This book absolutely blew me away!! From start to finish, this captivating tale had me completely hooked. The world-building was expertly crafted, the characters were so vivid and real, I was instantly felt connected to them!

The plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The author's storytelling abilities are truly remarkable, as they effortlessly transported me to a world unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I'm shocked that this is my first time reading book by him 😭😭.

I couldn't put this book down, and I found myself thinking about it long after I finished the final page. I 100% recommend this book!!

A super promising start to Richard Swan's new trilogy. Set in the same world as his previous trilogy, this one starts several hundred years after the events of that series. This one is written in third person POV, but the writing is just as stellar as it was before.

I loved the darkness of this one. Cosmic horror is a big part of this book and that's something I'm very drawn to. My favorite POV was Renata, I think.

Oh my gosh, this man knows how to write an intriguing galavanting keep you guessing the entire time book. Swain, my man, this book is simply excellent. Wherever you are on this planet write the sequel quickly.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC. I appreciate this opportunity to read and review Grave Empire by Richard Swan.]

4.50 stars out of 5. Another great addition to the grim dark fantasy.

What is Grim Dark?

On the very off chance that someone unfamiliar with the genre has stumbled upon this book and this review, grim dark is a subgenre that often sets characters and plots in worlds that are hopeless, dark, gritty, toeing the line between relentless suffering with a small hope of reprieve – either along the way or at the end of the journey – and universal nihilism. Of course, what counts as grim dark is subjective, and the loose definition I’ve provided could sit well with some and not so well with others. But if bleak settings where terrible things can happen to anyone, and often in detail, then neither grim dark nor this book is for you.

Can you read this without reading the Empire of the Wolf Trilogy?

You could but I highly suggest you don’t. Grave Empire doesn’t outright spoil anything TOO major, but it does reveal some plot beats from the prior trilogy, explores the consequences of certain decisions by EotW characters, and revisits some of EotW’s themes while comparing them to the current themes within the Grave Empire. There are also historical call backs to the events of EotW, so…
Tl;dr: No. Read The Empire of the Wolf Trilogy before picking up Grave Empire.

Summary.

Welcome back to Sova! Except it’s a few hundred years after the initial rise of the Sovan Empire. Some things have changed, like the rise of economic superiority as the dominant power in Sova or flintlock rifles taking the place of sword and spear within the ranks of Sovan soldiers or magic now being illegal. Other things haven’t changed at all, just taken on a new name, such as the Sovan Empire’s War Machine. While we follow multiple plotlines throughout, the “main” one stars Renata Rainer, who is tasked with embarking on a sudden and perilous diplomatic mission to the realm of the Stygion Mermen. Should she die on her journey or fail to achieve her objective, all worlds risk plunging over the edge and into the gaping maws of a new enemy that has appeared in the Immortal Planes...
What did I like about the story?

1. “Good” Bad Characters

As is often the staple of grim dark tales, the characters in Richard Swan’s “Grave Empire” are all extremely flawed individuals and, for the most part, complex. Some are absolutely vile, others are either loveable or likeable, but express traits that can have you questioning their morality or hating them outright in the moment. While I do have my issues with how character interactions and relationships were handled, the main cast are fairly well fleshed out with personalities that are comprised of contradictory yet fitting quirks and characteristics. To provide an example (which I’ll keep vague to avoid spoilers): in the beginning of the book, Renata acts in such a manner as to lead you to believe that she is better than the tenants of Sovan diplomacy to which her profession cleaves. Yet, she finds herself a slave to them when eventually placed in a situation where those tenants do far more harm than good. She becomes an extremely unempathetic person to others in said situation, to the point that she downplays some very serious subjects/events until she’s brought face-to-face with those same subjects/events/etc.
This is just one example, of course, but I promise, there are plenty others to enjoy (or loathe, in the case of Swan’s more villainous characters).
I will say that some character flaws do sometimes cross the line into “annoying” territory, but for me, it never got to the point where it would ruin my reading experience or take me out of it.

