The Justice of Kings
- Downloads：5461
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-26 07:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Richard Swan
- ISBN：0356516423
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
No man is above the law。
Sir Konrad Vonvalt is a Justice - a judge， jury and executioner all in one。 He is sworn to travel the Empire and uphold the law by way of his sharp intellect， arcane powers and skill as a swordsman。
Yet these are dangerous times， even for a Justice。 When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat， he unearths a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society。
As the stakes rise and become ever more personal， Vonvalt must make a choice: will he abandon the laws he's sworn to uphold in order to protect the empire？
Introducing an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon， The Justice of Kings is an unmissable debut where action， intrigue and magic collide。
Sir Konrad Vonvalt is a Justice - a judge， jury and executioner all in one。 He is sworn to travel the Empire and uphold the law by way of his sharp intellect， arcane powers and skill as a swordsman。
Yet these are dangerous times， even for a Justice。 When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat， he unearths a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society。
As the stakes rise and become ever more personal， Vonvalt must make a choice: will he abandon the laws he's sworn to uphold in order to protect the empire？
Introducing an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon， The Justice of Kings is an unmissable debut where action， intrigue and magic collide。
Reviews
Joseph Smith
，
I love any story where the third acts is the best， and my goodness that was one hell of an ending。 A clever procedural investigation that morphs into a brutal war story， this is a fantastic start to what will no doubt be another classic series！
Brandi
，
After spending two months struggling to find a will to finish this， I've decided to throw in the towel。 When I first heard about this book I was soooooo excited。 Immediate pre-order and everything。 But ultimately this lived up to none of my expectations。 I found Helena to be unbearable because you could tell she was a female character written by a man。 The murder mystery was fine， but not what I was looking for。 And the story as a whole lacked consistent pacing。 Maybe I'll try this again on audi After spending two months struggling to find a will to finish this， I've decided to throw in the towel。 When I first heard about this book I was soooooo excited。 Immediate pre-order and everything。 But ultimately this lived up to none of my expectations。 I found Helena to be unbearable because you could tell she was a female character written by a man。 The murder mystery was fine， but not what I was looking for。 And the story as a whole lacked consistent pacing。 Maybe I'll try this again on audio some time， but that probably won't at any point in the foreseeable future 。。。more
TheDigressiveApproach
，
Huge thanks to NetGalley， the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own。---I really enjoyed The Justice of Kings。 There's a lot to like: the magic system， storytelling， plot twists and compelling characters all wrapped in an amazingly rich setting。Although I had my doubts in the beginning of the story， I quickly grew accustomed to and even became more immersed in the story every time Hele Huge thanks to NetGalley， the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own。---I really enjoyed The Justice of Kings。 There's a lot to like: the magic system， storytelling， plot twists and compelling characters all wrapped in an amazingly rich setting。Although I had my doubts in the beginning of the story， I quickly grew accustomed to and even became more immersed in the story every time Helena's POV came up。 Her character provides a different insight into those of Vonvalt and Bressinger。 All three main characters are really well developed in fact and their dynamics are richly portrayed。Despite having simple prose rather than something overly flowery， this story's setting is detailed and a lot of time is dedicated to exploring the cultures and belief systems in it。 Moral dilemmas and questions crop up often and are handled really well while giving more depth to our main characters。Overall， this is a fantastic read and one of my favorites this year。 I'm excited for the next one！Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
KitKat The #BookNerd KBbookreviews
，
A Justice is Judge， Jury and Executioner。⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 4 out of 5。4 StarsSynopsis: Helena is a clerk for Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 Together with Bressinger， the third member of their cohort， the three must get to the bottom of the murder of a Lady。 But things are changing and a new threat rises。CW/TW: Death/Murder/Immolation/Child Death （mentioned）/Rape （Mentioned）/Abuse/Assault/Severe Injury and Wounding/Hanging/Animal Death/Amputation/Gore/Violence/Beheading – other’s found in high or epic fan A Justice is Judge， Jury and Executioner。⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 4 out of 5。4 StarsSynopsis: Helena is a clerk for Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 Together with Bressinger， the third member of their cohort， the three must get to the bottom of the murder of a Lady。 But things are changing and a new threat rises。CW/TW: Death/Murder/Immolation/Child Death （mentioned）/Rape （Mentioned）/Abuse/Assault/Severe Injury and Wounding/Hanging/Animal Death/Amputation/Gore/Violence/Beheading – other’s found in high or epic fantasy may also be present。The Justice Of Kings， by Richard Swan is an epic fantasy dealing with law， morality and justice。 So I went into this book with very little knowledge， but I did think that Vonvalt was the MC。 He is a main character， but the actual main character， the one whose perspective we see through， is Helena’s – which I really enjoyed。 The book is told from the perspecctive of Helena who is documenting her time with Vonvalt， so we get a unique narrative where， at times， she addresses the reader。 The prose is complex and matches that of a high/epic fantasy， with gritty descriptions and strong dialogue that works well to show the connections between the characters。The pace is slow， with the story being driven by the characters。 There is an underlying plot， but with a murder case at the centre of the story – the characters are the crucial driving force。 The short chapters and strong characters， however， work well with the slow pacing， keeping you engaged and propelling you through。The actual plot is primarily that of uncovering the truth behind the murder of a Lady。 Vonvalt， being Justice， takes over the case and works with Helena， Bressinger and the towns own law enforement to discover why she was killed and who did it。 The murder case was an interesting puzzle that held a lot of twists and turns that were fun to watch unfold over the course of the book， particularly as they uncovered evidence and formulated theories to be proven。 While this created a lot of intrigue and mystery， it is not the only thing going on we get hints to other problems and threats that are growing while Vonvalt works on the case。 Helena’s retrospective narration， and the hints we get from the characters over the course of the book， work well to build tension and fuel the mystery of the larger issues that are occuring in this world。From murder， trickery， and corruption， to religious uprisings and the blurred lines of justice and morality。 This story has a lot of intriguing twists and turns for you to explore。The characters are very strong in this book， though I would have liked a few more female characters to have played a part。 However， the female characters who are at the centre （primarily Helena） are very well written， realistic and complex。 Helena is stubborn， headstrong and clever， but compliant when it comes to Vonvalt for she thinks she owes him。 I really enjoyed that the book was from her perspective and I really liked her character。Vonvalt was also a compelling character， Helena’s perspective is also more balanced than expected。 We get to see his flaws and his slow development， as well as his strengths and good traits。 Vonvalt is an impressive character with a lot of power， and it is so fascinating to watch how he handles this， justice and the law。 I also like his dynamic with Helena。Bressinger is the final part of the trio， the brawn。 He is interesting too， though heavily flawed， and yet you still like him because there is a vulnerability to him。 His connetions with Vonvalt and Helena show a lot about his character and works well to explore all the character dynamics。There are a lot more characters that you will meet in this book， all of with are interesting and complex！ You will love and hate so many of them， the cast is really fantastic。 The only issue I had was there is an instance of insta-love – I personally do not like this trope and was not really invested。 But， not much time is spent focusing on it， so it didn’t impact much of the book。 I also really liked all the villains and allies we meet along the way too – some with history with the characters， some new – Swan does a good job at forming impressions for his characters and connecting us with them。Overall， this is a gritty， intriguing read with murder， mystery， magic， dark plots and corruption。 THis is perfect for someone who wants a story that explores the line of Justice and when it becomes revenge。*I received an ARC from Nazia @ Orbitbooks in exchange for an honest review – Thank you！*https://kbbookreviews867789450。wordpr。。。 。。。more
