Hope's End

Powder Mage #0.4

by Brian McClellan

Captain Verundish has two problems. On campaign with the Adran army and far from her homeland, she is helpless when the young daughter she left at home is threatened. To make matters worse, General Tamas has put her lover in command of a Hope's End—the first charge through a breach straight into the teeth of enemy cannon and sorcery. To save the people she loves, Verundish will have to come up with a deadly solution...

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Novella, Audiobook

24 pages, ebook

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

Brian McClellan is an American epic fantasy author from Cleveland, Ohio. He is known for his acclaimed Powder Mage Universe and essays on the life and business of being a writer.

Brian now lives on the side of a mountain in Utah with his wife, Michele, where he writes books and nurses a crippling video game addiction.

Brian's novels include the Powder Mage Trilogy (Promise of Blood, The Crimson Campaign, and The Autumn Republic), Gods of Blood and Powder (Sins of Empire, Wrath of Empire, and Blood of Empire), and Valkyrie Collections (Uncanny Collateral)

Reviews

[Bookwraiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

“Hope’s End” is a short novella set in Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage world, which began with the novel Promise of Blood. Where Promise was epic in its scale and ambition, depicting vast power struggles between huge forces, sorcerers and demons fulfilling ancient prophesy, and the story of the social and economic cost of a political revolution, “Hope’s End” is a bite-sized snack, allowing a current fan or a newbie reader to experience an exciting snapshot of a soldier’s life in this flintlock and sorcery world.

The story itself shines the spotlight onto one of General Tamas’s soldiers: Captain Verundish. (Yes, you read General Tamas, because this novella takes place before the Powder Mage Trilogy and immediately before Tamas’ ascension to Field Marshall of Adro’s armies.) You see, Captain Verundish is a good soldier: dedicated to her career and to her general, but she has her own personal problems outside of being in harm’s way at all times. One, she is married to a horrid man, whom she wishes to divorce but cannot due to family and religious reasons. Two, she has a young daughter by her foppish husband, and he has threatened to do something awful to this innocent child if Verundish does not give him a divorce - in a very unusual way. And three, General Tamas has placed her lover in command of a Hope's End: a suicidal attack against a fortification, where her fellow soldiers will be casting themselves into the teeth of both musket fire and sorcery!

How can Captain Verundish save those she loves from such terrible situations without sacrificing herself?

The story that ensues from this setup is all you could ask for from a novella. You get an appearance of General Tamas and a look at his inner motives for future actions. Captain Verundish and her lover are solid characters with real life dilemmas. And there is even a short but exciting battle. At the end, all the problems get neatly resolved.

I have to warn you about one thing though. Once you finish this novella, you will feel it was too short and will crave even more of Mr. McClellan’s Powder Mage universe. But you already knew that right? Why else would Mr. McClellan be giving people such tasty morsels as “Hope’s End” to sample if not to whet their appetite for more? So be prepared to download the author’s other novellas or to buy Promise of Blood immediately after reading this one.

[Orient · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to make of this shortie. The melodrama is at it's high peak in this one so far. While the three earlier ones wandered near the line of possibility more, this one - clearly not.



Why 3 stars? For Tamas of course!!!!! <3

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This instalment in the Powder Mage universe tells the story of Captain Verundish, a woman facing a terrible decision. When the husband she despises sends her a letter threatening her daughter unless she ends their loveless marriage by committing suicide she decides to lead the Hopes End, a suicidal charge against a hopelessly superior enemy.

This was a decent novella but I was disappointed that it didn't live up to the intriguing premise it started out with. McClellan set up a tense, difficult situation filled with brilliant characters (Captain Constaire, Tamas) for the heroine to navigate, but the resolution felt forced and rushed. After spending the first half of the novella hyping up the Hopes End as a hopeless suicide mission it ultimately succeeded pretty easily, without any explanation as to why this happened. The battle itself felt rushed, especially it's conclusion, while this might have been expected in a short novella it was still disappointing. Also the sub-plot of Tamas' struggles against the nobility ended in a clichéd manner with Tamas' disobeying orders to heroically charge in to save his soldiers and his evil superior being conveniently killed-off. The related conflict between the novels 2 best characters was also disappointingly cut short. Tamas' hatred of the nobility was viewed from a fresh, interesting perspective when he ordered Constaire to his death. Tamas' reasonable desire to weed out a noble who bought rather than earned his place in the army was played off against our sympathy for Constaire, a nice guy who just wasn't a good soldier. This intriguing conflict was also disappointingly glossed over in the end

Disappointments aside this was still an enjoyable novella that added a lot in a short space of time to the world of 'The Powder Mage'. I really liked the parallels between the Gurlish campaign and Napolean's campaign against Egypt. Combined with the parallels between the American and Fatrastan revolutions I noticed after reading The Face in the Window, it's added a lot of depth to the world and addressed my main problem with the world building in Promise of Blood, the lack of context for the revolution against the nobility. I also really enjoyed the battle towards the end, despite the somewhat rushed conclusion it was an intense, gripping section.

