Grave Empire - (The Great Silence) by Richard Swan (Paperback)

About the Book

"From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed--and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days. Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money. A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await. But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire's proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse. Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days--the Great Silence. It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save"--

Book Synopsis

From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed - and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire's proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days--the Great Silence.

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save...

Review Quotes

"The eldritch abominations [Swan] conjures are genuinely frightening. Tense and spooky, with vivid characters that inspire strong feeling; a good new start built on a well-established foundation."

--Kirkus

"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

"Endlessly fascinating ... All of the elements are here for this to be a series that will draw in epic fantasy fans."

--Booklist

"[A] dazzling and immersive epic fantasy ... The worldbuilding is lush, enhanced by Swan's rich descriptive prose, and the characters are complex. Readers won't need to be familiar with the earlier series to be drawn in--and this promising start will leave them eager for more."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Absolutely crammed with imagination, horror, epic scale, and characters I simply could not put down. I'm calling it now: Grave Empire is going to be one of the best dark fantasies 2025 has to offer."
--Grimdark Magazine

"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

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

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

"Murder mystery meets grimdark political fantasy in this first of a trilogy ... An intriguingly dark deconstruction of a beloved mystery trope."--Kirkus (starred review) 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

"The world of the Empire of the Wolf is a rich and interesting one ... Readers will enjoy the world building, Sir Konrad and his crew, and the unique touches to a familiar fantasy tale."--Booklist on The Justice of Kings

About the Author

Richard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. His debut fantasy novel, The Justice of Kings, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into seven languages. His other work includes the Art of War and Great Silence trilogies, as well as short fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.