maggie
，
This book was so frustrating because the first quarter was so good and then it got progressively worse as it went along … more thorough review to come。
Hamad
，
That cover though！
Lena （Sufficiently Advanced Lena）
，
First， thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the review copy。 So。。。well。。。 this is awkward。。。 The Justice of Kings was one of my most anticipated releases of this year， especially after seeing so many of my friends giving this 5 stars， which made me hella excited， but the truth at last is that I'm pretty dissapointed （and that makes so damn sad）。Let's just start with what I liked。 Obviously the fact that the main theme is the law。 Most of the moral debates I really enjoyed and the application of com First， thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the review copy。 So。。。well。。。 this is awkward。。。 The Justice of Kings was one of my most anticipated releases of this year， especially after seeing so many of my friends giving this 5 stars， which made me hella excited， but the truth at last is that I'm pretty dissapointed （and that makes so damn sad）。Let's just start with what I liked。 Obviously the fact that the main theme is the law。 Most of the moral debates I really enjoyed and the application of common law on itself I loved。 And also because of this Vonvalt was the most interesting part of the book。 The main focus on the story in this first one is a murder mystery， we also get some sneak peaks at what seems to be a good chunk of political intrigue but it not really explored in this one （something which I look forward to in the next books of the series）。 Furthermore I'm really looking forward to explore the world in general。The memoir type of narration is one of my weak spots， I love it most of the times。 Also the goriness at the end， huge fan of that。 Though i wouldn't call this grimdark it definitely has some dark fantasy undertones。Now， for what I activaly disliked。。。。 Why is Helena treated as a teeanger when she is 19？ Like there is a huge diference between a 15 year old and a 19 year old。 This leads me to the most unnecessary love story I've read in a long time。 It came out of nowhere。 Really， I'm someone who really doesn't like romance in general， but this one was terrible， at least have your characters spend sometime with eachother before they say they are in love。 （honestly it made no sense， I even thought I missed a chapter）。 I'm happy that it didn't took over the entire book but it was still prominent enough at some parts。The other thing that bother me a lot was that one character （keeping it spoiler free） had her mind severed from her body。 And the MC just referred to her like a "drooling simpleton" wtf。 Also， they decided to treat her like she was dead cause you know。。。 simpleton。 There were many ways to described that in a less ableist way。 In an overall summary The Justice of Kings left me pretty cold， also adding that my expectations were really high so now it is a major disappointment。 Still， I will read the next books in a series because is a debut novel and with some fixes it can become a great series。Full video review coming next week 。。。more
Katie Soderlund
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC， it has not affected my honest review。 The Justice of Kings is exactly the kind of law based， epic character driven fantasy that I need in 2022。 This is a world of morally grey characters preaching and trying to practise justice， clashing with a religion that was once only seen as a nuisance and the ambitions of lords。 The highlight- and what made this story so different to others in the genre- is that the main POV is not the cha Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC， it has not affected my honest review。 The Justice of Kings is exactly the kind of law based， epic character driven fantasy that I need in 2022。 This is a world of morally grey characters preaching and trying to practise justice， clashing with a religion that was once only seen as a nuisance and the ambitions of lords。 The highlight- and what made this story so different to others in the genre- is that the main POV is not the character mentioned in the synopsis， Sir Konrad Vonvalt but actually his clerk and justice in training， Helena。 Using her as a main perspective allows for a greater view of the world that Richard Swan has built: here is a girl from the streets who is being trained， a little unwillingly， to dispense justice on people across the country。 It isn't a life she wants or one she'd even choose for herself， but she finds herself staying with Vonvalt （and his companion Bressinger） out of loyalty and a desire to be something greater。 Seeing her gradual realisation that the man she sees as her teacher and the living embodiment of justice is actually just a man was weaved together with her own story of trying to determine what she wants for herself。 Helena's perspective and character growth aside （she is writing this story as an old woman）， I loved the mystery aspect of this book which starts out with the small town murder of a prominent woman and leads into the corrupt behaviours of rich men and religion across the entire country， aided （unintentionally） by the brash and arrogant actions of Vonvalt。 These are characters with a deep history and morals， all of which are challenged throughout the 600 pages， and the ending especially speaks of greater things to come in the future。 Richard Swan has written a thrilling mystery， with a fascinating magical and religious system， alongside characters who preach one message and act another。 I'm so glad I read this book and I'm eager for the next two in the series！ 。。。more
sol
，
very intrigued
Grace Dionne
，
4。5⭐️Full video review coming soon :）
Caitlin
，
Justice of Kings follows the path of famed Imperial Justice， Sir Konrad Vonvalt， as he attempts to bring the common law to all corners of the Empire。 Written from the viewpoint of his young law clerk， Helena， and also accompanied by the swordsman Bressinger， they are drawn into a murder investigation in a merchant town far from the capital。 What begins as a simple investigation starts to unravel as they discover a conspiracy that threatens the imperial law they are sworn to uphold。 Justice of Ki Justice of Kings follows the path of famed Imperial Justice， Sir Konrad Vonvalt， as he attempts to bring the common law to all corners of the Empire。 Written from the viewpoint of his young law clerk， Helena， and also accompanied by the swordsman Bressinger， they are drawn into a murder investigation in a merchant town far from the capital。 What begins as a simple investigation starts to unravel as they discover a conspiracy that threatens the imperial law they are sworn to uphold。 Justice of Kings takes its time revealing the grim world of the Empire of the Wolf as Helena， Vonvalt and Bressinger conduct their investigation and the world has a very historical， lived-in feel that reminded me a bit of Robin Hobb combined with The Witcher。 The atmosphere and tension is built slowly but deliberately to a tense， action-packed finish。 I'm impressed that this was a debut as Swan does an excellent job in orchestrating that tension and exploring themes of justice and law in what felt like an organic way rather than just dumping exposition at every opportunity。 