Plabies and Gentleplebs,
It's time for this week's #plebreads novel recommendation from my favorite reads!
If you're a novel lover, read this note to the end and also check the hashtag for all other recommendations. The last one was one of my all-time top 5 so check it if you missed it!
This week's choice will be the "Gods of Blood and Powder" trilogy by Brian McClellan,
which consists of three novels and one novella. The novella "The Mad Lancers" is more of a prequel and is not necessary for you to understand the story, so by all means start with the first novel, "Sins of Empire", which is the book I chose to feature here today. Also, the story happens in the "Powder Mage" universe, which is another series by McClellan, but it is not necessary to read that first. I enjoyed Gods of Blood and Powder more, that's why I decided to feature it here first. The time for a Powder Mage #plebreads review shall come, though.
Anyways, here we go:
Sins of Empire
624 pages, published march 2017
ISBN 9780316407212
Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Military Fiction, Steampunk
Goodreads synopsis: The young nation of Fatrasta is a turbulent place -- a frontier destination for criminals, fortune-hunters, brave settlers, and sorcerers seeking relics of the past. Only the iron will of the lady chancellor and her secret police holds the capital city of Landfall together against the unrest of an oppressed population and the machinations of powerful empires.
The insurrection that threatens Landfall must be purged with guile and force, a task which falls on the shoulders of a spy named Michel Bravis, convicted war hero Mad Ben Styke, and Lady Vlora Flint, a mercenary general with a past as turbulent as Landfall's present.
As loyalties are tested, revealed, and destroyed, a grim specter as old as time has been unearthed in this wild land, and the people of Landfall will soon discover that rebellion is the least of their worries.
My review: This novel mixes magic with gunpowder, do you need anything else? Of course not. Just go read it! You may not like the main character Vlora Flint(I did, but many people don't) but I GUARANTEE you will become a fan of Mad Ben Styke. Badass MF who charges on horseback with lances against walls of muskets. You will 100% surely go for the novella after reading the trilogy just because it features him as a main character.
The magic system in this series revolves around three distinct types of magic. The first is Privileged magic, which is a traditional form of sorcery that allows the user to manipulate the elements and create powerful spells. The second is Powder magic, which involves ingesting gunpowder(snorting it like cocaine lol) to enhance physical abilities such as strength, speed, and healing. These Powder mages can also control bullets and gunpowder from a distance. The third type is Knacked magic, which gives people unique abilities or talents, such as perfect memory or the ability to sense emotions. These types of magic are not equal, and some characters have stronger abilities than others. The series also explores the political and social implications of magic in a world where different types of magic are in conflict.
This is an extremely thrilling read from start to finish with lots of twists and shocking events, also breathtaking battle sequences that made me re-read the books just to see them in my mind again.
As always, please pay attention to this important addendum: If you are interested but broke like me and can't afford to buy the book, just PM me and i'll hook you up with a free copy. However, if you have the mean$, please buy an original ebook/audiobook/hardcover copy to support the talented author who created this thrilling story.
Also, check the #plebreads hashtag to get all my novel recommendations! Every week there will be a new one.
That's it! Thank you all for reading and I wish you all a great week ahead! PV!