Brian McClellen Archives - Gary David Gillen

The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan

Book #3 of the Powder Mage Trilogy

Introduction

War has come to the country of Adro in this gunpowder mage fantasy. The main characters, Field Marshal Tamas, Powder Mage Taniel Two-shot, and Inspector Adamat, seek to liberate Adro from its enemies. The Brudanians hold Adro’s capital city of Adopest and the Kez army is driving up through Surkov’s Alley. Taniel and the main Adran army is stuck in between them. Tamas and his two veteran brigades along with their Deliv allies are hurrying to save the day. Can the two armies meet up in time? Can Taniel’s savage priestess keep the sleeping god named Kresimir asleep keeping him from destroying the whole world? Can the heroes win the war and save Adro from its enemies?

Summary

This is the third book in the powder mage trilogy, so long-standing plot threads resolve though new ones start to set up the next trilogy in this series. Field Marshal Tamas threw over the Adran monarchy before the events of the first novel. He wants to develop a long-term plan to support a republic and throw out the foreign invaders of Adro. Tamas is a powerful powder mage. Powder mages ingest gunpowder by eating it or sniffing it. The powder gives them supernatural powers. Taniel, Tamas’s son, is also a powder mage. His talent gives him healing power, strength, and the ability to direct bullets from his gun to his desired target. Taniel loves fighting in the war but despises politics. Setting up a republic demands the election of a prime minister. The candidates are labor leader Richard, who wants Taniel as his running mate, and Lord Claremont. The election will have ramifications for Adro’s future.

Some people in this world have special abilities of a minor nature and they are called Knacked. Inspector Adamat’s knocked power is a photographic memory which helps him solves cases. He works for Tamas trying to learn about what is going on in occupied Adopest. Another type of magic power is used by the Privileged, who tap into an elemental power they call the Else. Bo is the last living member of the Adro Cabal, a group of privileged, and his apprentice is named Nila. The wildcard is Ka-poel who has a voodoo-like talent using dolls. Taniel brought her to Adro from savage Fatrasta during the time when he fought there. She is honor bound to him. He treats her like a younger sister sometimes, but at other times he thinks of her a potential lover. Vlora, another powder mage, was Taniel’s former lover and almost fiancé. She conflicts Taniel because they have feelings for each other despite their breakup. Olem is Tamas’s most trusted aide. He is romantically linked to both Nila and Vlora.

All these characters have come to Adro in this novel and must succeed in each one’s individual tasks doing their part to save the republic. An unexpected powerful enemy disrupts their plans and they must improvise or not just Adro, but the whole world will be in jeopardy of destruction.

Recommendation

The Autumn Republic was a great conclusion to the powder mage trilogy. The many viewpoint characters complete their assigned tasks and prepares for the final challenge. The conclusion changes the world forever but shows how the next trilogy will begin. The next trilogy is called Gods of Blood and Powder starting with the novel Sins of Empire which was released in 2017. Wrath of Empire was released in 2018 and Blood of Empire is scheduled to be released in 2019. I have a copy of Sins of Empire and will read it soon in 2019. Highly recommended. I suggest reading the whole trilogy, from the beginning to the end.

Links

Link to Goodreads page for The Autumn Republic

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20883847-the-autumn-republic?ac=1&from_search=true

Link to my review of The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage Book #2)

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

Book #2 of the Powder Mage Series

Introduction

Will Tamas escape from the Kez army and save Adro? Can Adamat rescue his wife and children from Lord Vetas? Will Taniel shake off his demons and defeat the demi-god Kresimir, again?

Summary

Tamas is at war with Kez. He becomes trapped behind enemy lines with two of his elite brigades. They face a long and dangerous journey to find their way back to Adro. Adamat must rescue his wife and children from Lord Vetas. He enlists Taniel’s friend Bo to help him defeat his foe. Bo is the last Privileged in the city of Adopest and Adamat goes to great lengths to secure his help. Adamat’s story is one of family and sacrifice and Adamat must extend himself to save his family. Taniel starts this novel in a haze den, unable to come to grips with what occurred at the end of the previous novel, Promise of Blood. He breaks his melancholy as the forces of Kez attack deep into Adro. Taniel is the last Powder Mage on this front. Taniel and his faithful companion, Ka-Poel, fight back the invaders. The looming battle between Kresimir on the Kez side and Mihali on the Adro side concludes with Taniel caught in the middle.

