The Silverblood Promise: The Last Legacy, Book 1

by James Logan

Overview

"A fast-paced carnival of setbacks and skullduggery that reminds me of... me! Charming from the first twist to the last."—Scott Lynch

Set in a city of traders and thieves, monsters and murderers, this page-turning epic fantasy debut is a must-read for fans of Nicholas Eames and Joe Abercrombie.

Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and—thanks to a duel that ended badly—the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and wondering how he might win back the life he threw away.

When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father's death.

His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin. Lukan only seeks the truth, but instead he finds danger and secrets in every shadow.

For in Saphrona, everything has a price—and the price of truth is the deadliest of all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250345806
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Series:	The Last Legacy , #1
Pages:	528
Sales rank:	21,722
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

James Logan was born in the southeast of England where he grew up on a diet of Commodore 64 computer games, Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, and classic eighties cartoons, which left him with a love of all things fantastical. He lives in London and works in publishing. The Silverblood Promise is his first novel.

Editorial Reviews

03/18/2024

Positioned squarely in the tradition of fantasy caper novels, the winning debut and Last Legacy series launch from Orbit UK editor Logan pits a rogue with a heart of gold against a corrupt oligarchy. Lukan Gardova, disgraced ex-scholar turned card sharp, follows a mysterious note from his recently murdered father to the trading city of Saphrona, where his father’s ally, the wealthy Zandrusa, is being framed for a different murder. Following his instincts (“Passion before reason”), Lukan, who has never met Zandrusa, entangles a motley crew including a clever street urchin, an all-knowing beggar, and a cool fixer to rescue his father’s friend and squelch a coup plot. Logan has an evident fondness for both the choreographed crime of Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastards series and the underdog politics of Seth Dickinson’s Baru Cormorant books, while adding hints of a deeper backstory of lost empires and legendary supernatural threats. Readers may be rattled by the occasional jarringly contemporary wording (“intelligence network”; “civil rights”) but will be entertained by the sincerity of Lukan’s quest. This promises good things to come. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Silverblood Promise:

"A fast-paced carnival of setbacks and skullduggery that reminds me of... me! Charming from the first twist to the last."—Scott Lynch, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

"The first volume of this sure-to-be-stellar series is a ribald, swashbuckling tale of treacheries, lies, and characters as gritty and cutthroat as anyone you’d meet in a tavern at midnight. Don’t miss these first steps into an epic world—one I can’t wait to tread again."—James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Starless Crown and The Cradle of Ice

"There’s never a dull moment in this instantly absorbing debut that offers effortless escapism. Perfect for fans of the 'Mistborn' series by Brandon Sanderson."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Enough grit to make you flinch, enough heart to make you punch the air, this book will have dark fantasy lovers burning through the pages. Everything that's good about modern fantasy is here. "—Ed McDonald, author of Daughter of Redwinter

"An engaging and action-packed fantasy read."—James Islington, author of The Licanius Trilogy

"An engrossing fantasy romp full of endearing characters, The Silverblood Promise is full of unexpected twists and turns, and an optimistic spirit. Relentlessly entertaining, defiantly idealistic, it’s a daring debut filled to the brim with classic fantasy fun."—Sebastien de Castell, author of Traitor's Blade

"[A] winning debut... Logan has an evident fondness for both the choreographed crime of Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastards series and the underdog politics of Seth Dickinson’s Baru Cormorant books, while adding hints of a deeper backstory of lost empires and legendary supernatural threats."—Publishers Weekly

"A fast-paced, addicting read chock full of action, adventure, and good, old-fashioned skullduggery! You'll get sucked in by the world and the story's intrigue, but you'll stay for the wit, humor, and heart. Fans of Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, Jackson Bennett's Foundryside, or Netflix's Arcane will find plenty to love in these pages."—M.J. Kuhn, author of Among Thieves

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2024

DEBUT After a murder strikes a little close to home, the young rogue Lukan Gardova is compelled to solve it. He's spent years barely scraping by after his downfall, but this goal fills him with a new sense of purpose. As a hotheaded hero with nothing to lose, he sets off for the city of Saphrona, where he teams up with the straight-talking street kid Flea. Money rules in Saphrona, and Lukan and Flea are swiftly swept up in a conspiracy involving the criminal underworld, corrupt merchant princes, and the mystical relics of a dead civilization. Everything about this swashbuckling adventure is sharp and secretive, and the pages fly by with every nail-biting gambit. It's a murder mystery in an epic fantasy setting, and Lukan's loose tongue and quick wits repeatedly get him into and out of trouble. The endearing characters, with their easy banter, dry humor, and defiant spirits, are the heart and soul of this novel. VERDICT There's never a dull moment in this instantly absorbing debut that offers effortless escapism. Perfect for fans of the "Mistborn" series by Brandon Sanderson.—Andrea Dyba

Library Journal

★ 2024-03-23
Logan’s debut novel—the first installment in his Last Legacy saga—is an adventure fantasy that revolves around a young man’s search for answers to mysteries regarding his father’s death.

When Lukan Gardova—a disgraced heir desperately trying to outrun his past—discovers that his estranged father was murdered while clutching a mysterious note written with his own blood, he begins a quest that takes him around the world to Saphrona, the fabled “Mother of Cities.” But answers aren’t easy to come by in a city with a tumultuous history, corrupt government, and an underworld filled with myth and legend. Eventually joining forces with a street urchin named Flea and an infamous thief known as Lady Midnight, Gardova quickly finds himself entangled in a grand-scale conspiracy involving the existence of nightmarish beings from childhood tales, artifacts from a lost race, evil cabals, and a looming war that could put tens of thousands of innocents in jeopardy. Every discovery brings Gardova closer to the realization that his father, whom he thought was just a broken man obsessed with myths, was much more than he appeared to be. While many comparable narratives come across as stale and formulaic, there’s a freshness and vibrancy to this tale, in large part because of the flawless execution of the various elements. The worldbuilding is exceptional—meticulously described and almost effortlessly immersive. The diverse cast of characters is insightfully portrayed and authentic. The storyline is filled with bombshell plot twists, the action is nonstop, and the pacing is breakneck. The precision of the writing is evident in seemingly minor details like the way every chapter ends with thought-provoking statements, revelations, or cliffhanging scenes that make it impossible to stop reading (“He unhooked the lantern, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open”). Even the conclusion is masterfully constructed, satisfying readers while also brilliantly setting up the second installment.

An undeniable masterwork—and a blueprint for how adventure fantasy should be written.

Kirkus Reviews