“Do you know, Sir Konrad, that you may just be the most offensively insolent man I have ever met?”

The Trials of Empire is the stunning conclusion to the Empire of the Wolf Series. It plunges you back into the heart of the action, seamlessly picking up where The Tyranny of Faith left off. This whole series is so refreshing and unique, that I never knew that I needed to read a medieval horror fantasy with a hefty dose of politics, but I did. The ending of The Trials of Empire is nothing short of masterful. While not all questions are neatly tied up, I found myself surprisingly satisfied with the bittersweet conclusion.

I can't praise Swan's writing enough. The decision to tell Vonvalt's story through Helena Sedanka's perspective was pure brilliance, adding layers of emotional depth to the narrative that linger long after the final page. I'll miss all of these characters really dearly. The climax sequences in this book are a testament to his skill, delivering one of the most finely crafted endings I've encountered in fantasy literature. Every skirmish and battle leads inexorably to a moment of breathtaking action that brings the story to a perfect close.

However, it's not without its flaws. The beginning of the book felt somewhat disjointed, like a series of side-quests before the main plot truly kicks in halfway through. Additionally, considering the depth and complexity of the story, I can't shake the feeling that this series could have benefited from an extra book. The final battle with Claver, in particular, felt slightly rushed given the extensive buildup over three books.

Richard Swan has created something really special here and is on my radar for years to come.

Book 3 of the Empire of the Wolf series did not disappoint. I wasn't sure how the author could top Tryanny of Faith, but the Trials of empire absolutely exceeded my expectations and got better with each page. I was so engrossed while tittering on the edges of excitement and dred for the well being of our protagonists! If you've ever look for a series that focuses on the concept of law and order, versus the ramifications of justice on the populace, versus dominant religion and its influence on the State, all wrapped up in a high stakes fantasy with a mystery and horror element, then thianisnthe one for you!!! The Trials of Empire, and by extention the entire series, is very unique and easily joins the ranks of my all time favorite series. The power struggle between the different sects are so nuanced and compelling that found myself switching sides and debating with myself about who I wanted to root for at various points of the novel. By the end, I was left feeling fulfilled and simultaneously wanting more. Using Helena as such a fantastic storyteller with great intricate insights on Vonvalt, herself, Sir Radimir, Claver, et al. as they evolved throughout the pages was so clever. Richard Swan is an absolutely skilled author and has now become and auto author for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbits Books for the opportunity to read and review this Arc!!

Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series caught my attention almost immediately when I first saw the cover of The Justice of Kings. It’s hard to miss a cover like that when you’re 1.) a fantasy fan and 2.) a library employee. I picked up the audio books via Libby last summer, when I realized that a second book was out, and now I’ve had the immense privilege of returning once again to the Sovan Empire with book #3.

The Empire of the Wolf is told from the perspective of Helena Sedanka, an orphan who was been taken in and trained by Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice. In that position, he serves as travelling judge, jury, and when needed, executioner, carrying out the will of the courts wherever he may be. Helena acts as his legal clerk and apprentice, producing documentation of their efforts and learning the intricacies of the Sovan legal system along the way. For some time, they were both content to travel the northern reaches of the empire, but an encounter with a zealous church official, Patria Bartholomew Claver, changed everything.

Claver sought a return to the days when the Church of Nema controlled the powers now held by the Order of Justices: ancient magics that could be used to compel action, the ability to confer with the dead, command over wildlife. All of these and more had once officially been the exclusive realm of the church, but they had been taught to the Justices to aid their work. Frustrated by the lack of action from the majority of the Church, Claver found his way to darker places, making bargains with powers that he didn’t truly understand in order to bring about the change he desired. Now, he seems to have set his sights on control of the Empire itself, no matter what demon or deity he has to bargain with to make it happen. He sits at the head of an army of Templars poised to strike down the Emperor, ostensibly in Nema’s name.

