Scan barcode
A review by destinae
Grave Empire by Richard Swan
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
In Grave Empire, Richard Swan brings the reader with him through a version of Sova that is in the early stages of industrialization, having eschewed magical practice and turned its focus to industry and conquest.
Renata Ranier, a young ambassador to the Stygion ( a reclusive and purportedly-barbaric race of mermen ), finds herself swept up in a campaign to intervene before a fledgling apocalypse destroys the world as she knows it.
Grave Empire is a bleak, violent, and bloody story of political and social intrigue. Swan pulls no punches in his honest and candid portrayal of musket-and-cannon warfare, bringing the reader into the grisly reality that his protagonists cannot escape. Diverse, unflinching, and brutal, this story expands on and complicates Sova in a story that is both accessible to newer fans of the universe and packed with subtle reminders of the events of Empire of the Wolf.
The prose is complex and dense, but rewards the reader with a rich and complicated world. This story turns its focus from the legal proceedings of Swan's prior series to the legislative challenges of a changing world in a narrative that is equal parts historical fantasy, psychological horror, period warfare, and social commentary.
Renata Ranier, a young ambassador to the Stygion ( a reclusive and purportedly-barbaric race of mermen ), finds herself swept up in a campaign to intervene before a fledgling apocalypse destroys the world as she knows it.
Grave Empire is a bleak, violent, and bloody story of political and social intrigue. Swan pulls no punches in his honest and candid portrayal of musket-and-cannon warfare, bringing the reader into the grisly reality that his protagonists cannot escape. Diverse, unflinching, and brutal, this story expands on and complicates Sova in a story that is both accessible to newer fans of the universe and packed with subtle reminders of the events of Empire of the Wolf.
The prose is complex and dense, but rewards the reader with a rich and complicated world. This story turns its focus from the legal proceedings of Swan's prior series to the legislative challenges of a changing world in a narrative that is equal parts historical fantasy, psychological horror, period warfare, and social commentary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Drug abuse and Grief