's intricate web of secrets and alliances. Despite some minor flaws in character likability and thematic elements, The Silverblood Promise stands as a testament to classic fantasy storytelling, promising an enthralling adventure for fans of the genre.