Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan is the first book of the Gods of Blood
and Powder Series. This is a sequel series to the Powder Mage Series
with several characters returning from the original series. There are also quite
few surprises in the book that takes place several years after the previous series
and is set in a different land, Fatrasta. As before, there are three main
characters with converging storylines that become tied together in another epic
war story. As it was in the previous series, it is a time of magic where the
musket ball is the most common form of violence.
General Flint and Olem have retired from the army. Bored and
looking for something to do because they are weird like that and can’t just put
up their feet at the house, they get the bright idea to create a mercenary
army. They soon have a paying client in the form of the Dictator of Fatrasta to
help crush a rebellion in her country. However, they soon learn this job will
not be as simple as they were led to believe.
The second main character is Ben Styke. Known as “Mad Ben Styke” he
was a Colonel in a calvary company known as the “Mad Lancers.” These days he is
imprisoned in a labor camp for annoying the wrong people in charge. A lawyer,
Tampo, comes to him and explains he can get out if he agrees to former cavalry
officer who is imprisoned in a labor camp is offered a simple job of getting
close to General Flint, joining her mercenary army, and keeping her safe.
Then there is Michael Bravis who is working for the secret police
tasked with enforcing the rule of the dictator of Fatrasta. His assigned
mission is to keep an eye on General Flint as well as determine who is responsible
for the publication of the anti-government propaganda advocating the overthrow
of the dictatorship.
The explanation above is a massive simplification of the start of
this very complicated novel. Readers familiar with this author will understand
that things often start out one-way plot wise and then go off into a totally
different plot outline by the ends of the book. One of the things the author likes
to do is to take the character and then fundamentally change the character to
such a point that by the end of book the character is in a radically different
place emotionally by the end of the book.
Sins of Empire: Gods of Blood and Powder Book One by Brian McClellan is
just as deep as the original series. The same epic style action, world building,
incredibly complicated characters and relationships, as well as the flashes of
humor are present in this book. The fantasy novel has lots of interesting
social issues that apply to our world now. This book has some great plot twists
and does a good job of creating something new with connections to the previous
series.
The book has strong ties to the original series, so it is very
helpful if one has read the original series of novels. That series in order
are, Promise
of Blood, The
Crimson Campaign, and The
Autumn Republic. I highly recommended Sins of Empire: Gods of Blood and Powder Book One by Brian McClellan for fans of the
original series.
My review came in hardback from my Dad’s childhood library
stomping grounds of the Audelia Road Branch of the Dallas Public Library
system.
Scott A. Tipple ©2020
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