2. Expands on Existing World Building

I won’t delve too much into this, since there’s a high chance of tripping right into spoiler territory, but if you were one of those EotW readers who were hankering to learn more about the Swan’s world, you get some of that in this book – at least, regarding the mortal plane. You get a little about the immortal plane and the ancient histories of the world, but I think Swan might be saving those latter topics for the second and third books of the Grave Empire (GE) Trilogy. …I hope.

3. Mysteries

Mysteries are introduced in this book and Swan does a phenomenal job of making want to know more right now. NO. Not right now. Yesterday. I hate him for it, and I hope he keeps it up.

4. Organically Carries the World Forward

GE feels like a natural continuation of the world, as if the setting of EotW evolved into GE rather than being forcibly molded into it, if that makes sense. You are greeted with historical anecdotes and quotes that harken to the time period of EotW. You get to witness both the physical and immaterial changes wrought by the events of EotW on the setting and landscape of GE. The long-coming consequences of decision made by the cast of EotW play a major part in GE, whether for good or for ill. It’s fascinating to read about, and it helps to sell this new era as “familiar” or “familiar enough” to allow returning readers to sink into the plot relatively comfortably and quickly.

5. Tense, Emotional Scenes

Swan is particularly adept at capturing the dark emotions inherent to serious scenes and subject matters, such as war, abuse, unjust acts and unfair, unlucky circumstances. As with the original trilogy, GE had moments that made my jaw drop, had me teary-eyed, or had me pacing my room in anger and disgust. It helps make up for his slightly less adept handling of personal relationships between characters, which I’ll get to in the next section.

What didn’t I like?

1. Definitely Needs a Final Round of Edits (minimum)

To be expected when reading an ARC, especially one as early as this. It was missing a lot of “filler” words – a, of, the, etc. I also think Swan could use an editor or beta reader who pushes him to write MORE, to expand more on his characters, his world, and the events that take place in it. The story feels like it’s filled with scenes that can be boiled down to “and then they went there” when really, there should be an entire journey and conversations described in place of said scenes. It may be too late to address this latter issue, or perhaps its not one that the author or publisher wants to

2. Shallow Character Relationships and Interactions

EotW had this same issue but was excused for the storytelling device he was using. Someone remembering an event and scribing it down as a memoir of sorts, like Helena was for EotW, is bound to illustrate the sort of distance that can come between people – no matter how close – over the course of many years. Memories don’t always capture the emotion and closeness of a presently-described moment. That’s not the writing style Swan is going for in GE, yet it feels like he forgot to leave the somewhat shallow style of developing of interpersonal relations between characters behind with EotW.
I know Renata loves her sister (introduced in the first chapter of the book), but I’m not given enough to care about her as the plot starts moving. I know Renata cares about her mentor (also introduced in chapter one), who accompanies her throughout her journey, and still, there’s this emotional disconnect between me and him (the mentor) that I just can’t shake.
Maybe the issue is with me, but I felt more for side characters in EotW than I did for most the secondary cast in GE!
Additionally, and very slightly off topic: Renata comes across as a mini-Helena, to the point where I would sometimes call her Helena in my head when I didn’t have the text in front of me. Renata isn’t so similar to Helena that she fails to be her own distinct character, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out in later books that she’s a descendant or distant relative of Helena.

3. Pacing

Again, the issue could be with me, but the pacing felt like it stuttered, as if it couldn’t figure out a good balance between slower and faster paced scenes until the latter half or quarter of the book. It caused my interest in picking up the book to wax and wane along with it.

4. Certain Plot Threads were More Interesting than Others

Like it says on the tin, all of the different storylines were interesting, but certain plot threads interested me more than others. It wasn’t until I was nearing the 65%-75% mark that every storyline became near equal in drawing me in. This may be more of a subjective issue that varies from reader to reader, so keep that in mind.