Overall this was a decent story that provided some very interesting background information on the world of The Powder Mage, I would definitely recommend this to any fans of the series.

[Mikheil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, hatred, duty, romance, hope, war, magic all condensed in only 30 pages. Brilliant.

[Mr. Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope's End is a fantastic little story. The book follows Captain Verundish, a young officer and a mother. She has a very big problem. Her loveless marriage is crumbling. Ordinarily this would not be a problem. They'd just get a divorce. Unfortunately, in their case the church won't grant a divorce. The husband decides to take matters into his own hands. Unless Verundish kills herself in three months time he will sell her daughter (not from him presumably) to slavers. Verundish is left with a terrible choice: kill herself or condemn her daughter to a fate worse than death.

Verundish sees a solution in leading a desperate charge into a besieged city. She will lead the Forlorn Hope. She will be the first woman over the walls. And she will probably be fried by Privaledged magic as soon as the assault begins. This will be an honorable death. One that frees her daughter and yet does not taint her legacy. It is a truly selfless act that I think only a parent can imagine willingly embracing. Verundish goes willingly to her death. Her only problem is that sometimes the desperate assault works.

I was impressed that such a short little story could leave such an impact on me. Verundish's choice is awful. It is terrible. But I was hooked from the very beginning. I wasn't putting this book down until i was done. I cared deeply for a character that I hadn't even known about only moments before I started the book.

I highly recommend this little book. Great writing. Lots of action. Human emotions. Awesome. To be fair, I wonder if I would feel the same way if I had not already been introduced to the Powder Mage world. Would I feel the same way if this had been the first of Brian McClellan's books that I had read? I think I probably would. Four stars.

[Petros Triantafyllou · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's probably one of the best short stories i have read.
It features Verundish (a character first introduced in The Crimson Campaign, a then-Captain of the Adran Army, 19 years before the promise of blood, and her struggle to survive both a hopeless fight (something like the Suicide Squad) and her abusive husband that threatens her child.

Ps. I do not rate short stories.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of my favorites of the Powder Mage novellas, especially with some background regarding a known, but lesser detailed character.

[Jarek "the Mistborn" Dąbrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

These prequel shorts are a great companion to the trilogy building on the characters we ve already met. Gives more depth to the entire story line. One star i took away because i would ve liked it to be longer:)

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better read than promise of blood.

[David Sven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story set in the Powder Mage Universe approx 20 years prior to Promise of Blood.

This story features Tamas when he is still a General. Tamas is ordered to assemble a "Hope's End" (leading charge against a breach in a wall) to storm a Gurlish stronghold.

We get some gunpowder and bayonet action as well as some Powder Mage and Privileged sorcery, all told from the 3rd person POV of a female officer in Tamas' army.

I liked this more than The Girl of Hrusch Avenue because of its insight into Tamas' hatred of the Adran system of nobility and in particular his hatred of Privileged sorcerers that would eventually lead to the coup and French Revolution style massacre at the beginning of the main book.

Recommended for fans of Promise of Blood


4 stars
(I'm not sure I would have appreciated this as much without having first read PoB)

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope's End indirectly tells about how Tamas became a Field Marshal as he promised to himself. Even though he appears only in few scenes, he is still larger than life.
The story starts with Captain Verundish considering suicide. Not surprising when you consider the content of the letter she received from her despicable husband. They are married only on paper and since her father was the one who married them, Captain Verundish can't get a signature required for divorce. That wouldn't be the end of the world if the creep weren't threatening to sell her daughter unless she gets that signature or kill herself, whichever comes first.
So when Tamas orders her lover to attack an unbreachable city, she sees a way to save her daughter.

Hope's End is too short, but nothing is lost. You are introduced to a remarkable woman, told about her troubles and possible solutions and in the end you are shown how great she is. Brian McClellan writes short stories really well.

[Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this short story.

Promise of Blood was a great book, and while I don't think Brian had any issues with his female characters as some others have pointed out, I honestly just wish there were **more** of them. Fortunately, Captain Verundish is an extremely convincing, well-written, likeable female protagonist.

