Servant of the Crown
A novella.
Captain Tamas is an ambitious young officer in the Adran army. As a commoner, he is one of very few without noble blood to hold a rank. When he challenges the son of a duke over an insult, the subsequent duel lands him in hot water with the nobility and the royal cabal of Privileged sorcerers. Tamas is soon drawn into a conflict that goes to the very highest office in the land, and his only ally is the most unlikely of people; a young noblewoman named Erika, who needs Tamas to teach her how to wield her powers as a powder mage.
Occurs about 35 years before the events in Promise of Blood.
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Brian McClellan
Brian McClellan's work stands at the intersection of the epic and the gritty, where magic and warfare collide, and human ambition comes at a high cost. As the creator of The Powder Mage series, McClellan blends elements of traditional epic fantasy with a unique focus on firearms, military tactics, and political intrigue. This fusion creates a world that feels both familiar and revolutionary, where gunpowder meets sorcery in an explosive mix that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
The Powder Mage (short fiction)
Chronological order:
- Forsworn: Occurs about thirty-five years before Promise of Blood.
- Servant of the Crown: Takes place immediately after the events in Forsworn but before the epilogue.
- Murder at the Kinnen Hotel: occurs twenty-two years before the events in Promise of Blood.
- Hope's End: About nineteen years before Promise of Blood.
- The Girl of Hrusch Avenue: Ten years before Promise of Blood.
- The Face in the Window: About two years before Promise of Blood.
- Return to Honor: Between Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign.
The Powder Mage (short fiction) consists of 8 total books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Main series The Powder Mage Universe

