Book Review - THE JUSTICE OF KINGS by Richard Swan

(Title: The Justice of Kings / Author: Richard Swan / Publisher: Orbit / Publication Date: February 22, 2022 / Total Pages: 496)

Book Blurb

As an Emperor's Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt always has the last word. His duty is to uphold the law of the empire using whatever tools he has at his disposal; whether it's hi blade, the arcane secrets passed down from Justice to Justice, or his wealth of knowledge of the laws of the empire. But usually his reputation as one of the most revered - and hated - Justices is enough to get most any job done.

 When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a noblewoman, he finds his authority being challenged like never before. As the simple case becomes more complex and convoluted, he begins to pull at the threads that unravel a conspiracy that could see an end to all Justices, and a beginning to lawless chaos across the empire.

Review

It's always the books that I loved the most that are the most difficult to review. I know that's not unique to many reviewers, but this is indeed going to be challenging as I enjoyed this story on a level that really makes it hard to articulate. There are so many reasons to pick up this book and catapult it to the very top of your TBR. Here are just some of them...

The very first thing that surprised me about this book is that the main character Vonvalt's story isn't told through his eyes or the author's via third person for that matter. Rather it's quite fascinatingly told in the first person through the narration of another character Helena, who serves as Justice Vonvalt's clerk. She is a pretty major character in her own right, but getting to experience Vonvalt's exploits through her and to see how it affects her journey as well was quite interesting. It also gave the story an added dimension that made it so much more enjoyable in my opinion.

As we get to know these people better along with some others, the main plot of the story begins to take shape. Vonvalt has been charged by the emperor to investigate reports of a witch practicing an outlawed form of religion called Draedism. But it soon becomes clear that things are much more complicated than a simple task of meting out the emperor's justice and cleaning up a few fringe elements operating just outside the Empire's reach. Then when a murder is discovered that may have a connection to all of this, Vonvalt and Helena find themselves embroiled in a conspiracy that could threaten to destroy the empire and its loyalists for good.

Vonvalt is a character who believes that no matter what, the law is paramount and nobody is above it. So much so that he often views everything through this myopic lens, to the exclusion of any other considerations. So it was really fascinating to see his beliefs challenged at times and how he struggled to reconcile the reality of what was going on around him with what had been ingrained in him from his earliest years as a Justice of the Empire. Helena's loyalty to Vonvalt (for reasons you will find out) is a recurring theme and she feels a certain obligation to protect him, yet doesn't always approve of his methods. There's also a hint of a possible romantic attachment between them that further complicates their relationship. I was entranced by their interactions from the very first page and Richard Swan breathes so much life into them that I felt like I knew them intimately.

Something that really made this a next level read for me was the astounding magic system and how it is integral to the enforcement of the laws of the Empire. Only Justices of the empire are empowered with the special knowledge to perform certain magic and it is what separates them from the faith-based Templars. Among these powers is the ability for a Justice to speak to the dead by traveling to another plane where the spirit resides. This comes in very handy when prying for information from someone you accidentally ran through with your sword. It does come with its risks however, because if not done carefully things can bleed into the real world that are quite vile and nasty to say the least. But that's just one of the many cool magic elements in this book. There's so much jaw-dropping sorcery that you'll just have to read it to see what I'm talking about.

Finally, what really sent me over the moon with this book was the incredibly intense intrigue and hateful conflict between the Empire's servants and the religious faction on the opposing side. That central conflict is truly what made this a magnificent read that I couldn't put down. The Justices on one side believe in abiding by the laws of man while those faithful to the Neman religion believe that all laws spring from her and her alone. So you can see where something has to give here, yeah? That tension carries on throughout this mesmerizing story and made for some truly heart-pounding moments for sure.

There aren't many books that can make me totally obsessed quite like I was with THE JUSTICE OF KINGS. This is a book that demands that you read it to the exclusion of all outside distractions. So much darkness, grit, intrigue, conspiracy, action, drama, crazy magic, I mean...not a lot compares to this reading experience. I was sad to have it all end but also exhilarated at the prospect of getting to find out how this tale continues and ultimately concludes. I'm sure that Richard Swan will deliver on the goods, as he already has beautifully with this epic first entry in the Empire of the Wolf series. THE JUSTICE OF KINGS is one of the very best, if not THE BEST debut fantasies I've ever read. 

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