This short story is a very quick introduction to the Powder Mage universe, and I personally enjoyed it a bit more than The Girl of Hrusch Avenue (not that I didn't enjoy that as well, but I rated it 4/5 stars, where this one is a 5/5 in my opinion).

The arc flows perfectly, with quite a bit of characterization for such a short piece.

Anyone looking to see whether they're interested in diving deeper into this world is highly encouraged to give Hope's End a try. Here's to hoping we see Captain Verundish in future works.

[Aram Brazilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been a big fan of battle scenes but I think maybe McClellan is changing that. This story about Captain Verundish is very exciting - there's a lot on the line for her and the suspense was great. The story also reveals more about what Tamas is up against with those friggin' nobles... and how much the regular troops love him...

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I love that McClellan's short stories are short enough to sit and read in one sitting, but apply to a larger story line. It makes for the perfect afternoon treat without the risk of reading through the night :)

[Vincent Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

9 out of 10.

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story in the life of a Captain under General Tamas. Life is complicated, personally and as a soldier. Hope's End is the surprise attack and the first wave of soldiers to go in. Verundish might be able to save two lives if she leads the attack...maybe.

Awesome to see Tamas through another's eyes. To see him in action with battle and command.

***FULL REVIEW***
Captain Verundish's letter from her ruthless husband is not good. Her father won't approve their divorce, as he performed the marriage and has to sign for divorce. Her husband has other plans. He holds a threat of their daughter's life over her for the divorce, one way or another. Captain Verundish learns her lover is chosen to lead the charge at Hope's End, the first line through and facing all deadly throws. Rarely does anyone survive. Captain Verundish has an idea to help save her daughter and her lover...

I had suspected her plan was as such. Brian, brave as he is, took his characters there and I love it. Hard battle and personal life struggles are present in this short.

We read from the eyes and heart of Captain Verundish. We see Tamas in her thoughts and views. Tamas is in the field, as General. Younger and in action. You see his hatred of the Privileged seeping through in his strategies.

Tamas seems to influence those he meets, and Verundish is one of them.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to short stories I never have much to say...cos they are short...very short. And this one was..16 page..ish.

The story takes place before Promise of Blood so read it before, read it after, it does not matter. Just read it.

The story was about Verundish who has some...drama in her life (since it's short story I wont spoil it). She is in a tight spot. I liked her, honor and duty, loyal and sacrificing.

The story is about the charge called Hope's End. As the name says it will be deadly and without hope. What to do?

I usually want more when it comes to short stories and not always in a good way. But here it actually worked as a short story. Sure I want more, but I was also happy with what I do. It was short and good and I enjoyed it.

Short and nice :)

[Cheruv · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Closer to a 4🌟 on my second read through. Maybe I'm just getting more sentimental over the years.

A good novella, where we see McClellan flexing his muscles. You have high personal stakes, hard moral choices, a good action section when we got to it, everything I like in short stories and novellas.

[Kaleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope's End was a quick, entraining read to hold me off until the Autumn Republic comes out.

[Tushar Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another short novella set in Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage series. This book focus on Captain Verundish. She is a captain in Adran army under command of tamas who is a General of Adran army. They try to take Darjah, Darjah is one of the oldest fortresses in all of Gurla, The walls are laced with protective sorcery, the ground around the foot of the fortress thick with wards that kill a man to stap on them. She volunteered to lead Hope’s End. Hope’s End is fast and fun read.

[Phee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but high octane. Nice to see more of the now General Tamas. I really enjoyed it.

[Mark Lindberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

While waiting for the second book in his trilogy, The Crimson Campaign, to come out, Brian McClellan has written some short stories set in the same universe, which he calls the Powder Mage universe, named after his unique gunpowder-based magic system.

Our protagonist, Captain Verundish, is contemplating suicide. Her husband has threatened to sell their daughter into slavery, and her heart belongs to another man, but her father, the priest that married Verundish, does not believe in divorce. She sees death as her only escape.

In the teaser, McClellan manages to give us the conflict as well as define the main protagonist and make us sympathetic to her. He then tells her story. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that I was deeply pleased by the resolution of this story. It was believable, and at the same time, satisfying in a way that few short stories are.

Throughout the story, we are reminded that we are in the Powder Mage universe, and we get some glimpses of General Tamas, one of the main protagonists of Promise of Blood, as he leads the army. The magic of the universe is in this story as well. However, you do not need to have read Promise of Blood to read Hope’s End, as all of the relevant information is explained in the story. If you have read Promise of Blood, the explanations may feel a little redundant, but not overly so.

