“ The Justice of Kings is equal parts heroic fantasy and murder mystery. Sir Konrad Vonvalt’s fierce intellect and arcane powers will make you long to follow in his footsteps, but it’s his young clerk, Helena who brings heart and dazzle to the story. Together they’re a formidable team, and Richard Swan’s sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more.”― Sebastien de Castell, author of Spellslinger "A stunning piece of modern fantasy writing."― RJ Barker, author of The Bone Ships " The Justice of Kings is utterly compelling, thoroughly engrossing, and written with such skillful assurance I could barely put it down. The characters feel so real I swear I suffered every horror and hangover alongside them, and their world—though we see just the smallest portion of it here—feels vastly complex, poised on the brink of a disaster I can’t wait to watch unfold.”― Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld “A fascinating look at justice, vengeance and the law — great characters, compelling and wonderfully written. A brilliant debut and fantastic start to the series.”― James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost "A marvelously detailed world with an engrossing adventure from a unique perspective."― K. S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro "A fantastic debut."― Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones "Swan crafts a strong, dynamic character in Vonvalt . . . This promises good things from the series to come."― Publishers Weekly “Murder mystery meets grimdark political fantasy in this first of a trilogy … An intriguingly dark deconstruction of a beloved mystery trope.”― Kirkus (starred review) “The world of the Empire of the Wolf is a rich and interesting one … Readers will enjoy the world building, Sir Konrad and his crew, and the unique touches to a familiar fantasy tale.”― Booklist "Richard Swan's expertise in the law and understanding of political complexities shine in this grim dark fantasy filled with just that. Prejudice, morality, and the law itself don't escape his keen examination and are laid bare to the reader within Empire of the Wolf."― R. R. Virdi, author of The First Binding “ The Justice of Kings instantly claimed a place as one of my favourite reads of the year. With vivid characters, impeccable storytelling, and an eloquent voice, it combines so many elements I love – mystery, brooding war, necromancy and a cast of characters who felt so real, I was loathe to turn the final page. It was absolutely riveting, and I can’t wait to continue the series.”― H. M. Long, author of Hall of Smoke Richard Swan was born in North Yorkshire and spent most of his early life on Royal Air Force bases in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. After studying law at the University of Manchester, Richard was Called to the Bar in 2011. He subsequently retrained as a solicitor specialising in commercial litigation.xa0When he is not working, Richard can be found in London with his wonderful wife Sophie, where they attempt to raise, with mixed results, their two very loud sons.
Features & Highlights
Action, intrigue, and magic collide in this epic fantasy following Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor's Justice, who is a detective, judge, and executioner all in one—but with rebellion and unrest building, these are dangerous times to be a Justice . . .
The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire. When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?
"Richard Swan's sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more." – Sebastien de Castell, author of
Spellslinger
“A fantastic debut.” – Peter McLean, author of
Priest of Bones
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
30%
(418)
★★★★
25%
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★★★
15%
(209)
★★
7%
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★
23%
(320)
Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
5.0
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A Haunting, Unforgettable Book
I will try to be brief, as there is more than enough (well deserved) praise on this book already. As an aspiring writer I purchased "The Justice of Kings" to see "where the fantasy genre is going, what major publishers like nowadays, and how a debut author got this much hype!" As it transpired, I could not put it down--and I mean that literally. I was almost late to my nephew's wedding because I stayed back in the car to finish a chapter. Afterward I kept ruminating on the book's wonderful and rare exposition of the human heart and the inevitable errors of judgement and moral character that afflict even the best among us. I found myself unable to open the next book on my reading shelf for several days because "The Justice of Kings" haunted me. The last time I experienced something like that was "The Three Body Problem": a very different book, but it shared the same incisive examination of human fallibility and slowly compounding tragedy. I hope one day I will be able to write characters as compelling as the Justice and his clerk Helena. Meanwhile, congratulations Mr. Swan!
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Riveting!
"The Justice of Kings" is a captivating debut novel by Richard Swan and the first book in the "Empire of the Wolf" trilogy.
The story follows Sir Konrad Vonvalt, a formidable Justice in The Empire of the Wolf, who holds that no man is above the law. This is one of the main themes of the novel, and Sir Vonvalt is committed to upholding the law by any means at his disposal, and those are many and include his sharp intellect, magical powers, and an impressive skill with the sword.
While Vonvalt is quite clearly the focus and the main character of the novel (indeed, the title character), the story is told through the first-person perspective of Helena Sedanka, once an orphan and currently Vonvalt's clerk and protégé. I was at first taken aback to hear the story from Helena's point of view, and not the titular character's, but her narrative voice turned out to be quite compelling. It is quickly made clear that Helena is telling her account from the perspective of many years, which infuses her account with quite a bit of weariness and regret, as well as foreshadowing. For all the awe that Sir Vonvalt inspires, Helena reveals his flaws as well, humanizing the formidable figure, instead of idealizing him.
