This novella from Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage series was an unexpected surprise, because I thought I had explored them all, so as soon as I saw this title I wasted no time to acquire and read it: the end of the saga left me somewhat pining for this world, and going back to it, even for a short number of pages, felt like a treat.
This is set in the far past of Field Marshal Tamas, at the time when he was a young sergeant in the Adran army, just 19 years old but already burning with the ambition to scale the ranks despite the apparently insurmountable obstacle of being low-born and therefore having little or no chances to rise beyond a certain level.
The Adrans have been laying siege to the enemy fortress of Tilpur for a long time, sacrificing a great number of soldiers against its strong, magic-enhanced walls, and after the latest bloody charge, one that still made no dent in the enemy’s defenses, Tamas is trying to find a way to breach them without losing too many lives and at the same time putting himself in the limelight that will finally show his mettle.
This younger Tamas is as driven as the older one I encountered in Promise of Blood, but he still has to develop the deep loathing for the nobles’ privileges that will inspire his later revolution: it’s here, however, that probably for the first time his ambition clashes with the… glass ceiling of those privileges and maybe sets him on the path that will make him the man we’ll know in the trilogy.
The Siege of Tilpur is both a social commentary on Adran society at the time of Tamas’ youth and a very engrossing tale of a commando-style incursion that will keep you glued to the pages until its very end. Very recommended for every fan of McClellan’s work.
My Rating:
I love making discoveries like this, that there is a story by a beloved author that you maybe didn’t know about😁
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And since I miss the Powder Mage world, this one was a very welcome surprise 🙂
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The Powder Mage series is one I’ve heard a lot about – and has been on my radar for a while. Once I’ve got through some of the ongoing series I’m reading, this is one I’d like to tuck into. Thank you for sharing:)
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You’re more than welcome! And I hope you get the chance to read this series soon, because it’s a very intriguing one 🙂
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Oh I new one? I don’t think I knew about this one either, I’ll have to look into it!
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Life is full of great surprises, sometimes… 😉
Happy reading!
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Interesting! I haven’t read this one yet, thanks for the find, Maddalena! 😀
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You’re welcome! And enjoy 🙂
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I have not yet read any of his work but I definitely want to check out his Powder Mage stuff at some point. Glad you enjoyed this one, I didn’t know he came out with something new!
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The two Powder Mage-related trilogies are very engaging books, and I can’t recommend them enough! 🙂
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These are the best kind of surprises!!!!!
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Yes! Something of a very, very early birthday gift! 😀
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I didn’t know this author at all, but now I’m definitely curious! Thanks for sharing 😊
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You’re welcome! And give McClellan a chance: he will certainly win you over! 🙂
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Great review! I have read this short novella last week, because I discovered it on Scribd and I agree with all you wrote about it!
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Thanks! And about Scribd I’ve seen it mentioned often lately, and it looks a very interesting site for us voracious readers 😀
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Yes! I am trying it because they are doing a free trial period for the covid, and it is like Kindle Unlimited of a sort. I am not madly in love with the service, but it is not bad!
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Thanks, I will give it a spin. 🙂
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Oh maaaan, I wish his short stories were just collected in some kind of paperback. I have a tougher time appreciating them digitally! 😮 Definitely a must-read, however! Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome! And yes, it would be nice to have them all collected into a single volume… Who knows? Someone might just hear our request… 😉
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