Servant of the Crown 
 is a fun and exciting novella in the Powder Mage world. It is centered around Captain Tamas when he was a young ambitious soldier trying to work his way through the Adran army ranks. The story is told as sort of double edged sword from an informative stand point. 
 One one side, it shows Tamas' experiences with the nobles and Privileged that eventually drove him to his actions in The Powder Mage trilogy. On the other side, (view spoiler)[ it shows how Tamas met and feel in love with his future wife, Erika ja Leora. (hide spoiler)] 
 There is plenty of action packed into the 77 pages of this story. Several confrontations that lead to duels with swords and pistols, and a deadly cat and mouse game that will push Tamas to his limits. Mentally and magical. 
 "Dueling is not just about blood and honor. It's about the message." 
 This was a great story that really shed some light on future events from the main trilogy. I would recommend reading the first novella 
 Forsworn 
 before this as some of the story may not make any sense. Best short story I have read to date. 
 5 stars *****