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mikarala'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
4.0
Finally, a fantasy trilogy where the first book actually has its own contained plot! Not only that, but the tension rises throughout the novel and leaves us with a really good sequel hook! That probably shouldn't be refreshing, but so often I find this is something multi-series works struggle with. There's so much to like with this novel.
First of all, I really enjoyed the world-building. This is a relatively low-fantasy world, and up until the climax I probably wouldn't have called it quite grimdark, as the world was a little too...orderly. Honestly, it really strongly reminded me of the world in the middle school/YA series The Rangers Apprentice, which is not super glamorous, but also doesn't reach the bleak levels of some more notable crapsack worlds, such as ASOIAF or First Law. However, things did get fairly gory near the end, so it's probably somewhere between neutral to fairly dark. But anyways, not the point.
I found this novel did very good job of developing the world without overwhelming the reader with exposition. There's maybe a page near the start that was a little heavy-handed in that regard, but overall I think the author managed to slowly build up the world naturally through the narrative. The narrative, of course, is centered on a Justice of the Sovan Empire, who travels from town to town dispenses justice. While magic isn't common in this universe, Justices hold a very high place in society and some use and knowledge of magic is a part of their training. As a result of this, Sir Konrad Vonvalt, our protagonist/deuteragonist, has the ability to compel people to reveal the truth and also some limited necromancy skills. This magical knowledge is a zealously guarded secret, and I really enjoyed how this became an important aspect of the plot.
I really enjoyed Vonvalt's character journey throughout this book. I picked up this book because the description gave me very strong "Ned Stark in King's Landing investigating Jon Arryn's death" vibes. However, while I do think your opinion on that story may be a good indicator for if you'll enjoy this novel, it's not really too similar. First of all, this novel takes place in a town a fair distance from the empire's capital, and as a result, the political intrigue is fairly limited. Although some political machinations still definitely form an important aspect of this story, it doesn't quite permeate the whole setting and atmosphere the way it does in Game of Thrones. In other words, I definitely wouldn't describe this as a political thriller.
Vonvalt is also not Ned Stark, lol. I really like him as a character, and he shares some traits, such as his belief in the law and justice, as well as his lack of political instinct. But the differences also become more clear over the course of the novel, culminating with some blunt foreshadowingthat reveals Vonvalt is headed down a dark path. Vonvalt's belief and trust in the strength of governmental institutions is challenged to the point where he basically turns to vengeance and vigilantism, which I thought was an absolutely fantastic character arc. In the comparison with Ned Stark, it's quite clear by the end of this book that Vonvalt is more blood-thirsty and probably a fair bit more arrogant. In any case, though, I thought his characterization was really well done and one of the most compelling parts of this novel.
However, I can't say I feel the same about Helena, his clerk and our actual narrator. I don't think I dislike Helena, necessarily, but something about her narrative voice was frustrating to me, and I think I would identify it as my biggest/only dislike with this story. Basically, this story is told from the POV of an elderly Helena relating the adventures she lived as a 19-20yo following Vonvalt around on his journeys. This resulted in some moments where she interjects with commentary about how she realized so-and-so "in hindsight" and some heavy foreshadowing--and by this, I mean she more or less reveals some major developments, while omitting how they happen. It takes the tone of an old person assuming you have some fundamental knowledge of the historical events occuring at the time of the story and their subsequent outcomes. Personally, this really took me out of the story and was something I didn't enjoy. I felt like it really detracted from the immediacy of the action and lessened the overall tension when things were happening in the natural course of the narrative and the older Helena sort of stepped back to offer some perspective and interpretation of her actions at the time. Honestly, something about it almost seemed genre dissonant, like this narrative technique belonged more in a historical fiction or lit fic book, idk. In any case, I did find it to be a distraction that lessened my enjoyment of the story.
That being said, I still think this is a really good book and a very strong first entry for a trilogy.
First of all, I really enjoyed the world-building. This is a relatively low-fantasy world, and up until the climax I probably wouldn't have called it quite grimdark, as the world was a little too...orderly. Honestly, it really strongly reminded me of the world in the middle school/YA series The Rangers Apprentice, which is not super glamorous, but also doesn't reach the bleak levels of some more notable crapsack worlds, such as ASOIAF or First Law. However, things did get fairly gory near the end, so it's probably somewhere between neutral to fairly dark. But anyways, not the point.
I found this novel did very good job of developing the world without overwhelming the reader with exposition. There's maybe a page near the start that was a little heavy-handed in that regard, but overall I think the author managed to slowly build up the world naturally through the narrative. The narrative, of course, is centered on a Justice of the Sovan Empire, who travels from town to town dispenses justice. While magic isn't common in this universe, Justices hold a very high place in society and some use and knowledge of magic is a part of their training. As a result of this, Sir Konrad Vonvalt, our protagonist/deuteragonist, has the ability to compel people to reveal the truth and also some limited necromancy skills. This magical knowledge is a zealously guarded secret, and I really enjoyed how this became an important aspect of the plot.
I really enjoyed Vonvalt's character journey throughout this book. I picked up this book because the description gave me very strong "Ned Stark in King's Landing investigating Jon Arryn's death" vibes. However, while I do think your opinion on that story may be a good indicator for if you'll enjoy this novel, it's not really too similar. First of all, this novel takes place in a town a fair distance from the empire's capital, and as a result, the political intrigue is fairly limited. Although some political machinations still definitely form an important aspect of this story, it doesn't quite permeate the whole setting and atmosphere the way it does in Game of Thrones. In other words, I definitely wouldn't describe this as a political thriller.