Recommendation

This novel is a great follow up to the first novel in the series, Promise of Blood. The action is non-stop and the three main narrators have compelling stories. Bo becomes an important character as well. The potential relevance of Nila and Vlora is hinted at but they remain underdeveloped characters. This middle novel sets up a gripping conclusion in the third novel of the series which is called The Autumn Republic.

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan

This is a prequel novella in the Powder Mage series.

Introduction

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel is a prequel novella. The novella occurs 22 years before the novel Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. It is not necessary to read the novel first to understand this story. Knowing the character of Adamat from the novel enhances the themes explored in that novel.

Summary

I enjoyed this novella almost as much as the novel. I felt that the lack of action and the odd use of Constable White kept the story from being great. The powder mage series includes magic derived from the use of gunpowder, the magic of the Privileged who are used by the monarchy, and a minor caste of magicians called the Knacked. Adamat is a Knacked. His talent is having a photographic memory. Adamat is a special detective constable for the Adopest police department.

His talent makes his deductive reasoning seem similar to Sherlock Holmes’s process, but his humble background and marriage keep him grounded. Adamat investigates two seemingly unconnected murders. The complication is that his friend Richard is accused of committing the second murder. He must negotiate between the dockland gangs, the corrupt police commissioner, and a powerful noble family to save his friend from execution by the guillotine. Adamat attempts to solve the crimes with the help of Constable White.

Recommendation

I wanted more action and suspense scenes in this story. Most scenes were either described or happened off-screen. I felt that Constable White should have been introduced sooner because she is crucial to the plot. I think this novella is an important addition to the powder mage series and well worth the time invested to read it.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23597688-murder-at-the-kinnen-hotel

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, Book # 1 of the Powder Mage Series. My review of Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. Adamat, Tamas, and Taniel fight gods and men in this gunpowder fantasy.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, Book # 1 of the Powder Mage Series.

Introduction

Promise of Blood is a gunpowder fantasy by Brian McClellan. It is somewhat a retelling of the French Revolution. I enjoyed the magical background and well-developed characters. It is the first book in a series.

Summary

There are three main characters. The book opens with the story of Adamat. He is a retired detective. His magical gift is a perfect memory. His deductive reasoning reminds me of Agatha Christie ‘s Hercule Poirot. The royal class in the country of Adro in the city of Adopest has been overthrown by a group headed by Field Marshal Tamas. Adamat meets with Tamas, who sends him on a quest. Tamas is the second main character, a wise leader of men. He is a powder mage, a person that can use gunpowder as magical dust to heal oneself or to manipulate bullets. The third main character is Tamas’s son Taniel.

Taniel is a powerful powder mage, the action hero of the story. He uses gunpowder as a narcotic. His reaction to snorting gunpowder is a cross between snuff and cocaine. I wonder if he will have an accounting with his addiction in further novels. This novel’s strongest asset is in the connections between the main characters and the secondary characters. Tamas is haunted by the execution death of his wife. His assistant Olem has romantic chemistry with the laundress Nila. I want to see where that leads.

Taniel had a broken engagement with another powder mage, Vlora. She is undeveloped in this novel, but I am sure that she has a part to play. There is interesting romantic chemistry between Taniel and his barbarian assistant Ka-poel. I look forward to seeing examined. Taniel’s friend Bo and Bo’s women are interesting. The mysterious Gavril and the chef Mihali seem to have important parts to play as well.

Recommendation

Adamat is my favorite character. I am glad that I signed up for the author’s email list because I received the novella Murder at the Kinnen Hotel which is about Adamat’s back story. The next novel in the series is The Crimson Campaign and I have put it on my to-read list.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790883-promise-of-blood

My review of Murder at the Kinnen Hotel, a prequel novella. The novella is set 22 years before the novel Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. It is not necessary to read the novel first to understand this story. Knowing the character of Adamat from the novel enhances the themes explored in that novel.

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan