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!

An intriguing and well thought out combination of epic fantasy and procedural murder mystery, slowly but surely pulling you in until you have no choice but to turn the next page.

Thank you so much Orbit Books Publishing for approving me for this eARC courtesy of Netgalley!

"The law is the law; the day we abandon it for the sake of bloodshed is the day we abandon ourselves."

CW:
- Gore
- Violence
- Immolation
- Amputation
- Fade to black

The Justice of Kings is definitely an epic fantasy tale, as promised in the synopsis. However, the next part of the synopsis isn't quite true - the story DOES follow Justice Konrad Vonvalt, BUT the story is told from his clerk's point of view. Helena is a strong female, but like many of the characters in this story, she was stand-offish and dispassionate. I couldn't connect with any of them really, but I did respect them because they went through some harsh times in the Empire of the Wolf.

Speaking of the empire, this was a really unique and great worldbuilding facet of the story. The Empire of the Wolf seemed to be almost like the Roman Empire, due to the amount of territory it took over and claimed in such a short amount of time (I believe this because of the history discussed between the characters throughout the story, but especially prevalent in the first half). While it was amazing and intricate, it was also oftentimes confusing. There were so many places, ethnicities, languages, etc. it took me forever to finish the first half of this book. There was just too much going on.

With this downside, the author DEFINITELY had to use a dictionary for a good number of the words he used. I believe I have at least 20 words written down on Goodreads to look up later so I can learn what they mean (I used context clues for the most part when this happened mid-story, but I want to know the true definitions). Whenever this happened, I was pulled out of the story and I struggled to go back in.

Now, the plot had its ups and downs. There were times when the plot was a tad boring, but looking back on it now, it was necessary for the story to continue. There was a lot of action in this book (*sword fights & necromancy*). This book, unlike what I originally thought when I requested it from Netgalley, is not simply about the politics and law system of the Empire. This book incorporates those two elements WHILE solving a murder, trying to defend the people from a radical holy man named Claver, AND uncovering an underground conspiracy of blackmail. As I said before, The Justice of Kings is very intricate, and it definitely showed in the plot and worldbuilding.

My favorite part of the whole book was the ending when the men involved in the underground conspiracy are tried. Vonvalt's powerful opening lines were magnificent and immediately made me more interested in the story.

I look forward to reading the next two books in this trilogy, but hopefully next time I have the time to read them all at once! I'd recommend this book for fans of An Ember in the Ashes quartet by Sabaa Tahir (if they are looking for a more adult version) and although I haven't read it, quite possibly The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart. Another one I'd recommend The Justice of Kings for is The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King.

"'Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are a mere precedent to the quill.'"

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this fantasy novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .

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!

4.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

Wow. This is a fantastic first book in a new epic fantasy series. I am not sure when the next book in this series is coming out, but it's not soon enough. I have not read this author before and I've clearly been missing out. I need to go back and read his other series The Art of War Trilogy.

The book is set in "the Empire". The main character, Sir Konrad Vonvalt, is an Emperor's Justice. His duty is to uphold the law of the empire using whatever tools he has at his disposal: whether it's his blade, the arcane secret magic passed down from Justice to Justice, or his wealth of knowledge of the laws of the empire. He travels a circuit throughout the Empire holding Court and dispensing justice. He is viewed as the Emperor himself, and is therefore treated with extreme deference. The story is told through the eyes of Vonvalt's aide Helena. As an elderly woman writing her memoirs, Helena tells the tale of the beginning of a conspiracy that could end all Justices and the Empire itself.

Helena assists Vonvalt in his investigations, takes notes and drafts his legal documents. She is training to possibly become a Justice herself. The other member of their team is Bressinger. He also aides Vonvalt in his investigations and acts as his bodyguard and protector. The story begins with the team traveling to small and medium villages on the outskirts of the Empire. Along the way they are joined by a zealot priest who pesters the Justice with a barrage of constant questioning, attempting to learn the ways of the Justices, including their secrets. Vonvalt views him as nothing more dangerous than an irritant, although this opinion will later be proven wrong. As the team gets stuck for weeks investigating the death of a noblewoman in a larger town, the conspiracy begins to unfold and they are caught in its midst.

