11/01/2021
Swan (The Art of War Trilogy) launches his Empire of the Wolf series with this riveting but uneven fantasy crime novel. The story is relayed decades after the fact by Helena Sedanka, once the assistant to Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt, a detective and prosecutor for the Sovan Empire’s Imperial Magistratum. Now an old woman, Helena tells of how Vonvalt’s operation in the village of Rill possibly triggered the Empire’s downfall. Her account begins with Vonvalt penalizing the village dwellers who practice paganism. Though Patria Bartholomew Claver, a devout priest tagging along with Helena and Vonvalt, urges him to burn the villagers on mere suspicions, law-abiding Vonvalt insists on only executing avowed heretics. Along with Vonvalt’s right-hand man, Dubine Bressinger, the group makes for Galen’s Vale next, where they spend much of their time solving the high-profile murder of a lord’s wife—until the disgruntled Claver makes a rash decision. Though the investigative element sparks intrigue as Vonvalt and his team juggle multiple cases, Helena’s direct address to the reader often disrupts the flow and keeps the suspense in check. Still, Swan crafts a strong, dynamic character in Vonvalt, and the whodunit twists will keep readers turning the pages. This promises good things from the series to come. Agent: Harry Illingworth, DHH Agency (U.K.). (Feb.)
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
Lucy Paterson’s dramatic performance of the first in a new fantasy trilogy pulls listeners into a world reminiscent of medieval times. Magic is real, and its knowledge is closely held by a privileged few. Only the emperor’s justices are taught the skills. Helena Sedanka, once a young clerk for Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt, recounts her memories of investigating a noblewoman's death and uncovering a far deeper plot that affected the entire kingdom. Paterson’s skills are evident, and she breathes life into the world surrounding Helena, capturing the emotions of the vast cast of characters. Most notable is Paterson’s portrayal of Helena, both during her first-person storytelling as an older woman and as her remembered younger self. An exquisite production. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Lucy Paterson’s dramatic performance of the first in a new fantasy trilogy pulls listeners into a world reminiscent of medieval times. Magic is real, and its knowledge is closely held by a privileged few. Only the emperor’s justices are taught the skills. Helena Sedanka, once a young clerk for Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt, recounts her memories of investigating a noblewoman's death and uncovering a far deeper plot that affected the entire kingdom. Paterson’s skills are evident, and she breathes life into the world surrounding Helena, capturing the emotions of the vast cast of characters. Most notable is Paterson’s portrayal of Helena, both during her first-person storytelling as an older woman and as her remembered younger self. An exquisite production. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
★ 2021-12-24
Murder mystery meets grimdark political fantasy in this first of a trilogy.
Sir Konrad Vonvolt is a Justice of the Imperial Magistratum; accompanied by his taskman (a kind of bodyguard, enforcer, and investigator), Dubine Bressinger, and his law clerk, 19-year-old Helena Sedanka, he travels the Sovan Empire, solving, prosecuting, and judging criminal acts. A few decades after a dreadful period of war and conquest, Vonvolt is confident in the strength of the empire, the power of the law, and his magical abilities (necromancy and the Emperor’s Voice, which compels others to speak truth and obey his commands) to enforce his judgments. But all of those are threatened by a rising tide of religious zealotry and a call for a Crusade, both of which act as a cover for a shift in who holds the power in the Empire. As Vonvolt attempts to solve the murder of a noblewoman, the conspiracy of corruption he uncovers threatens everything he knows and loves. Meanwhile, Helena, the novel’s first-person protagonist, struggles with an internal conflict involving her loyalty to Vonvolt, who transformed her from a street orphan into an educated woman with the potential to become a Justice herself; her boredom and frustration with many aspects of her work; and her nascent desire to settle down with a young guardsman she meets during the investigation. The initial setup of the story—that of a traveling investigator/prosecutor/judge—will feel familiar to readers of Robert van Gulik’s classic Judge Dee series and Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma novels (these especially, as they include a certain amount of plot tension around orthodoxy vs. heresy and newly established religion vs. paganism). But aside from the fantasy setting, this novel differs in that it focuses far more intensely on how brutal realities of war and politics can overpower a well-established legal system and, in the face of that, erode the ethical and moral structures of that system’s representatives. We have hope that Judge Dee and Fidelma of Cashel and the laws they uphold will prevail despite the obstacles against them; but although Vonvolt, Helena, and Bressinger solve the case and several of the perpetrators pay the ultimate price, our heroes, too, pay a terrible price, and what occurs seems a bit more primitive and angry than dispassionate justice; certainly, that’s what Helena thinks.
An intriguingly dark (and realistically depressing) deconstruction of a beloved mystery trope.
