The Trials of Empire

By: Richard Swan

Narrated by: Lucy Patterson

The third novel in Richard Swan's acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy triumphantly concludes the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one.

THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND

The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet.

To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies - to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova.

Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane—but such allegiances carry a heavy price.

As the battlelines are drawn in both Sova and the afterlife, the final reckoning draws close. Here, at the beating heart of the Empire, the two-headed wolf will be reborn in a blaze of justice . . . or crushed beneath the shadow of tyranny.

Also by Richard Swan:

The Empire of the Wolf
The Justice of Kings
The Tyranny of Faith
The Trials of Empire

Critic reviews

"Reminiscent of Andrzej Sapkowski ... [a] complex and dark historical fantasy series inspired by medieval state-military-church political conflicts."—Kirkus (Starred Review) on The Tyranny of Faith

"The Justice of Kings is utterly compelling, thoroughly engrossing, and written with such skillful assurance I could barely put it down. The characters feel so real I swear I suffered every horror and hangover alongside them, and their world—though we see just the smallest portion of it here—feels vastly complex, poised on the brink of a disaster I can’t wait to watch unfold.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld, on The Justice of Kings

"A fantasy series that fans of authors like Joe Abercrombie, George R.R. Martin, or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle should have on their shelf ... The Tyranny of Faith is a compelling follow-up to Richard Swan’s The Justice of Kings, full of the intrigue, foreboding, detailed worldbuilding and deep character explorations that made the first book so good. I had high expectations going into this book and it surpassed them. A five star read, hands down.”—Winter Is Coming on The Tyranny of Faith

“The Justice of Kings is equal parts heroic fantasy and murder mystery. Sir Konrad Vonvalt’s fierce intellect and arcane powers will make you long to follow in his footsteps, but it’s his young clerk, Helena who brings heart and dazzle to the story. Together they’re a formidable team, and Richard Swan’s sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more.”—Sebastien de Castell, author of Spellslinger, on The Justice of Kings

"A stunning piece of modern fantasy writing."—RJ Barker, author of The Bone Ships, on The Justice of Kings

“With Swan’s impeccable worldbuilding, wit and claw-off-the-page characters, Tyranny of Faith seamlessly blends fantasy, mystery and horror into an addictive read, rife with unparalleled tension. A thoroughly satisfying sequel.”—H. M. Long, author of Hall of Smoke, on The Tyranny of Faith

“A fascinating look at justice, vengeance and the law — great characters, compelling and wonderfully written. A brilliant debut and fantastic start to the series.”—James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost, on The Justice of Kings

"A marvelously detailed world with an engrossing adventure from a unique perspective."—K. S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, on The Justice of Kings

"A fantastic debut."—Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones, on The Justice of Kings

"Swan crafts a strong, dynamic character in Vonvalt . . . This promises good things from the series to come."—Publishers Weekly on The Justice of Kings

4.5/5 stars!

Helena, continuing to come into her own, is again seen coming out of Sir Vonvault’s shadow, acquiring relevance and significance in the story. The reader sees first hand her coming of age, her growth, the kind of person she is becoming. Her true character shines through. Vonvault remains a grey character till the very end. It is challenging for the reader to characterize him as good or bad. I kept waiting for the ending to elevate certain characters in a certain way but it went in a different direction. I like the way it ended even though it was different from my expectations. It is better that it defied expectations. I think I can try to classify its genre now. Grim dark- absolutely! Horror and supernatural on the MainStage- you bet!

A great Epic tale

I found this trilogy to be very interesting and creative. I really enjoyed it. I look forward to future books.

Good Read

The narrator did a very good job and the story was good really liked some of the characters. It got a little long in the final section of the book but it picked back up. Overall I recommend this trilogy

Wraps up the trilogy nicely

Gets a little too gory and horrific toward the climax for my taste, but wraps up the trilogy nicely. Vivid imagery, snappy dialogue, memorable characters. Excellent read.

Excellent series. Author checks all the boxes and is a master of his craft

I felt very content with his conclusion of the trilogy. I did however find his take on the afterlife to be a very grim view of the supernatural. It of course gives gravitas to the danger of the antagonists of the story, but I do wish he could of given the reader a little greater glimpse into the possibility of a brighter option that could happen with right action and thinking. A sense of heaven and a path that offers hope and love and spiritual growth that was missed by the antagonist due to their choice of pursuing power. I think that is the one thing I felt was missing from this excellent book when I finished it. I think he did an admirable job of showing the value of a well defined system of laws and procedures and their importance in a society. Had he fleshed out the values and flaws of a religious institution just a little more this would have improved the story just that much more. I don’t mean to be critical. This story did a great job and was quite thought provoking for me. The narrator is top notch, the author is a master story teller. And I will certainly be looking forward to reading more from him in the future.