Scan barcode
A review by bubblewombat
Grave Empire by Richard Swan
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“Our plans, Majesty?”
“Your plans, Ambassador, to save the world.”
I'm a huge fan of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, so of course I had to read Grave Empire, which is set in the same world, but a few centuries later.
I'm happy to report that this book is just as good as that series, and that I loved every single chaotic moment of it.
We went so much deeper into the world and its inhabitants, it's no wonder my favourite parts had to do with mer and cat people, they were just so fascinating.
It started off a bit slow, but in no time the pacing picked up and I had a hard time putting the book down.
Out of three PoVs we got, Peter's was my favourite, because the poor guy couldn't catch a break. It seemed like EVERYTHING was out to get him, and I loved following him from the get go. His PoV also had the most horror elements.
Then there's Renata, my second favourite, who got the chance to shine when she finally met the mer people. I loooooved exploring the underwater world so much, and the sharks??? STOP THAT'S SO CUTE!! Where can one learn Selachomancy? Asking for me.
Despite not being as skilled as Maruska (cue Maruška by Šaban Bajramović), she stepped up to the task and did an amazing job, if you ask me. I can't wait to see where her character will go in the next books.
And von Oldenburg...I didn't like him, for reasons that will become obvious when you read the book, but I did enjoy following his PoV all the same (good part of the reason is Yelena), just not as much as the other two.
Mr Swan's writing has been perfect from his very first book, and yet he still finds ways to improve. Grave Empire reflects this, being the smoothest story yet. I have a feeling that readers who are new to this world will have no trouble following anything, because it's crystal clear from the start.
With that said, you should read the first trilogy so you can enjoy the little Easter eggs we got, and because it's one of my favourites (seriously, read it).
I'm in awe at how "new" Richard Swan made the world seem, it's not just "oh it's been 200 years", you can actually SEE the changes, not just world wise, but character wise as well, the way they behave etc.
Speaking of, I'm glad to see even more Slavic names and places popping up, keep it up Mr Swan, you have my seal of approval.
I have to mention the uniqueness of the plot, it perfectly ties into what happened before, while still being something new and creative (afterlife going silent, what could be causing it? Dun dun dun).
The ending made me a bit mad, but in a good way, like what do you mean there are no more pages to flip and I have to wait till the next book is released?? It was an interesting place to end the story, that's for sure.
Reading this book was such an amazing experience, I can't wait to return to this world again and again.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
“Your plans, Ambassador, to save the world.”
I'm a huge fan of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, so of course I had to read Grave Empire, which is set in the same world, but a few centuries later.
I'm happy to report that this book is just as good as that series, and that I loved every single chaotic moment of it.
We went so much deeper into the world and its inhabitants, it's no wonder my favourite parts had to do with mer and cat people, they were just so fascinating.
It started off a bit slow, but in no time the pacing picked up and I had a hard time putting the book down.
Out of three PoVs we got, Peter's was my favourite, because the poor guy couldn't catch a break. It seemed like EVERYTHING was out to get him, and I loved following him from the get go. His PoV also had the most horror elements.
Then there's Renata, my second favourite, who got the chance to shine when she finally met the mer people. I loooooved exploring the underwater world so much, and the sharks??? STOP THAT'S SO CUTE!! Where can one learn Selachomancy? Asking for me.
Despite not being as skilled as Maruska (cue Maruška by Šaban Bajramović), she stepped up to the task and did an amazing job, if you ask me. I can't wait to see where her character will go in the next books.
And von Oldenburg...I didn't like him, for reasons that will become obvious when you read the book, but I did enjoy following his PoV all the same (good part of the reason is Yelena), just not as much as the other two.
Mr Swan's writing has been perfect from his very first book, and yet he still finds ways to improve. Grave Empire reflects this, being the smoothest story yet. I have a feeling that readers who are new to this world will have no trouble following anything, because it's crystal clear from the start.
With that said, you should read the first trilogy so you can enjoy the little Easter eggs we got, and because it's one of my favourites (seriously, read it).
I'm in awe at how "new" Richard Swan made the world seem, it's not just "oh it's been 200 years", you can actually SEE the changes, not just world wise, but character wise as well, the way they behave etc.
Speaking of, I'm glad to see even more Slavic names and places popping up, keep it up Mr Swan, you have my seal of approval.
I have to mention the uniqueness of the plot, it perfectly ties into what happened before, while still being something new and creative (afterlife going silent, what could be causing it? Dun dun dun).
The ending made me a bit mad, but in a good way, like what do you mean there are no more pages to flip and I have to wait till the next book is released?? It was an interesting place to end the story, that's for sure.
Reading this book was such an amazing experience, I can't wait to return to this world again and again.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*