5. Bigger Word/Page Count

I feel the same way about GM as I did about The Trials of Empire: it needed more words, more pages, more expansion to the story and characters and setting, even if just a hundred pages more. I think the pacing and shallow character relationships within GM could easily have been remedied with a few thousand extra words that could have leant more meaning to character interactions or built out the world more in this new era. If I had to throw out a page count, I’d say at least 650 would do GM more justice than 571, as it is listed on its Amazon product page. But you know, maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about. Maybe I just like my long books?

Final Thoughts

Despite some of the issues I had with the book, I’d say this is a solid new installment in the histories of Sova. It makes me wonder at where Swan could take this series. Will we get to follow Sova and the world around her into new centuries? One day, will we be reading an urban fantasy trilogy set in modern-day Sova? I’m excited to find out, though lets not get ahead of ourselves. We have a Great Silence to combat if Sova and all the planes have any chance to make it to that future!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book.

This is my first Richard Swanson book. This was a great high-stakes, epic fantasy! It starts off a little slow at first, being very character driven and finding out about the world and the characters' roles in it, but when it picks up, it really picks up.

The characters themselves are very interesting (including the "man creatures" we see throughout the story) and we get to see various sides of them throughout the story that make them very relatable to the everyday person in our faults and convictions. I really liked Renata's character and felt bad for Peter thrown into situations he wasn't fully prepared for.

The pacing was also done very well and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. The magic system was quite mysterious, having been lost before and now being found again to utilize. All of the battle/gruesome scenes were described so well I felt like I was there and could grossly see and smell everything.

I really enjoyed Richard Swanson's writing and story, and I will definitely backtrack and read his earlier works and look for new ones in the future.

In Grave Empire, Richard Swan brings the reader with him through a version of Sova that is nigh-unrecognizable for fans of his Empire of the Wolf trilogy. The Empire is in the early stages of industrialization, having eschewed magical practice and turned its focus to industry and conquest.

Renata Ranier, a young ambassador to the Stygion ( a reclusive and purportedly-barbaric race of mermen ), finds herself swept up in a campaign to intervene before a burgeoning apocalypse destroys the world as she knows it.

Grave Empire is a bleak, violent, and bloody story of political and social intrigue. Swan pulls no punches in his honest and candid portrayal of musket-and-cannon warfare, bringing the reader into the grisly reality that his protagonists cannot escape. Diverse, unflinching, and brutal, this story expands on and complicates Sova in a story that is both accessible to newer fans of the universe and packed with subtle reminders of the events of Empire of the Wolf.

The prose is complex and dense, but rewards the reader with a rich and complex world. This story turns its focus from the legal proceedings of Swan's prior series to the legislative challenges of a changing world. The story is equal parts historical fantasy, psychological horror, period warfare, and social commentary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc! This is my first Richard Swan book (yes I do want to read the empire of the wolf trilogy), and it slayed and filleted. Here are some thoughts I had while reading:

As expected, the world building is immersive, intricate, and expansive. As someone who’s incredibly partial to world building in my books, this made me a very happy gal

The horror was yummy and the shit was constantly hitting the fan. There are just some wonderfully fucked up moments in here that come out of nowhere. Other moments were built up with suspense, but all aspects of horror in this book were lovely. Also, you will get whiplash, as insane shit is liberally sprinkled throughout this book and its plot. Personally, I was constantly breaking my fucking neck

My Zelda-obsessed ass wrote down at one point “OH BOY BLOOD MOON”

Lots of fucking blood. Just absolute metric tonnes of blood in this book, and often in places you don’t expect.

This definitely was a plot>characters type of book. That being said, there were many instances of well done characterization in here. This especially applies to one of the main POV characters, and he is a demon from hell in a human flesh suit. Many of these characters don’t pull punches. I will say, Yelena was probably my favorite. As for the plot itself, it was fast, sharp, and smart. It was also fucking nuts. I wrote down “OH NO” and “oh my god” an obscene number of times

The ending was chef’s kiss. Revelations were had, I was reeling, and it sets up book 2 nicely. Obviously I can’t say much more due to major spoilers, but the ending was very much good soup!