The prose is uncomplicated but compelling and kept me intrigued。There are however， a few gripes that keep this from being a full five-star glowing review for me。 First， the story is written as a memoir but the commentary from older Helena looking back on it felt awkward in places and there's an unfortunate tendency to disrupt suspense with comments about how it all went to shit before the reader actually sees it go badly。 As it gets closer to the ramping up of events， this seemed to occur even more often。 Second， I had some frustrations with some of the characters。 Helena is believable as a teenager， but occasionally it gets almost maudlin and I started losing patience with her POV。 I also had a bit of a hard time towards the end with Vonvalt's character arc。 （view spoiler）[While I liked the theme of what it takes to make a man lose faith in his beliefs and turn from justice to vengeance， the transition felt too fast towards the end。 （hide spoiler）] I'm curious to see if Swan will sell this more in the next entry in the series though and I'm excited to see more of Helena as she gets older。Overall， I really enjoyed The Justice of Kings。 I felt so immersed in this grim world， （sometimes to the point that I needed a more cheerful book afterwards） and I loved the thematic exploration throughout the story。 This is well worth picking up if you don't mind a fantasy story that starts a bit slow and feels nearly like historical fiction with fairly low levels of magic and supernatural elements。 I will certainly be picking up the next book in the series and honestly， would probably pick up anything Swan writes in the future。 CAWPILE Rating-----------------Characters: 9/10Atmosphere: 10/10Writing: 8/10Plot: 8/10Intrigue: 8/10Logic: 9/10Enjoyment: 8/10Overall: 8。6/10 = 4。5 stars （rounded down to 4 for GR） 。。。more
JJ Acosta
，
In short， a remarkable fantasy debut for Richard Swan。Drawing from his considerable knowledge as a litigator， Swan draws us into the world of Imperial Justice Konrad Vonvalt and his retinue in the fledgling Empire of the Wolf。 Drawn to Garen's Vale to investigate the murder of a local noblewoman， the Imperial agents become entangled in a web of deceit， whose architects intend to unravel the strained relationships between controlling organisations of the empire。Swan's influences range from Warham In short， a remarkable fantasy debut for Richard Swan。Drawing from his considerable knowledge as a litigator， Swan draws us into the world of Imperial Justice Konrad Vonvalt and his retinue in the fledgling Empire of the Wolf。 Drawn to Garen's Vale to investigate the murder of a local noblewoman， the Imperial agents become entangled in a web of deceit， whose architects intend to unravel the strained relationships between controlling organisations of the empire。Swan's influences range from Warhammer 40，000’s iconic Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett to C。J Sansom's Shardlake and the uncompromising tour de force of 2000 A。D's Judge Dredd。 In the hands of a lesser author， such influences could come off as derivative or over the top， but Swan writes Vonvalt （and indeed the fantasy elements of the setting） with enough restraint to make those influences entirely his own。 If Vonvalt's relentless pursuit of justice drives the plot of the book， then its beating heart belongs to the excellently rendered Helena Sedanka， Vonvalt's nineteen-year old clerk from whose recollections we follow throughout the course of the story。 The tribulations of Sedanka's complex relationships with various characters in the book framed against an ostensibly police procedural with far reaching consequences， gives us a glimpse into the turmoil and emotionally draining theme of duty。The Justice of Kings is a complex story with a cast of （mercifully few） compelling， three-dimensional characters and political intrigues， compounded by fantasy elements that don't stray into the usual tropes。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Devan Hughes
，
Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the advance copy！This book is the first in a fantasy epic series， and is told from the point of view of Justice Konrad Vonvalt’s clerk， Helena， as an old woman looking back on her life in Vonvalt’s service。The first two thirds of this book reads like Sherlock Holmes meets fantasy epic。 Vonvalt， Helena， and their companion Bressinger are completing routine checks for the empire when they come across a perplexing murder。 As they investigate the case， Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the advance copy！This book is the first in a fantasy epic series， and is told from the point of view of Justice Konrad Vonvalt’s clerk， Helena， as an old woman looking back on her life in Vonvalt’s service。The first two thirds of this book reads like Sherlock Holmes meets fantasy epic。 Vonvalt， Helena， and their companion Bressinger are completing routine checks for the empire when they come across a perplexing murder。 As they investigate the case， they begin to unravel a conspiracy that threatens to bring the world as they know it crashing around them。The third act of this story is genuinely one of the wildest I’ve ever read。 I was sitting in my silent， calm living room， reading next to my husband， when something happened that literally made me yelp “holy shit！” out loud。Overall， this was a fascinating take on a fantasy world， if a little slower than I expected at first。 Some of Helena’s characterization was a little shallow， feeling more like a dad trying to guess at what his teenage daughter might be thinking or feeling， but this is also a debut， and I feel confident that those issues can easily be fixed moving forward。The Justice of Kings releases TODAY and I highly recommend it to any fantasy fan！！ 。。。more
Kay
，
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan was an amazing read。 The work is well written and deep。 The author managed to weave a a fantasy tale that has been littered with legal references that I found to be fascinating and completely relevant to the real world。 The novels main hero is Sir Konrad Vonvalt an Emperor of Justice （a sheriff） who is surprisingly kind， understanding and lenient in some regards。 The entire story is told from his clerks point of view as they traverse towns。 It is a unique poi The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan was an amazing read。 The work is well written and deep。 The author managed to weave a a fantasy tale that has been littered with legal references that I found to be fascinating and completely relevant to the real world。 The novels main hero is Sir Konrad Vonvalt an Emperor of Justice （a sheriff） who is surprisingly kind， understanding and lenient in some regards。 The entire story is told from his clerks point of view as they traverse towns。 It is a unique point of view but I found it fascinating nonetheless。 The overall mix of legality with fantasy was what pulled me into this book and the universe that the author created。 It was raw and real and utterly wonderful to read。 The author did a wonderful job of bridging the gaps between law， fantasy and adventure。 The fight scenes were well executed and the discussions surrounding movements from ole to new religions was amazing and relevant to human history。I truly enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to see what else the author has to deliver！ A compelling tale indeed。 。。。more
Debora
，
