This is the first book in The Great Silence, the sequel trilogy to the Empire of the Wolf, and I can already tell I’m going to obsess about it just as much.

First, if you haven’t read the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, please do so now. (You don’t HAVE to to enjoy Grave Empire, but…do it anyway.)

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Have you read it? Ok, here we go.

🧜‍♀️ Grave Empire returns to Sova centuries after Vonvalt and Helena’s story, and while grimdark, horror, and other gritty elements remain from the previous series, Swan now adds another fun subgenre to the mix with some flintlock. Sova has grown beyond its medieval-esque roots, and it was really fun to read how the society had evolved (or devolved, in some cases).

The book revolves around 3 POV characters all engaged in various elements of what seems to be a coming apocalypse. Peter’s story is equally horrifying and engrossing, Renata’s story reads almost like a classic adventure/quest fantasy, and as reprehensible as I found him, von Oldenburg is such a morally disgusting yet complex character that I couldn’t look away.

As with Swan’s previous trilogy, the writing is impeccable. I highlighted so much in this book — especially the epigraphs at the start of each chapter.

I could go on and on, but then you’d be reading this review instead of the book. I release you to do so now. (Please?)

I’m so happy I finally finished this epic fantasy. It took me longer than normal to finish, but it finished so strong. Muskets, cannonballs, wolfmen, mermen— this book was an entirely fantastical journey I was glad to push through on.

I’ve mainly only read romance-heavy fantasy novels, so this took a while for me to get into. Precisely, it took about 60% of the way through the book for it to really grab my undivided attention. Not to say that there was anything inherently“bad” about the book that was preventing me from enjoying the story. It is written quite well, very cleverly plotted, and the characters and pov are unique. For me though, I just found the world-building overwhelming and dense. It’s also very politically and religiously influenced, making it a very complex and realistic-feeling setting for a fantasy novel.

As the first book in a new series, I’d say this is an intriguing start. In this book, we follow three distinct characters, taking journeys on different parts of this fantasy world. There is an “end of days” prophecy in motion, and each of the characters experiences different parts of the calamity. I quite enjoyed how this foreboding prophecy was slowly revealed through these characters journey’s. One character’s story had enticing villainous intentions, another one slightly lighter in themes by forming new friendships, and the third took on a darker almost horror-like tone. It made the overall plot so dynamic and complex.

Thank-you so much to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC! I can’t wait to continue the series 😄

Renata Rainer's job is a joke. As ambassador to the Stygion mermen, she largely has given up hope of ever being useful, given that the mermen want nothing to do with humans. But when two monks arrive claiming to have lost contact with the afterlife, suddenly Renata finds herself in the midst of a critical mission. The Stygion are some of the world's foremost arcana practitioners, and it's up to Renata to verify if recent portents do indeed herald an apocalyptic event known as the Great Silence. But Renata's not the only one interested in the Great Silence - and there are those who want help along the end of the world instead of stopping it.

GRAVE EMPIRE is a haunting, harrowing journey that envelopes you in its atmosphere, while asking readers for patience in experiencing the actual payoff. This is a story of three individuals scattered across an empire who are realizing that a Very Bad Thing is coming. One is unraveling the secrets of a mysterious plague, another must travel through a warzone to consult with magic practitioners who can shed light on an ancient prophecy, and another is investigating strange reports on the frontier of the empire. Each story is compelling and unsettling, as our characters come to understand just how very wrong things are.

And yet when the dust settled, it felt like all that had been accomplished was learning that yes, a Bad Thing is coming and it is a VERY Bad Thing. The nature of the Great Silence is absolutely a satisfactory threat, and I look forward to seeing how our characters try to handle it, especially as some dominoes began tipping at the end of our story. But this first book is essentially all table setting. Here is the empire, here are the characters, here is the state of the mortal plane, here are some of the weird things that are happening. Will we explain how these weird things are tied together? Not really.

I do want to touch on the relationship between the EMPIRE OF THE WOLF trilogy and this new THE GREAT SILENCE trilogy. You do not need to have read the first trilogy to enjoy this new series; the events of EMPIRE OF THE WOLF are as removed from the characters as the Napoleonic Wars are for us. Those events were definitely a big thing that happened, but they don't inform the characters' day to day lives.

The writing here is also more accessible than the previous trilogy. The first series was told first-person memoir style, while this new one is told across three third-person POVs. I think it also reflects the difference in tone between the two stories. Whereas EMPIRE OF THE WOLF was a more personal journey of an individual caught up in world-shaking events, GRAVE EMPIRE feels a little more big picture, a view of how several nations will grapple with a new threat.

