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The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf, 1) Paperback – August 23, 2022

by Richard Swan (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,165 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
See all formats and editions
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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

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Empire of the Wolf
  2. Print length
    464 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Orbit
  5. Publication date
    August 23, 2022
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0316361488
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0316361484
  9. See all details
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Previous page
  1. “Beware the idiot, the zealot and the tyrant; each clothes himself in the armour of ignorance.”
    Highlighted by 191 Kindle readers
  2. “Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are a mere precedent to the quill.”
    Highlighted by 105 Kindle readers
  3. “Power does things to a man’s mind. It unlocks his baser instincts which the process of civilisation has before occluded. Powerful men are closer in mind to wild beasts than they are to their supposed human inferiors.”
    Highlighted by 96 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

About the Author

Richard Swan was born in North Yorkshire and spent most of his early life on Royal Air Force bases. After studying law at the University of Manchester, Richard was Called to the Bar in 2011.
 
When he is not working, Richard can be found in Sydney with his wonderful wife Sophie, where they attempt to raise, with mixed results, their two very loud sons.
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit (August 23, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316361488
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316361484
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,165 ratings

About the author

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Richard Swan

Richard Swan

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Richard was born in North Yorkshire and spent most of his early life on Royal Air Force bases in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. He studied law at the University of Manchester, and spent the following ten years as a litigator.

Between 2015 and 2018, Richard self-published "The Art of War Trilogy", a sequence of epic space opera novels, as well as a prequel ("Hadan's Reach") and two spinoff mil-sci-fi novellas ("VIPER One", and "VIPER One: Countervalue", the latter co-authored with George Lockett).

Richard's debut epic fantasy "Empire of the Wolf" trilogy sold to Orbit Books in 2020. The final instalment will release in February 2024.

Richard currently lives and writes in Sydney, Australia.

For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
2,165 global ratings
An Exceptional Book. A Five Star Read !
5 Stars
An Exceptional Book. A Five Star Read !
Well I was left speechless with this one. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Published: February 22, 2022Publisher: Orbit BooksSeries: Empire of the Wolf #1Genre: FantasyPages: 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
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Top reviews from the United States

Amy Imogene Reads
5.0 out of 5 stars Courtroom drama, fantasy setting, female POV
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2023
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A courtroom drama, a murder mystery, a female main character/point of view, and some truly interesting political systems and drama ahead...

Readability: ★★★★ 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★
Narrator's Voice: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★

I shouldn’t feel like I’m pulling teeth by saying this but apparently I am… As someone who tends to steer clear of this type of story and world building due to general fatigue of male Medieval/feudal empire kingdom vibes…I just loved the hell out of this.

The Justice of Kings follows the story of Helena, a young female apprentice learning the footsteps of one of the king's powerful Justices, Sir Konrad Vonvalt. Vonvalt is a traveling lawman, the king's voice when the king is not there, and the wielder of supernatural powers all in the name of the law: justice.

This story has a very legal, judicial, and ethical vibe to it—people like myself, who love courtroom thrillers, should have this on their radar.

Helena is following in Vonvalt's path across the Empire, doling justice to each and every small town and making sure the law is being followed fairly from area to area. Vonvalt feels very much like the good, honest man trying to do his best in an ever-changing system. Along with Helena, Vonvalt's entourage includes his man-at-arms, Bessinger. This trio is an interesting bunch—one 19-year-old former-thief female telling the story, one vaguely 30-something bodyguard type with a checkered past, and one upper class lawman in his later middle-aged years with a burning passion for ethics.

It shouldn't work, but it does.

Helena, Vonvalt, and Bessinger unknowingly find themselves in the heart of a sweeping political saga just being themselves in a complex and ever-tilting world, and as Helena herself tells us: we had no idea what our actions would set in motion.

At the core of this fantasy is a murder mystery: one of Vonvalt's stops in the countryside involves a rich outpost city reeling from the senseless murder of a noblewoman. Noblewoman are not often murdered, much less with no suspects, so Vonvalt's bloodhound senses prickle, and he sets up shop in the city to investigate with Helena and Bessinger.

Things unfold from there, both on an intimate and a far-reaching kingdom level.

Overall, I thought this fantasy debut was utterly fantastic. Gripping, told from a surprising perspective, and engagingly thrilling due to foreshadowing from "future" Helena looking back on this book's events, The Justice of Kings was a book I couldn't stop thinking about. I read it in small doses over several days to savor it, and whenever I wasn't reading it I was chewing on it, thinking about the layers and enjoying the scope of the world building.