Now, Vonvalt’s own unshakable faith in the Common Law is beginning to break. In his attempts to thwart Claver, he has become persona non grata, believed to be responsible for the death of the Emperor’s grandson. A rebellion against the Magistratum has reached its zenith, and the justices are by and large disbanded or dead. Vonvalt will find no safe haven in the capital. What he and Helena need most are more allies who can withstand Claver’s burgeoning Templar army. A journey far beyond the borders of Sova might be able to accomplish just that, but acquiring the aid they need may prove deadly. Such travels will need to be made not only on the material plane but in the various realms accessible only through the ancient magics. Helena and Vonvalt will place their lives and their souls on the line in order to defeat Claver, but it might not be enough to save the empire. Loyalties will be questioned, near-death experiences will be had, and trickster gods will play their hands at last. It’s going to be messy.

Richard Swan brings his fantasy trilogy to a powerful conclusion in The Trials of Empire. His strength in blending traditional elements of western fantasy with jurisprudence makes for compelling reading, especially for someone raised on Lord of the Rings and John Grisham like me. The Empire of the Wolf hews far closer to A Song of Ice and Fire than to LOTR, but the comparison stands. I have enjoyed this series more with each book, and I’m thrilled to say that The Trials of Empire is out on shelves today. You should check it out.

My utmost thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an eARC of The Trials of Empire in exchange for a fair review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2024/02/06/the-trials-of-empire-a-review/

"Rough deeds await" a line that was not wrong. Another series concluded, once again I was privileged to help throw this one in folk's faces for the last few years. But it is time for for the final chapters of Empire of the Wolf. It goes out with a bang.

"The Trials of Empire" by Richard Swan puts everything on the table. Claver's army of zealots is on the move, though their powers are slightly limited due to the remove of certain tomes. But a force of hopped up nut jobs thinking they are on a divine mission be bolstered by infernal magics is still a bit of a threat. Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena aren't going to take this laying down, because the Empire is better than the hellscape Claver would impose. They must rally forces that would ordinarily slaughter each other must put aside their grievances to defend the mortal plane. While contending with things humans probably should not see in the not-mortal realms. Pebbles that were cast ages ago are now boulders flying left, right, and center; what will be left in the rubble?

Once again thank you to the folks at Orbit and Richard Swan for helping me nudge this one into your brain space. Think I want to try a long form video on the series after a reread.

Reasons to read:
-Me certified conclusion, fantastic
-The return of the goodest boy who eats faces
-We get answers to what's going on behind the Veil and I'm definitely not having nightmares about thinks my brain conjured
-Some really great lines that (unfortunately) can be applicable to events of the modern age
-Bravo to Helen's arc over the course of the series
-Oh the mad lad did it, didn't think it was going to be in this book but I'm so happy it is
-Learn a bit about a specific culture
-How do people act when they find out the afterlife is almost a dice roll about where you end up?
-A fall from grace with a glimmer of hope

Cons:
-I was unprepared for the emotional reaction I had to such a good book series being done. That really surprised me

The landing was stuck. I repeat, the landing was stuck!!

Final journey apparently :) with Sir Konrad and his conscience Helena. We get to experience the conclusion of all the planted seeds and story lines established in previous books of the trilogy and get to finally arrive at the future we have been given glimpses into.

Action, twists, the exploration of the nature of humanities hunger for knowledge and power and our ability to package our limited information as a fountain of knowledge, the moral quandary of how far one can justifiably go in pursuit of their goal to defeat a clear evil all blend together to form an amazing cocktail that would leave you satisfied despite some of its roughness.

Thank you Sir Konrad! Thank you Helena!! And for being a completely deranged villain I feel I also have to squeeze in a thank you to Claver too :)

Normally, I'm not a fan of final books in a series. The often fall flat, leaving plot points unfinished, or present characters doing things seemingly out of character for the sake of finishing off a plot. That's not the case in The Trials of Empire, Richard Swan's phenomenal conclusion to The Empire of the Wolf series. Swan continues to build upon the horrors, both physical and spiritual, unleashed in book two, while remaining true to the characters he's created. The legal theory and philosophy that built such a strong world in the first two books returns, with even higher stakes. This book is an easy five stars for me, and I can't wait to see where Swan's career goes from here.