I want to be clear, overall I really enjoyed GRAVE EMPIRE, even if the ending left me a bit underwhelmed. I remain hopeful that the second book in this trilogy is going to take everything in the first book and use it for a fantastic sequel. In reading the first trilogy set in this world, I was lukewarm on book one, and then the sequel was one of my top reads the following year. Given how monumentally unsettling the nature of the Great Silence is, I think there's every chance this series will follow in its predecessor's footsteps.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I didn't like this book as much as the blurb made me think I would. It was interesting and the story was fine, but I don't care much for the characters or writing style. In the spirit of fairness, lots of other people I know loved it, as they did his previous series. I read The Justice of Kings and gave it the same rating, but this book seemed more up my alley, so I wanted to try again. But unfortunately, it was pretty much the same. Like I said, I think a lot of other people will love it, but I don't think he's an author for me at this point.

Dark, moody, and tantalizing, Grave Empire is yet another example of how Swan is one of the finest fantasy writers going right now. Fans of Empire of the Wolf will devour this. Those who are new to the Empire are in for an absolute treat.

As an industrial revolution dawns on the Empire of Sova, several crises rear their ugly heads in quick succession which all threaten to devastate the Empire's seemingly destined rise to even further greatness. First, the potentially advantageous proxy war/civil conflict that the empire may have instigated in the wolfman nation (one of the empire's oldest allies) has blown up and is now fully out of control, and Sova's favored side is losing. Second, a bizarre plague is consuming the pagan lands, with news or any concrete information about the nature of the outbreak being hard to find as it is seemingly being repressed by an unknown group. Finally, there is a potential issue with the spirits and souls of the long neglected immaterial realm falling silent to those with the skills and ability to listen to them, which may or may not indicate that the apocalypse is right around the corner and about to consume the entire world. Trying to address this potential world-ending threat is lowly ambassador Renata Rainer, who must contend with an empire that is fraying at the seams, supernatural foes, and a (rightfully) very angry nation of merpeople in order to even understand what is going on, let alone begin to fight it. As the world falls apart around her, she and her allies will chase leads into increasingly dangerous situations, only to be confronted with a truth too terrible to imagine.

Grave Empire is a worthy continuation of the story Richard Swan told with his Empire of the Wolf series, which moves from a world of swords and somewhat sorcery into the 'gunpowder fantasy' era, where cannon and muskets rule the day while sinister magics and spiritual annihilation lurk at the edges of what society understands. Swan introduces us to this new era through the eyes of several well drawn characters who are pursuing different goals across the world, with a military expedition into the little known wilderness, an information/power seeking investigation into a plague, and the ambassador's fraught quest all moving the story forward in a way that never lets up and seldom gets boring.

I eagerly await the next entry to the series and think this would make a welcome addition to any fantasy collection.

Amazing! This was absolutely incredible! I find Richard Wan writes some of the most unique fantasy we are seeing currently. This gave me flintlock/steampunk vibes. Also, it's got mermen and vampires oh my. The horror in this book is really elevated from the first trilogy. There were some truly terrifying moments. Additionally, we see the narrative switch to third person and loved all three of the POVs especially Renata. Renata is a secretary to the ambassador to the mermen so there was a lot of political intrigue in her chapters. She also introduced us to the new mystery, the Great Silence, which sounds truly terrifying. The scenes with Renata negotiating were awesome and I actually didn't mind her maybe romance subplot happening. The other POV is Peter. His chapters leaned more into the horror. I'm curious to see where his story line goes from here. And the final POV was our potential villain. At first, I didn't care too much for him but as it continued the more we learned about the magic system and the Great Silence. Overall, I think you can read this without reading the first trilogy (even though you should!) It's a great start to hopefully another amazing series!

I thought this book was okay.

I didn't realize that he had written other books and I feel like I may need to read the other ones before I will fully understand this book. There was not a whole lot of world building in this book so I am assuming that happened in his other books.

His writing remind me a lot of Tolkein, and even though I am a fantasy reader, I feel like this is not my favorite writing style. I also feel like the plot could have been better. The Great Silence? The spirit realm just goes silent and that's our clue? I feel like that could have been better.

HOWEVER, I am invested in Peter. I NEED to know what is happening to him. What did they do to him and how is he still alive. I have so many questions and theories about what's happening to him. Also, Von Oldenburg is a mad man. But slightly genius at the same time. What is he going to do with this new army he has discovered? And how will his betrayal pan out?

