The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
blacksphinx's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, War, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Confinement, Vomit, Torture, Xenophobia, Fatphobia, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Child death
prynne31's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was well-written. Just not sure I'm the target audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Torture, Colonisation, Confinement, Classism, Child death, Animal death, Medical trauma, Grief, Excrement, and Death of parent
Necromancysergek94's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was the pick of The Fantasy Guild Book Club for the month of March 2022.
“Power does things to a man’s mind. It unlocks his baser instincts which the process of civilization has before occluded. Powerful men are closer in mind to wild beasts than they are to their supposed human inferiors.”—SIR WILLIAM THE HONEST
What a great debut!
We are in the bleak depths of winter, with no breath of spring in sight, instead, the air is frozen in a seemingly eternal ice age, but there are cracks forming on the surface of the frosted lake that is the Empire of the Wolf. The vast domain of this superpower is governed by strict laws, enforced by the unyielding iron gloved "Justices" who travel the lands and make sure the Emperor's laws are not trampled upon. These Justices have received vigorous training in the intricacies of law, and one might argue that despite their desire for goodness, they are quite removed from their humanity and have perhaps lost their souls within the endless sea of laws and doctrines,but doubtlessly, they are enforcers of absolute fairness and bring order to the chaos, or they at least were until recently. The iron fist of justice has been losing its previously unfaltering grip, and with little deviations here and there, the foundations of long years of peace are threatened to collapse into endless pits of chaos and lawlessness.
Our story follows one of these Justices, a man named Sir Konrad Vonvalt, as he investigates the brutal murder of a noblewoman, wife of a well known aristocrat. After having started this investigation, Vonvalt begins to realize that it is not a simple murder, triggered by a possible robbery or some other form of assault, but that it is simply the tip of a very large iceberg of corruption and blackmail.While Vonvalt and his team are working on uncovering the truths behind this mystery, strange events begin to unfold around them, as Vonvalt realizes that his powerful sway on the nobles which has kept them in line for decades is beginning to falter. Vonvalt is an idealist, unyielding in his convictions and his belief in the power of good. As a character, he is authoritative and commands respect simply by his presence alone, however, he not only emits power, but also an aura of protectiveness, within which one feels secure and in the hands of the protective arms of the state, an entity that has existed longer than the individuals presently alive. Reading about this character, who is simultaneously kind yet ruthless in the application of the law with cold and hard and unyielding logic, was quite an enjoyable roller-coaster.
“Justice is not vengeance, and vengeance is not justice. But the two often overlap. The state is as capable of vengeance as any individual, for what is the state if not the people that comprise us?”—SIR RANDALL KORMONDOLT
However, Vonvalt is not the main point of view we follow in this book. Instead, we follow his 19 year-old clerk, who has been saved by a lifetime of probable misery and poverty by Vonvalt. This clerk admires Vonvalt, ,i>but is also occasionally appalled by his calculated exertions of ruthlessness to further the word of law. The writing style here reminded me of The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, which is one of my favourite fantasy trilogies of all-time. Like in that trilogy, this book is narrated in the first person by Vonvalt's clerk, who is writing this story as an elder, recounting their memories with Vonvalt. The writing style was exquisite, and Richard Swan truly has a talent with words, seamlessly immersing the reader into the cold wintry atmosphere of the world, and having the blandest conversations seem fascinating due to the choice of his words which are woven together beautifully.
Another similarity to Robin Hobb is the author's ability to create extremely detestable characters who we cannot root for. The villains in this story have the potential of having the reader's blood boil just by their presence alone.The themes explored are profound, especially the shattering of idealism. The world here is a cruel one, and once the firm foundations of the word of law begin to crumble, we get to experience just how cruel humanity can be. We see the dark side of society, and how easily it can devolve into anarchy, and break the spirit of even the most headstrong and idealistic person. This is a story where even the most benevolent heroes can turn into ruthless villains, becoming the monsters they were so resolutely intent on fighting.
“It is impossible to impress upon a man the severity of a situation until the point of its remedy is long past. ‘Tis something to do with the nature of a human being, that ingrained idiocy. The gods must shake their heads at us in disbelief.”—JUSTICE SOPHIA JURAS
This is a must read for fantasy lovers, and if you're a fan of grimdark and dark fantasy, this book will very likely scratch that itch for you. Magic is definitely present here, but not the main focal point. The two types of magic we see used are the ability to compel someone to speak the truth through the "The Emperor's Voice", and the very dark practice of necromancy, specifically the ability to reanimate the corpses of the dead in order to speak with them.
I highly recommend this book, and as a debut novel, it is extremely impressive! My little complaints would be the sometimes never-ending dialogues that seem to drag for a bit too long, and the relatively slow first quarter of the book, which had gotten me to believe that I would be giving it a 3 star rating. Additionally, there is an insta-love dynamic that felt very shallow and out of place in this otherwise mature universe Richard Swan has built. If you are a fantasy lover, please give this book a try, it is a gem and the beginning of a potentially great fantasy series. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book as soon as it is released!
Note that this book has its fair share of graphic violence and gore, so be forewarned if it is something you wish to avoid for this reason.