Ahoy there me mateys!  Minor spoilers ahead. This was an immensely enjoyable ending to the trilogy.  Helena is back to finish the story of the decline of the empire.  The book picks up where the second book ended.  Where the first two books had more mystery elements to them, this went in a different direction with more action and horror.

I basically gobbled this up in one day.  The major issue I had with this novel is mostly a me problem.  I didn't love the fighting taking place on the spiritual plane and felt those sections were the least interesting.  There were also a lot of questions about the spiritual realm that really don't get dealt with much.  Because the action is seen through the lens of Helena's perspective, this works but I personally could have done without a lot of it.  I am in the minority in this though.

While I enjoyed the novel, the climax and how the empire ultimately ended absolutely delighted me.  It brought me overall score up in the end.  I loved the end battle and how difficult it was to fight Claver's army.  I loved how the issue of Claver was resolved.  I loved more monster dog.  I loved Justice Konrad Vonvalt's actions after the empire ends.  I loved the insight into what happens to the other members of Vonvalt's party.  I can't say for sure whether the dissolution of the Empire is good overall or not.  Life goes on regardless.  It has been a while since the ending of a series was just so satisfying.  I think I would reread this series someday to see the difference now that I know the conclusion.

If ye haven't picked up this series, I highly recommend it.  Excellent characters, good world building, and lovely writing.  Arrrr!

The last paragraph of this book leaves hope that we might get more in this world. More of Helena, even if it does not include Vonvalt or Radomir. Though I sure as hell hope it includes Heinrich.

The Empire of the Wolf trilogy is such an amazing read and one that I will recommend for years to come. Trials of the Empire, while not perfect, is a strong conclusion to an incredible journey. Unlike the first two, Trials of the Empire veers more into horror than murder mystery. While I missed the investigative aspect, I found myself greatly enjoying the horror.

Trials of the Empire does suffer from what I find a lot of fantasy (whether it be video games or novel) stories do. The desire to do, and conclude, so much, with not enough time or pages to do so. I almost think Empire of the Wolf would have benefited from being a quartet instead of a trilogy. The first half of the book is slow, especially with this introduction to horror. I don't mind it. I greatly enjoy Swan's writing, however, the chase for Claver felt almost non existent? We've also been introduced to a lot of characters at this point and as a result some just drop off the pages/are forgotten until the giant conclusion at the end.

That being said, Trials of the Empire will not leave you unsatisfied. Swan has done an amazing job wrapping up the story and relationships (you know which one I'm referring to the most). After three books I still found Helena's POV to be unique and refreshing. I really looked forward to the release of each installment over the past couple of years and am sad to see it end.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! What an epic ending to the Empire of the Wolf trilogy!

Richard Swan has crafted an incredible trilogy with Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena at the helm. The empire is on the brink of collapse, our heroes have lost their way, and the enemy is consorting with demons.

This instalment definitely had a lot more aspects of horror, but it fit so well with with the story. Things have gotten darker, gods/demons/tricksters are involved, and we see a darker side of the empire.

I don’t want to say too much, as if you’ve made it this far in this series, you know the characters and plot and I wouldn’t want to ruin anything. Simply know that this finale is expertly executed and won’t leave you disappointed!

