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maralyne 's review for:
The Justice of Kings
by Richard Swan
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Justice of Kings is a fast-paced adventure that combines mystery, legal drama, and old fashioned medieval corruption and violence. The narrator, Helena, is the younge protege and clerk of Sir Konrad Vonvalt - a Justice, which is essentially a travelling magistrate responsible for enforcing the Empire's laws. Early in the book, they are called upon to solve the mystery of a noble woman's death, which rapidly snowballs into a larger, more deadly conspiracy.
It has a lot of good murder mystery elements, and Konrad and Helena follow clues like expense reports and public gossip, along with evidence gathered through more magical means. I enjoyed the investigation parts of the book for how grounded they are, even as some of the more fantasy elements are applied.
Throughout the investigation, Helena and Konrad argue over laws and their enforcement, and the gap between their ideals and their reality is a major theme in this book. Where that leads them is not unexpected. I think it was foreshadowed and built up well. I enjoyed how the story weaved its worldbuilding seamlessly with Helena's lessons, Konrad's investigation, and the political manueverings they're brought into. The story never felt bogged down by the context it needed to introduce.
If I had to offer one criticism, I would say that the story could have added a few more moments to breathe and let the characters simmer. I think it would have been nice to get some anecdotes/flashbacks about how Konrad would normally handle cases, before the viper's nest that this story centers on. It would have served as a better contrast to his character development instead of Helena's narration of his changes.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading Justice of Kings. I devoured the book, and it kept me turning the pages. I look forward to reading more of the series.
It has a lot of good murder mystery elements, and Konrad and Helena follow clues like expense reports and public gossip, along with evidence gathered through more magical means. I enjoyed the investigation parts of the book for how grounded they are, even as some of the more fantasy elements are applied.
Throughout the investigation, Helena and Konrad argue over laws and their enforcement, and the gap between their ideals and their reality is a major theme in this book. Where that leads them is not unexpected. I think it was foreshadowed and built up well. I enjoyed how the story weaved its worldbuilding seamlessly with Helena's lessons, Konrad's investigation, and the political manueverings they're brought into. The story never felt bogged down by the context it needed to introduce.
If I had to offer one criticism, I would say that the story could have added a few more moments to breathe and let the characters simmer. I think it would have been nice to get some anecdotes/flashbacks about how Konrad would normally handle cases, before the viper's nest that this story centers on. It would have served as a better contrast to his character development instead of Helena's narration of his changes.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading Justice of Kings. I devoured the book, and it kept me turning the pages. I look forward to reading more of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Trafficking, War
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Abandonment