Vonvalt is also not Ned Stark, lol. I really like him as a character, and he shares some traits, such as his belief in the law and justice, as well as his lack of political instinct. But the differences also become more clear over the course of the novel, culminating with some blunt foreshadowing
However, I can't say I feel the same about Helena, his clerk and our actual narrator. I don't think I dislike Helena, necessarily, but something about her narrative voice was frustrating to me, and I think I would identify it as my biggest/only dislike with this story. Basically, this story is told from the POV of an elderly Helena relating the adventures she lived as a 19-20yo following Vonvalt around on his journeys. This resulted in some moments where she interjects with commentary about how she realized so-and-so "in hindsight" and some heavy foreshadowing--and by this, I mean she more or less reveals some major developments, while omitting how they happen. It takes the tone of an old person assuming you have some fundamental knowledge of the historical events occuring at the time of the story and their subsequent outcomes. Personally, this really took me out of the story and was something I didn't enjoy. I felt like it really detracted from the immediacy of the action and lessened the overall tension when things were happening in the natural course of the narrative and the older Helena sort of stepped back to offer some perspective and interpretation of her actions at the time. Honestly, something about it almost seemed genre dissonant, like this narrative technique belonged more in a historical fiction or lit fic book, idk. In any case, I did find it to be a distraction that lessened my enjoyment of the story.
That being said, I still think this is a really good book and a very strong first entry for a trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Violence, and Sexual harassment
No actual rape, but threat of rape discussed and fairly immediate at points in novel.dogearedbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and War
claireisagrisha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Pros:
- Political Intrigue - was very interesting how this was discussed and how Helena, the narrator, talks about it
- Fantasy
- Murder Mystery
- The Narrator, Helena !!
Cons:
- Bruh it was just long and I get that it takes a while to build a world, but it just dragged on.
- It didn’t always captivate me. I was bored sometimes, but I will not give up on books I’m reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
caitb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape
pvbobrien'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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
bookishwondergoth's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Every now and then a book will come along that I feel was written specifically for me to enjoy. ‘The Justice of Kings’ is one such book. Essentially a murder mystery framed by enormous political upheaval, the story follows the Emperor’s Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt. Accompanied by his taskman Dubine Bressinger and his clerk (and our narrator) Helena Sedanka, Vonvalt makes his way from town to town across the Sovan Empire, exacting the law as judge, jury and executioner.
I don’t think—outside of Skulduggery Pleasant—I’ve ever read a fantasy crime book before, but that’s basically what this book is. There’s so much weighing of the law vs justice vs morality amongst these pages, that it’s easy to see where comparisons to Andrzej Sapkowski’s ‘The Witcher’ come from. The rumination on these different factors made for such thought-provoking reading, and I was totally invested in the outcome of each case.
Richard Swan is a wonderful storyteller with a keen grasp of character. Subtext is key, and it’s what’s unsaid as much as it is what’s said. Helena is a highly fallible narrator, writing as an older woman looking back on her young petulant self. I found her fraught, jealous, hormonally-charged father/daughter relationship with Vonvalt relatable and endearing, and Richard Swan falls into none of the traps male fantasy authors are prone to falling into when writing about hormonal young women. I thought he did a really good job. Vonvalt also is a compelling and charismatic protagonist (for truly, it is his story Helena is telling), and I definitely grew attached to this dysfunctional little family in ways that will no doubt hurt me in future books to come.
The framing narrative of the crumbling Sovan Empire was, in my opinion, far less interesting than the legal nuances of the murder mystery at its core, which is why my rating drops down to 4 stars for me. I would honestly love to read an entire book that solely consists of Vonvalt, Bressinger and Helena travelling around and episodically exacting the law. I just find it so so interesting. AND it got proper brutal in places, my God! Just… all the things I love. Like it was written specially for me, like I said.
Loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait for ‘The Tyranny of Faith’.
I don’t think—outside of Skulduggery Pleasant—I’ve ever read a fantasy crime book before, but that’s basically what this book is. There’s so much weighing of the law vs justice vs morality amongst these pages, that it’s easy to see where comparisons to Andrzej Sapkowski’s ‘The Witcher’ come from. The rumination on these different factors made for such thought-provoking reading, and I was totally invested in the outcome of each case.
Richard Swan is a wonderful storyteller with a keen grasp of character. Subtext is key, and it’s what’s unsaid as much as it is what’s said. Helena is a highly fallible narrator, writing as an older woman looking back on her young petulant self. I found her fraught, jealous, hormonally-charged father/daughter relationship with Vonvalt relatable and endearing, and Richard Swan falls into none of the traps male fantasy authors are prone to falling into when writing about hormonal young women. I thought he did a really good job. Vonvalt also is a compelling and charismatic protagonist (for truly, it is his story Helena is telling), and I definitely grew attached to this dysfunctional little family in ways that will no doubt hurt me in future books to come.
The framing narrative of the crumbling Sovan Empire was, in my opinion, far less interesting than the legal nuances of the murder mystery at its core, which is why my rating drops down to 4 stars for me. I would honestly love to read an entire book that solely consists of Vonvalt, Bressinger and Helena travelling around and episodically exacting the law. I just find it so so interesting. AND it got proper brutal in places, my God! Just… all the things I love. Like it was written specially for me, like I said.
Loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait for ‘The Tyranny of Faith’.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
emilyacres's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual violence, Grief, and War
Minor: Ableism and Child death
prynne31'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
3.75
It was well-written. Just not sure I'm the target audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Necromancyideal_casie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism and Mental illness
Minor: Child death and Grief
michaelferlazzo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. It had a Sherlock Holmes but in Skyrim feel to it and I was all for it. I flew through the book and I am excited to see what is next in this (hopefully) series. His writing is really good, but he does use words I feel he pulled out of a thesaurus. My only gripe story wise is; Dubine(Bressinger) should have died! He should have died, and Radomir replace him, b/c Radomir joins them anyway! But really enjoyed this book, and that might be why I have so many opinions about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Rape