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A review by spellboundbybooks
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It looks like I'm in the minority with this one. Let me say this was a solid read with interesting characters and a steady plot. But it didn't grab me the way I hoped it would. I think I set my expectations too high.
What I really liked is the magic of the Justices. Necromancy has always been a favourite of mine and I really want to explore that more.
The plot starts out with Vonvalt and Helena investigating a murder and as the book goes on, we realise this murder has much wider ramifications for the world at large. I found myself more interested in those ramifications than in the the actual murder mystery itself.
I'm an emotional reader, so if I don't connect with a character or what is happening to them, the story just doesn't grab as strongly. It took me a long time to really warm to Helena and get to know her and Vonvalt better.
Due to this it wasn't until toward the end of the book that I really became invested in them. Everything is coming to a head and those ramifications I mentioned are being realised, and I could finally feel myself really wanting to dive in to the story.
So while I didn't love this first book as much as I hoped, I am genuinely excited for the sequel. I've heard that it dips over into horror and I'm really intrigied to see how the author does this.
What I really liked is the magic of the Justices. Necromancy has always been a favourite of mine and I really want to explore that more.
The plot starts out with Vonvalt and Helena investigating a murder and as the book goes on, we realise this murder has much wider ramifications for the world at large. I found myself more interested in those ramifications than in the the actual murder mystery itself.
I'm an emotional reader, so if I don't connect with a character or what is happening to them, the story just doesn't grab as strongly. It took me a long time to really warm to Helena and get to know her and Vonvalt better.
Due to this it wasn't until toward the end of the book that I really became invested in them. Everything is coming to a head and those ramifications I mentioned are being realised, and I could finally feel myself really wanting to dive in to the story.
So while I didn't love this first book as much as I hoped, I am genuinely excited for the sequel. I've heard that it dips over into horror and I'm really intrigied to see how the author does this.