Powder Mage reading order
Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogy in publication order, then Gods of Blood and Powder — the sequel trilogy labeled so Sins of Empire is not book one.
Start here
Promise of Blood
It is book one (2013). The two sequels assume that first coup. Sins of Empire is a later trilogy in the same universe. It is written as a new door. It still spends the first war. Do not start there on a first visit.
Two finished trilogies. Publication order across the universe is the path that keeps the second three from stepping on the first ending.
McClellan’s site presents Powder Mage and Gods of Blood and Powder as neighboring trilogies, plus short fiction. The shorts jump around in time. They are not a third trilogy, and they are not book one.
Powder Mage trilogy
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Promise of Blood | 2013 | Start here. | Amazon |
| 2 |  The Crimson Campaign | 2014 | Amazon | |
| 3 |  The Autumn Republic | 2015 | Ends the first war. | Amazon |
Read them in this order. There is no contested start inside these three.
Gods of Blood and Powder — after, not instead
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sins of Empire | 2017 | New continent, later years. After the first trilogy for a first universe read. | Amazon |
| 2 |  Wrath of Empire | 2018 | Amazon | |
| 3 |  Blood of Empire | 2019 | Closes the second trilogy. | Amazon |
Contested order, labeled: Sins of Empire was built so you can enter there. Retail copy will tell you so. This house still reads the first trilogy first if you want the whole shelf. The second trilogy talks around a war you have not watched yet if you start at Sins.
House rule: Promise of Blood through The Autumn Republic, then the Landfall three if you want more of the universe.
The Mad Lancers is a novella that sits near the second trilogy. Optional. Not Sins of Empire 0.
Short fiction — optional, not an on-ramp
McClellan has said the shorts are mostly self-contained and were not written in chronological order. He suggests reading Forsworn and Servant of the Crown as a pair, in that order.
House rule: novels first. If you want the shorts, use his short-fiction page rather than a fan “0.1–0.9” column. Do not start the universe on Forsworn because it is earlier.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Sins of Empire because it says “Book One” and looks like a new series.
- Starting with The Autumn Republic because someone said the first book is “just the coup.”
- Treating the novellas as a prequel trilogy you must finish before Promise of Blood.
- Mixing in Glass Immortals as Powder Mage 7.
What to read next
- The First Law (Joe Abercrombie) — If you want another flintlock-adjacent grim street that is really about what a war does to the people who win it.
- Lightbringer (Brent Weeks) — If you want another finished magic-system epic with a correct first book.
- The Age of Madness (Joe Abercrombie) — If the industrial aftertaste of the second trilogy was the hook.
- Mistborn Era 1 (Brandon Sanderson) — If you want another finished revolt trilogy before anyone asks you to start a second era.
- Stop after The Autumn Republic. The first three are a complete visit.
FAQ
Can I start at Sins of Empire?
McClellan allows it as a universe jump. For a first Powder Mage visit, start with Promise of Blood.
Do I need the novellas?
No.
Is the first trilogy complete?
Yes.
Is Glass Immortals the same world?
No. Different McClellan shelf.
Sources
- Brian McClellan, Powder Mage universe — author hub for both trilogies. Opened 2026-09-13.
- Brian McClellan, short fiction reading order — author’s note that shorts are not a chronological homework list. Opened 2026-09-13.
Same shelf
