🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Brian McClellan
After reading the Promise of Blood, subsequent installments of the storyline became inevitable. In 2014, the Crimson Campaign thus anchored the Powder Mage trilogy as the second of McClellan’s novels. Following on the same plot, the Crimson Campaign narrates how the Field Marshal Tamas faces the reality of what he had initiated with a coup. Adro’s monarchy had gradually become unruly and the citizens were now more likely to trigger civil war, than to sustain peace. After fighting the royalist fanatics and allies alike, as the mercenary forces, the church, and the workers threaten his authority, the Field Marshall is finally forced to defend the monarch from Kez. The outcomes of the international war worsen by the day, as his army gradually weakens behind enemy lines.
All Book Series by Brian McClellan
Swords, Cider, and Other Distractions
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2025
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Brian McClellan?
After reading the Promise of Blood, subsequent installments of the storyline became inevitable. In 2014, the Crimson Campaign thus anchored the Powder Mage trilogy as the second of McClellan’s novels. Following on the same plot, the Crimson Campaign narrates how the Field Marshal Tamas faces the reality of what he had initiated with a coup.
Which Brian McClellan series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Powder Mage series, the earliest of Brian McClellan's multi-book series: it opens with Promise of Blood (2013) and runs to 14 books across 2013–2026, ending with Mr. Styke (2026). Brian McClellan's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Brian McClellan written?
Brian McClellan has 26 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2013 and 2026. 24 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being the Powder Mage series with 14 books — and 2 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Brian McClellan's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Brian McClellan's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Powder Mage (2013–2026, 14 books), Powder Mage Collections (2015, 1 book) and Gods of Blood and Powder (2017–2019, 3 books), plus 3 more.
How are Brian McClellan's books organised into series?
This guide splits Brian McClellan's 26 books into 6 named series and 2 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Powder Mage (14 books, 2013–2026); Glass Immortals (3 books, 2022–2025); Gods of Blood and Powder (3 books, 2017–2019); Valkyrie Collections (2 books, 2019–2020); Powder Mage Collections (1 book, 2015), plus 1 further series.