I'm giving this a pity 3 stars but really I think it deserves a 2。5。 I'm not sure what part of the story went wrong for me。 I think it was a mix of storytelling issues， character issues， and elements that I personally don't like it fantasy。 Before I start， thank you to Orbit for giving me an ARC， I do really appreciate the chance to read this ahead of time。---Quick Synopsis: In this book we follow a Justice of the Empire， Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 He has the powers to investigate， judge， and exercise I'm giving this a pity 3 stars but really I think it deserves a 2。5。 I'm not sure what part of the story went wrong for me。 I think it was a mix of storytelling issues， character issues， and elements that I personally don't like it fantasy。 Before I start， thank you to Orbit for giving me an ARC， I do really appreciate the chance to read this ahead of time。---Quick Synopsis: In this book we follow a Justice of the Empire， Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 He has the powers to investigate， judge， and exercise punishment on those who break laws。 There is a murder mystery and a political plot that unfolds throughout the story that is better for the reader to go in blind than with prior knowledge。 The story is told from his assistant/clerk/secretary's pov， Helena， as she recounts the story from a much older age but in the story she's about 19 years old。 Characters:The most glaring issue for me were the characters。 I could describe them to an audience pretty well。 Most have aspects to them that you might see in other popular fantasy characters。 And while that is not a bad thing， I don't think these characters really stand out from their comparisons。 Also， I always felt at arms length from them the whole time。 It's like knowing someone's resume but not really "knowing" them。 I think any opportunity to emotionally connect with a character was hindered because tender moments were cut short or they were told to us by other characters with less emotional investment。 For example， when we learn of Dubine's tragic backstory， we're told his story by Vonvalt， and while it was sad， it felt more of an info dump。 My reactions were: "oh that's sad。。。oh well moving on。"Helena felt bland。 She was an ok narrator。 I don't think the story suffered from being from her POV， but I'm not sure it would have been much better if it was told from Vonvalt's or anyone else。 Again， I could recite her biography， but I don't understand who she is other than she seems to disagree with a lot of Vonvalt's choices。 She's described by other's as really bright and a perfect person for a future Justice but there's also moments where she seems super incompetent。 Romance: Quick intermission because we had a SLIGHT romance that was so strange and weird。 This might constitute as a spoiler but I'll keep it as vague as possible， or you can skip past this little romance section。 Helena early on becomes infatuated with a local member of the city garrison。 I thought because it was so poorly done， the author was merely trying to say that at Helena's young age， she becomes infatuated easily。 While it never overcomes the main plot， the romance becomes very important to Helena and does play a small part in the story。 So I think it's important enough for me， a now more well versed romance reader， to critique it。。。It was bad。 Let's just say， I blinked and they were suddenly in love。Characters （cont。）:Vonvalt was disappointing， because as intriguing as the author set him up to be， I was never enthralled by him。 The two main reasons for this were: （1） he made a very obvious mistake that， in my eyes， made him a giant fool that he could never recover from。 In any politically charged fantasy novel， a character can make a small choice that leads to greater consequences， and that's what makes these stories so addicting for me。 But seeing Vonvalt make a very obvious big mistake that leads to very big consequences gives me no satisfaction at all。 （2） Helena picks apart and judges a lot of choices that Vonvalt makes， especially in the second half of the book。 So if she has moments where she disrespects him or doesn't revere him like we're told everyone does， why should I？That being said I did grow to like August， Dubine， and especially Sir Radomir。 I think because they were minor characters， compared to Helena and Vonvalt， I didn't NEED to emotionally connect with them。 I would have liked to have seen more of August and Dubine， but I think they did exactly what the author wanted them to do for the story and I was happy with that。 Sir Radomir had a lovely arc and he would be a character that I would look forward to seeing in the next book。Story/plot:Both the political plotline and the murder mystery were fine。 I had no glaring issues with either。 I don't think any were particularly strong。 I've read better and worse。 I'm seeing other reviewers really enjoy the murder mystery aspect， but I liked the other bits of the story more。 Personal tastes， I suppose。What I was really interested in were these powers given to the Justices' to carry out their duties。 We see a few in the story。 Vonvalt has the "Voice" which can compel most people to tell the truth。 He also has some ability to talk to the recently deceased。 Both very impressive。 We also meet another Justice who can travel through animals。 I think it's a psychic connection。 Some hints of other magik abilities。 I think this will be explored later on， but I really liked them and wished we got to see more here because I'm a greedy magic lover。Other:The other issues I had are more based on personal tastes。 I'm hesitant to continue with this series because I think a major trope or theme that will be explored， and was talked about in the conclusion， is blurring vengeance and justice and how it corrupts a person's character。 Again this is personal taste so feel free to ignore this entire section but I'm not in the mood for that right now in my fantasy journey。 I've had my fill of "when they go low， we go high" type stories。 I， personally， don't feel satisfied seeing characters be the bigger person in grave situations， and if they don't， the narration demonizes them。 There's nothing wrong with this， I just don't like it。 Obviously I haven't read the next book， but it seems like that is clearly where the author is leaning and I'm just not in the mood。---I know it sounds like I'm absolutely shitting on this book， but it wasn't bad。 While I had my issues with it， I definitely think there's still an audience for it。 2。5 is literally mid， so。。。yeah。 Also it looks like I'm in the minority here。 。。。more
Stephen Merrill
，
Richard Swan joins Stephen and Ben to talk about his first traditionally published fantasy book， The Justice of Kings。 You can ORDER NOW！ YouTube:https://youtu。be/4QE_WNtDcfoApple Podcasts:https://podcasts。apple。com/us/podcast。。。Spotify:https://open。spotify。com/episode/2wc9。。。Buy the Book:https://amzn。to/3I6aHLs Richard Swan joins Stephen and Ben to talk about his first traditionally published fantasy book， The Justice of Kings。 You can ORDER NOW！ YouTube:https://youtu。be/4QE_WNtDcfoApple Podcasts:https://podcasts。apple。com/us/podcast。。。Spotify:https://open。spotify。com/episode/2wc9。。。Buy the Book:https://amzn。to/3I6aHLs 。。。more
Reid Edwards
，
As a soon-to-be law student， I love finding books that meld SFF with legal topics， and Richard Swan's The Justice of Kings does that as well as any I've found before。 Swan has built a seriously deep and full world; you only get hints of it in this first of three novels， but I'd be impressed if we only ever learn half of what he trickled out to the reader。 The characters feel authentic to their setting， with what we learn about their histories showing their growth and development。 While not heavy As a soon-to-be law student， I love finding books that meld SFF with legal topics， and Richard Swan's The Justice of Kings does that as well as any I've found before。 Swan has built a seriously deep and full world; you only get hints of it in this first of three novels， but I'd be impressed if we only ever learn half of what he trickled out to the reader。 The characters feel authentic to their setting， with what we learn about their histories showing their growth and development。 While not heavy with action， what scenes Swan has used feel hefty and vibrant， fitting of his universe。 Fans of heavy-handed plot and constant action probably should look elsewhere， but anyone interested in intrigue， politics and and the evolution/devolution of law in an alternate fantasy setting should definitely dive right in。 。。。more
James
，
