This was a strong follow-up to The Justice of Kings. A few plot choices didn't land with me as much as others, but the last two hundred pages were a wild ride.

I enjoyed the story, but not as much as the first book. This one seemed to ramble a bit more and I found myself wanting something more. I, as usual, enjoyed the characters very much.

Empire of the Wolf series #2 after The Justice of Kings. Tyranny of Faith has a very different feel to it from the first novel. The Justice of Kings was darkly medieval, set in forest villages and towns and had just a touch of magic with the Justice's Emperor's Voice pulling the truth out of witnesses whether they wanted to speak it or not. Tyranny of Faith brings our same main characters - Sir Konrad Vonvalt, the Emperor's Justice; Helena Sedanka, his clerk; Dubine Bressinger, his security; and Sir Radomir now added to the group - to the capital, Sova, a more modern, highly populated, highly political place that is aquiver with possible rebellion. Prepared to finally take on Benjamin Claver, Vonvalt is sidelined by the kidnapping of the Emperor's grandson, and drawn south to places and magics unknown. And in this volume of the series, magic plays a VERY large part, and none of it pretty.
Once again narrated by Helena, the story is as much about relationships and trust as Helena struggles to decide just where her faith truly lies, that is, if she still has any. It is a dark tale, with horrors and heartbreak, and every character must struggle to decide just what is right and wrong, or if justice is even possible. Complex relationships, questions and plotting. Very rewarding and highly recommended.

This is the second book following The Justice of Kings. I knew I loved the first book, but I wasn’t yet sold on whether I’d found a new favorite series. Yep. This is a new favorite.

This series follows Helena, a clerk to a Justice, Sir Konrad. The Justices are the law and order of the empire. They handle stuff like detective work and lawyer/courtroom stuff.

Because of this, the main theme of the series is justice. What is fair when it comes to criminals? How should the law be applied to the church, who are sort of above the law in some ways? It’s a very nuanced topic, and Richard Swan handles it so well.

Book one followed Helena, Sir Konrad, and their friends as they solve a murder mystery, which gradually got bigger in scope. This book is them dealing with the big problem: a priest named Claver who has learned some forbidden magics and wants to take over the country.

Claver has gained a cult-like following, which protect him and revere him as holy. I think that Claver is a despicable human being, which makes him a great villain to root against. I grew up in a very conservative Christian family, which is probably making me hate him even more. I assume he’d still be a hated villain even if you’ve never experienced stuff like that personally, but it made it all the more real for me.

Helena and Konrad have to convince the emperor that this Claver guy isn’t some nobody upstart. Of course, the emperor hasn’t seen him do magic, so he’s a little wary. What he does know is that a good portion of the Justices and senators are plotting against him. He asks Konrad to take over as head Justice and arrest all the traitors.

Though they really need to go after Claver, this is also an important task, because all the traitors are giving Claver their support. On top of all that, the little 8-year-old prince goes missing, and they have to find him. Helena and Konrad are annoyed that they can’t go after Claver, because it’s clear he’s the one behind all this. And then, as if things couldn’t get more complicated, Sir Konrad comes down sick.

Just like the first book, this is a very dark and gritty story. Sir Konrad knows how to perform necromancy, and the afterlife isn’t a pretty place. Claver is out there murdering people like it’s no big deal. This series deals with big issues that parallel modern day, but also draws on Europe’s history (particularly the crusades) to form the basis for all the big ethical questions discussed.

I recognize that there are a lot of people out there who want a more whimsical vibe from their fantasy. This is not that. I typically prefer my fantasy to have a sense of whimsy and wonder, too. But I also love political fantasy. It’s really hard to find both in one book, because a political book automatically brings in some darker themes and topics.

I would definitely recommend this series for people who want a dark fantasy series where the stakes are through the roof and politics play a major theme. Is this why people love Game of Thrones? I never read the books or watched the show, but I just have this feeling that this is why.

As for addressing some of the things in book one I know some people might not like…the plot still sort of rambles around. I personally am fine with that, but I know some people prefer a more structured plot. So just be wary that if you were hoping that would change in the sequel, it doesn’t.