I think this story brings fresh air into a tired niche, and am eagerly awaiting the next two books in the trilogy and more from this author.
18 people found this helpful
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Thomas Griffin
4.0 out of 5 stars A unique new epic fantasy.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
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The narrative starts slow, and early on I really found myself questioning the storytelling device. This book is basically "epic fantasy Sherlock Holmes," and like the Sherlock stories, the narrator is the Watson character, Helena, who is frankly much less interesting, to the point that it's worth asking, why not just make the most interesting character the POV?

Despite this, the story really explodes in tension and intrigue around the halfway mark and doesn't let up til the end, and my narrative quibbles aside, the entire book is very smartly written. Overall it is a strong opening act.
8 people found this helpful
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PD Glenn
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story telling!
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
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I enjoyed the character development and the authors style of writing. Story has me looking forward to the coming books!
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ComfortFood
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut novel - look forward to the next one
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2022
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Very well-written, interesting world, fascinating characters, tightly plotted. The only thing that was not ideal was the constant forecasting of some impending disaster - which helps build tension and suspense, I guess, but just came off as irritating. A bit too much of that. Otherwise, an excellent read from an unusual perspective (looking at the justice system of an empire, with an engaging 3-person team). Looking forward to the next one. I liked that the POV was that of Helena, the Justice's clerk.
6 people found this helpful
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Tina Truck
3.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
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I enjoyed the story but grew irritated with Helena towards the end. Letting your enemies get away can come back to bite you in the butt. I'm sure I will read the next book but hope she gets off of her sanctimonious soap box.
6 people found this helpful
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Edward Brock
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Beginning
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2024
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I rarely give a 5-star review, but this book was magnificent. Expertly told from the first-person perspective (which I love) of a 19-year-old female orphan named Helena, it's a brilliant mashup of epic fantasy, murder mystery, and horror. This is the best fantasy novel I've read in quite some time. Though I'm reading the Kindle versions, I also purchased the hardcovers for my bookshelf-and I rarely buy hardcovers, which speaks to how much I loved this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Boe
4.0 out of 5 stars Justice must be served
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022
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The Justice of Kings is an oddly enjoyable tale that for me was a bit of a slow burn. I can honestly say it took me probably somewhere between 100-150 pages into the book before things really took off and I started to enjoy it. Up until that point I was considering DNF'ing the book but I'm glad I didn't.

As some one who loves the whole "law and order" style of shows I thought this book would peak my interest but I think what thru me off is the story is told from the perspective of "Helena" rather than the main character Sir Konrad Vonvalt.

While I think Richard did a great job with the book over all I feel like the supporting characters were lacking a little bit in development compared to that of Sir Konrad Vonvalt. I hope the follow up novels will give us depth to those characters as I feel like Helena and Bressinger roles were just as important.