Wonderful characters, incredible stakes, and an EXQUISITE dog (Heinrich I love you!!). The Empire of the Wolf should go down as a modern fantasy classic!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. This is the kind of three stars where I have OPINIONS. On one hand the lore and magic are just awesome. Like judeo-Christian entities with an eldritch horror flare, infernal spells that make the user bleed from their mouth as they speak them, awesome battles. But on the other hand many of the main plot beats felt kind of cliche, and the story focused much more on the human than the awesome supernatural elements. I can see that really clicking with some readers, but if you are like me and want to really since your teeth into the awesome lore the author created, that is never a focus in this series. The end overall was also a little neat for how gnarly and dark the events were. Overall I would highly recommend if you want a kind of classic medieval fantasy world with strong horror elements (particularly in how the magic works) and a plot full of political intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit Books—in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

The Trials of Empire bestowed readers with a different direction and satisfying ending to Empire of the Wolf trilogy.

“One of the greatest feats of human cognisance is to realise and accept that every being capable of thought has a life as complex as one’s own.”


The time of judgment is at hand. It is time to judge The Trials of Empire and Empire of the Wolf trilogy in its entirety. It is also time to say goodbye to Helena Sedanka and Konrad Vonvalt. I can’t deny it feels bittersweet to part ways with these characters and the world. As some of you might recall, the first two books in Empire of the Wolf trilogy, The Justice of Kings and The Tyranny of Faith, are in my list of favorite books of the year when they were released. With the continuing streak of gorgeous cover art illustrated by Martina Fackova and designed by Lauren Panepinto, The Trials of Empire was one of my most anticipated books of this year. And I would be lying if I said I (overall) loved this final installment as much as the previous two books in the trilogy, which has a set high bar of quality for the series itself. But at the same time, I believe this roughly 164,000 words long novel did conclude the Empire of the Wolf trilogy satisfyingly.

“Sometimes we must act outside the bounds of the law to safeguard it. You are right that Claver is a deceitful and wretched man, but you are wrong to say that I am no better than him. I am better than him. I will always be better than him. Claver breaks the law to see that it remains broken; I break it only so that it may be saved. The time for high-minded ideals is gone. We have dark deeds ahead of us. If you have not the stomach for it, leave now.”


After the intense and explosive ending of The Tyranny of Faith, The Empire of Wolf is on its knees. And it is still not safe from the danger and threats Claver poses. To save the empire, Konrad Vonvalt and Helena Sedanka must venture beyond its border 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. Can they achieve an alliance with these factions? And will they be enough to stop the zealot Bartholomew Claver, who now wields infernal power to destroy his enemies? The final reckoning is here. Konrad Vonvalt and Helena Sedanka must be willing to sacrifice and go through hell to be victorious from their most challenging ordeals yet.

“That was our sacrifice. We compromised our souls so that others could see the world through eyes unclouded by moral failure.”


From that premise, it is not far-fetched to say there were two distinct parts in The Trials of Empire. The first half and the second half. Typical and similar to many other fantasy books, the first half of The Trials of Empire is centered on the main characters going out of their way to form allegiances before the final battle commences. And this is, unfortunately, where I struggled with The Trials of Empire. The first half felt like it tried to do too much as quickly as possible. And in a different direction. One of the best aspects of the first two books was the investigations into a mystery and the discussions on morality and justice. The latter is still, thankfully, evident in the narrative, especially in the second half. I will get into that later. But because The Trials of Empire tried to do too much—without enough development—by shifting the genre into horror fantasy, not to mention the traveling montage and the surprisingly descriptive writing on landscape and setting, the pacing in the first half felt sluggish for me to read. Additionally, Claver is the goal here. You know how in role-playing games, the final boss tends to patiently wait for us gamers to spend hours leveling up and gathering every piece of rare equipment and magic we have to cheese them dead in the final confrontation? This felt like that. The first half is like sidequests before the final storyline truly begins.

“No one is entitled to success. Sometimes the just fail and the unjust triumph. That is why complacency is the most unforgivable of sins.”


