Grave Empire, Richard Swan
Grave Empire, Richard Swan
List: $38.99 | Sale: $27.30
Club: $19.49

Grave Empire

Author: Richard Swan

Series: Great Silence #1

Narrator: Nathaniel Priestley, Zoe Mills

Unabridged: 16 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 02/04/2025


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... 

About Richard Swan

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 multi-million-pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Esta on February 24, 2025

I don't care for guns in real life. If you put a musket and a flintlock pistol in front of me, I’d probably just ask which one’s better for opening a bottle of wine. But in fantasy, load me up. I know this because Richard Swan dragged me into his world of flintlock-cosmic-horror-with-a-sprinkle-of-s......more

Goodreads review by William on March 10, 2025

My first 5-star read of 2025! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne This delivers on its title! It is grand, it is epic, it tense and it is dark.... Fantasy meets mystery meets horror. Sign me up! So, a bit......more

Goodreads review by Library of a Viking on February 06, 2025

Richard Swan is my addiction. Fantasy horror needs to become more mainstream. 4.5......more

Goodreads review by Holly Hearts Books on January 19, 2025

Whoa! So I thought The Empire of the Wolf trilogy was dark. Nope. A playpen full of puppies that one was. Grave Empire immediately ranks amongst the best fantasy books of the year. It’s a rare treat that scratches the itch left behind by a lot of supernatural horror these days, with the added bonus......more

Goodreads review by Allen on December 27, 2024

As the Expedition Leader of the quest for the best in flintlock, I'll go ahead and say that Grave Empire deserves a place up with THE THOUSAND NAMES and GUNS OF THE DAWN as pinnacles of the flintlock genre. It remains to be seen if the rest of the series can straddle that fine line and seal the deal......more


Quotes

"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

“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

"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

“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

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

"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

“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