At the climax of the story, there is a battle scene, which is well written and engaging. It fits with the gritty, “flintlock fantasy” style that I enjoyed throughout Promise of Blood. McClellan did not skimp on the scene because of the length of the story, and it alone makes the story worth reading.

We also get glimpses of some of the larger-scale politics of the Powder Mage universe, and as someone who has read Promise of Blood, they were quite fun to read, but not intrusive to the plot of this story.

I went in afraid that McClellan had written something that would explain an event in Tamas’ past, with only some semblance of a story on top of it. I should have known better after reading Promise of Blood. Instead, he has written a complete and engaging story that shows the events on the side, creating a nice balance of the larger universe and the smaller story.

Original review from my blog.

[H. P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope’s End, like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, is a short story set in the same world as Promise of Blood and taking place before the events of that novel. Also like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, Hope’s End features a female hero (McClellan obviously noticed one particular criticism of Promise of Blood). It’s written to be accessible to a reader who hasn’t read Promise of Blood, but they probably won’t appreciate it nearly as much. Tamas plays a prominent role (again, like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue), and we get perhaps our best window yet into Tamas’ motivations for his actions at the beginning of Promise of Blood.

Hope’s End has a lot going for it. It has a great backdrop: the first wave charging into a breach in an era when muskets made that a suicide mission. The setup is careful, the conflict has clear consequences, and the action sequence is to McClellan’s usual high standards. Unfortunately, I found the end a little too pat for a short story, which needs to be high on its impact to word count ratio.

[Jim Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this story. Like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, this story does a great job of supplementing the The Powder Mage trilogy, Brian McClellan's main work. I'm not generally the biggest fan of short stories as I usually like to spend my reading time engrossed in large, detailed worlds and epic stories, but reading these types of stories is just what I'm looking for. As I write this, I'm a bit more than halfway done with Promise of Blood (enjoying it immensely so far) and reading this has only added to the experience.

I really just think that McClellan does a really nice job with both of his short stories. He establishes characters that are like-able very quickly, making me feel invested just a few pages in, which I appreciate as many authors, even great ones, often fail to capture my emotion within the short arc of these stories. I read this and found myself concerned at the heavy parts and smiling at the awesome parts. The character of Tamas was hi-lighted nicely here. Very good read.

Read more of my reviews at www.JimtheGrim.com !

[Antonis · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 / 5

Wow... such a punch in so short a story! I knew Brian McClellan can write and that I've already loved his other short stories but this one was so strong it left me speechless! McClellan manages to create and maintain such a heavy atmosphere of despair and sadness from the start that by the end I was between tears and screaming! :p Characterization is superb, and though there's not much action until the end, there's a lot of suspense to keep the pace and pages rolling.
Chronologically, this short story comes after Servant of the Crown but it can be read independently or at any point as it doesn't contain any spoilers. However, I believe that it's more enjoyable if it's read after reading McClellan's Promise of Blood (the 1st book of the Powder Mage series in the same world). Highly recommended!!

5 / 5

[Cal Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope's end in book three of the Powder Mage prologue novellas.

This is yet another fun story for a character that is not the main character, and yet you get to see more of Tamas from the view-point of his soldiers as well as his small role in this story. The tale is great, the action is packed to the top, and this is a character that I would not mind learning more about in the future, as she is a strong lead.

Brian McClellan does a good job writing these prologues (as I call them, not he) and he creates the world and characters quickly and simply yet effective to tell the story whole.

My personal third favorite of the five novellas to the Powder Mage

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little addition to the extended Powder Mage universe, and yay for a female protag. Perhaps not as elegant in its phrasing as it could have been (and I think my version was missing its italics). And while knowing the wider universe gave more oomph to the story, I still found myself, at the 75% mark, wondering why, really, I was here. I just want so much more from stories than this sort of wordcount can really achieve, and that's entirely a problem with me, not the story. And that said, I will definitely be acquiring the rest of the Powder Mage shorts, because I want more ladies in this universe.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always forget how much I love the Powder Mage universe until I pick up another story by Brian McClellan. This is the first one found in the collection In the Field Marshal's Shadow and I'm already excited for the rest of the short stories. The author does an excellent job creating interesting plots and displaying a fair amount of characterization in such a small number of pages.

[Aildiin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am fast becoming a huge fan of the Powder mage world...

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The magic system is a bit of wtf-ery, but this was alright. I'd read more.