All in all, a very promising start to a new trilogy. Loved what Ive read so far, and I will be clawing at my cage for book 2. -4.5 ethereal screams

Easily one of the best book I've read this year. It is absolutely brilliant, and what a beautiful cover.
The story in itself is a real page turner. The stakes are immediately high, the pacing is perfect and the mysteries are layered in the most interesting way.

I loved the different points of view. Every POV character is set on a different path, in a different part a world, and it is great for the pacing and the world building. The quotes introducing each chapter weirdly resonated with me.

The characters are brilliantly written, very human and faulted. There are no heroes, and some of them are not even good people. But they are compelling and even the side characters feel fully developed.

Even though it is set in the same world as the previous trilogy, The Empire of The Wolf, and around two centuries later, you do not need to have read it to fully enjoy this book.
There are references, but it's not crucial to the appreciation or comprehension.

I can't wait for the next book!

Richard Swan is becoming one of the biggest voices in fantasy. I absolutely loved his Empire of the Wolf trilogy, but this has a great chance to be even better. I loved the horror elelments in this and I cannot wait for book two!

Wow wow wow!!! This was such a ride. The character development and world building was top notch. This is a must read!!

I loved the horror elements Swan mixed in here with epic fantasy. It's something I haven't personally read a ton, and I acutely felt the existential dread with each chapter as things built (something that is I think one of the big selling points for this book)
This was a speedily plotted book, and felt pace-wise very similar to Trials of Empire (3rd book in Empire of the Wolf trilogy) There's a build in the 3rd act where the pov characters are dashing around trying to save the world, and in a plotting sense, it moved really quickly and I enjoyed it.
My one miss for this book was the lack of arresting characters. Swans Empire of the Wolf trilogy (I think) exploded because of the mercurial and powerful presence of Sir Konrad Vonvalt and his companions, who were all developed really well; I cared about each of them individually. Not as much with Grave Empire. I felt each character performed their job to advance the plot, but I didn't connect with them as well as I did characters in the preceding trilogy. Obviously, this could change as more books are released.
Overall, an enjoyable read, and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of Swan's previous work. I will admit, my feelings about Grave Empire might change with future installments, but as a first book I am intrigued and hoping for more as the series continues.

Loved this! Such a great thriller and horror novel. The character development and setting information is great. It was a great read for the upcoming spooky season.

I deeply enjoyed Grave Empire. It was extremely detailed and well-written. I have not read the original Empire of the Wolf trilogy, but this certainly made me want to. At times it was a lot to take in with the political landscape and vast number of countries, but the book still reads as a strong standalone. 

My favorite part of high fantasy is the imagery and mood-building and Richard Swan truly delivered. The setting of Sova is so vivid that I cannot recommend this enough if you are like me. I already have the sequel and the originals on my TBR.

Thank you so much for NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC they provided me! It was an honor to be chosen.

WOW! This was my first book by Richard Swan and let me tell you, I’ve been missing out! This was quite a slap in the face. Thanks so much NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The first 25% are somewhat slow paced, but it just works very well to set the scene and the atmosphere. And what an atmosphere! The world building is absolutely amazing, very original, dark and realistic and well written.
We follow 3 different main characters, in different locations and with seemingly unrelated pursuits at first. Each POV was very intriguing in its own way: Peter soldiering in the North, Ambassador Reinata enterprising some super secret save-the-world mission with the Stygion, and the mad Count of Oldenburg experimenting with evil arcanes.

The epilogue provided some great hints about the next book and I can’t wait to read what Richard Swan has in store for us!

In the meantime, I will be here, reading the Empire of the Wolf trilogy 🐺

Richard Swan returns to the world of his previous trilogy 200 years into the future. Now in an industrial age, the world feels nevertheless familiar, as the Empire of Sova returns in a new maze of political intrigue and magical secrets. Instead of the first person point of view of Helena, we are now presented with 3 point of view characters that are all engaging and interesting. New secrets and new frontiers await the reader and fans of his previous trilogy will be eager to learn the fate of the empire of Sova as it is challenged by even more potent supernatural forces. Highly recommend!