The novel follows Vonvalt, Helena and their friend and guardian Dubine Bressinger as they investigate the murder of a wife of a provincial nobleman. All the while, darker clouds are gathering over their heads, and over the vast Sovan Empire, as rebellion brews among powerful aristocrats who want to challenge the power of the imperial thrown, and the Church set to reclaim arcane magical knowledge from the Order of Justices.
Speaking of magic, it IS a component of this fictional world, but it is not a major one. In fact, while Vonvalt has two magical abilities at his disposal (to assist him with his investigations), the world of the novels feels very similar to our own, if set in the late middle ages.
If the narrative of the novel has a larger implication, I would say it is a rumination on power. The way Sir Vonvalt wields his power plays a huge part in that examination, and we view it through Helena's rich observations. As the story progresses, our characters struggle with the overall questions of: should the law be upheld completely, or is there wiggle room? Where is the line between justice and vengeance, honesty and corruption?
The foreshadowing expressed in Helena's voice is unrelenting, and by the end of the story our characters are thrust into utter chaos, priorities change, some of them fundamental. Swan’s debut is no mere murder mystery with a supernatural element, before all else it is an introduction into a larger conflict, both in the vast scale of the empire, and the intimate scale of personal values.
I was riveted.
5 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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A Solid Political-Murder-Mystery Fantasy
I have to be honest, (brutally, as always), that I rarely like fantasy novels of this type: heavy on the political and religious spectrum. I like old-style fantasy, chock-full of tropes such as elves, orks, dragons, or other types of creatures, wizards, etc...
I even tried the first 40-50 pages of this book, then kinda got bored and put it down to read something else.
Then decided to try it again, and told myself to give it until the 75th page to either finish it or give it up for good.
And here I am, 5 days later, having finished the book and giving it my review.
3.5 stars. Mr. Swan's writing is excellent, and it held my attention this 2nd go around until the end.
Although this ended up being a good book, and would even try a sequel, I personally still wouldn't place this author in the same league as my personal favs, such writers like John Gwynne, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Oden, etc...
But I would give major accolades to author Swan for penning a solid fantasy novel of this 'type.'
No monsters, nor elves or orks, but yet another typical medieval fantasy world based largely upon our own history around the 14th-17th century European theater.
Much like Abercrombie's books, Swan only uses a small amount of magical usage, and that's pretty much it in terms of fantasy. Too bad.
The Justice of Kings has solid World-building and deeply-cultivated characterizations. And that probably saved it from it being tossed to the side the 2nd time I tried reading it.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
2.0
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Not my favorite, but good political and magic angles
I really liked the premise of this book, and the cover drew me in. However, I got stuck about 1/3 of the way through. Helena was most of the problem for me. I was engaged whenever Vonvalt was the narrator or the focus, but I found Helena boring. Real potential with the crime-solving, political and magic angles. I just couldn't get past some of the main characters. I encourage others to give it a try if the blurb sounds interesting- I think this one just wasn't right for me.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Narrator is a flimsy and definitely inconsistent character
While I enjoyed the novel, every time the narrator emoted or introspected, her words and their illogic grated on my nerves!
She is portrayed as a 19 years old graduate of the streets (while still a virgin-not likely in the real world). Apprenticed to a legal scholar and imperial justice for 2 years during which she gains fluency in three languages, becomes a crack investigator and writes excellent legal briefs while not emoting over the inequities in her current life. We learn in the last 50 pages while she expresses no ability to use weapons in her self defense that she frequently spars with the Justice and their warrior companion. Of course she expertly runs a Mounted attacker through the neck with a short sword knowing exactly how to feint and where to target the thrust. Her preceding weapons incidents in the novel find her petrified and cowardly.
The protagonist Justice is brilliant, brave, hyper zealous, and anal retentive to the Nth degree. Then at the end when he becomes more human-like in his actions, he is portrayed as being on the short path to hell and self destruction. A man who has lived the horrors of lawlessness and man’s inhumanity to man as a teenager soldier. A man who believes the Law is society’s great responsibility creating a stable society. He of curse is blind to the political and religious realities around himself. The empire’s power machinations pass him by as he solves one local podunk crime after another. Of course his boss is the Emperor. Huh!
The book’s premise is a combination of the shot heard round the world combined with “Rise and Fall of the Templars”. The actions scenes are interesting and engrossing. I will borrow the book from the library…l..would nt spend the money even for a Kindle version.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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One of the best books I have read all year!