Book: The Justice of KingsAuthor: Richard SwanPublisher: OrbitPublished: 2022Special thanks to Orbit for giving me access to an e-arc of this on Netgalley in return for an honest review。 tJoK is written from the perspective of Helena Sedanka， clerk to the renowned Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 She speaks directly to the reader about events she witnessed & played a part in， which ultimately led to some future catastrophe within the Empire of the Wolf。 The Empire has grown rapidly in the past centur Book: The Justice of KingsAuthor: Richard SwanPublisher: OrbitPublished: 2022Special thanks to Orbit for giving me access to an e-arc of this on Netgalley in return for an honest review。 tJoK is written from the perspective of Helena Sedanka， clerk to the renowned Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 She speaks directly to the reader about events she witnessed & played a part in， which ultimately led to some future catastrophe within the Empire of the Wolf。 The Empire has grown rapidly in the past century， largely under the guidance of the current emperor。 It is something akin to the Holy Roman Empire， in that its subsumed constituent territories still maintain some level of autonomous control。 What they must all follow， theoretically， is the Empire’s common law， a legal system which has heretofore been administered predominantly by roaming Justices， though permanent courthouses are popping up in larger settlements。When we meet Konrad， Helena & Konrad’s other attaché Dubine， they’re travelling through an innocuous village called Rill。 They discover that the inhabitants are still openly practising a banned religion。 This would be a simple matter of Konrad accepting their renouncing of the religion & a fine being paid were it not for the 4th member of their group， a young priest who has been following them around & getting on their nerves due to his naive zealotry。 He seemingly accepts Konrad’s judgment but leaves the group， who carry on their rounds until they come to a city wherein there has been a high profile murder。 From there， events in the Empire start to filter into their awareness， & the semi-comfortable state of operating which the Order of Justices have worked in starts to seem far less so。In my day job I manage the business support staff to a large legal team。 It is no way near as glamorous as following Sir Konrad Vonvalt around as his clerk， but it does mean that in this book I found the closest thing in fantasy so far to my real life & I loved it。 。。。more
Tammie
，
I felt like this book had so much potential， but ultimately just fell flat for me。 If I were to pitch this book， I would say that it's English Constituional Law 101 meets How to Get Away With Murder， with the aesthetics/setting of Skyrim。 Which again， sounds incredible， but I feel like the execution of this book leaves a lot to be desired， and while I know that this is the author's debut novel， I still think some of it is not excusable。Let's start with what I actually did really like - the theme I felt like this book had so much potential， but ultimately just fell flat for me。 If I were to pitch this book， I would say that it's English Constituional Law 101 meets How to Get Away With Murder， with the aesthetics/setting of Skyrim。 Which again， sounds incredible， but I feel like the execution of this book leaves a lot to be desired， and while I know that this is the author's debut novel， I still think some of it is not excusable。Let's start with what I actually did really like - the themes。 It's very clear to me that this author has a background in English law， and I think for the most part， the setup of the main themes here - separation of powers， common law vs canon law， natural law vs positive law - is really well done。 That being said， I feel like the book quickly just devolves into a basic murder mystery， and not enough attention is given to the themes consistently throughout the book。As for the plot itself - it was solid。 I think the murder mystery was a bit basic， but it was fast-paced and easy to read， and anyone who enjoys a very violent and action-packed climax will be happy with the last 20% of the book I think。 In terms of the characters， I feel kind of neutral about them。 I didn't dislike any of the characters per se， though I did distinctly feel like Helena fell into the trap that a lot of male SFF authors fall into and felt more like a man's idea of what a young woman is than an actual young woman。 The character dynamics between the main trio is very much reminiscent of HTGAWM， to the point where I am half convinced this might've started out as a HTGAWM fanfic。 Vonvalt is basically a male Annaliese Keating， Bressinger is Frank， and Helena is Bonnie/Wes。 Their relationship with each other and with Vonvalt in particular is very similar， and just as toxic as it is in HTGAWM， but I did enjoy it for what it was。 I have two main gripes with this book that keeps me from rating it higher。 Firstly， there is an absolutely absurd and unbelievable instalove relationship that permeates the first 60% of this book， and in my opinion， bogs down Helena's entire character arc。 When I say instalove， I mean that when Helena declares her love for this man about 20% into the book， I genuinely had no idea who this character was。 I hated it with every fibre of my being， and I felt like it was only shoehorned in because the author felt like a young female character must have a love interest， and it led to a lot of Helena's character choices revolving solely around men and not having a lot of autonomy。 My second issue with this book is the ableism。 I think if it were not for the ableism， I might've rated this book a 3 stars， but unfortunately， this really ruined the last 15% of the book for me and I wasn't able to enjoy it at all because I was so angry。 Throughout the book， I did notice multiple instances where ableist language was used as a descriptor （ie。 using the word "mute" to describe someone in shock， rather than something like "speechless"）。 However， at about the 85% mark， there is a character who magically has their mind severed from their body， and they're described as a "drooling simpleton"， which in my opinion， is incredibly offensive。 On top of this， the characters go on to speak of this character as if they are actually dead， when in the previous paragraph， it is specifically said that they are not dead， just that they lost the connection to their mind。 I think that the idea that someone who loses their mind/intelligence is equivalent to being dead is incredibly ableist， and doubly so when the language used to describe them has real world implications and history attached to a specific disability。 If this didn't happen so close to the end of the book， I probably would've DNF'd。 All in all， I think this is an okay debut。 It was a highly anticipated debut for me because of the themes that it promised， and unfortunately， it just did not meet my expectations at all。 。。。more
Danni
，
With compelling characters， fantasy adventure， examinations of mortality and fantastic prose this book was everything I could want from a fantasy。 But I just know the series is going to give so much more！ I cannot wait until the next installment is out！The character development is this book is strong。 The writing is so wonderfully detailed， the world is painted perfectly into your imagination and the characters are so understandably flawed you feel like you know them。 The narrative is perfect an With compelling characters， fantasy adventure， examinations of mortality and fantastic prose this book was everything I could want from a fantasy。 But I just know the series is going to give so much more！ I cannot wait until the next installment is out！The character development is this book is strong。 The writing is so wonderfully detailed， the world is painted perfectly into your imagination and the characters are so understandably flawed you feel like you know them。 The narrative is perfect and I cannot wait to hear more from Helena。 As the story progresses the world and the characters get much darker， Helena has become more insightful and other than chaos and war I have no idea where this series or the characters are heading。 This novel looks at justice and vengeance， right and wrong， mortality and revenge， loyalty and law。 The book's title and the concept of 'justice' take on a new meaning as the book progresses， leaving much intrigue for book two。I cannot believe this is a debut novel。 It is by far the best debut I have read。 If you like mystery， adventure， strong character development and morally grey characters in your fantasy then you need to read The Justice of Kings。 I have such high expectations for The Empire of the Wolf series and think it will be all kinds of epic！ 。。。more
Kimberly
，
