Things really start to get complicated in book two of the series and we now know the stakes are much higher than originally thought. Yes there are countries at war with each other, but the real fight is taking place at a different level. There is a second conflict going on within the war between those who seek to control the Godstones and those who want to destroy them. What makes this complicated is those two factions don't perfectly align with the national war that is underway. The real conflict is pretty much the PoV characters against everyone else when it comes to the Godstones and the bigger war is just muddying up the landscape. Mad Ben Styke, General Vlora Flint, Taniel Two-Shot, and Michel all have interesting storylines, but their lives are on the line every step of the way. 

Ten years after the end of the first trilogy, we can finally return to Brian McClellan's intriguing world of powder mages, privileged, and blood sorcerers. The nation of Fatrasta is new on the scene, but the problems facing it are not. Despite the order being kept by the secret police, known as the Black Hats, dissent is everywhere. The oppressed Palo that live within the capital city of Landfall are treated as second class citizens, so they retaliate by stirring up a lot of trouble. This conflict is the centerpiece for our three new PoV characters. General Vlora Flint, leader of the Riflejack Mercenary Company, who is hired by the local government to capture the insurgent leader, Mama Palo, and bring her to justice. Mad Ben Styke, a former war hero and killing machine who is let out of prison by a mysterious person who tasks him with getting close to Lady Flint and awaiting further instruction. And finally, Michel Bravis, an under cover agent who has infiltrated the Black Hats and struggles a bit with remembering which side he is actually on.

Promise of Blood is what is known as "Flintlock Fantasy" which means it contains a world where guns (musket/flintlock era weapons) exist alongside swords and sorcery. This book introduces the concept of Powder Mages, who are gun using sorcerers that rely on gunpowder to fuel their abilities. Powder Mages are able to enter a powder trance by ingesting gun powder which allows them to manipulate and control bullets as they fly, or even explode nearby gun powder being carried by their enemies. It is a unique magic system and executed pretty well by Brian McClellan. That concept, combined with an interesting story arc, carries the series and make up for the characters which I found to be a little uninteresting as a whole.