This is why I cannot help but feel the Empire of the Wolf trilogy needed another book, not because it did not end powerfully, but because there is a good chance it would improve the many ideas and development in the first half better; bridging it to the second half in a more gradual and organic fashion while strengthening the core of the narrative. It took me a week to read through the first half of The Trials of Empire and one day to read through the second half. Yes, let that sink in. If you know my reading journey by now, then you should know my investment and connection to a book can be measured by how fast I can and am willing to go through a book. An uninteresting or boring one would make me prefer doing something else rather than reading. A working and compelling narrative will absolutely push me to read through a book quicker, no matter how busy I am. And fortunately, that was achieved in the second half of The Trials of Empire as everything came to its inevitable destructive confrontation. I couldn't put down everything that happened in the second half of The Trials of Empire.

“An idea is like a pox: it can persist long after its host has died.”


The Trials of Empire can be surmised as the most action-packed novel of the trilogy. Skirmishes and small battles are spread throughout the book, and The Trials of Empire ends with an incredibly well-written climax sequence. I have mentioned that one of the strengths of Swan as an author is to craft an engaging dialogue and thought-provoking discussions or epigraphs on the nature of good and evil. Systems and laws make civilizations. In that sense, language and interaction, too, are a system. The Trials of Empire circulates around the endless and old unanswerable questions. Is it right to abuse or make an exception to a rigid system to accomplish what we deem virtuous? Is it justice to do bad things for the goodness of the many? Is it necessary to get our hands dirty to keep the citizens clean? There were many quotable passages in the epigraphs and narrative on this topic. But other than these, as proven at the end of The Tyranny of Faith and now The Trials of Empire, Swan is totally capable of delivering a frantic and chaotic action sequence as well. And despite the rough start, the second half of The Trials of Empire provided a rewarding and proper ending to the trilogy, with room for more stories to come in the world.

”It is a difficult thing, to have one’s world burned down. It takes a person of special character to see anything except ashes.”


One last positive factor to mention before I end this review. The entire trilogy is told through narration or memoir of Helena Sedanka, Vonvalt’s protégé. I already felt this was a great storytelling decision since The Justice of Kings, and I stand by this notion even stronger now. It felt bittersweet to say goodbye to Helena, Vonvalt, Radomir, and Heinrich. Heinrich is one of the goodest boys in fantasy, and I refuse to hear any conflicting argument. But beyond that, many aspects of the bonds between Helena and Bressinger, Radomir, Heinrich, and especially Vonvalt could work because everything is told through the intimate perspective of Helena. I have no complaints about Helena's friendship with the supporting characters of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy. But I do not think I am alone in saying I dislike whatever cringe or toxic relationship Helena and Vonvalt have for one another. This was the issue I had with The Tyranny of Faith, but fortunately, seeing the events and their relationship development in The Trials of Empire made their attraction to one another more understandable. It was handled more carefully, and like it or not, I think the resolution of Helena and Vonvalt's story felt poignant. And my god, they (especially Helena) have certainly been plunged into unimaginable ordeals and horrors in the context of the trilogy.

"We must make time to indulge our desires. Our humanity. We are not automata. Even in Südenburg, as severe a place as you can exist within the Empire– or rather, without it– we made time for levity, for music and humour, for carnality. A life without these things is no life at all.”


As it stands, despite my initial disconnection with the first half of The Trials of Empire, Swan has successfully transformed Empire of the Wolf trilogy into one of the strongest trilogies recently published. I highly recommend the entire trilogy to fantasy readers looking for a page-turning fantasy series that dives deep into the themes of justice and morality. The series started as a fantasy novel with minimal fantastical components, and for better or worse, depending on each reader, the emergence of the fantastical element in world-building constantly escalated. I have no idea what Swan has in store next, but I definitely will read more books by the author. As the pages of Helena Sedanka’s memoir are closed, it is time for me to move on to other series while I wait for Swan’s newest book.

“There will never be an answer that satisfies you. If our lives are inherently meaningless, then what matters is our actions and how they affect others. There is no world in which everyone lives a life free of suffering and untimely death. All we can do is be the best people we can be.