Swan did a great job of tying everyone together at the end and it was interesting to see how the paths crossed. I will be going back to read his other works.

5 🌟
1 🌶️

Oh wow! This was great! From page one, I was immersed in this burgeoning Industrial Revolution world that reminded me of how our world was stripped and mined in the name of progress. You can almost sense the dirty air and smell all the smells in Sova as we are introduced to the world of our characters. Sova is a nation-state that has outlawed all magic under penalty of death and is currently at war with countries that still practice the "dark arts." We are met by various characters at different points in their journey of this epic adventure.

Richard Swan does not allow you to catch your breath as you are moved from dire situation to dire situation as dark and unexplainable events keep occurring, and only the few magic wielders in the known world have any clue as to what is going on. It doesn't help the Sovans are at war with these people, and so they must find a way to try to move beyond war and killing to try to save the world.

I must say I raced through this 500+ page book, and now I must wait patiently for its continuation. If you like your fantasy grimdark, flintlock, and with a touch of horror, this is the book for you. It was fast-paced, making you feel the impending doom and destruction our characters were feeling. It was an immersive experience, and I enjoyed all the characters, even the insane ones.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for the eArc. I loved it, and these are my gushingly applauding opinions.

This one took me ages to get through and I think that's because I was just savoring the journey. Absolutely superb world, immediately high stakes, supernatural/horror vibes, and relatable characters all made for a super enjoyable fantasy read!

The vibe was so eery that there were a few nights when I was up reading late and had to switch to a non-fiction read because this was creeping me out so bad! Highly recommend.

Richard Swan’s Grave Empire kicks off a brand-new trilogy, The Great Silence set in the same universe as his critically acclaimed dark fantasy trilogy The Empire of the Wolf. While cities and species wage their petty wars over differences in religious interpretation, a malicious horror creeps into the world, threatening to invade the mortal plane and consume everything that holds life.
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The Great Silence trilogy, with its first entry, Grave Empire is set in the same universe as The Empire of the Wolf, about two hundred years after the conclusion of The Trials of Empire. The Sovan empire has spread far and wide, fueled by the fires of invention, innovation, industry, and innate lust for expansion. Magic has been outlawed in the empire, the old warnings of the horrors that slithered beneath the mortal plane of reality have dwindled into whispers of history, disappearing into hushed legend. Gunpowder has replaced the blade.

But darker magic persists. When a secret deathcult suddenly loses all ties with the souls in the afterlife, the prophecy of the Great Silence surges into motion and kickstarts a battle for the very lifeblood of mortal existence in the world.

Grave Empire is told through POV chapters following three major arcs. Renata Ranier, the ambassador to the elusive Stygio (the race of mer-folk), tasked with approaching her diplomatic species, as they hold the key to explaining the Great Silence before it is too late. She is joined by the usual troupe of dark-fantasy characters, a gruff duty-above-all-else General Glaser, the happy-but-loopy academic Ambassador Maruska, the elitist corps-engineer Ozolinsh, and the hunky Lyzander.

The second POV, by which Grave Empire kicks off, follows Captain Peter Kleist, the unassuming, cowardly, and wholly unready soldier, thrust into the horrors of the New East, where screams of agony from the world beneath have ravaged the mortal plane, sending soldiers into a state of pitiful jadedness as they navigate the gritty frontier war with the enemy state of the Casimir and their pagan allies. Peter is yanked from his comfortable life and thrown into set-pieces of abject violence, wanton savagery, and unimaginable horror. Through Peter’s perspective, the terror facing the world is truly realized.

The last, and frankly most enjoyable arc followed Count Lamprecht von Oldenberg, as he delves into arcane death magicks with his pagan witch partner Yelena. His character has nefarious leanings traditional in grimdark spaces. His need to derive profit, even from suffering and death forms the perfect counterbalance to Renata’s altruistic aims. In truth, I am most interested in von Oldenberg’s plot in the sequel novel.

What Swan does masterfully in Grave Empire, is create a sense of escalating foreboding as the events of the book unfold. Through the eyes of the horrors that Peter and Renata face in their misbegotten adventures, we get to feel the building tension as the horrors seem just out of view at all times, yet are ever-present, and readers are pulled into the same plight as the characters on the page. Continuing his themes from Empire of the Wolf, Swan uses his storytelling craft to weave a sense of mystery with classic dark fantasy tropes. While not as openly detective-noir as The Justice of Kings, Peter being tasked to investigate the horrors plaguing the empire’s holdings in the New East, had a similar aftertaste to the opening sections of the first book in Swan’s first trilogy.