I still think Helena feels a bit young for an adult fantasy protagonist, but she’s clearly more mature after the events of the first book. She saw people she cared about get killed, went through hard combat, and accidentally ended up in the hellish afterlife as Sir Konrad performed necromancy. Imagine going through all that and not breaking from it all? I don’t know if I could come out of that without some huge emotional scarring.

I think the big change in book two is that she learns to be strong, despite the circumstances. She no longer wants to just run away. Now, she dives headfirst into danger to save her friends, despite being scared. There was one moment where she turned back into old Helena, but that was because stress had been piling up. It’s a bit more nuanced of a situation than how book one Helena would have handled it, and I’m glad for that.

Overall, I think Helena is likely going to become a new favorite protagonist of mine. I love getting to see a character grow and mature over the course of a series. Helena goes through so many hard circumstances, and comes out of it standing strong, though she’s initially intimidated to the point where she wants to quit. I have a feeling that she’ll be going on my list of best strong female protagonists by book three, if she’s not already on it now.

I’m also super curious to learn more about what happens post death, even though it’s very creepy. I love learning about this interesting magic system in general, which I was glad we got to see more of in this book. Though, after the events of this book, I don’t know how much of the magic we can really learn about, and what’s safe to learn about. A huge chunk of the magic of this world is forbidden for a very good reason.

The next book (final maybe?) comes out early next year. It’s absolutely going to kill me to wait that long. I have to know how they take down Claver and put the country back in order.

I honestly thought I'd like this more than I did. I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in the series, Justice of Kings, I had mixed feelings about it. I loved the mystery/investigation aspects of it, but I didn't much like the main character Helena. I felt like she was someone who was pushed along by events and by the actions of other people: I felt like she re-acted more than anything else. In other words, she lacked agency.

But, after I reached the end of the first book, I thought things were looking up for Helena because she seemed ready to start taking a pro-active role in the world. So, I was looking forward to book #2, Tyranny of Faith and was delighted when I approved on NetGalley. Unfortunately, Helena wasn't much more pro-active in this book than she had been in the first one. At one point she had to do something vitally important that was particularly dangerous & difficult, but instead of putting her big-girl pants on & sucking it up to do this big, dark scary thing, she protested & refused even though it meant certain death for someone she cared about. So, another character forced her to do that thing against her will. I almost stopped reading the thing right there.

But, I wanted to find out what happened so I kept reading and I'm sorry I did.

I think people who loved the first book will love this one too. Richard Swan has created a remarkably detailed & vibrant world that I enjoyed. I loved the history & the characters, but I really wish he had done better with Helena.

*Thank you for the ARC!! All opinions are completely my own.**

4-4.5 stars.

THOUGHTS: The incredibly complex sequel to the first book (which absolutely blew me away). I was so incredibly excited to read this book that I marked its release on my calendar. Yet, lo and behold, I let out a huge shriek of excitement when I saw that an ARC of the sequel was available (Orbit Books...I love y'all).

Similar to its original first book, I devoured this in a matter of hours. Indeed, although bumpy at first (as set forth below), it became easier to slip back into our relatable apprentice Helena's perspective and continue her exhilarating, fantastical journey alongside the magnetic, charismatic Sir Konrad Vonvalt. I especially enjoyed seeing Helena grow and mature as she is confronted by tremendously evil forces outside of her control and her reaction to Sir Konrad Vonvalt's incredibly complex personality.

However, one thing that was sorely needed was -- and believe me when I say that I usually don't need this -- a basic refresher as to who everyone was and what had happened in the first book. The quick pace of the second book made sense to me when I read the author's afterword and found that he had actually completed and submitted a draft of the second book on or before the time that the first book was published. As such, the timeline was probably stunningly clear in the author's mind when he finished the second draft. But for us readers, we need a refresher! I hope there will be one in the third book.

Speaking of, I can't wait for book three. Once again, you'll find me eagerly marking my calendar for its release. Believe me when I say I'll be eagerly checking Orbit Books for the ARC (fingers crossed)!

TLDR; The highly anticipated sequel to the incredible epic fantasy!