The magic system was strange to me but plays into the whole Justice role very well. For my gateway into Grimdark all in all I was very pleased with the book and look forward to the next one in the series.
8 people found this helpful
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Joseph Finley
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary!
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023
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In “The Justice of Kings,” Richard Swan uses his legal background to forge a gripping tale underscoring the importance of the rule of law within a teetering medieval empire. Sir Konrad Vonvalt, embodying detective, judge, and executioner, is relentless in his pursuit of justice, wielding arcane powers, including compelling confessions and conversing with the dead, to uphold common law. The narrative unfolds through Helena, his clerk, whose youthful observations add depth to the world’s exploration. As they unravel the mystery of a noblewoman’s murder, Vonvalt and Helena encounter a conspiracy threatening the empire’s future. Rich in mystery, political intrigue, and a novel magic system, “The Justice of Kings” is a riveting read. I’ve already started its sequel, “The Tyranny of Faith,” and so far, I am loving every minute of it!
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Erika Kubota
4.0 out of 5 stars Que a Justiça prevaleça !
Reviewed in Brazil on January 15, 2024
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Quando adquiri o ebook foi na base da curiosidade, me parecia um plot totalmente diferente dentro da categoria de fantasia, e como leitora voraz e sempre a procura de novidades resolvi dar uma chance a este primeiro volume.
Será que uma história baseada em um personagem que deve aplicar as leis do imperador, julgando e até mesmo executando a lei ele próprio teria base e folego para se tornar atrativa ?!
Para minha surpresa me peguei gostando muito da leitura, Vonvalt não é um personagem que se ame, pelo contrário ele é rigoroso ao extremo, irascível, dificilmente demonstra seus sentimentos mas é o cerne e o personagem que dá vida ao livro.
O livro é narrado por Helena, sua aprendiz de 19 anos e como podemos prever pela sua juventude, existirão momentos que eu revirei os olhos pois temos esta personagem se debulhando em lágrimas, depois sendo forte, depois tendo recaídas, tendo muitas dúvidas, mas no frigir dos ovos, Helena acaba sempre ao lado de Vonvalt pois o mesmo exerce uma atração quase magnética em Helena.
Bressinger é o guarda costas, ex colega de armas de Vonvalt que o acompanha juntamente com Helena, vários diálogos entre Bressinger e Helena dão a dimensão da complicada relação entre os três personagens.
Claro que darei sequencia a esta trilogia pois o segundo volume da série consta na lista de melhores livros lidos de 2023 na lista de muitos booktubers gringos.
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Neeraj Cherukuri
5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh concept. Loved it.
Reviewed in India on October 9, 2023
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In an ocean full of modern fantasy books being published,being unique in it’s plotting and characters is a great way to differentiate themselves. That’s exactly what Justice of Kings is. Very interesting premise. I won’t spoil anymore other than that this book is being told through framing Narrative like Suneater. The framing narrative felt just a bit overdone very few times,but mostly great at keeping the tension high. And I feel Helena Sedanka is a very relatable character and I am neither a teenager nor female. She reminded me of myself at that age. I would’ve hated her for being a whiny teenager if the story is not being told from her perspective. I am very excited to read Book 2 and eventually book 3 just to see how Helena’s character developed from whiny cowardly teenage brat to a wise old lady.
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Hundertkilo
5.0 out of 5 stars Starkes Debüt
Reviewed in Germany on May 3, 2022
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Spannender Kriminalfall, glaubhafte Charaktere und viele Wendungen, und das ganze in einem mittelalterlich anmutenden Setting. Es gab viele Momente, wo ich auch ein wenig Schmunzeln musste. Die Erzählerin macht Laune, ebenso die Aussicht auf mehr.
Definitive Empfehlung!
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Ed Crocker
5.0 out of 5 stars If there's a more accomplished debut this year, then they should be tried for witchcraft
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2022
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Here’s a simple test of how much you’re enjoying a book and how much you care about the characters. A character finds themselves in a room they’re not supposed to be in. Suddenly they hear footsteps. They dive under the bed as the room’s occupier enters. Are you rolling your eyes at this cliché development? Or do you share the character’s utter terror? This scene (it’s not a spoiler, grow up) happens at some point in The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan’s frankly offensively good fantasy debut, and I am happy to reveal that I was so tense in that moment that if you had placed a hand on my shoulder I would have broken your wrist out of sheer panic.

There are moments aplenty like this in this epic (or grimdark? A debate for another time) fantasy; there are twists that will have your jaw drop in shock, events that befall characters that will make you emit strange nasal whines of anxiety like an incoherent puppy. But this is also a book that could, and perhaps should, be the subject of a dissertation or two (good luck selling that to your instructor); a meaty treatise on the law, the nature of it, and its faults as well as its necessity. It’s also a neat political analogy for our modern times that could not be more relevant, so much so it practically screams at you. Finally, it’s an astonishing character study of a man whose faults are as obvious as his strengths and what happens when his beliefs begin to crumble round him.

It is all these things and more, and the fact that Swan manages to spin so may plates and have them all land in an unbroken, if terrified pile at the end while it being, may I remind you, his fantasy debut, is an act of sheer arcane sorcery straight from the pages of his own tome.

The setting of this imperious tale is The Sovan Empire, or The Empire of the Wolf (a nice nod to Rome’s foundational myth there), a collection of pseudo-Germanic states with satisfyingly Teutonic names such as Jägeland and Denholtz. If you’re in any doubt as to what kind of land we’re in, then at one point a character has a meal of pork, pickled cabbage and spiced cheese sauce. The Sovans swept through these states several decades prior to our story, bringing the kind of order and civilization that can only be achieved after voluminous amounts of bloodshed. Now relative peace has descended; the pagan religion has been replaced by a suspiciously similar mainstream one (no idea where Swan got that idea from) and a surprisingly advanced system of common law ensures that, as proudly displayed on the book jacket, “No man is above the law”.

Ensuring this common law is upheld is the Order of Justices, whose power is seemingly equal to the Emperor itself and who are judge, jury and executioner all in one, very much a Judge Dredd of Westeros. They also possess arcane powers to help them in their pursuit of justice; our main character Sir Konrad Vonvalt can compel a man to speak the truth and… well I’ll let you find out his other power yourself, but it’s not stroking kittens, put it that way. It’s no spoiler to say that both Empire and the Order will find itself tested by the story’s end.