Series Review:

The Justice of Kings: 4.5/5 stars
The Tyranny of Faith: 4.5/5 stars
The Trials of Empire: 3.5/5 stars

Empire of the Wolf: 12.5/15 stars

You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

This was fantastic. There isn’t another series quite like this one and I have to say it did not disappoint with this edition.

“We have dark deeds ahead of us. If you have not the stomach for it, leave now”

“‘Tis better to die in service of the law than serve a regime that does not uphold it’”

GUYS, I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!!!

I am forever singing praises for the Empire of the Wolf series and I’ll continue to do so even more after this 3rd and final instalment!

If you are looking for political intrigue, an empire in turmoil, GODLY POWERS? Snarky ‘lawyers’ THIS is the one for you, and even if you are not looking for that I still think this might be the one for you tbh

The Trials of Empire continues right from where we last left Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helene Sedanka and from there we just hit the ground running, I could not stop reading!!!

An unsurprising (and easy) 5⭐️ from me and a solid contender for my book of the year already tbh. I am HEARTBROKEN that this wild ride is over😭 - thanks so much to the publisher for the chance to read this ahead of time, it made my heart happy.

i received an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.
A worthy conclusion to the trilogy. I was gripped from the beginning and enjoyed the tales twists and turns. It took a darker turn than I expected but worth every moment spent reading it.

This was an incredible conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. This was such an interesting world full of history, leaving enough mystery that you want more (and I hope we get further stories in this world). I don’t really have anything negative to say about it. The story moves at an incredible pace and the conclusion is worthy of the trilogy

would like to IMMENSELY THANK NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

First off, this is the absolute best fucking thing I have put in my brain since Game of Thrones! Devouring a fantasy series of this caliber, a trilogy at that, is not a thing I can say I've done since I'd discovered GRRM. And I'm not saying there aren't others comparable to ASOIAF. I'm saying that I've Book 1-ed a ton over the years, but it's a rare phenomenon for a series to monopolize my attention past that, and for its duration.

Second, I've a massive crush on Aegraxes. Who can fault me? Look at this book cover. It is unrepentant in its gorgeousness and I can stare at IT forever. The artist, Martina Fačková is doing God's work straight up!

Ok, proviso in place. Let's fkin go!

Sooooo in a mega weird twist, by the end of The Trials of Empire I felt quite sorry for Claver and I absolutely hated Helena. Yeah I said it idgaf.

But as much as I abhorred Helena the High-Horse High-Way, her POV -admittedly from the emo perspective of her 20yo self so it is what it is- made for a visceral, fear inducing, anxiety ridden, tumultuous reading experience. So top marks for immersive storytelling! Swan's characters were all so multi-faceted, layered with depth and masterclass complexity, that I could not help BUT appreciate her courage and perseverance, despite how much she annoyed the fuck out of me. Not to mention the dichotomy of her being just an ordinary, unimportant person who got caught up in someone else's game, only to have a fated thing OF IMPORTANCE thrust upon her to be played out...well that would fuck up the best of us normies!

She made it through though. She got her furbabies in the end, said all her goodbyes and buried all her loves, and lived to narrate the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt's exploits 60 years later. And it was a fucking brilliant one THAT I ABSOLUTELY LOVED! So I'm graciously rebranding my displeasure as "love-to-hate", because being radically opposed to her perspective for 1550 pages made me love the bastard so much more!

I'm not even going to talk about the unnecessary "romance" fugue that made me wish Helena was a man, and Vonvalt gay, thereby upping the ante on the will-they-won't-they stakes. Because if we're going the romance route, MY scenario would have posed a more riveting and tension filled variation on the emotional drama beyond the spiritual and epic warfare, both in story and post production. The mere idea of a final edit with this waffle level gay romance making it to publication is melting my brain right now. Seriously, can I have THAT story next? I wonder if RS would block my DM?