"I felt another presence in the room. I felt it with absolute conviction. My skin broke out in gooseflesh. The candles guttered and faded. I hoped to all the gods I could think of that they would not go out. They remained lit, but the light they provided was different, somehow. It was as though the light itself was black."
“Power does things to a man’s mind. It unlocks his baser instincts which the process of civilization has before occluded. Powerful men are closer in mind to wild beasts than they are to their supposed human inferiors.”—SIR WILLIAM THE HONEST
What a great debut!
We are in the bleak depths of winter, with no breath of spring in sight, instead, the air is frozen in a seemingly eternal ice age, but there are cracks forming on the surface of the frosted lake that is the Empire of the Wolf. The vast domain of this superpower is governed by strict laws, enforced by the unyielding iron gloved "Justices" who travel the lands and make sure the Emperor's laws are not trampled upon. These Justices have received vigorous training in the intricacies of law, and one might argue that despite their desire for goodness, they are quite removed from their humanity and have perhaps lost their souls within the endless sea of laws and doctrines,but doubtlessly, they are enforcers of absolute fairness and bring order to the chaos, or they at least were until recently. The iron fist of justice has been losing its previously unfaltering grip, and with little deviations here and there, the foundations of long years of peace are threatened to collapse into endless pits of chaos and lawlessness.
Our story follows one of these Justices, a man named Sir Konrad Vonvalt, as he investigates the brutal murder of a noblewoman, wife of a well known aristocrat. After having started this investigation, Vonvalt begins to realize that it is not a simple murder, triggered by a possible robbery or some other form of assault, but that it is simply the tip of a very large iceberg of corruption and blackmail.While Vonvalt and his team are working on uncovering the truths behind this mystery, strange events begin to unfold around them, as Vonvalt realizes that his powerful sway on the nobles which has kept them in line for decades is beginning to falter. Vonvalt is an idealist, unyielding in his convictions and his belief in the power of good. As a character, he is authoritative and commands respect simply by his presence alone, however, he not only emits power, but also an aura of protectiveness, within which one feels secure and in the hands of the protective arms of the state, an entity that has existed longer than the individuals presently alive. Reading about this character, who is simultaneously kind yet ruthless in the application of the law with cold and hard and unyielding logic, was quite an enjoyable roller-coaster.
“Justice is not vengeance, and vengeance is not justice. But the two often overlap. The state is as capable of vengeance as any individual, for what is the state if not the people that comprise us?”—SIR RANDALL KORMONDOLT
However, Vonvalt is not the main point of view we follow in this book. Instead, we follow his 19 year-old clerk, who has been saved by a lifetime of probable misery and poverty by Vonvalt. This clerk admires Vonvalt, ,i>but is also occasionally appalled by his calculated exertions of ruthlessness to further the word of law. The writing style here reminded me of The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, which is one of my favourite fantasy trilogies of all-time. Like in that trilogy, this book is narrated in the first person by Vonvalt's clerk, who is writing this story as an elder, recounting their memories with Vonvalt. The writing style was exquisite, and Richard Swan truly has a talent with words, seamlessly immersing the reader into the cold wintry atmosphere of the world, and having the blandest conversations seem fascinating due to the choice of his words which are woven together beautifully.
Another similarity to Robin Hobb is the author's ability to create extremely detestable characters who we cannot root for. The villains in this story have the potential of having the reader's blood boil just by their presence alone.The themes explored are profound, especially the shattering of idealism. The world here is a cruel one, and once the firm foundations of the word of law begin to crumble, we get to experience just how cruel humanity can be. We see the dark side of society, and how easily it can devolve into anarchy, and break the spirit of even the most headstrong and idealistic person. This is a story where even the most benevolent heroes can turn into ruthless villains, becoming the monsters they were so resolutely intent on fighting.
“It is impossible to impress upon a man the severity of a situation until the point of its remedy is long past. ‘Tis something to do with the nature of a human being, that ingrained idiocy. The gods must shake their heads at us in disbelief.”—JUSTICE SOPHIA JURAS
This is a must read for fantasy lovers, and if you're a fan of grimdark and dark fantasy, this book will very likely scratch that itch for you. Magic is definitely present here, but not the main focal point. The two types of magic we see used are the ability to compel someone to speak the truth through the "The Emperor's Voice", and the very dark practice of necromancy, specifically the ability to reanimate the corpses of the dead in order to speak with them.
I highly recommend this book, and as a debut novel, it is extremely impressive! My little complaints would be the sometimes never-ending dialogues that seem to drag for a bit too long, and the relatively slow first quarter of the book, which had gotten me to believe that I would be giving it a 3 star rating. Additionally, there is an insta-love dynamic that felt very shallow and out of place in this otherwise mature universe Richard Swan has built. If you are a fantasy lover, please give this book a try, it is a gem and the beginning of a potentially great fantasy series. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book as soon as it is released!
Note that this book has its fair share of graphic violence and gore, so be forewarned if it is something you wish to avoid for this reason.
"I felt another presence in the room. I felt it with absolute conviction. My skin broke out in gooseflesh. The candles guttered and faded. I hoped to all the gods I could think of that they would not go out. They remained lit, but the light they provided was different, somehow. It was as though the light itself was black."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Gore, and War
More...