The Crimson Campaign

December 16, 2013
This swirling sequel to Promise of Blood draws the reader deep into political intrigue and military matters in a gunpowder-sprinkled fantasy world. Field Marshal Tamas of Adro, coup leader and powder mage, returns to the field to fend off the invasion from neighboring Kez that he hoped to provoke. Unexpected magic and the resurrection of the dead god Kresimir force Tamas and his troops to fight their way home through the army of his nemesis, Duke Nikslaus. In his absence, Inspector Adamat uncovers a network of spies in Adro’s capital and learns that its patron has plans to co-opt the new democracy for a grandiose purpose. The novel rushes headlong from battlefields to barroom brawls as McClellan bedevils his protagonists with betrayals, in-fighting, and reversals of fortune. When a laundress can become a mage of unprecedented potential, readers will not wonder whether characters can succeed, but will fear the price they must pay for that success.

January 15, 2014
Second entry in the Powder Mage trilogy (Promise of Blood, 2013), something like a fantasy French Revolution with seriously weird wizards. The narrative follows the fortunes of three key figures. Field Marshal Tamas, a powder mage, one who eats or snorts gunpowder in order to gain magic powers, overthrew the monarchy and slaughtered the aristocracy and the Cabal of evil wizards that sustained them. Adamat, a retired police inspector with a perfect memory, investigates conspirators and traitors. Tamas' disaffected son, Taniel, a powder mage and master marksman, helped Tamas defend Adro against the invading Kez and killed the god Kresimir. Taniel's companion is Ka-poel, a young, mute barbarian female whose powerful magics are unlike those of other mages. Now the Kez attack again, this time with a vast army and impossibly fast, strong Wardens created by the magic of Kresimir, who's evidently not as dead as Taniel hoped. Tamas schemes to stem the invasion by leading his best troops in an unexpected flank attack, but he soon finds himself cut off behind enemy lines, without supplies or reinforcements, and facing a long, dangerous road home. In Adro, Inspector Adamat's wife and children are being held hostage by the psychopathic Lord Vetas. With Tamas and his powder mages missing and presumed dead, Taniel angrily leads the defense against the Kez hordes. Tamas' generals, however, inexplicably fall back instead of holding the line and haughtily dismiss Taniel's insubordinate complaints. Kresimir, meanwhile, seeks the man who shot him in the eye. This book is less relentlessly inventive than the inaugural volume but still impressively distinctive and pungent, with solid plotting and exceptional action sequences. A reliably rewarding installment that will keep appetites whetted for the conclusion.

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April 15, 2014
Picking up directly where 2013's "Promise of Blood" left off, Adro and Kez are still very much at war. In Adopest, stalwart police inspector Adamat is hunting the man who kidnapped his family, looking for allies, and dodging enemies in the city. Meanwhile Field Marshal Tamas, who staged the military coup in the first volume, is trapped behind enemy lines in Kez. Tamas's son, Taniel Two-Shot, is trying to forget the battle at South Pike Mountain where he killed the god Kresimir. But Kresimir is very much alive and wants revenge on not just Taniel but all powder mages. VERDICT McClellan doesn't hold the reader's hand but instead plunges immediately into battle scenes and political intrigues. The vivid world that the author has created and the flawed and deeply absorbing characters mean that even though the action and perspectives shift frequently, readers will remain engaged. Seemingly unconnected story lines are starting to weave together, leading to what is sure to be an exciting finish for this trilogy.

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