Regardless, Helena being Helena was like one long episode of reverse psychology, the results of which I can only celebrate because I'm now a forever Vonvalt stan! Because no matter his shades of grey, the man did what he had to do for the good of them all. Sure Helena did some pretty gnarly netherworld traversing that would haunt her for eternity, but you know, choices matter and she'd made hers. I just wish she wasn't such a fucking shrew throughout the series.

Putting Helena aside for a second, all of the other characters were just fantastically realized! Sir Radomir and Severina, Resi, Claver and the denizens of the Edaximae, Jansen and Lady Frost...i mean the list goes on and on...they were all so dynamic and vicious and frantic and well seated in their beingness! all their stories were extraordinary and teeming, alive with function and temerity! The impact of all their common threads aligning, all the worlds coming undone, all the shredding of the establishment, vigour and reason in the face of battle priests wielding bloody violent sorcery, cogs in the volatile razing of Claver's divine reckoning, all of that maelstrom just blew my fucking mind...continuously...the whole way through. Torrid, unspeakable fresh hell every chapter AND I FUCKIN LOVED IT ALL!

This was everything spectacular I could have asked for in a fantasy series, incomparable and special to me beyond measure, and I am desperate for more of this! So YES, the Empire of the Wolf series, as a whole, was a MEGA WIN for me! I am hoping that whatever Richard Swan releases in the future features more of this magnificent and diverse world, because Vonvalt exploring nations across the continent and the world, like the Kyarai and the Qaresh, and joining forces and being his epic self alongside other cool races created by The Cataclysm, like the Kasar wolfmen and the Stygion mermen, is everything I want to read right now, every single day, for the rest of my life!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and can't wait to see what else Richard Swan does. This was a pretty fantastic ending to a trilogy. There are few nit picky things about it that I didn't quite enjoy, but those are all personal preferences rather than objective issues with the book. I wish we had a little more time, as it feels like the books did so much but in so little time. That could just be me wanting a fourth book, though.

Thank you to Orbit for the opportunity to give my thoughts on an ARC.

The Trials of Empire surprised me with how much it was able to pull off. Not only was it the best kind of heart-pounding popcorn fantasy but it took the characters and themes of the previous two books and rounded them out into complete whole. I had my issues with book two of this series, specifically the romance between the two main characters, but that was pretty much repaired in this book with the time that Swan took to address it. The way that Vonvalt and Helena's mental states are woven into this book in general was incredibly well done and adds weight to a book that would otherwise have felt too floaty with how fast it moves. Throw in some truly eldritch horror and you have one of my favorite reads of last year. The chapter "The Slow Evil" is the perfect example of every piece of this novel working together seamlessly.

I do have a couple of issues. The pacing at times is really, almost too fast; especially in the first few and last few chapters. I could have used more set up for some things and more denouement for others. As well, I don't think Swan was able to bring himself to completely condemn Vonvalt for his actions as much as he should have been at the end of this book. Spoilers are an issue, so I can't give details, but it's a small nitpick.

Other than that, The Empire of the Wolf has turned into a favorite trilogy of mine, as would anything that sticks the landing this hard. I highly recommend pick up the final book when it comes out on Feb. 6th or The Justice of Kings if you're just discovering the series.

Thank you to netgalley for this arc I really appreciate it.

This final book in the Empire of the Wolf trilogy left me feeling...... disappointed. I really enjoyed the first book and was fine with the second but this one added way too many elements of magic that were not fully explained and there was a sudden disconnect with the characters and a constant frustration with their actions. Don't get me wrong though, I would read other books by Richard Swan as I like his writing and would like to see what other fantasies he'll write. I just don't think this was particularly strong finale book.

First I'd like to thank Orbit for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

It was a fantastic to finish to a brilliant trilogy.
I loved that the stakes keep getting somehow higher without losing the focus on a small number of characters and storylines.
I felt this book more slow to start and more on the otherworldly side without a complete change of tone, and the conclusion whas satisfying and yet open enough.

I would highly recommend this trilogy