Even before we get to the remarkable character study of Vonvalt, there is so much fun to be hand in chewing on the themes here. As the classic brutal but civilising empire, The Sovans are reminiscent of Rome and, perhaps more so, the British Empire at its Victorian height, given the themes of the common law. In fact, in many ways they are more civilised than the latter; women can be justices and there is suggestion that the laws against rape are fairly advanced. This is a land bathed in red that nonetheless prides itself on the supposed equality the law brings. I found myself really enjoying this interesting sweet spot; in terms of technological development it is situated between the medieval setting of classic fantasy novels and the nascent industrial age of, say, Joe Abercrombie’s Age of Madness series. But in legal terms it is more advanced than both. It also has a fascinating burgeoning system of insurance (which Swan, commercial litigator that he is, takes great relish in explaining for us, not one but twice, making me think he might be sponsored by Aviva).

But just like modern debates about the law, all is not necessarily well. Should one justice have that much power? Swan has fun testing its limits, certainty. There is a growing jury system in the Empire, and Swan intriguingly compares this with the seemingly unlimited powers of the justices. In the same way that it was great to read an expert in Machiavelli come out with a stonking debut on Machiavellian politics last year (E. J. Beaton with The Councillor) so it’s an absolute pleasure to see a lawyer delve into tricky themes of legitimacy, equality and the limits of the law. Then there’s the astute political analogy I referenced earlier. I won’t go to into any of the plot, but suffice to say the Order is not completely in touch with the common people, and all may not be well in its ranks. If you want to see it as a useful analogy to the state of other liberal orders, possibly those who sowed the ground for various authoritarian figures of our current times – well-meaning elites, but increasingly complacent when faced with reality on the ground – then you’ll have much fuel to do so.

But if you care not a jot for such things and you’re in it for the characters, then I’ve got news for you: you’re in for a meaty treat with the impressive yet tragic figure of Sir Konrad Vonvalt; who is what you get when you swap Geralt of Rivia’s bedding of women for long thoughtful treatises on the minutiae of the common law (though to be fair to Sir Konrad, Geralt would be up against it in a sword fight and, when he gets angry, The Hulk himself might not be enough to stop Vonvalt). Swordsman, possessor of arcane magic, mildly boring jurist, essentially good human being but also a man struggling to show emotion and a figure so wedded to his belief in the law that he struggles sometimes to see the wood for the trees. In this book we have a character that will dominate the fantasy landscape for many years to come.

Meanwhile, the narrator of the story – Helena – is a 19 year old girl from humble origins who has been taken under Vonvalt’s wing, his hope (though not necessarily her dream) being that she will one day be a justice like him. She is also a remarkable character – at once terrified, headstrong, wickedly intelligent, prone to acts of teenage stupidity and stubbornness, stupendously brave – and the relationship between them (parental? Or something more?) is poignant and revelatory; the burning heart of this book. Even the secondary characters, though, are vividly drawn figures that will have you rooting for them (always a sign of an author confident in his writing). I was particularly drawn to Vonvalt’s assistant Bressinger, a witty, hard-drinking but likeable character (sort of Vimes from Discworld meets Bronn from Westeros) with a melancholic side to him. Swan cares about these secondary characters too, as you will see when you find out Bressinger’s backstory.

Oh and did I mention this tale is tense and exciting? Not that much even happens in the first half, it revolving around a seemingly self-contained murder mystery that, like all good fantasy mysteries, soon has relevance to the wider story, but every single page is as addictive as a caffeine-injected gummy bear, swapping between engaging worldbuilding (and this really is an object lesson in how to worldbuild without hammering it in your face), heartfelt emotion, intriguing character analysis and fascinating thematic content – sometimes within the same paragraph. And when things crank into gear in the final third, they really crank up, and the slow deliberative style of the first half pays off as your heart practically beats out if its chest in terror at what will befall the characters we have come to care about so much.

All this begs the question of how Swan has done this all while avoiding the usual mistakes of even the most accomplished debuts (pace, hesitant writing, stilted worldbuilding etc.). A brief foray into Swan stalking (much safer than the animal equivalent) tells me that the author has already written several self-published novels, so perhaps that explains the remarkable assuredness of this fantasy debut. But this shouldn’t take away from the sheer achievement of this; this is still his fantasy debut. In fact, it must be up there with one of the most impressive debuts of recent years; a story that succeeds in everything it attempts and that sets up a trilogy that promises to bring the house, and possibly the empire, down. There’s many injustices in this supposedly lawful land, but the greatest one will be if you don’t inhale this book immediately.
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Darryl J. W. Temple
5.0 out of 5 stars You won't know what hit you
Reviewed in Australia on January 16, 2024
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Seldom have I been engrossed in such a slow burn story that attaches you to its characters. Surfacing without warning, The Justice of Kings drags you into a deep and haunting world. The magic system is modest, something I really enjoyed, which only added to the dark setting. There's no fireworks launching from a magicians fingers here. Instead, its creepy and unique, with subtle power wielded only by the learned. If this ever gets turned into a film, please let me be an extra.

I can't wait to read the next one.
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