(Title: The Trials of Empire / Author: Richard Swan / Publisher: Orbit / Publication Date: February 8, 2024 / Total Pages: 496)
Back Cover Blurb
THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND.
The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet.
To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies - to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova.
Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane - but such allegiances carry a heavy price.
As the battlelines are drawn in both Sova and the afterlife, the final reckoning draws close. Here, at the beating heart of the Empire, the two-headed wolf will be reborn in a blaze of justice...or crushed beneath the shadow of tyranny.
Review
This is a review that is going to be really tough to write because this book is the culmination of what is one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. We tend to overuse this phrase in book reviewing spheres but in this case it truly cannot be understated what a monumental achievement Richard Swan has bestowed upon readers with this fabulous trilogy. As this is the final entry in the Empire of the Wolf story I will of course attempt to avoid any spoilers for those who haven't yet read any of the previous ones.
THE TRIALS OF EMPIRE picks up right where the middle book The Tyranny of Faith left off. The Empire is in quite a state of flux and uncertainty and it is left to Justice Konrad and Helena to attempt to set things right. The problem is they are going against an enemy that seems invincible given the fact that there are otherworldly powers and entities backing his mission. Claver is one of the more fanatical villains you will ever meet and it's obvious that his deeply rooted extremist beliefs take precedence over whatever rational thought once existed within him. Events and circumstances set up perfectly for what was in my opinion a brilliant finale and wrap up of the compelling plot laid out in books one and two.
Again I have to praise Richard Swan for the method in which he tells his story, having a supporting character Helena convey the activity of the main character Konrad Vonvalt. I've mentioned the uniqueness of this delivery in previous reviews but I can't stress enough how effective it is in telling this particular story. Helena serves as the rational foil to the sometimes unhinged Vonvalt. We often experience her trepidation and skepticism of him via her inner thoughts juxtaposed against her vivid descriptions of Vonvalt's sometimes questionable behavior and overzealous actions. It's a cool way of absorbing the story and it takes a gutsy writer to try and pull it off, but it works beautifully in my opinion.
This book did so much to justify the reading investment of the first two and the final half of it seemed to speed by for me up to the thrilling and highly moving conclusion. Richard Swan lays out the blueprint for exactly how you should end a series. Every plot thread is wrapped up tightly, the action is remarkably frenzied, characters are put to the test and challenged to overcome overwhelming adversity, and you as the reader leave the story feeling as though you've had every single box checked in what you look for in an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
I do believe that Swan left the door open for more books to come in this universe upon having read the epilogue. I guess we will see if that ultimately happens. Regardless, this is a series that stands proudly on its own as a towering example of how great fantasy can completely wow us and make us feel transported to another wondrous place and time. I for one am so delighted that I had the pleasure of taking this journey. I highly recommend that you do too. It's one that you won't soon forget, I promise you that.
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