Lucan’s life changed when he accepted a duel that ended badly leading him to leave his privileged life behind. His father is murdered and leaves a message for Lucan written in his own blood. This sets Lucan on a quest to Saphrona, a city of merchant princes. Here he will find danger and adventure but will he find the truth behind his father’s murder?

Excellently written novel and well narrated ( I listened to the audiobook). Great strong characters with unique personalities and backgrounds, that gel together. Lots of action, fighting, danger, magic and new friendships. A very good start to the series.

The Silverblood Promise is the first book in The Last Legacy series by James Logan. Lukan Gardova is a disgraced heir to a noble house, estranged from his father and kicked out of his academy for a duel that ended badly. He now spends his days gambling and drinking gin, but finds purpose again when he discovers that his father has been murdered in very odd circumstances. His search for answers take him to Saphrona, the dangerous city of merchant princes and secrets.

I was drawn to this book based on the blurb and the fact that the book was recommended for fans of James Islington. I'm currently halfway through the audiobook of The Will of The Many by James Islington, and I knew instantly that it was going to be a 5 star read. So when I saw the comparison to James Islington in the ALC's book description, I was really excited for this. And I had that same feeling when I started this audiobook - I just knew that I was going to love it, and be completely drawn into the world and the characters. That feeling never went away as I listened for 17 hours. The plot takes poor Lukan from one unfortunate situation to another, and his smart mouth and reckless attitude doesn't help him much either, although he does always manage to slip out of a situation unscathed. The book wastes no time getting into the action, and a lot happens in this book. It's fast-paced but also perfectly paced - there's definitely no filler here, but you get proper time with the characters Lukan meets along the way.

Speaking of characters, the relationship between Lukan and Flea is definitely a highlight. Flea is the young street thief that Lukan meets very early on in the book, when he first arrives in Saphrona. Their sibling-like behaviour and eleven year old Flea's ability to repeatedly save Lukan from dire situations was both sweet and funny. Lukan meets a large variety of characters during this first book, and the narrator of the audiobook uses a lot of different accents and intonations to differentiate all of the characters. I really enjoyed the audiobook format!

The author does a really good job of building up the lore of this world gradually, rather than lore dumping at the start of the book. The magical elements build up too as the plot unfolds, and are likely to play a bigger part in future books in the series. It is a really strong fantasy book, focused on both plot and characters and the ending is a powerful lead-in to the sequel.

Disclaimer: I received an ALC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

The Silverblood Promise
The Last Legacy Book 1
by James Logan

Narrated by Brenock O’Connor

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Format: audiobook 🎧
Publication date: 25th April 2024

🌟: 3.5/5

Well written, I was interested straight away, the middle felt a bit sluggish but then I was happy with the ending and want to know what happens next.

I went into this expecting more of a fantasy and don’t get me wrong it’s obviously a fantasy book but It felt like the plot centred around murder mystery more than anything else. This isn’t a problem if the books represented that way it just wasn’t what I expected from the blurb.

I wanted more of the world building and expansion on fantasy elements that were there but didn’t come to more than a mention. The magic system was interesting and very much around sorcery

Lukan is a fun character but it does seem he has to be exceedingly lucky to still be with us at this point, his humour was hit and miss at times but overall he’s a likeable main character and there are some amusing pieces of dialogue. Flea is my favourite though, she’s a great little supporting character. Some of the other characters in the book fell a little flat for me and could have done with more fleshing out.

It is very reminiscent of Scott Lynch and can be quite similar at times, overall I would probably read the next one but would like to see it go in a different direction.

“You have to stand up for yourself, you understand? You can’t let someone have their way just because they were born into wealth and privilege. That doesn’t make them better than you.”

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan did not disappoint. This has been a highly anticipated novel and I was ecstatic about the mystery adventure that kept unfolding with every turn of the page.

Logan has created such strong personalities that are unique to each character and the relationships were a highlight. Lukan - our charming rogue who is trying to solve his father’s murder - is thrust into constant harm. Handy in a fight and loose with his lips, Logan had me rooting for him every step of the way. Flea was a favourite. A young pickpocket who introduces herself to Lukan and tests him with her foul-mouth and tongue-in-cheek arrogance. There are other standout characters throughout that everyone will enjoy.

This novel was grounded but filled with such great detail in its world building. Logan describes areas like markets and inns brilliantly that makes you feel a part of the hustle and bust. The different cultures and beliefs show us the vast landscape but it’s the lore that slowly unravels that is a substantial positive. The magic system is subtle but a puzzle to be solved and the way that Logan handled the heists with the magic had this become a blockbuster novel.

The plot itself reeks of a familiar heist however this unravels into something so much more. The more I uncovered, the more I wanted to keep reading and this really set the bar for debut fantasy. I’m so invested in this series and cannot wait for the rest of the series.

The Silverblood Promise is a tale of mystery and relationships that I devoured. This is a series to watch and Logan should be on everyone’s radar.

Lukan is expelled from the Academy after killing a fellow student in a duel. He lives his life constantly on the run, estranged from his rich yet reclusive father who’s obsessed with dead civilisations and demons out of children's stories.
Then, his family’s steward tracks him down to inform him his father has been murdered and was found with a final note scrawled in his blood: Lukan Saphrona Zandrusa. His name, the name of a southern city, and someone or something. He swears a silverblood promise to find out the meaning of his father’s death and deliver justice.

Logan possesses a dry humour and a talent for a good turn of phrase, making this a delightful book with strong characters you can’t help but root for.
I have to mention Flea especially, the young street urchin who first tried to rob Lukan on his arrival in the city but soon becomes his companion and shadow. A skinny eleven year old with a sharp knife and sharper tongue. She’s an utter delight, constantly chatty, unwilling to stay behind, and a protege who grows on Lukan.

“If you're serious-“
“I'm deadly serious."
“Deadly stupid, more like,” Flea muttered.
“The difference between the two is merely a matter of perspective.”

The descriptions are utterly engrossing and paints such a vivid picture whilst never losing that wit that keeps you entertained. This is where seasoned fantasy readers can really feel the love of the genre as Logan makes you feel at home in a city with a clear divide between rich and poor, corrupt officials, a tower in the middle of the sea holding prisoners, deadly entertainments, a criminal underbelly, and a city that is run on gold.

”You have to stand up for yourself, you understand? You can't let someone have their way just because they were born into wealth and privilege. That doesn't make them better than you.”

Despite Lukan not having magic himself, there is an intriguing magic system which seems will play an important role in the rest of the series. There exist individuals who can perform sorcery known as gleamers who channel raw power from beyond the veil of the world.

Don’t go in expecting to find a wrapped up story in this, indeed the mystery only gets deeper by the end!

This is an extremely compelling, impressive debut and I am gutted I read this so early because now I have to wait even longer for the next book!

I would recommend this to fans of the city-life and themes in The Lies of Locke Lamora, the politics and council families of Mistborn, the character of Kvothe from the Name of the Wind.

Thank you to Quercus Books for providing me an arc in exchange for a review!