There is a lot of information provided in this 496 page book. The worldbuilding is sprinkled throughout rather than provided in a big info dump, which is nice. There is just enough information provided to allow the reader to understand what is going on, however it's clear there are more mysteries to discover about the world. We see Vonvalt and Bressinger's actions through Helena's perspective, which is sometimes flawed and naive.

Helena is 19 at the beginning of the book and has been devoted to Vonvalt ever since he rescued her from a dismal childhood and provided her with an education and career path. The author does a good job portraying her struggle with becoming a young woman and wondering if she is meant to live a different life. Helena is having doubts about becoming a Justice. After two solid years on the road travelling from village to village, she wonders if she would find happiness settled down in one place raising a family. That life becomes a possibility when her head is turned by a young town guardsman. Observing her struggle, Vonvalt gives her a choice to leave with him and continue her studies, or remain in town when he leaves. Unexpectedly provided with an opportunity to live a quieter life, Helena learns that perhaps she is meant for more after all.

We slowly learn how a huge past war that is repeatedly mentioned, but never fully discussed, changed a lot of men's perspectives about life, including Vonvalt and Bressinger. The author instills in them on one hand more tolerance and patience, but a decisiveness and willingness to take immediate action once the decision is made on the other. This duality saves the team's life on more than one occasion. This battle between wanting peace and also wanting quick and efficient justice plays out in the men's interactions many times throughout the course of the book. We also see how certain experiences can change the viewpoint and character of a person, and how morally gray situations and decisions can become.

This is a book that requires your full attention while reading. There are lots of moving pieces to keep track of and several minor characters that become important at various times during the story. While there are times of fighting and action, there are just as many quiet times in between that provide the groundwork on which the full story unfolds. I completely enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series. If you love detailed and complex plotlines, unreliable narrators and flawed characters, this is the book for you. I highly recommend you read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Orbit Books and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of this via Net Galley and this would have to be one of the best debut novels I have ever come across.

The writing style was so well done for a first time author. The 3 main characters are so 3 dimensional. You feel the emotions that they feel. The plot is absolutely flawless. A murder mystery set in a fantasy world. I can not recommend this first novel enough. The writing alone sold me. Thanks once again to Net Galley for allowing me to enjoy this incredible fantasy. I highly recommend this novel.

Full video review here: https://youtu.be/7MJwbVHmPbU

This was a spectacular debut for Richard Swan and it kept me enthralled thorough out. It almost made me think of Hercule Poirot with a couple of supernatural gifts trying to solve a crime in a fantasy setting. Very grounded, unlike most fantasy, and some very unique ideas from the author that feels different than the usual modern fantasy. A very high recommend from me and I can't wait for book #2.

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit— through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to both for the opportunity to read this early and review it.

Due to other reading and overall life commitments in February, I didn't get this review completed prior to the release of the book on February 22nd as I intended to.

Overall, a very solid 4/5 stars for The Justice of Kings - book 1 of Empire of the Wolf from debut author Richard Swan. It did take me a bit to get into, primarily because I was reading it alongside other books and not giving it the full attention it deserved. I love the dynamic of Helena telling the story retrospectively much later in her life, and Vonvalt is an amazing character that I appreciate seeing through Helena's eyes. I haven't read Agatha Christie to make any comparisons there, but I have read a ton of Sherlock Holmes, and a similar narrative device was used to have Watson show the humanity and dynamics of Holmes in that same way Helena does for Vonvalt.

The magic "system" (if we can even call it that) of Vonvalt using The Emperor's Voice, Necromancy, etc. was especially very well done and sprinkled well throughout the story. It feels like a mystery and legal thriller with magic, which is right up my alley.

All in all, definitely recommend this book to other fantasy fans, and look forward to what he does with the remainder of the trilogy.

Fantastic, amazing, sweeping!

