Picking up this book on a whim and buying it because of the breathtaking cover was a decision I didn’t know I’d come to love until a year later, when I finally decided to read it. The Silverblood Promise quickly became a fantasy book that stood out to me, and one I know I’d love to go back and read a couple of years from now.

“Sometimes you owed it to yourself to do what was necessary, not what was easy” 

Premise of the book:

Lukan Gardova, a disgraced heir to a noble house, was fine with continuing his days gambling and drinking—that is until he was told that his estranged father had been murdered. He vows to find out who killed him and why. His goal leads him to Saphrona, a bustling city that was full of merchants and thieves. As Lukan figures out more about what happened, he realizes that this was bigger than he originally thought and that it was more dangerous as well.  

“Don’t be ashamed of your mistakes… Learn from them.” 

Pros/positives:

*Characters*

Lukan was a strong main character, with an unbreakable and entertaining voice that you can see in the writing. I appreciated his morals, alongside his sharp and cunning mind. You see it in the very first opening scene. Lukan is playing a game of cards in a dirty bar when he notices a “flash of white” (4)  in his opponent’s sleeve. Lukan slyly calls the man out for cheating. After that, all Lukan has to do is sit back as the man gets shaken down, which gives Lukan enough time to swipe the coins everyone bet before slipping out of the bar. Just a page later, Lukan expertly concludes that someone is following him. However, I have to admit, Lukan had quite a few stupid moments (*cough* giving his real name away when he was supposed to be under a false persona *cough*). 

Flea was a cute, energetic child who had the street smarts Saphrona needed for Lukan. She added some sunshine to the story. A great detail is that Lukan had to define some of the larger words he said for Flea, as she never got an education. She is quick on her feet as well, which made her a key asset in many of the challenges faced. Flea is just as quick with her wit, making her my favorite. She managed to swindle Lukan for more copper coins than I expected. 

Ashra was also an interesting character. I liked how she was a strong, independent person. But I struggled to connect deeply with her, as the novel introduced her later in the novel. Although it seems she will have a bigger role in the second book.

Development of the characters mainly came from their relations with one another. The friendship between Flea and Lukan is an example of this. The banter that went from them trying to hurt each other to them trying to hide their fondness for one another was a nice touch. Their found-family dynamic was endearing. 

I enjoyed how there wasn’t much romance as well. I find that sometimes the romance overtakes the actual plot in fantasy books.

*Writing style*

I enjoyed the writing style that the author had. It was powerful, and it stood out. While I find some books overexplain new components, I thought the amount of details given to describe the places Lukan went and the new people he met was enough to paint a picture, but not enough to overwhelm, which is the desired effect I want when I read. 

*Setting*

The setting was well expanded upon, and it was great getting to know the city better the further we read. My favorite part would probably be how the city of Saphrona was new to Lukan as well, which means he was learning alongside the reader.

The political aspects that came with the city were also appealing. The city obtained many separate groups of people (gangs, religious groups, etc.), all of which interacted with each other in different ways. It created an intriguing dynamic, as Lukan had to learn how to engage with each group without offending them.

*Plot*

The plot left me guessing while also keeping me engaged because I was curious to see where it was heading. While I feel we slightly lost the original plot along the way, I didn’t hate the way the story went. By the end of the novel, the plot had returned to its original status: continuing to try to find who murdered Lukan’s father. 

While some of the chapters were long, the fast pace of the book helped me never lose interest. The plot kept moving through every chapter, and especially picked up about halfway through. This book held a lot more action sequences than I expected, some of which included magic. I came to appreciate the way that the book dove from one adventure to another, but I can understand why that might not be for everyone.

“‘It’s easy to wish death on someone’ Lukan said softly, ‘but much harder to actually deliver it to them.’” 

Cons/negatives: 

*Some confusion*

While I loved the setting of this book, a map would have been nice to have. There are a lot of places named in every chapter, but I couldn’t get a good visual of their placement and relations to one another. I find that a map helps me remember what places have been previously mentioned versus not, which was something that could have been very helpful for this novel.

I also kept messing up people’s names, usually by accidentally swapping them with someone else. This issue came with the fact that there were many minor characters, most of whom were not very fleshed out, as they aren’t that important to the plot. It made it easier for me to forget them.

*Minor plot inconveniences*

The plot itself was solid, but I have a few complaints about how the author went about it. Mainly, there were quite a few…conveniences that caused the plot to continue. While I tried to not pay much mind to this, it could definitely be annoying if you are looking out for it.

There was a lot of repetition of backstories as well, specifically Lukan’s. I could probably tell you, word for word, Lukan’s backstory from how often I read it in this book. I understand that it is important, but it gets frustrating to read after a while.

And, while I love and adore Flea, I don’t know why Lukan brought her everywhere. She was useful, I can’t deny that, but she is also an eleven-year old child who Lukan is constantly bringing into danger. I’ll give Lukan some credit, as almost every time Flea pressured him into bringing her along, but Lukan should have put his foot down at some point in time. Flea shouldn’t be put into jeopardy during the entire book. I hate to say this, Lukan, but it is time for you to grow a spine…

“‘You can’t escape the past, Lukan. It’s our lifelong companion, always at our side.’” 

Conclusion: 

Pros – Characters, writing style, setting, plot

Cons – Some confusion, minor plot inconveniences

Overall – 4.25 out of 5

“‘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.’”