DNF 40%
I like this book but I am not in the mood for high fantasy at the moment and haven’t felt the pull to complete it in the last four weeks.
The beginning is hard to follow with the introduction of a mass amount of places and names. Of the three, Renatas story was my favourite.

I feel I will come back to this story one day but the mood reader in me just isn’t feeling it right now.

This is new series by the amazing Swan, set in the same world as the Empire of the Wolf trilogy - a series that breaks moulds and puts fantasy on a whole new plane. This new series, set a few hundred years after the horrific events of the last trilogy. Although set in the same world, it feels like and is written in a way to make it a whole new, fresh take. This series is told through the POV of three, very different new characters, who all face a new and terrifying threat from the realm of the dead. Swan has a masterful way of melding horror and fantasy. The world he created is developed in new and unique ways and as usual, it's almost impossible to put his book down. The pacing is perfect, I don't normally like long chapters but they worked so well with this. Certainly one of my favourite reads of the year!
This is a must for all fantasy addicts. I genuinely loved the book and the dark twists and eagerly await the next instalment in the series.
Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

Absolutely 0 surprises that I LOVED this, like at this point I am pretty sure I'd just go feral over Richard Swan's shopping list - HE IS THAT GOOD OKAY.

Grave Empire is set in the same universe as the Empire of the Wolf trilogy (which I HIGHLY praise...If you haven't read it yet - go, go go!!!) however, set a few hundreds years after. We follow 3 very different POVs - Renata, von Oldenburg and Peter and through these characters we get to see and experience very different views of what Sova has become and what it is spiralling towards as all 3 characters missions converge in someway throughout.

I wont say much about the plot itself as honestly, just experience it for yourself - it's the perfect fantasy cosmic horror story of my dreams and I think people are going to LOVE it. NOTE: I will say you do not need to have read the prior trilogy before going into this, there are some nods to the outcome of Sova and what occurred in Book 3 but not to a large degree so you wouldn't be missing out and equally wouldn't spoil yourself if you wanted to go back to them.

Overall, it's only February and already this is going to be hard to top for my book of the year!

Thanks as always to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC - now, BOOK 2 PLS!!!

what an amazing introduction back into the world of the empire of the wolf! I loved the multiple POVs and the time jump centuries wise as we got to experience the world we already knew in a different way!

In the Great Silence, No one can hear you scream……..



Richard S Swan’s Grave Empire is juicy, delicious, creepy horror done wonderfully right in this trilogy starter set in the same world as the author’s Empire of the Wolf Trilogy - a few centuries moved. I am thankful to Netgalley and Little Brown Group, UK for for sending me a review copy.


“Blood once turned the wheels of empire, now it is money”

There is just something about horror in books that Richard Swan nails in this book through myriad ways. Through the eyes of Peter, a naive young captain, we see the horror of the unknown at the edge of Sovan civilisation. Peter is immediately thrust into an atmosphere of extreme dread and conflict. While the conflict seems mortal in nature between 2 warring neighbouring countries, the dread that Peter and the inhabitants of the fort experience is decidedly not mortal and intensely morbid. The epistolary capture of Peter’s dread makes for a compelling read and infuses an immense sense of tension in the first half of the book. The die is further cast when Peter has to lead a mission into the wild and Peter’s journey is harrowing and horrifying. This is the creeping monster horror that drives the narrative for Peter


“We can threaten to shoot our enemies, but it is much cheaper to pay them”

A bored deputy ambassador, Renata provides the second PoV to the happenings of the empire and the nature of the conflict she is tasked to find out about. Sent on a mission by the Empress, Renata along with the ambassador have to approach the mysterious mermen to figure out the nature of magic. The horror that unfolds in this case is related to the greater machinations of the empire and the cost of wilful ignorance. Renata’s journey from academic ambassadorship to the harsh ground reality of practicing it puts her quite through the wringer as she comes face to face with the nature of the horror of the afterlife. The impending horror of the unknown on a large scale is what propels this narrative

“Indeed, in and amongst his frantic excitement, he did not think to ask why”

However, no monster or otherworldly horror can compete with the horror emanating from the minds of men. Von Oldenburg, a dabbler of the forbidden arcane, hears about all these horrors and only sees an opportunity to make money and amass power. He tries to harness these abominations into an entirely different kind of horror. Oldernburg’s standing as a senator and a count allows him to abuse his power willy-nilly even as he gets increasingly desperate in search of forbidden knowledge. This brand of horror makes for compelling yet uncomfortable reading as Oldenburg gets increasingly depraved in his quest

“Most of these old castles were either ruins or had been transformed into stately homes; Zetland, however, bucked the trends in that it was both a ruin and a home.”

