Scan barcode
A review by bannedfrombookclub
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This was well done and an interesting fantasy for a few reasons. It's part police procedural, part political intrigue, part gore fest.
It's a book where the narrator is not the protagonist, though Hellena might grow into that role in the later books. The story is about Vonvalt, a kind of romano-germanic Judge Dredd with some low-magic whose authority and morality are tested by those who would remake the empire in their image.
Another interesting aspect is that this is a battle to maintain law and civilization that's under threat from religious fundamentalists, rather than the usual over throw of an evil emperor shtick. So it's very much in conversation with modern events in the West.
It's also a female narrator written by a man, and I'll give this an 7/8 out of 10 on that front. Don't know if I should add or remove points for the reverse fridging of her love interest, a romantic connection that felt flat and forced in any case.
It's a book where the narrator is not the protagonist, though Hellena might grow into that role in the later books. The story is about Vonvalt, a kind of romano-germanic Judge Dredd with some low-magic whose authority and morality are tested by those who would remake the empire in their image.
Another interesting aspect is that this is a battle to maintain law and civilization that's under threat from religious fundamentalists, rather than the usual over throw of an evil emperor shtick. So it's very much in conversation with modern events in the West.
It's also a female narrator written by a man, and I'll give this an 7/8 out of 10 on that front. Don't know if I should add or remove points for the reverse fridging of her love interest, a romantic connection that felt flat and forced in any case.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault