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godfrina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Vonvalt tended to deal with entirely alone, on account of my inexperience and relative youth. And as an impertinent young woman, I resented this."
The language used in this book carried the story telling so well. I will be reading the rest of the series and possibly more from this author for sure. The gore and violence is strong at times, as is expected in a story about justice, conflict and empires, but it fits the narrative.
The language used in this book carried the story telling so well. I will be reading the rest of the series and possibly more from this author for sure. The gore and violence is strong at times, as is expected in a story about justice, conflict and empires, but it fits the narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Violence, Death, War, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Vomit, Alcohol, and Torture
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Animal death
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Context:
I borrowed The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan from my library through the Libby App.
Review:
The Justice of Kings worked for me, due in large part to the refreshingly unique way Swan frames the novel. The obvious choice would have been to follow Vonvalt’s perspective, but instead, the book follows the retrospective POV of his clerk, nineteen-year-old Helena. This choice would have been disastrous if he had used Helena merely as a device through which to focus on Vonvalt; however, in my opinion, her character is well-written and adds considerable texture to the story. Helena is a realistic example of what would happen if you follow a nineteen-year-old clerk in a fantasy novel rather than the stereotypical protagonist with “main character syndrome.” She’s smart and eager to please, but also self-centered, moody, and occasionally rash. She makes a lot of mistakes due to her youth and inexperience. She’s limited by her gender, emotional vulnerability, and social position, but she also demonstrates agency and initiative. I also liked that she responded to situations of danger and violence with a realistic level of terror and horror; it's not often that we get to read about a protagonist who panics instead of automatically acting like a hero. While I can understand why some might consider her character to be sexist, Helena reminds me of myself when I was a nineteen-year-old girl—especially in how she confuses the overwhelming awe, affection, and dependency she feels toward the older male figures in her life for potential romantic feelings. Her whirlwind romance with the first attractive boy she befriends made sense to me in the context of her upbringing and situation.
Helena is a fascinating character in her own right, but her perspective allows us to gain a unique understanding of those around her, particularly Vonvalt. The depth of love and admiration she has for him—despite an intimate knowledge of his flaws—provides new layers to his character development as he faces a new world in which his nearly overwhelming power is suddenly threatened. Through her eyes, the themes of justice and power that this book explores gain added meaning.
Beyond the wonderfully crafted character development, Swan demonstrates competent worldbuilding and plot development in The Justice of Kings. The magic system is limited, and the world is not as expansive as some epic fantasy series, but Swan smartly focuses on building a strong story instead of throwing a large number of names, places, and exposition at the reader. As the plot gradually builds to a gripping crescendo, Swan opens the door for greater worldbuilding and plot development in future books. Overall, The Justice of Kings impressed me, and I plan on picking up the second book soon.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like The Justice of Kings if . . .
· You want to read a story with well-written characters and a gripping plot
· You like medieval-inspired fantasy
· You want to read a fantasy story through the lines of a non-traditional protagonist
You might not like The Justice of Kings if . . .
· You are not in the mood for a very dark and violent book
· You don’t want to read a book from the perspective of a moody teenage girl
· You want to read a fantasy story with epic, colorful worldbuilding
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, and Rape
blacksphinx's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, War, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Confinement, Vomit, Torture, Xenophobia, Fatphobia, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Child death
prynne31's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was well-written. Just not sure I'm the target audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Torture, Colonisation, Confinement, Classism, Child death, Animal death, Medical trauma, Grief, Excrement, and Death of parent
Necromancysergek94's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was the pick of The Fantasy Guild Book Club for the month of March 2022.
“Power does things to a man’s mind. It unlocks his baser instincts which the process of civilization has before occluded. Powerful men are closer in mind to wild beasts than they are to their supposed human inferiors.”—SIR WILLIAM THE HONEST
What a great debut!
We are in the bleak depths of winter, with no breath of spring in sight, instead, the air is frozen in a seemingly eternal ice age, but there are cracks forming on the surface of the frosted lake that is the Empire of the Wolf. The vast domain of this superpower is governed by strict laws, enforced by the unyielding iron gloved "Justices" who travel the lands and make sure the Emperor's laws are not trampled upon. These Justices have received vigorous training in the intricacies of law, and one might argue that despite their desire for goodness, they are quite removed from their humanity and have perhaps lost their souls within the endless sea of laws and doctrines,but doubtlessly, they are enforcers of absolute fairness and bring order to the chaos, or they at least were until recently. The iron fist of justice has been losing its previously unfaltering grip, and with little deviations here and there, the foundations of long years of peace are threatened to collapse into endless pits of chaos and lawlessness.
Our story follows one of these Justices, a man named Sir Konrad Vonvalt, as he investigates the brutal murder of a noblewoman, wife of a well known aristocrat. After having started this investigation, Vonvalt begins to realize that it is not a simple murder, triggered by a possible robbery or some other form of assault, but that it is simply the tip of a very large iceberg of corruption and blackmail.While Vonvalt and his team are working on uncovering the truths behind this mystery, strange events begin to unfold around them, as Vonvalt realizes that his powerful sway on the nobles which has kept them in line for decades is beginning to falter. Vonvalt is an idealist, unyielding in his convictions and his belief in the power of good. As a character, he is authoritative and commands respect simply by his presence alone, however, he not only emits power, but also an aura of protectiveness, within which one feels secure and in the hands of the protective arms of the state, an entity that has existed longer than the individuals presently alive. Reading about this character, who is simultaneously kind yet ruthless in the application of the law with cold and hard and unyielding logic, was quite an enjoyable roller-coaster.
“Justice is not vengeance, and vengeance is not justice. But the two often overlap. The state is as capable of vengeance as any individual, for what is the state if not the people that comprise us?”—SIR RANDALL KORMONDOLT
However, Vonvalt is not the main point of view we follow in this book. Instead, we follow his 19 year-old clerk, who has been saved by a lifetime of probable misery and poverty by Vonvalt. This clerk admires Vonvalt, ,i>but is also occasionally appalled by his calculated exertions of ruthlessness to further the word of law. The writing style here reminded me of The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, which is one of my favourite fantasy trilogies of all-time. Like in that trilogy, this book is narrated in the first person by Vonvalt's clerk, who is writing this story as an elder, recounting their memories with Vonvalt. The writing style was exquisite, and Richard Swan truly has a talent with words, seamlessly immersing the reader into the cold wintry atmosphere of the world, and having the blandest conversations seem fascinating due to the choice of his words which are woven together beautifully.
Another similarity to Robin Hobb is the author's ability to create extremely detestable characters who we cannot root for. The villains in this story have the potential of having the reader's blood boil just by their presence alone.The themes explored are profound, especially the shattering of idealism. The world here is a cruel one, and once the firm foundations of the word of law begin to crumble, we get to experience just how cruel humanity can be. We see the dark side of society, and how easily it can devolve into anarchy, and break the spirit of even the most headstrong and idealistic person. This is a story where even the most benevolent heroes can turn into ruthless villains, becoming the monsters they were so resolutely intent on fighting.
“It is impossible to impress upon a man the severity of a situation until the point of its remedy is long past. ‘Tis something to do with the nature of a human being, that ingrained idiocy. The gods must shake their heads at us in disbelief.”—JUSTICE SOPHIA JURAS
This is a must read for fantasy lovers, and if you're a fan of grimdark and dark fantasy, this book will very likely scratch that itch for you. Magic is definitely present here, but not the main focal point. The two types of magic we see used are the ability to compel someone to speak the truth through the "The Emperor's Voice", and the very dark practice of necromancy, specifically the ability to reanimate the corpses of the dead in order to speak with them.
I highly recommend this book, and as a debut novel, it is extremely impressive! My little complaints would be the sometimes never-ending dialogues that seem to drag for a bit too long, and the relatively slow first quarter of the book, which had gotten me to believe that I would be giving it a 3 star rating. Additionally, there is an insta-love dynamic that felt very shallow and out of place in this otherwise mature universe Richard Swan has built. If you are a fantasy lover, please give this book a try, it is a gem and the beginning of a potentially great fantasy series. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book as soon as it is released!
Note that this book has its fair share of graphic violence and gore, so be forewarned if it is something you wish to avoid for this reason.
"I felt another presence in the room. I felt it with absolute conviction. My skin broke out in gooseflesh. The candles guttered and faded. I hoped to all the gods I could think of that they would not go out. They remained lit, but the light they provided was different, somehow. It was as though the light itself was black."
“Power does things to a man’s mind. It unlocks his baser instincts which the process of civilization has before occluded. Powerful men are closer in mind to wild beasts than they are to their supposed human inferiors.”—SIR WILLIAM THE HONEST
What a great debut!
We are in the bleak depths of winter, with no breath of spring in sight, instead, the air is frozen in a seemingly eternal ice age, but there are cracks forming on the surface of the frosted lake that is the Empire of the Wolf. The vast domain of this superpower is governed by strict laws, enforced by the unyielding iron gloved "Justices" who travel the lands and make sure the Emperor's laws are not trampled upon. These Justices have received vigorous training in the intricacies of law, and one might argue that despite their desire for goodness, they are quite removed from their humanity and have perhaps lost their souls within the endless sea of laws and doctrines,but doubtlessly, they are enforcers of absolute fairness and bring order to the chaos, or they at least were until recently. The iron fist of justice has been losing its previously unfaltering grip, and with little deviations here and there, the foundations of long years of peace are threatened to collapse into endless pits of chaos and lawlessness.
Our story follows one of these Justices, a man named Sir Konrad Vonvalt, as he investigates the brutal murder of a noblewoman, wife of a well known aristocrat. After having started this investigation, Vonvalt begins to realize that it is not a simple murder, triggered by a possible robbery or some other form of assault, but that it is simply the tip of a very large iceberg of corruption and blackmail.While Vonvalt and his team are working on uncovering the truths behind this mystery, strange events begin to unfold around them, as Vonvalt realizes that his powerful sway on the nobles which has kept them in line for decades is beginning to falter. Vonvalt is an idealist, unyielding in his convictions and his belief in the power of good. As a character, he is authoritative and commands respect simply by his presence alone, however, he not only emits power, but also an aura of protectiveness, within which one feels secure and in the hands of the protective arms of the state, an entity that has existed longer than the individuals presently alive. Reading about this character, who is simultaneously kind yet ruthless in the application of the law with cold and hard and unyielding logic, was quite an enjoyable roller-coaster.
“Justice is not vengeance, and vengeance is not justice. But the two often overlap. The state is as capable of vengeance as any individual, for what is the state if not the people that comprise us?”—SIR RANDALL KORMONDOLT
However, Vonvalt is not the main point of view we follow in this book. Instead, we follow his 19 year-old clerk, who has been saved by a lifetime of probable misery and poverty by Vonvalt. This clerk admires Vonvalt, ,i>but is also occasionally appalled by his calculated exertions of ruthlessness to further the word of law. The writing style here reminded me of The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, which is one of my favourite fantasy trilogies of all-time. Like in that trilogy, this book is narrated in the first person by Vonvalt's clerk, who is writing this story as an elder, recounting their memories with Vonvalt. The writing style was exquisite, and Richard Swan truly has a talent with words, seamlessly immersing the reader into the cold wintry atmosphere of the world, and having the blandest conversations seem fascinating due to the choice of his words which are woven together beautifully.
Another similarity to Robin Hobb is the author's ability to create extremely detestable characters who we cannot root for. The villains in this story have the potential of having the reader's blood boil just by their presence alone.The themes explored are profound, especially the shattering of idealism. The world here is a cruel one, and once the firm foundations of the word of law begin to crumble, we get to experience just how cruel humanity can be. We see the dark side of society, and how easily it can devolve into anarchy, and break the spirit of even the most headstrong and idealistic person. This is a story where even the most benevolent heroes can turn into ruthless villains, becoming the monsters they were so resolutely intent on fighting.
“It is impossible to impress upon a man the severity of a situation until the point of its remedy is long past. ‘Tis something to do with the nature of a human being, that ingrained idiocy. The gods must shake their heads at us in disbelief.”—JUSTICE SOPHIA JURAS
This is a must read for fantasy lovers, and if you're a fan of grimdark and dark fantasy, this book will very likely scratch that itch for you. Magic is definitely present here, but not the main focal point. The two types of magic we see used are the ability to compel someone to speak the truth through the "The Emperor's Voice", and the very dark practice of necromancy, specifically the ability to reanimate the corpses of the dead in order to speak with them.
I highly recommend this book, and as a debut novel, it is extremely impressive! My little complaints would be the sometimes never-ending dialogues that seem to drag for a bit too long, and the relatively slow first quarter of the book, which had gotten me to believe that I would be giving it a 3 star rating. Additionally, there is an insta-love dynamic that felt very shallow and out of place in this otherwise mature universe Richard Swan has built. If you are a fantasy lover, please give this book a try, it is a gem and the beginning of a potentially great fantasy series. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book as soon as it is released!
Note that this book has its fair share of graphic violence and gore, so be forewarned if it is something you wish to avoid for this reason.
"I felt another presence in the room. I felt it with absolute conviction. My skin broke out in gooseflesh. The candles guttered and faded. I hoped to all the gods I could think of that they would not go out. They remained lit, but the light they provided was different, somehow. It was as though the light itself was black."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Gore, and War
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