5/5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After loving the Empire of the Wolf trilogy I was thrilled I was approved for this eARC from netgalley.

This is set in the same world as Empire of the Wolf but 200 years later, so while it is a new cast of characters you can still expect the same solid character building expected from Richard Swan. I had a decent understanding of the magic system going into this but it was really built upon in this new instalment, and while the primary setting is still Sova, the world opened up to new territories and political relations that our characters are forced to navigate. I was a little unsure about the time period going into this - Industrial Revolution, muskets and cannons aren’t necessarily my favourite however they allowed for some pretty gruesome descriptions of death, and I was surprised at how many ways you can explode a person. This book has multiple POVs which can be hit or miss for some authors, but was really well done here. Renata’s diplomatic adventure to meet the mer-men was my favourite POV but all were intriguing in a way that didn’t have me waiting to get back to another. All of the characters were well established and it was obvious which POV you are currently reading.

It’s definitely not required to read the Empire of the Wolf trilogy first but I think there are a few callbacks/references that are a nice treat for people who have. There was enough adventure/mystery to have kept my full attention and I read this very quickly. The only downside of having read this early copy is that I now have even longer to wait for book 2.

In all honesty, I keep up with alot of information regarding new books and upcoming events from favorite & slowly becoming favorite authors and i was unaware of this book.

When i seen the available book, I nearly came out of my skin with excitement & so far am not disappointed.
Taking place some 200 years after the original story in the empire of the wolf Trilogy, individuals who read the story will recognize names and places almost immediately from the story. And as with the first series, the story itself revolves around several important players & supporting cast. There are elements of mystery, horror, and fantasy that ebb and flow throughout the story as it evolves.

The characters, as un Swan's first series are very well fleshed out with detail and real emotions. The inclusion of different races is an excellent element to the intricacies of the book that makes it more interesting.

The book starts moderate slow, but soon picks up speed with the protagonists need to "investigate" certain unexplainable phenomenon and go adventuring to do so.

Victorian era muskets, death magic & interesting storyline and characters makes this a fantasy must read whether you read the 1st series or not.

Intriguing start to Richard Swan's latest trilogy.

There's been a good amount of hype regarding this upcoming series- the author's previous series "The Empire of the Wolf" was very well received, and now here comes a spin-off in the same world a few centuries later. I am glad to report that this book certainly lived up to the hype, keeping me on edge (and in suspense) for the full length of the novel.

The nation of Sova returns as the primary setting, but this time with countless political nations and sub-domains, throughout the known world- just look at the wonderful map! This is a third-person point of view series with four characters' perspectives. There is the Secretary to the Stygion Ambassador Renata Rainer, who is sent forth on a diplomatic mission with the Stygion mermen race. There is Peter Kleita, a young wide-eyed military lieutenant sent to the "Far East", resembling modern 18th century reaches of colonial America and Canada. There is the Count von Oldenberg, a wild-card in the making, a nationalist senator who scemes to dig up old magic to Make Sova Great Again, both in the domestic and foreign policy sense. There is one more POV that is unnamed for spoiler reasons.

I once read Swan list some inspirations for this series, such as the French and Indian War, The Little Mermaid, and portrayals of horror (yes, be prepped for some scary stuff). I think it is an ideal blend, crafting an interesting world, that has magic viewed as a different perspective, now portrayed differently from the first series. I'll lastly add that in order to read this series, there is no requirement to read TEotW. I got a little bit of enrichment and a few easter eggs, but nothing is required to retain from that series to fully enjoy "Grave Empire". Swan stated that the story of Sir Konrad Vonvault is over, and he remains true to that promise. Same goes with Helena Sedanka, both of them ultimately irrelevant for the plot of Grave Empire.

I give this 5/5 stars, as I anticipate that this will be one of 2025's best releases.