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_qwert's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Death, Genocide, Torture, Slavery, Murder, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, War, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Racism
andra_mihaela_s's review
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.25 stars!
Sooo..we have here a great epic fantasy debut like no other I have read before!
We follow Sir. Konrad Vonvalt- a Justice in the name of the Imperial Magistratum, his clerk, Helena Sedanka, and his faithful ally and taskman, Dubine Bressinger, as they travel the vast Sovan Empire with the sole purpose of delivering justice where and when is needed.
CW: murder, torture, religious bigotry, attempted assault, graphic description of battles, abuse, sexual violence, genocide, confinement, cultural appropriation
This book was a surprise for me, as it was completely different than what I expected! Instead of an action-packed fantasy with lots of politics, I was greeted by a slow, deliberate narrative where the central aspect was the law, the murder mystery that sparkled the whole chain of events that we are told lead to the fall/ the reorganisation of the whole Empire as Helena tells as in her account of her past.
We follow a first-person narrative focused on Vonvalt and what it entails to be a Justice in this world. We have lots of world-builing regarding the affairs of the state, law, religion and politics, coupled with mentions of the wars the Empire lead in the not so distant past for furthering his objectives.
As we are in Helena's memories, be prepared to follow a nineteen-year old girl who doesn't know what she wants and how to relate to her current feelings on what is happening around her.
She is grateful for the chance offered to her, but warry of actually doing what Vonvalt does in the future, she is very good at what she does, but she doesn't think this is what she wants for herself, and, obviously, as per age, she is easily distracted and uncertain about anything and everything.
As I mentioned before, we have a book centered around law, the state and religion, so if you want to read something addressing the importance of keeping separate these institutions with a little magic(really loved the particular way in which Justices uses magic ^^) and a fantasy setting...please read this book! ^^
This book won't be for everyone; you need a little patience and a desire to delve into the legalities of solving a murder mystery from the perspective of the law, not the usual protagonists that just forces it's way into the investigation.
After 150pages ( I know its a lot to ask from many :( ) I was completely hooked in both the religious aspect revolving about the village of Rill, as the mystery ongoing in the Galen's Vale. Helena's perspective felt refreshing and kept me very interested in what Vonvalt will do next!
I gave this book a little over 4 stars mainly due to its strong worldbuilding and unique (to me) themes; the character development, although not bad by any means, it was noticeably less in focus.
By the end of the book, we had great events, some tragic moments, while others where quite amazing (loved 2 particular scenes when Vonvalt used his status to enact what justice means to him) and even battles with high stakes to complete the amazing portrait of this world; Vonvalt evolved in a certain way and I cannot wait to read what comes next in the "Empire of the Wolf" trilogy!
Hope I stirred your interest!
Enjoy
Sooo..we have here a great epic fantasy debut like no other I have read before!
We follow Sir. Konrad Vonvalt- a Justice in the name of the Imperial Magistratum, his clerk, Helena Sedanka, and his faithful ally and taskman, Dubine Bressinger, as they travel the vast Sovan Empire with the sole purpose of delivering justice where and when is needed.
CW: murder, torture, religious bigotry, attempted assault, graphic description of battles, abuse, sexual violence, genocide, confinement, cultural appropriation
This book was a surprise for me, as it was completely different than what I expected! Instead of an action-packed fantasy with lots of politics, I was greeted by a slow, deliberate narrative where the central aspect was the law, the murder mystery that sparkled the whole chain of events that we are told lead to the fall/ the reorganisation of the whole Empire as Helena tells as in her account of her past.
We follow a first-person narrative focused on Vonvalt and what it entails to be a Justice in this world. We have lots of world-builing regarding the affairs of the state, law, religion and politics, coupled with mentions of the wars the Empire lead in the not so distant past for furthering his objectives.
As we are in Helena's memories, be prepared to follow a nineteen-year old girl who doesn't know what she wants and how to relate to her current feelings on what is happening around her.
She is grateful for the chance offered to her, but warry of actually doing what Vonvalt does in the future, she is very good at what she does, but she doesn't think this is what she wants for herself, and, obviously, as per age, she is easily distracted and uncertain about anything and everything.
As I mentioned before, we have a book centered around law, the state and religion, so if you want to read something addressing the importance of keeping separate these institutions with a little magic(really loved the particular way in which Justices uses magic ^^) and a fantasy setting...please read this book! ^^
This book won't be for everyone; you need a little patience and a desire to delve into the legalities of solving a murder mystery from the perspective of the law, not the usual protagonists that just forces it's way into the investigation.
After 150pages ( I know its a lot to ask from many :( ) I was completely hooked in both the religious aspect revolving about the village of Rill, as the mystery ongoing in the Galen's Vale. Helena's perspective felt refreshing and kept me very interested in what Vonvalt will do next!
I gave this book a little over 4 stars mainly due to its strong worldbuilding and unique (to me) themes; the character development, although not bad by any means, it was noticeably less in focus.
By the end of the book, we had great events, some tragic moments, while others where quite amazing (loved 2 particular scenes when Vonvalt used his status to enact what justice means to him) and even battles with high stakes to complete the amazing portrait of this world; Vonvalt evolved in a certain way and I cannot wait to read what comes next in the "Empire of the Wolf" trilogy!
Hope I stirred your interest!
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Genocide, and Confinement
Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Murder, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: War
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