Richard Swan packages these three PoVs and their respective horrors very effectively in what is a tremendously written book. Set in the same world as his previous trilogy, a few centuries removGred, he presents a link to that previous world also - thereby rewarding long-term readers. While the writing is pretty strong, I wouldn't say the same for the pacing of the book. The book starts more strongly than the way it ends and this was an issue I had with the previous series as well. There is a reason for that in my opinion - the blurb of the book calls our Renata to be the main character that we follow. But in reality, her journey wasn't particularly as noteworthy as Peter’s and Oldenburg’s. While Renata’s journey is what we are likely to follow in the upcoming books, it felt a bit like the character did not have as much agency in general. Maybe Renata’s is a slow-burning arc that gets a massive push in the upcoming books - I hope that happens even as I await the next turn of this series

Grave Empire is an intriguing start to a new series set in the same world as Richard Swan’s earlier trilogy. While Empire of the Wolf hinged on law and justice as the pivot to the world, this one is commerce and industry-focused (almost akin to what Abercrombie did with his Age of Madness Trilogy). Swan’s focus on the foreboding horror makes this a rather atmospheric read while the variety of the horror on show makes this an interesting read. While the horror is nothing overt, you can feel the build-up all the way and as things end, it seems all rather bleak for the world. A fascinating, slow burn of a read that chills you in many ways

I did not/will not be finishing this book. I read until 20% and this is unfortunately not for me. I posted a DNF review on storygraph and goodreads without a rating to share my thoughts and will also include them below:

This story is set in the same world as the Empire of the Wolf (The Justice of Kings) but takes place 200 years after that trilogy ends.

This book start out with two POVs and at 17% introduced a third POV.

The first two POVs were distinct and while there was a slow build up, I was really curious for their different plights.

One is a reluctant soldier who finds himself not anywhere near he wanted to be and caught up in a mysterious illness/sickness because curses can't be real, right? Part of his story is told with letters so there's also a few different story telling methods within his chapters.

The second POV is a low-ranked ambassador (politician) who is often is the butt of the joke, but then seemingly real news comes out of nowhere putting her on an diplomatic mission. While trying to leave the city to head out on said mission things start to get tense and shots are literally fired.

This brings us to 17% where the third POV is suddenly introduced and it was this one that really decided this book isn't a fit for me. The character introduced with the third POV became suddenly infected from a seemingly self-inflicted wound and was then cured by a rather odd magical choice which was incredibly ick for me. Specific details can be found in the spoiler tag on storygraph/goodreads.

Overall this book starts out rather dense with information but not in a bad way, but one that required some time to sit with and really get into the story. The third POV entered during a high-action point in the beginning and felt a bit rushed into things compared to the pace of the previous POVs. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it was a little bit jarring and then how that POV continued was even more jarring.

I definitely wasn't enjoying this book enough to go out on such a weird limb with the magical choice that occurred around 20% and I don't think I'll be revisiting it.

This is the second book I didn't finish by Richard Swan, the first being The Justice of Kings, so I think it is safe to say his writing style is not a match for me. I really wanted to give this one a try as the premise sounded incredibly intriguing and I think the cultural, religious and political conflicts he's created in his books (both Justice of Kings and the start of this one) are really intriguing, but his delivery and writing style is not for me.

Grave Empire is the first book in the Great Silence series. It melds the genres of fantasy and horror together really well. The plot is compelling throughout, although I did find one of the three perspective slightly less engaging. The characters are well written and their development throughout the book is really well done. I definitely recommend checking this book out.

This was an okay read for me. Richard Swan is undeniably a talented writer, but just like with Empire of the Wolf, something about this book didn’t quite click—and I can’t pinpoint exactly why.
The pacing and world-building in Grave Empire felt uneven. At times, it was like stacking bricks on flimsy cardboard—moments of great action punctuated long stretches of overly descriptive prose. The balance just wasn’t quite there.
Throughout the book, I struggled to find a character I truly connected with. Unfortunately, most of them felt somewhat tepid, which made it harder to stay invested. Additionally, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the book could have been trimmed down by a chunk. There were multiple dialogue scenes that stretched on for pages, delivering only small bits of new information, and many travel-heavy chapters that felt a bit too much.
Despite my mixed feelings, the plot has me intrigued enough that I might give the sequel a try.

Multi pov, flintlock fantasy that was a lot darker than I was expecting. The horror elements bordered on my tolerance levels but were masterfully written. The sense and tone of dark foreboding throughout this story was both uncomfortable and addictive. Loved the unusual spin on the afterlife! Epically and intelligently written, this was dark and compelling and left me a little bit disturbed. 😂
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

I spent most of February suffering the flu and in the haze and confusion and brief moments I could open my eyes I turned to Grave Empire. My first Swan novel and absolutely not my last, I'm currently waiting for the physical copy to arrive show I can show it to people and proudly announce that I've read it. Grave Empire is everything I it said on tin "- a dark flintlock fantasy filled with epic adventure, arcane powers and creeping dread".

Swan takes care with the worldbuilding and explanations and so despite not reading the Empire of The Wolf Trilogy, I do not feel I was disadvantaged in anyway when reading Grave Empire first, as this book is set two hundred years after the events of the EotW Trilogy. I enjoyed this so much, my favourite character was Renata hands down. I also enjoyed the underwater world, it felt like being a kid again and watching Atlantis for the first time, Swan evoked the same wonder and curiosity in me now as Disney did then. But I also felt for poor Peter, the guy was going through it but also I would to if I was him.

