Blood of Empire

September 15, 2019
Conclusion to McClellan's Gods of Blood and Powder fantasy trilogy (Wrath of Empire, 2018, etc.), in which politicking assumes as much importance as magic and armies. Dynize blood sorcerer Ka-Sedial intends to secure the three ancient monoliths known as godstones in order to make himself into a god, and he invades Fatrasta to capture two of them. Giant warrior Ben Styke, accompanied by Ka-Poel, the mute bone-eye sorcerer (and Ka-Sedial's grandaughter) whose magic can detect the stones, plans to attack Dynize and locate the third godstone. But a storm scatters Styke and Ka-Poel's ships and strands them with only 20 lancers. Worse, the stone is already under Ka-Sedial's control, forcing them to forgo brute force and attempt diplomacy. Ka-Poel's husband, Taniel, despite his near godlike powers, spends most of the book trying to catch up with them. Gen. Vlora Flint, grievously wounded and bereft of her gunpowder magic, burns for revenge yet must engage more Dynize armies and endure political interference. Ex-spy Michel Bravis and Ka-Poel's sister Ichtracia, a Privileged sorcerer, try to learn why so many Palo are mysteriously disappearing. McClellan tells an intriguing tale. Still, alert readers will wonder why the book's villain, having quickly solved his main problem, then does nothing for hundreds of pages and why many of the characters that add salt and spice to the proceedings spend too long offstage or just form wallpaper. True, the author doesn't do politics nearly as effectively as he does magic and battles, and he wrings out few surprising plot twists. His prior novels, with their hero Field Marshal Tamas, cast an unfortunately deep shadow: Tamas is one of the great fantasy heroes of recent years, and nobody here comes close. Solid and absorbing but not the tour de force the Powder Mage trilogy was.

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Starred review from October 21, 2019
McClellan concludes his terrific Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy (after Wrath of Empire) with this explosive finale. Col. Ben Styke, master spy Michel Bravis, and Gen. Vlora Flint each work different angles to keep Ka-Sedial, the mastermind pulling the strings behind the Dynize Imperial throne, from capturing the three godstones and using them to enhance his already formidable power. Ben and his Mad Lancers, joined by Ka-poel, Ka-Sedial’s granddaughter and equal in mystical power, sail to Dynize to capture and destroy the first stone. In Landfall, the largest metropolis on the continent of Fatrasta, Ka-Sedial has been murdering the Palo minority by the thousands in his quest to unlock the second godstone, and Michel, Palo himself, seeks to unite his people against him. Vlora, at the head of the most formidable military force on the continent, has secured parts of the third stone and battles her way to Landfall, where she can destroy them. McClellan sustains the tension throughout, keeping readers’ hearts pounding across epic battles and backroom machinations alike. Fans will devour this action-packed series ender. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Assoc.

Starred review from October 15, 2019
Picking up where Wrath of Empire (2018) left off, the final novel in the Gods of Blood and Powder series continues the conflict between the Dynize empire and a loose coalition of other nations over the powerful godstones. Lady Vlora Flint, recently robbed of her powder magic by her one-woman stand against an entire army, is at the head of the Adran field army as it attempts to liberate Fatrasta from the Dynize invasion. Meanwhile, Michel Bravis, former spymaster for the native Palo people of Fatrasta, returns to the occupied city Landfall with the Dynize mage Ichtracia to find out if the rumors that Ichtracia's grandfather has been ritually sacrificing thousands of Palo people to a godstone are true. In the Dynize homeland, Mad Ben Styke and his lancers navigate the complicated politics of the capital while the bone-eye Ka-Poel attempts to destroy one of the godstones, The vast cast and scope of this novel capture a sense of history and politics, and McClellan remains extremely adept at this thrilling and action-packed narrative of magical and military conflict. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy that isn't afraid to deal with politics and revolution alongside spells and swords.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)