I love “The Justice of Kings” (Empire of the Wolf #1) by Richard Swan. The blurb made me want to read the book. Swan’s masterful storytelling made me a fan.

An Overview

As Justice Vonvalt investigates a murder, he and his companions unravel a complex, extensive web of lies and conspiracy with far-reaching implications for the law and the empire Vonvalt service.
 
Mystery, intrigue, political conspiracy, religious zealotry, betrayal, and templars hell bent on killing and looting. What’s not to love?

Helena, Vonvalt’s assistant, tells the story as an old woman, looking back on the events that took place when she was nineteen-years-old. Her vantage point as an older, wiser woman gives the story deep insight into the characters and the story events. 

From the beginning, Helena reminded me of Watson writing about Sherlock Holmes, but unlike Watson, Helena is clear-eyed about Vonvalt’s strengths and weaknesses. She doesn’t idolize herself, her mentor, or other characters.

What I liked


*The lush, detailed writing. You can feel the cold, winter world on every page.
*The foreshadowing warns of danger, doom, and disaster, while the suspense creates a page turner novel. 
*There's an intriguing magic system. Be prepared for some creepy, disturbing necromancy.
*My favorite: a novel filled with outstanding characters to love and hate.


What I Wasn’t Crazy About

In hindsight, I love everything about this story, but when I was reading, I found the first twenty percent of the book tediously slow. I was at the point of shoving this into my DNF (did not finish) pile. I decided to give the story a couple more chapters. The next chapter blew me away, and the plot took off and became so compelling I read into the early morning hours.

In those early chapters, the author was setting up the world, the characters, the culture, and more, but if, like me, you find the beginning slow, be patient.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly. If you like a mystery, amazing characters, political intrigue, interesting magic, and epic fantasy, you’ll love this story.
  
      A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit book for giving me an ARC copy of “The Justice of Kings” by Richard Swan.

2.5 Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the eARC. I had high hopes for this book. I often felt it dragged and I couldn't get into the murder mystery aspect and helenas POV. I just didn’t end up liking her much as a character. I will say it is written well, and although I have my issues, I can see this series becoming a fan favorite.

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan takes place in a world vaguely based on and influenced by the time of the Holy Roman Empire in our world. The story is told through the point of view of a young woman named Helena, the nineteen-year-old clerk and perhaps one day the apprentice to the Emperor’s Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt. On their travels across the vast expanse of the empire, it is Vonvalt’s duty to ensure that its laws are being observed and followed. Safeguarding the law and doling out justice wherever he goes, his authority is only second to the Emperor’s.

I loved this book. Well-written and smooth like butter… I think this book may end up being my best read of the year.

Give it a try!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

A strong 3.5 ⭐'s for The Justice of Kings.

This is a political murder mystery following Konrad Vonvalt and his two companions, as they accompany him while he travels as judge, jury, and executioner for the Emperor of The Sovan Empire. ⚖

The story is told from the perspective of Helena, Konrad Vonvalt's clerk, as she recounts his service in keeping the common law, rooting out witches, and navigating religious zealots with the magic and experience that comes from being a Justice of the Emperor.

Richard Swan does a great job developing the main characters and really gives you a feel for who they are as people in this world.
One thing I have to note is that some of the writing was a bit clunky during interactions between characters but it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't pick up the next book.

If you enjoy a sub-plot with some political tension and fantasy with hints of magic ✨ that provides depth into the characters, I would definitely recommend this book. 💯

Thanks again 🙏 to Netgalley for the ebook copy!
I enjoyed getting to know these characters and look forward to reading more from Richard Swan.

Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the King’s Justice—a detective, judge and executioner all in one. However, while investigating a noblewoman’s murder, he begins to unravel a grand conspiracy that threatens to topple both his order and the empire itself.

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan is a high fantasy murder mystery that’s told from the perspective of Vonvalt’s clerk, Helena. Conceptually it sounded amazing to me. However, the book ultimately left me with a lot of mixed feelings.

I’ll start with what parts I liked.