This is fantasy at its finest！ I was in love with the author’s writing style， I truly felt like I was along for the adventure with Justice Vonvalt， and his retinue consisting of Dubine Bressinger and Helena。The story is mostly told from Helena’s point of view， she’s telling/remembering it during her elder years。 We travel with Vonvalt， Bressinger and Helena as they travel the Kingdom and enforce the laws of the emperor。 Justice Vonvalt has some special powers to assist in finding the truth。 We j This is fantasy at its finest！ I was in love with the author’s writing style， I truly felt like I was along for the adventure with Justice Vonvalt， and his retinue consisting of Dubine Bressinger and Helena。The story is mostly told from Helena’s point of view， she’s telling/remembering it during her elder years。 We travel with Vonvalt， Bressinger and Helena as they travel the Kingdom and enforce the laws of the emperor。 Justice Vonvalt has some special powers to assist in finding the truth。 We journey with them as they solve a case that is woven throughout the story。 It’s a really enjoyable adventure between the pages！ Highly recommend！ I was given an arc by Orbit books in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Daniel Holland
，
Anyone want some JUSTICE？！？！ "Justice of Kings" by Richard Swan is told from the pov if Helena Sedanka， a law clerk to an Emperor's Justice。 Sir Konrad Vonvault as a Justice is a traveling detective， necromancer， judge， and executioner。 So nothing bad happens！ *sweats*I'm looking forward to the more in the Empire of the Wolf Series。This book takes some inventive choices with character traits， and that had the hooks in me early。 This is not a nice world， but people trying to provide justice in su Anyone want some JUSTICE？！？！ "Justice of Kings" by Richard Swan is told from the pov if Helena Sedanka， a law clerk to an Emperor's Justice。 Sir Konrad Vonvault as a Justice is a traveling detective， necromancer， judge， and executioner。 So nothing bad happens！ *sweats*I'm looking forward to the more in the Empire of the Wolf Series。This book takes some inventive choices with character traits， and that had the hooks in me early。 This is not a nice world， but people trying to provide justice in such a place is something I enjoy reading。 The dread I felt with just a couple of sentences near the beginning was palpable， thank you Scotch as a coping mechanism。Reasons to read:-The primary three characters have layers and do things that surprise me。-Yo you thought that was a tragic backstory？ Hold all the drinks-The pacing between investigation and world building is spot on-I got invested in the legal system of a fantasy book！-The sudden and swift violence-Dramatic courtroom scenes-Shit is going to get nuts-The character growth at the end （oh shit）-Oh good another religion I'd throw hands withCons:-It is not a nice world， probably uncomfortably similar in some ways to reality。 There may be some triggering content in this story- I needed a drink 。。。more
Christina Pilkington
，
Actual rating: 4。5 starsThe Justice of Kings was such an interesting and captivating read for me。 It’s the beginning of a fantasy series that I can see just getting more and more epic as the series progresses。 The story is told through the eyes of Helena Sedanka， a 19 year old clerk for Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 Helena， Vonvalt and Vonvalt’s swordsman， Bressinger tour the backwater towns of the Empire and hear cases and pass judgement in the name of the Emperor。 Konrad has the arcane skills of Actual rating: 4。5 starsThe Justice of Kings was such an interesting and captivating read for me。 It’s the beginning of a fantasy series that I can see just getting more and more epic as the series progresses。 The story is told through the eyes of Helena Sedanka， a 19 year old clerk for Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt。 Helena， Vonvalt and Vonvalt’s swordsman， Bressinger tour the backwater towns of the Empire and hear cases and pass judgement in the name of the Emperor。 Konrad has the arcane skills of the Emperor’s Voice， a way to compel a person to speak the truth and can also speak to the dead given the right circumstances。 As Konrad investigates the death of a noblewoman， he reveals a much deeper plot that will leave far-reaching implications for the fate of the entire Empire。 My favorite genres are fantasy and mystery， so I was biased from the beginning to love this！ Swan does an amazing job of creating a fully fleshed out world。 He begins to introduce and intriguing mythology and lore， and the mystery always drew me back to the page。 I liked that just when we get a handle on the initial mystery， a far greater mystery begins to evolve that left me very excited for the future of the series。 The writing style is just detailed enough that it’s easy to visualize this world， yet the writing is never dense。 I still have vivid pictures in my mind of the small towns， forests and roads the characters travelled。 The first person structure of the book worked out perfectly for telling this story。 In fact， I would even forget it was told in first person！ It flowed so easily and I felt intimately connected with all the major characters in the story。 My favorite character is Helena。 She goes through a lot in this story， changing from a somewhat whiny and ungrateful teenager to someone who appreciates the opportunities she has been given and becomes a bit more world-wise and mature。 I’m very curious whether the story will continue from Helena’s POV or if that will change in the sequel。 My slight criticism is that the pacing in just a few places was a bit off to me， and I wanted just a bit more detail in the world-building， but I am incredibly impressed with this first book and am absolutely looking forward to continuing in this series。 I’m also very interested in reading Swan’s earlier self-published works。 *Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for my advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sarah
，
This was so good。 It was like if Robin Hobb wrote Wolf Hall。
William Gwynne
，
The Justice of Kings is out！ Heard so much praise for this fantasy debut。 My copy should be arriving any time today。 Cannot wait to dive in！
Ishtars。epeolatry
，
A new epic fantasy book with murder and political intrigue。The first 50% of the book you are learning about the world， the different players in this game。 How it it all comes together and the perilous place the world is in。 All from a novice learning her trade。 I was gripped after 50% and did not want to put the book down。 A murder investigated， leading to the use of powers beyond our understanding。 Speaking to the dead and the messages that can pass through。 A circumstance where nothing is clea A new epic fantasy book with murder and political intrigue。The first 50% of the book you are learning about the world， the different players in this game。 How it it all comes together and the perilous place the world is in。 All from a novice learning her trade。 I was gripped after 50% and did not want to put the book down。 A murder investigated， leading to the use of powers beyond our understanding。 Speaking to the dead and the messages that can pass through。 A circumstance where nothing is clear， except that this world is changing。 But will it remain with the justice？ Or will it return to the religious house？ A read which looks at the institutions universally known and questioning the morals and justice of humankind。 I couldn’t put the book down， the tense scenes led me to want to find out more。 I laugh， I cried and I was blown away by this book。 Highly recommend this read， I can see this will be a large and vast fantasy series that I am excited to read more about。 The characters are fascinating， and to each their own story and background we have only just begun to understand。 A big thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for sharing with me the e-ARC。 。。。more
Lauren Don’tGoBrekkerMyHeart
，