I was highly surprised by how good a book this was. I read it in about three days. I believe this is a debut from this author, I might be wrong - but it was a well crafted story that I could not put down. Can’t wait until the next installment
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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"The Justice of Kings" by @Richard_S_Swan is a debut novel absolutely worth looking at.
The Justice of Kings begins a dark story told in a unique style that drew me in from the first chapter.
There are so many things about Richard Swan's debut novel that I loved. The central cast of characters were all deeply flawed, while remaining easy to root for. The setting felt real and gritty, with a history that stretched deep into the past, yet let more recent events push the narrative in interesting ways. The magic is powerful and important, but with dangerous and disturbing consequences. It is a story of events on the scale of an empire, told through the eyes of a few people in a town far from the seat of power.
It is, in short, phenomenal.
Brilliant character development done in a unique way
I'm a sucker for character development. Most of the time really good development takes the form of growth, but I love when a story drags a character through hell and they don't come out stronger for it. The way Swan presents what his characters value and identify as their core world views, and then just tears them all down is brutal and brilliant. I found myself vacillating between anger and sympathy over and over again for these characters. I've never seen character work that had protagonists going back and forth between conflicting points of view in a way that felt real and natural. They are all deeply flawed, deeply heroic, and, just maybe, decent people at their cores. I struggle to think of a single named character that does not show a level of depth and change over the course of the novel.
A unique style and voice carries the plot
The very limited perspective "The Justice of Kings" is told in helps to push the plot along, with the self deprecating and ever hinting voice of the narrator recounting the story as if it were a memoir. Helena foreshadows events both within the novel and beyond. She speaks with regret and and almost wishful sense of "what could have been."
It is told as the long aged memories of an old woman, recounting the most trying times of her life, and how she remembers those who surrounded her. She is frank and uncompromising, which gives the story a sense of honesty that an omniscient perspective would struggle to achieve. By pulling no punches, the narrator captures the sense of an woman too old to care how her past reflects on her character, and just wants to tell her story.
Final Thoughts
"The Justice of Kings" is a gritty, violent tale filled with action, legal jargon, and characters that you can love one moment, and rage at the next. There is a brilliant sense of place, and I always felt pulled right into the mud and slush of the world, enraptured by the narrator and her story.
I believe Richard Swan is only just beginning a great career, and that "The Justice of Kings" lays the groundwork for a fantasy epic saga to be very excited for!
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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On the Horizon
Ahoy there me mateys! I didn't think I needed to start any more series. Well, I was wrong. This was excellent. This follows an Emperor's Justice, Vonvalt. As a Justice, Vonvalt is judge, jury, and executioner when necessary – with the help of a little bit of magic. He travels a circuit to dispense justice. Traveling with him is his clerk, Helena, and a guard, Bressinger. Surprisingly the story is told from the perspective of Helena who is reminiscing at the end of her life.
The conflict of the story begins when Vonvalt makes a judgement in a small backwater town where an outlawed religion is in use. His ruling is compassionate while being within the law and the cleric with them in incensed. Later Vonvalt investigates a noblewoman's murder. These stories intertwine and Helena relates how the world changed.
Helena is training with Vonalt with the idea that she will join the Justices. However, she isn't so sure that she wants the job. I loved Helena and Vonalt's relationship. I also loved older Helena's commentary on her younger self.
It is hard to really explain the intricate plot and world building but I found it extraordinarily well done. And I grew to love Helena and care about how Vonalt's choices are going to play out. The ending was excellent. I am very much looking forward to the next book. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for me honest musings.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Great writing, but slow pacing
This book was only okay for me, it was simply a bit too slow to keep my attention and my wanting to read. The voice and style were fine, the world building was excellent, but the pacing was a touch slow and lacked my personal level of engagement and entertainment. I liked the magical abilities of the Emperor's Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt, but he didn't use it enough for my liking. I felt like his magic was something akin to Jedi mind powers and he could've gotten things done way quicker if he used them more.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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An Exceptional Book. A Five Star Read !
Well I was left speechless with this one. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Published: February 22, 2022
Publisher: Orbit Books
Series: Empire of the Wolf #1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 432 (Hardcover)
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan, is the debut first installment in what looks to be a spectacular trilogy. This book is a thrilling epic fantasy, with an ominous twisty murder mystery. A moving thought provoking set fantasy set in a Eastern European inspired world. Three dimensional, fully fleshed out character, and excellent debate over ethics and morality.
We follow Helena, a young law clerk to Sir Konrad Vonvalt, as he attempts to bring common law to all corners of a crumbling empire. Their are accompanied by Bressinger, a swordsmen. In a series of events events this trio finds themselves caught up in a murdered mystery, with far reaching hands. As things unfold that reveal a vast web of conspiracies.
Favorite Quotes:
“Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are a mere precedent to the quill.”
"Well, religion does funny things to your brain
