Sons of Empire by Chandler McGrew

Seamlessly blending technology and magic in his exhilarating new novel Sons of Empire, author Chandler McGrew has delivered a brilliant allegorical adventure and a bold opening salvo in the World of Arras series.

Trastan, the son of a legendary High Magister, is suddenly sent away from all he knows to learn the hard lessons of war, leadership, and sacrifice, but his bloodline legacy calls him to something far greater – and potentially darker. As new forms of mysticism threaten the realms of old magic, violence seems inevitable, and sinister puppet masters pull strings from the shadows, pushing the great empires of this well-crafted world toward another global war.

This dark and fantastical world of master assassins, tecno-magicka, and bursts of brutal violence has clear echoes of the early 20th century era, with horseless “mysticoupes” beginning to replace carriages, an essential substance for industrial advancement bursting from the ground, the development of a warfare-shifting “rifle techno,” and a swelling tension between the classes of the powerful and the impoverished. Brimming with esoteric vernacular that makes this world instantly immersive, the reading experience is challenging but rewarding, while the editing is clean and impressively consistent in its colloquial quirks.

A slow-burning steampunk masterwork, McGrew combines skilled storytelling and endless creativity in every plot twist and turn of phrase, giving this new series unlimited potential.