4。5“Empires are built and maintained with words。 Swords are mere precedent to the quill。” If you’re looking for a grim dark， expansive fantasy， look no further than The Justice of the King。TJOK is about Sir Konrad Vonvalt， an esteemed Justice to the Empire， and his experiences as problems ignite across the Empire— told through the POV of Helena Sedanka， his protégé。 Vonvalt， Helena， and Bressinger （Vonvalt's muscle） never expected one aristocratic murder to unveil a secret conspiracy to destroy 4。5“Empires are built and maintained with words。 Swords are mere precedent to the quill。” If you’re looking for a grim dark， expansive fantasy， look no further than The Justice of the King。TJOK is about Sir Konrad Vonvalt， an esteemed Justice to the Empire， and his experiences as problems ignite across the Empire— told through the POV of Helena Sedanka， his protégé。 Vonvalt， Helena， and Bressinger （Vonvalt's muscle） never expected one aristocratic murder to unveil a secret conspiracy to destroy the Empire itself， but they’re certainly going to try to stop it with every measure possible。 They'll run into loads of betrayal， vengeance， first love， and plenty of intimidating standoffs。 Any fantasy lover will adore this story for its complexity。 I’m obsessed with this convoluted Empire of morally grey people and conspiracies。 It's a perfect blend of fantasy and detective genres。"‘Tis both as tangled as a spider’s web and yet as simple as day versus night。”What I loved most about this story was the slow build in world building。 It’s been a while since I read a fantasy book that was THIS successful at not info dumping or overwhelming the reader。 Part of this is due to the small scale events at the start of the novel that build to bigger and grander issues。 You never realize how one moment can define any entire historical turning point， specifically such a small event in retrospect， but TJOK proves small moments can be the catalyst。 It was a masterful way to start this series， and I’m in love to be frank。“The wise man arms himself with knowledge before a sword。”Onto the characters specifically— Helena is a magnificent protagonist！ I didn't know going into the book that the narrator was Helena， so it was a wonderful surprise。 You come to find out she’s writing down her life following Vonvalt， and readers get amazing insight into her recollection of the past and these relationships。 Bressinger and Helena have absolutely wonderful banter， somewhat sibling-like while Vonvalt and Helena defintiely vibe with that stereotypical father-daughter bond。 Helena is one of the few instances that Vonvalt actually shows his softer side compared to the stern， serious Justice everyone else sees， and I loved that their relationship was a central part of the plot。 The end scene specifically in the whorehouse is one of my all time favorite scenes because of what it not only means for Vonvalt's character but Helena too as his protégé。 In general， Helena acknowledges she was not perfect， but whoever is perfect at nineteen？ She's young and prone to making bad decisions， but I loved that about her and even the boys too because they certainly aren't anywhere near perfect either。"All may be judged by the law， so all may uphold it。"Lastly， the magic is another great element to this story。 The biggest magical use throughout TJOK is the Emperor’s Voice， an intimidating magic that forces people to speak the truth and answer questions。 It's only commanded by Justices and takes nearly a decade to learn。 The first time it was used I was not expecting it at all， so it sent endless shivers down my spine。。。 and that’s not even involving the necromancy！ Magic plays a bit of a side part to this fantasy until the end， but I loved that。 I'm near certain book two is going to go into greater depth since everyone left is returning to Sova。 The hidden magics certainly scared me in the end， so I'm curious about what Swan has up his sleeve next。Thank you to Orbit Books for a finished copy to review！ 。。。more
Blaise
，
https://undertheradarsffbooks。com/202。。。I received an ARC of this book from Orbit in exchange for an honest review。 “No man is above the law”， probably the most clique statement you can find in our society today but in The Sovan Empire it rings true。 The Emperor dispatches his Justices throughout the land to enforce his laws against heretics and those who would worship the wrong Gods。 The Justice of Kings tells the story of one such Justice but told through the eyes of his clerk。 This Justice is https://undertheradarsffbooks。com/202。。。I received an ARC of this book from Orbit in exchange for an honest review。 “No man is above the law”， probably the most clique statement you can find in our society today but in The Sovan Empire it rings true。 The Emperor dispatches his Justices throughout the land to enforce his laws against heretics and those who would worship the wrong Gods。 The Justice of Kings tells the story of one such Justice but told through the eyes of his clerk。 This Justice is destined to cause great harm and chaos throughout the empire and this is his story。Sir Konrad Vonvalt is one of several Justices to the Emperor and it is his duty to enforce the law as written。 Equipped with the Emperor’s voice， which compels his witnesses to speak the truth， plus with a bit of necromancy no man or woman can escape his whim。 Helena Sedanka is the clerk of Sir Konrad and this is a much her story as his。 Orphaned at a young age， the Justice took her under his wing to learn the law of the land。 A murder in the Rill has caught both our main characters attention and a deep seeded plot will unfold involving politics， magic， and treachery that will lead to the heart of the Empire itself。 The rules of law we will learned throughout the journey but they may need to change to catch the people responsible。I was hooked from the very first page as Richard Swan sure knows how to grab a readers attention。 With great pacing and first person POV the plot just captures you and will not let go。 The mystery narrative to go along with a fantasy world is a nice combination and one I am seeing more and more in recent years。 The characters are the shining stars here and they will steal your heart time and time again。 One other interesting tidbit which I discovered later in the book， this story is chronicled by Helena in her rip old age。 Helena will tell you how the Empire dissolved into chaos and what the route causes were。 Very reminiscent of the storytelling of the Farseer Trilogy or Godkiller Chronicles but with a faster moving plot。Fans of mystery novels， excellent characters， and even readers with a background in law will have a blast with this novel。 The world and concept are completely original and will expand your imagination for what a fantasy novel can be。 This will be a top read in my 2022 class for sure and I know it will be in many of yours as well。Cheers！ 。。。more
Btrimbo
，
This book has the bones of an interesting story and characters but the execution is very rough。 The characters have little individual voice and they speak with the same formal english dialogue， leaving little room for individuality。 The first person narrative choice is fine however the character constantly desribes things that could be better and more engagingly shown through character actions。 There are puzzling character personality changes that could have been less jarring with early and more This book has the bones of an interesting story and characters but the execution is very rough。 The characters have little individual voice and they speak with the same formal english dialogue， leaving little room for individuality。 The first person narrative choice is fine however the character constantly desribes things that could be better and more engagingly shown through character actions。 There are puzzling character personality changes that could have been less jarring with early and more personal forays into who they are and why they act certain ways。 Instead it's chalked up to a few observatory sentences， sometimes right before the character acts out of character。 Writing a book is hard and with some serious whitling down and focused character examinations for the reader， this could have been a very good book。 As it is， I wouldn't waste any time on it。 If you are looking for a well paced story with deep characters and well written dialogue， search somewhere else。 。。。more
Lorraine
，