1) Vonvalt’s abilities. He can compel people to speak the truth unless they are strong-willed. He can also use necromancy to speak to the dead, which is a handy skill to have when there’s a murderer afoot.

2) The themes. The author integrated his legal background to good effect within the book, and I found the legal ethics and questioning what is right vs what is the law really fascinating.

However, what could have been an interesting story unfortunately gets buried beneath a bizarre instalove romance that left me baffled. Towards the beginning of the novel, Helena becomes infatuated with a nondescript watchman who she had barely exchanged a few words with, and she proceeds to pine over him for half of the book. It added nothing to the story for me, and honestly, I think it would have made for a much stronger book if that particular subplot had been removed during developmental editing.

Overall, I wish the book had focused more on the political intrigue and Helena and Vonvalt’s relationship instead of derailing the story with an unconvincing romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder mystery meets fantasy in this 5 -star debut!

Konrad Vonvalt is an Emperor’s Justice tasked with traveling the realm to uphold law and order. An investigation into the unusual murder of a lord’s wife leads Vonvalt, his clerk, Helena Sedanka, and his taskman, Dubine Bressinger ,leads to the realization that there is a bigger mystery to solve than murder. There are forces at work in the Empire, that a Justice, even with their special powers and abilities, might not be able to overcome.

Although the main character is Konrad Vonvalt, the story is told through the perspective of his clerk, Helena. Richard Swan approaches this extremely well and this style of narrative allowed the opportunity to see Vonvalt as the depiction of power and mystery that he really is. I do not believe this story would have worked near as well if this unique style of story-telling had not been implemented. The relationships and story-arcs of all the characters were fantastic well-developed with so much depth they jumped off of the page to me. It was a pleasant surprise to see where some character journeys led to and left me wanting more in book 2. The only downside to having the story told through Helena’s perspective was that the times when all 3 main characters were not together, especially when Helena was not with Vonvalt.

The world-building was refreshing compared to modern fantasy books and Swan where there was not this massive-scale world that time is spent depicting. Rather, the focus is only on about 3 towns and then the reader gets a good sense of the history and culture of the world indirectly. You can definitely tell the author has a law background which just adds so much depth and insight to the trails and process of law in this world. The magic system was so cool with the powers that Justices have. I will not go into detail on what these powers are since there is so much build-up and mystery around what Vonvalt can actually do as a Justice. But, I will say that I loved every scene that a Justice’s power was involved! I will also say that Swan writes darn good fight scenes as well.

I was hooked from the first pages and could not put this book down. The pacing was perfect, and I was trying to crack the case right alongside Vonvalt, Helena, and Dubine. You know when a book is good by the way you can’t quite leave yet the world even after you read the last page, and this book is one that will be in the front of my mind for the foreseeable future. I can already predict that this is easily going to be a front-runner for my favorite book of the year!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Justice of Kings by @richardswanauthor @orbitbooks_us

I received both a print soft copy arc and the hard back before release day.

I noticed that if I am truly lost for words when I come across a truly Exceptional Book. It also takes me forever to write a review.

Well I was left speechless with this one. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Tags 🏷 #thejusticeofkings #richardswan #empireofthewolf #theartofwar #fantasybooks #orbitbooks #gwendalynbooks @gwendalyn_books_

This is definitely a book I intended to buy a physical copy of. I don’t normally do thrillers Or mysteries,but make it a fantasy and bam I’m there.

ARC acquired by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

“No man is above the law.”