I went into this book unsure whether I'd be able to easily pick up the thread of the narrative again, since it had been a while since I read JoK, but Richard Swan is such an expert at placing the reader in his world that I started reading and could not stop! Helena is such an engaging, complex character with intriguing character growth. I particularly loved the thorough examination of her interpersonal relationships, and there were definitely parts of this book which broke my heart. The world building is just so vivid, multi-layered, and immersive, and the plot moves swiftly - I raced through, breathless, for the entire last third of the book! An incredible continuation of the Empire of the Wolf Trilogy. I'm so excited to read book 3!

Thank you to the author and to Orbit for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The justice of kings was my favorite book last year. Now a year later, the sequel is out, Orbit sent me a beautiful copy and as soon as I ripped the package open, I started reading it and ah it gave me all those 5 stars feelings that the first one gave me and bonus it’s over 150 pages longer which made me super happy. It’s not a negative but that was my one flaw in the justice of kings is that I wanted more.

Since this is a sequel, I’m not going to go into much detail but we do have Sir Konrad Vonvalt who is part detective, part judge and part executioner and he’s called back to the capital, he finds the city gripped in political turmoil. And now he must rescue the Emperor's kidnapped grandson. It takes the upheaval of the first book to an epic-scale uprising. This series is an amazing blend of mystery, politics and fantasy. We meet new friends and learn more about our familiar gang and our heroes go through a lot as the villain always seems to be one step ahead. Swan continues to reveal new horrors that I think any horror reader is going to love. I highly recommend you don’t miss out on it. It’s like the hot trendy fantasy to read right now and well worth it.

I can’t think of the proper words to describe this book. Awesome…incredible…amazing…they just don’t seem strong enough. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I LOVE the world Swan has created here. There is not nearly enough fantasy out there right now that this good. Thank you SO much Mr Swan. Keep them coming.

Trilogies are difficult. It usually is the second book in the series that takes a step back and is just all around mediocre, this was not the case with The Tyranny of Faith. This book was a breath of fresh air after finishing a lot of duds and seeing a lot of run of the mill medieval fantasy overpopulate the market. Before I get into what I liked about this book and it was a lot, here's a brief synopsis for The Tyranny of Faith taken from Goodreads.

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A Justice's work is never done.The Battle of Galen's Vale is over, but the war for the Empire's future has just begun. Concerned by rumors that the Magistratum's authority is waning, Sir Konrad Vonvalt returns to Sova to find the capital city gripped by intrigue and whispers of rebellion. In the Senate, patricians speak openly against the Emperor, while fanatics preach holy vengeance on the streets.Yet facing down these threats to the throne will have to wait, for the Emperor's grandson has been kidnapped - and Vonvalt is charged with rescuing the missing prince. His quest will lead him - and his allies Helena, Bressinger and Sir Radomir - to the southern frontier, where they will once again face the puritanical fury of Bartholomew Claver and his templar knights - and a dark power far more terrifying than they could have imagined.

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Characters- From Sir Konrad Vonvalt to Helena to Bressinger, Claver, Sir Radomir, all the way down to the supporting characters that don't get much screen time, each and every one was written with a different voice. Making characters come to life is one of the hardest things about writing a successful book. The majority of authors don't get to this level even through entire series. I mean there were characters in the Wheel of Time where they were rigid, black and white characters with no substance....through 15 books! Richard in his debut was able to achieve his characters voices very well which continued right on through to The Tyranny of Faith. Without good characters it doesn't matter how cool the plot is or the world-building, you don't got shit if you have flat characters. While reading this book I was reminded of Joe Abercrombie and George RR Martin, where it doesn't matter as much what these characters are doing because they are so well written. I loved reading each and every character he wrote and this made the pages just fly by.

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Plot Heavy or Plot Light? After reading A Justice of Kings I wasn't sure how this would play out, but it worked so well. This book had its own self contained plot but it fit in with the overarching theme. Too many times you see books attempt to do this well but come up very subpar. This book didn't come up short. This is one of the few books that I want to reread already. I almost never reread at least for a few years.

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This book definitely went darker, but not in any type of off-putting way and it was very enjoyable to read. The eldritch horror aspect was a Chef's kiss. There were a few scenes where you just sit there processing what you just read. This definitely has been my best book of 2023 so far and it will be very hard to top it.