The Justice of Kings， by Richard Swan， is an epic fantasy that is a cross between Law and Order meets Aragorn。 This brilliant debut fantasy novel is a non-stop， action-packed novel filled with law， meting out of justice， and battle scenes that rival the best in fantasy。 Konrad Vonvalt， one of the main protagonists， is an Imperial Justice。 The complexity of Vonvalt is nothing short of astounding and he is sure to go down as one of the best characters in the fantasy genre。 While has the power to b The Justice of Kings， by Richard Swan， is an epic fantasy that is a cross between Law and Order meets Aragorn。 This brilliant debut fantasy novel is a non-stop， action-packed novel filled with law， meting out of justice， and battle scenes that rival the best in fantasy。 Konrad Vonvalt， one of the main protagonists， is an Imperial Justice。 The complexity of Vonvalt is nothing short of astounding and he is sure to go down as one of the best characters in the fantasy genre。 While has the power to be investigator， judge， and executioner， it’s not quite that simple。 His complexity is seen through the eyes of the narrator， Helena Sedanka， who is both his clerk and protégé。 They travel the Sovan Empire， also known as Empire of the Wolf， assuring that towns and cities， even in remote areas of the Empire， are following the law。 Accompanying them are Dubine Bressigner， friend and taskman to Vonvalt， and， for a time the fanatical， pious priest， Claver。 The Justice of Kings has all the fantasy elements; world building， well-developed characters， and highly unique magic。 Where it departs from the genre is in Vonvalt himself and the magic that is used， only wielded by the Empire’s Justices。 It deviates from typical fantasy justice， where the accused is assumed to be guilty， and it's “off with your head。” As a war veteran， Vonvalt is capable of fighting， and he does it very well when necessary。 Back to my original comparison， Konrad Vonvalt is a lawyer and investigator， but when pushed， he will use expertise that he gained as a soldier。 For the Empire， as Aragorn said， “you have my sword，” and Vonvalt can certainly live up to that comparison。 To say that I loved this book would be an understatement， and to know this is a debut fantasy novel by Mr。 Swan， who has written science fiction， makes it even more impressive。 Konrad Vonvolt’s name carries with it immense respect， as he is the most powerful of the Emperor’s Justices。 With his position， as with all justices， he has the use of magic， magic that varies with each。 Vonvalt has two， the Emporer’s voice， which compels people to tell the truth， and necromancy。 It is the latter that disturbs Helena， and she is present only once when he does it， as it can be dangerous。 I found this magic system to be unique not only in terms of the power he wields， but that each justice is different。 We see through Helena that Vonvolt is man of singular focus， making sure that justice is carried out fairly。 Vonvolt is neither cruel or unjust。 Quite the opposite。 He measures justice fairly， and the punishment fits the crime。 Vonvalt sees no reason for serious punishment for minor infractions。 However， one of the main lines in the story comes as they travel to the city of Galen’s Vale， where there has been a murder of a woman of nobility。 Here we see the investigative side of Vonvalt， unwilling to leave until the mystery is solved and justice is served。 Helena records all that happens， as well learns from Vonvalt。 Bressinger， whom served in the war with Vonvalt that brought about the Empire， assists。 I felt his capacity was that of a bodyguard as well。 He is protective of Helena， and vows that nothing will ever happen to her。 With his service in the war， Vonvalt is also deft with a sword and will use it in his capacity。 It is his sense of justice and duty that can cloud his vision at times。 While another Justice， August， comes to see him to tell him the Empire is in danger and he must return， his answer is as soon as this murder is solved， much to her dismay。 Vonvalt will simply not abandon what he feels is right。Being married to a lawyer， reading that Mr。 Swan was also a litigator， the justice system in this novel was absolutely fascinating for me。 As he investigates the murder， he questions suspects， tries to piece together the puzzle of the crime， and does use necromancy when it is needed。 The investigation is like an onion， as the layers are peeled back， it reveals a deep-rooted problem within the Empire。 A first for me in an epic fantasy such as this involved a trial。 A real trial with opening statements from Vonvalt and the defendant’s attorneys。 Knowing our own justice system， this was， for me， a very interesting and accurate portrayal， and further illustrates the fairness of Vonvalt。 I felt it was a brilliant choice to have Helena as the narrator of the story。 We know who Vonvalt is as seen through her eyes。 There are so many facets to this choice。 Helena respects and truly likes Vonvalt。 Helena was an orphan after the war， and he saw her potential and made her his clerk。 What I thought was also a great choice was not to dwell on her time as an orphan。 It is mentioned， we know where she came from， but we don’t get the details of how she lived。 It’s up to the reader to surmise her time as an orphan growing up on the streets of a city。 The orphan living on the streets is a story in fantasy that has been done many times， successfully I should add， but it is not part of this story。 Knowing how she came to be his clerk is all the information we need。 While he is kind and teaches her， he is not “warm and fuzzy。” He does not show emotion of that type， but she does see his anger and actions when he feels that unjust actions have happened。 In these moments， she sees a very different side of him， one that makes her question her role。 As he we see his arc throughout the story moving in a surprising direction， it can be said that Helena’s arc is running counter to his。 Konrad Vonvalt is man of honor and justice， but what does it take for a man to question his own ideals？The pacing and prose were excellent。 The narrative flowed smoothly， as the story unfolds with Helena’s narrative。 It was very exciting to see so many different aspects written into a fantasy novel that I felt were new and added diverse characteristics into the genre。 Helena knows she is lucky at having Vonvalt choose her as his clerk。 It was an opportunity she could not pass up。 Here again， there are several things that I enjoyed immensely about the prose。 Helena， while respecting and learning from Vonvalt， is not totally in awe of him。 We see through the narrative how twists and turns make her realize he is not the stoic Justice。 Vonvalt and Bressinger are older。 In so many fantasies， the protagonists are very young， most in their twenties or rarely in their thirties。 They are both seasoned veterans of war， a time that brings both experience and wisdom。 Helena knows this， but still wonders if this role she has been given is right。 Once again， Vonvalt’s fairness is seen as he does tell Helena that she is welcome to settle down in any of the places they visit。 There are battle scenes that are gritty and real， and here we see the war veterans use the skills they have， as Galen’s Vale is attacked。 It is quite brutal in many ways， but it was so incredibly real and well done。 There are twists and turns in The Justice of Kings that I never saw coming。 The layers are woven together with beautiful narrative， all wrapping up seamlessly， leaving us on a cliffhanger ending。 Overall ThoughtsThe Justice of Kings is， quite simply， a brilliant and masterful epic fantasy。 With the incredible creation of the character of Konrad Vonvalt， Mr。 Swan has catapulted himself into the best of fantasy writers。 This character is on par with those I have read in Robin Hobb， Joe Abercrombie， and Brandon Sanderson。 Vonvalt’s complexity lies in his absolute adherence to justice， his fairness， and his eventual realization that perhaps there is more than one type of justice。 The narrative of Helena Sendanka was a perfect choice。 For the reader， we can still form our own opinion of Vonvalt， even though we only see him through her eyes， and how she feels about him。 A third person narrative tells us who the characters are， what they believe， and what they stand for。 We can like or dislike them based on what we read。 However， in the first-person narrative of Helena， we only see her version of his actions， which are skewed。 We can better form our own opinions on what he does， and if it is right or wrong， because we know that there is more to this man than what one person thinks。 We don’t have to agree with Helena。 The justice system was excellent， mirroring our own， which was fascinating to read in a fantasy novel。 I love the uniqueness and individuality of the magic system of each justice。 From the first page， I knew this novel was going to be excellent。 It was one I couldn’t put down。 The Justice of Kings has become one of my favorite fantasy novels。 Mr。 Swan’s debut fantasy novel did more than hit the bullseye。 It went right through the target。 I look forward to the next installment。My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with eBook ARC in exchange for an honest reviewReview on my Website: https://bookandnatureprofessor。com/20。。。Subscribe to get automatic updates of content 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Justice of Kings
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Justice of Kings&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Justice of Kings&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0