Helena Sedanka, orphaned by the wars that forged the Sovan Empire, recounts her time as a clerk for Imperial Justice Konrad Vonvalt, the most feared Justice is the Empire of the Wolf. As a Justice, Vonvalt is Judge, Jury, and Executioner to those who do not uphold the law. Vonvalt, Helena, and Dubine Bressinger travel around the countryside reviewing disputes to determine guilt or innocence. We follow the POV of Helena has she recounts one of her experiences while traveling with Vonvalt. The pair investigates the murder of an aristocrat, uncovering conspiracy and rebellion along the way. I quite liked that we were following Helena’s POV throughout this story. It was very reminiscent of Fitz in Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, where Helena is now much older and as she is telling the story, she will talk about the poor decisions she made or what she was feeling in certain moments. It took me a couple chapters to really get into the story, because I didn’t realize at first what the narrative was, but when I realized who was speaking, it was very intriguing. The pacing and writing style were both well done. I felt very much engaged in the story throughout. Everything was well digestible. My one gripe would be the romance that happens between Helena and another character. I felt like it was a bit too insta-love for me. It didn’t feel believable at all and Helena’s attachment to this other character was way to abrupt. Overall, I felt this was a very well-rounded debut novel from Richard Swann and a good start to this new fantasy trilogy.

The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This books was a fun historical fiction-feeling CSI-type romp. 3.75 ⭐ rounded up. I received an arc of this book courtesy of Orbit Books on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book fell prey to a little bit of overhype for me. With everyone gushing about this book I expected to be blown away by its amazingness, and that didn't happen. It WAS a fun time, it felt like watching crime shows set in an era like the fall of the Roman Empire where we also get to see political factions and cracks arise. Because I have seen A LOT of the crime shows I mentioned above many of the plot beats were a little predictable, and there were no huge twists in the plot like I was hoping for.

All that being said I would still definitely recommend it to anyone who likes crime or mystery-type novels as the fantastical elements are very minimal which is one of my gripes, but could make it more accessible for people who don't usually gravitate towards fantasy books, I would have liked to explore more of what the Justices can do and the history of their order, but I do get the feeling that it will be expanded upon in future entries to the series. It was a good time and if it sounds like your jam you should DEFINITELY check it out, and I will for sure be picking up book two!

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan is going to go down as the best fantasy debut of 2022. The Empire of the Wolf has conquered a large portion of the continent and instituted a system of common law which applies to nobles and commoners alike. Administering the law are a group of Justices, who travel the land and act as detective, judge, and executioner. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is one of the most feared and respected justices of all. He is filled with conviction in the strength of the empire, the rightness of the law, and his own abilities, both as a swordsman and the magical Emperor’s Voice, with which he can compel people to speak the truth. Traveling with Sir Konrad are his assistants, Dubine Bressinger and Helena Sedanka. There is still unrest in the empire and rebels, heretics, and ambitious clergy all pose trouble.

When a Lord’s wife in a small city is murdered, Sir Konrad must investigate. What he hopes will be a quick investigation turns far more complicated and unearths a far-reaching conspiracy that will challenge all of Sir Konrads not inconsiderable abilities and beliefs. With constantly increasing stakes, can they protect the empire and still uphold the law? Or must they abandon their principles?

Wow does Richard Swan make some amazing choices with this story! It’s almost a nested narrative as he tells the story of Sir Konrad, but tells it through the eyes of his clerk and talented young protege, Helena. The story is being told from a future point in time so benefits from interpreting the events with the advantage of wisdom and perspective. Swan begins the story by showing Konrad going about his job, traveling a circuit around the empire, resolving disputes, and rendering judgment. You absorb the history of the Empire and how it deals with the challenges of consolidating its gains in the background of the present actions. He demonstrates the importance of the common law and Sir Konrad’s admirable adherence to fairness while also demonstrating compassion and understanding for the cultures of those absorbed into the Empire.

Helena is brilliant in her own right, but young and inexperienced, Her relationship with sir Konrad, her mentor and the one who rescued her from a meager existence is well-handled. She is torn by her loyalty and respect for Konrad but has doubts about whether his life is what she wants for herself. Other characters are not only well-drawn but grow and develop over the course of the novel, especially the town sheriff, Sir Radomir. The mystery is engrossing, the stakes ever-increasing, and the action is superb. Great world-building and fascinating characters make this one of the best books in recent memory and a fantastic start to a new series. I can’t wait for the next book!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

I give my full thoughts on The Justice of Kings in my video review, linked below. This was a fantastic debut novel and I really enjoyed it!