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Some of the best fantasy protagonists and villians in the genre

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Awesome World-building

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Bressinger kicks ass

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Follow Richard Swan on Twitter @Richard_S_Swan

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Go buy The Tyranny of Faith now...

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I don't give this rating much, I think I gave one or two books a 5/5 last year of all the books I read. Well this definitely deserves it.

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The Tyranny of Faith 5/5*

A brilliantly successful follow up to The Justice of Kings that successfully explores what happens when our heroes turn out to be just as fallible as any man. Vonvalt and company are heading towards the capital where political schemes on the part of the church to undermine the empire are fully underway. Whereas the first book touched on the uncovering of schemes on the part of Claver, this fully explores the politics of the empire and the consequences Claver’s actions may have on the future of it’s stability. This series continues to be an absolute must-read for fans of gritty political fantasy!

I really liked The Justice of Kings last year following Helena as she trains with Justice Vonvalt while traveling the empire and solving a mystery. In Book 2 of the series, the unforgettable band of heroes are facing an empire in turmoil. This story is full of political intrigue and political unrest. It was completely enthralling and was even better that the first installment. I recommend this book to fans of epic fantasy stories with great character development. Now the ever difficult wait for the third book.

Richard Swan does it again. The Tyranny of Faith is in one word, mystifying. Each page introduces a new trial for Helena and company. New questions to answer. New moral dilemmas that often lack clear answers. Helena comes face to face with the true nature of justice: Never is it black and white. What may be just for one person may not apply to the masses. The concept of “good for all” is nothing but a fairy tale. What I have come to adore about Richard Swan is how he presents moral questions not only in characters’ conversations but in actions. Often, a sequel fails to compare to its predecessor, but The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan is an exception to the rule. I do not know how he does it, but Swan’s novels exemplify epic fantasy at its absolute finest.

I read many books between The Tyranny of Faith and its prequel, The Justice of Kings. If I had not read Swan’s plot summary on his website for the latter, I probably would have been rather lost. The Tyranny of Faith picked up where the first novel left off. Sometimes when you read a novel, the author provides some flashback snippets or descriptive references to past events. A reader’s memory lapses hardly matter, as the writer fills in the blanks. Not the case with Swan’s The Tyranny of Faith. The two novels could almost be one book with how seamlessly Swan moves from one to the other. When I did not think Swan could pull me in further, he did.

The Tyranny of Faith is filled political tensions and character development. I typically want action in my books, and while Swan does have it in The Tyranny of Faith, the action is purposeful. It builds up the plot rather than servicing as filler. Instead of action, Swan focuses on conversations. He presents challenging concepts to his characters and readers both. Fantasy novels do not often leave me questioning my own moral views, but this novel did. I never thought I would learn from a fantasy novel, but I did. Swan presents concepts in such unique ways that I could not help but contemplate them days after I finished the novel.

Furthermore, The Tyranny of Faith is darker than the first and features far more magic. As the stakes rise, so does the language. But with Swan’s morally gray characters, it should hardly come as a surprise, and it bothered me little. Overall, the novel is still clean. Still kept me up at night. Still had me holding my breath, even during the book’s slower sections. The Tyranny of Faith is not a fast read, nor should it be. If you rush through this one, you will miss how riveting this novel truly is.

The wait for the trilogy’s conclusion may kill me, as I desperately want to know how Richard Swan wraps everything up. Because how it stands right now, I do not know how he could manage it. If I have indeed died of waiting, someone please leave a copy of the third book on my tombstone so I can read it from the grave.

*Note: I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

After reading The Tyranny of Faith, I continue to be impressed by Swan's continued improvement as a fantasy author. Swan really understood and capitalized on the great things of his first book and honed in on it in the second. I was fascinated by the story, character development, and world's lore that continues to be more and more exciting.

I can't wait to continue supporting Swan's next book and whatever comes after.

I honestly could not understand the motivation behind the antagonists, and the reasoning behind the conflict felt very weak. I honestly ended up DNFing this with about 30 pages left to go because I just could not be bothered.