Unfortunately, Swan’s character work fares more poorly than his worldbuilding efforts. Especially when compared to the stalwart characters that were Konrad Vonvalt and Helena and their interpersonal dynamics and character arcs through the trilogy, the newer cast of characters are sadly underdeveloped and monotonic. Renata is clearly meant to be the primary protagonist and the Helena stand-in for this trilogy, but struggles to find her own voice of character, and her character arc feels under baked. Peter’s character showed much more promise, but also largely followed tropes well-trodden by those deeply enmeshed in the world of grimdark. The side characters, numerous as they were, also felt more one-sided and wooden. Even with the deeper exploration of newer species with their traits and lore, with twists and turns of betrayal, now standard in Swan’s writing, the character work is a step back from his previous trilogy.

Furthermore, when compared to the tight pacing and expert plotting of The Justice of Kings as a masterclass of telling a completely self-contained story, a hectic horror fueled detective-noir set in a dark fantasy world, Grave Silence goes the way of traditional dark fantasy trilogies, quickly expanding away from its core, failing to tell a tight story in its first offering, more interested in setting the stage for the trilogy. One only hopes that the characters are given more time to breathe and develop individual voices and rewarding personality arcs as they are pulled through a tightly paced second entry in the series.

Grave Empire blends the otherworldly horror of Lovecraftian fantasy with the gritty stylings of grim and dark fantasy, set in a world heavy with lore. If Grave Empire is any indication, the stakes will only get higher, the characters will only sink lower into the depths of horror, and the empire’s screams will only get louder in The Great Silence.

First I would like to thank Richard Swan and Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.


I am a fan of Richard Swan, and I enjoy his work. I am glad I got the chance to read his new novel. I enjoyed every moment of this book. The world is just as dynamic as Empire of the Wolf, and our new characters are just as interesting. I look forward to continuing with this series as more books are released.

Once again, I would like to thank Richard Swan and Orbit for the ARC.

Damn what a start to a series!!! I went into this book without reading the first series, but I did not think that took away from the plot at all. I really loved reading the three points of view and seeing how things slowly got put together as the book went on. I especially loved the concept of these half human races and their relationships with the humans. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but by halfway through the book I was absolutely hooked. The world building was great and I don't think it had too much info dumping. Overall, I really enjoyed this high stakes fantasy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eArc!

thank you to netgalley and orbit for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. all opinions are my own.

rating: 4.5/5

the first few chapters of grave empire do a phenomenal job of world building. you learn the geographical and political landscape via a letter from a soldier traveling across the empire to his new post and from the POV of a woman working in the imperial office. sure, it’s an impressively broad world so you’re not going to remember it all immediately, but the groundwork is there and the stage is set. it is, put simply, an excellent omen for the rest of the book.

in fact, the artistry of the world building is something i can’t praise enough. it’s a broad empire and a complex political sphere, but i never felt as if i was getting tedious lore dumps or as if i was lost and scrambling trying to understand. it’s simplistic without being simple and broad without being impossible to remember. richard swan blows it out of the park with the prose and structure of this book.

the character work is good, and the main characters felt fleshed out with both strengths and flaws. i will say, i personally didn’t feel too attached to any of them—i liked renata plenty, and found the other main characters interesting, but i didn’t feel as strongly for them as i could’ve. this is part of what keeps me from giving this 5*.


the plot is strong, definitely leaning more political than action packed, but i’m certainly not complaining. i was hooked from the beginning, and the steady pace keeps you invested throughout. while it does set up the next book well, i did feel as if this book lacked a climax, though. there are interesting reveals in the back half, and i enjoyed the story even without a major climax, but i definitely noticed its absence. this is the other factor that makes me knock off half a point and round down.

overall, grave empire is a very strong start to a new fantasy series, and i look forward to both the next installment and to catching up on richard swan’s backlog.

This is a multi-layered horror/flintlock fantasy that grabbed me from the first page. I haven’t read the author’s other books, but I understand from other reviews this is set several hundred years after. With no familiarity of the Empire of the Wolf books, I was able to jump in and enjoy myself. The slow building horror elements are really well done.

Against a backdrop of an empire on the brink of perhaps collapse, we have:

- Renata, a low-ranked ambassador to a mysterious race of merman, sent on a quest to ask the mermen what they know after heretic monks warn the Empress the afterlife has gone silent.

- Peter, a reluctant soldier who is sent to a fort on the outskirts of the empire that’s inundated with disembodied screams, mysterious murders, and other uncanny events.