The Tyranny of Faith picks up shortly after the end events of The Justice of the Kings. I almost DNFed this book after 30% due to the pacing and heavy politics in the beginning. I found myself bored and not really enjoying the characters that I loved in the first back. I am very happy that I decided to push through and finish.
There is a missing person subplot that I didn't initially enjoy and felt it took away from the main plot of the book but the end absolutely made up for it. I love that we are introduced to more of the magic system and Vonvalt's flaws are explored through the eyes of his clerk Helena. I am very much looking forward to the final book in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the great read.

Great book! Great worldbuilding! Great magic system!

This book is rife with political intrigue, mysteries, and action as our characters journey to the center of the empire allowing us to learn more of the world along with Helena.
Conflicted heroes powerful villains and a little bit of hell.
5/5 stars for me. I can't wait until the next one.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR ALLOWING ME TO READ THIS SEQUEL TO AN AWESOME SERIES!

Richard Swan, one of the rising stars in the fantasy book community, finally has the sequel to the Empire of the Wolf trilogy and I couldn't have been more excited when I got an e-arc copy of The Tyranny of Faith (very nice cover art).

Now, onto the review.

In an exciting work reminiscent of both The Witcher and First Law, we follow our favorite characters again. Helenia tells more of her adventures with her master, Justice Sir Konrad, and their other companions. Everything was stepped up and more exciting in the sequel, from the conflicts and politics to even the relationships between the characters and magic. We get more of this amazing story since the end of the first book, The Justice of Kings.

Think it would finally be a happy story? Nope, Richard Swan pulled out many unexpected twists that even George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie would approve of!

In the sequel, The Tyranny of Faith, everything changes. The war to decide the Empire of the Wolf's future grows, not halting after Galen's Vale, which sends Sir Konrad and his companions to another location— Sova, the capital city that is gripped by whispers of rebellion and conflict. Once there, the Emperor orders the party to find the missing prince. In addition, the party is also responsible for weeding out rebellion and dealing with more of the notorious Bartholomew Claver.

If you want more, you must read the book if you haven't already because there are things I cannot discuss here without them being spoilers!

Overall, I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars (mainly for the last 30% of the book which threw me off sometimes but, as you read it, the ending comes to a shocking conclusion that makes you question everything). Recommended for fans of The Witcher, Game of Thrones, or even Malazan.

After absolutely loving The Justice of Kings last year, I really thought that its sequel, The Tyranny of Faith, would be just as amazing. I was wrong.

In The Tyranny of Faith, we pick up right where book one left off: Vonvalt, Helena, Bressinger, and Radomir are making their way to the capital city of Sova, weighed down with grief and a newfound understanding of how bad things have gotten in the empire. When they reach Sova they have to contend with a swift change in power within the Justices, a finicky emperor, political unrest, and burgeoning feelings between Vonvalt and Helena.

One of the main things that colored my enjoyment of this book as a whole was Helena's narration. She is the only narrator we get in this series, and while it was refreshing in book one, she got to be a little annoying in this one. I understand that she is only 19, but being in her head while she navigated her feelings for Vonvalt was eyeroll-inducing. I was also not a fan of how she immediately disliked the female Justice that is brought in to help the group solve a kidnapping. I wish Helena as a character was above girl hate, but she, unfortunately, isn't.

To me, the saving grace of this book was the last 20-30%. The rest of the book seemed to drag, and I found myself quite bored with the kidnapping plot. I feel like a lot of the commentary on religion, fanaticism, and colonialism was just okay, not really compelling or new. I think that the worldbuilding was also lacking; I felt weirdly removed from everything. I really wish that I had more to say in this review, but I honestly didn't have the best time while reading. I'll still read the last book purely off of the ending of this one--it was that good.

While I still enjoyed book 1 more, Mr. Swan is certainly onto something fresh and original here. In Tyranny of Faith, he leans more into the medieval horror subgenre that feels like a true untapped resource. Helena and Radomir are stronger characters this go around and they get their time at the forefront of the story. Joined by Heinrich, this feels like a true fantasy story now with an animal companion as part of the band. It was a mixed to positive as I wasn't a fan of a romance subplot that felt a little forced, especially when Helena was supposedly in love just half of a book ago and doesn't seem to mourn that loss for a single minute here. But overall no sophomore slump here and I'm anxious for book #3.