- Count von Oldenburg, a nobleman with a penchant for unsanctioned magic. With rumors of a plague to the north, he sees an opportunity.

This is one of the best first volumes of a fantasy series I’ve read in a long time. First, hile there’s a lot of build-up for future volumes, a lot of meaningful events happen and we get some satisfaction here. This novel also does something that I usually only see successfully done in science fiction: it provides an interesting reflection for the present day, specifically our obsession with profit.

I can’t wait for the following volumes.

Whoa whoa 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 of a fantasy setting. It's refreshing, brutal, and a masterclass in creating a brooding atmosphere that I love basking in.
VERY Joe Abercrombie like and I'd say he's got competition.

Firstly, thank you to Orbit for access to an eARC! I had been anticipating this release for some time.

🛑Warning: Mild spoilers below.👇

This new series from Swan takes place in the same universe as The Empire of The Wolf trilogy, only catapulted into to the colonial era. So Sova is now unfamiliar but for central locations and references to necromancy once employed by the magically endowed, the existence of the afterlife, and tidbit accounts of the adventures of Helena and Co.

We are introduced to some new MCs as well:

Peter, a regiment man, who wishes he were otherwise occupied. He is met with extraordinary circumstances on his first foray into captaining a company, and that lead him to a horrible discovery involving a hybrid race of cat-people and a blood ritual.

Renata, an ambassador’s secretary, whose interest in hybrid races and the Stygion (mer-people) is the catalyst for her embroilment in riveting politics and adventure. Specifically, a plot to save the world from a supernatural event called The Great Silence.

And Lamprecht von Oldenburg, an occult enthusiast eager to bring all the old magicks back to the empire to expand it and fuel his pursuit for knowledge and power.

I enjoyed all three perspectives. Renata’s especially; and I felt most at-home in her head. Not just because I could understand her as another woman facing a world of men, but also she is a practical and proactive person. As she learns about what is going on in the afterlife, in the far east, and within Sova itself, she makes decisions that make sense. She makes plans and acts on them.

Peter was a bit of a wimp and whiny, but his storyline is legitimately unnerving. By the cliffhanger ending, when his fate collides with Renata’s, I was giddy with excitement.

And von Oldenburg was a compelling antagonist to follow! I didn’t expect to enjoy him as much as I did. He’s older, painfully pathetic when it comes to love, and honestly kind of an ass. But as the plot thickened with mysteries and revelations, I started looking forward to his reactions—a mixed bag of expletives, explosive outbursts, or unleashed mania.

Swan has a definite gift for world building and weaving
a layered narrative with horror elements and fantastical moments. And creating natural characters. Also, his pacing is on point.

The stakes this time are instantly high, and even then they build, as does the tension in people and across places we are accustomed with or newly introduced to, so I always felt engaged and entertained. This was easily a best of the year read for me, and it’s only January!

Seriously, get your hands on this book when it releases next month. You won’t regret it!

Final rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.6/5

Swan has once again managed to make a very satisfying and compelling story!

I really enjoyed delving into the well set up and realized world Swan has crafted taking place 200 years later than Empire of the Wolf. While I loved my time with the original trilogy, I was very pleased with the shift to the third person and multiple points of view this story adjusted to.

I continue to be surprised and impressed by the author's abilities to bring horror elements into his work. While I love science fiction and fantasy, my all-time favorites will always bring horror into the space as well.

I'm looking forward to continuing reading whatever Swan publishes next and thrilled to continue following his epic adventures!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
The Sovan Empire is in an era of progress and innovation, but hostile nations in the south and a mysterious plague in the north threaten to undermine it. Two heretic monks who have lost contact with the afterlife bring the empress news of a devastating prophecy, The Great Silence, foretelling the end of the world. Arcane arts are banned in Sova, forcing them to look elsewhere for answers. Renata Rainer is the ambassador to the Stygion mer-men, a race that still practices magic and may have insight into the prophecy. Time is limited as she tries to understand a completely new world.

This was such a great book! There are multiple POVs and each one brings a spin to the story. The characters are flawed and compelling. Peter's POV on the paranormal mysteries happening in the north was the most interesting to me, followed by Renata's. Honestly I had some trouble keeping things straight in this book- mainly locations and the religious system. There are a lot of moving parts, but it is well worth the read. I will definitely be looking out for the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advance reader copy!

At this time, this book did not work for me at all. It is way too slow starting out and sadly not doing anything that I found interesting. I do see many reviews saying it picks up in the back half, so I may return to it sometime to try again.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.