Overall, I really loved this book, it was the only joy I had in this flu ridden two week hell hole I was in. I can't wait to read the next instalment and I'm very grateful to Orbit for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and Richard Swan for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, for letting me read an early copy.
Grave Empire starts with a good amount of worldbuilding through the eyes of three POVs. Unfortunately I did not really click with all three of them but read on for the world and the different races.
Some choices made in the world-building, brought me out of my enjoyment. The first 50% were not so intriguing to me but i am glad i pushed through.
After around 50-60% the action starts, which is quite nicely done. There are some small horror elements interwoven in the story which i quite liked. The second half of the book was much more enjoyable. I loved the merfolk parts. Also the world above water became very interesting. Revelations were quite intriguing and the book ended with a great cliffhanger.

“Our plans, Majesty?”
“Your plans, Ambassador, to save the world.”

I'm a huge fan of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, so of course I had to read Grave Empire, which is set in the same world, but a few centuries later.

I'm happy to report that this book is just as good as that series, and that I loved every single chaotic moment of it.

We went so much deeper into the world and its inhabitants, it's no wonder my favourite parts had to do with mer and cat people, they were just so fascinating.

It started off a bit slow, but in no time the pacing picked up and I had a hard time putting the book down.

Out of three PoVs we got, Peter's was my favourite, because the poor guy couldn't catch a break. It seemed like EVERYTHING was out to get him, and I loved following him from the get go. His PoV also had the most horror elements.

Then there's Renata, my second favourite, who got the chance to shine when she finally met the mer people. I loooooved exploring the underwater world so much, and the sharks??? STOP THAT'S SO CUTE!! Where can one learn Selachomancy? Asking for me.

Despite not being as skilled as Maruska (cue Maruška by Šaban Bajramović), she stepped up to the task and did an amazing job, if you ask me. I can't wait to see where her character will go in the next books.

And von Oldenburg...I didn't like him, for reasons that will become obvious when you read the book, but I did enjoy following his PoV all the same (good part of the reason is Yelena), just not as much as the other two.

Mr Swan's writing has been perfect from his very first book, and yet he still finds ways to improve. Grave Empire reflects this, being the smoothest story yet. I have a feeling that readers who are new to this world will have no trouble following anything, because it's crystal clear from the start.

With that said, you should read the first trilogy so you can enjoy the little Easter eggs we got, and because it's one of my favourites (seriously, read it).

I'm in awe at how "new" Richard Swan made the world seem, it's not just "oh it's been 200 years", you can actually SEE the changes, not just world wise, but character wise as well, the way they behave etc.

Speaking of, I'm glad to see even more Slavic names and places popping up, keep it up Mr Swan, you have my seal of approval.

I have to mention the uniqueness of the plot, it perfectly ties into what happened before, while still being something new and creative (afterlife going silent, what could be causing it? Dun dun dun).

The ending made me a bit mad, but in a good way, like what do you mean there are no more pages to flip and I have to wait till the next book is released?? It was an interesting place to end the story, that's for sure.

Reading this book was such an amazing experience, I can't wait to return to this world again and again.

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Hello again dear reader or listener, I am back, this time with a review for a brand-new entry in one of my favorite fantasy subgenres, i.e. flintlock fantasy!

With a huge thanks to Orbit for the eArc approval, my thoughts are indeed honest and I am definitely not being threatened into saying nice things by the ominously silent guys in dark suits and sunglasses currently parked outside my home.

I had previously begun reading Swan’s Justice of Kings and, even though I didn’t get very far before I had to pause for reasons, I was so taken by his narrative voice and deep worldbuilding. Eventually I decided to buy each book as it came out and to binge read the whole thing in one go because that is what I enjoy most when presented with this style of writing. Then, before I got the chance to read the trilogy, in came arc requests for this new book that seemed even more tailor made for me, if possible. So, I simply could not resist jumping in this one first.
Indeed, to open this new trilogy, Swan brings together horror fantasy, flintlock, espionage, a sprinkling of steampunk, wolfmen, mer-men, necromancy and more. Also shark familiars. I feel it is very necessary to mention the shark familiars. I mean come on, how effing cool is that?!

Also did you see that cover?! A thing of absolute and badass beauty that is.

(Please note my heroic attempt at not swearing – be advised, it will not last.)

First thing I want to mention, aptly, are the epigraphs to each chapter that, not only were a nice touch to enrich the lore, but they were so perfectly on point with their underlying commentary. If you know, you know.
Now then, with three different points of view, we get to follow along as each of the characters is trying their best to survive their respective trials and maybe make it out at least partially sane by the end. Best results not guaranteed.

Each pov is utterly compelling in its own way and for various reasons, with two of them ringing so true in their reactions to their situations in ways that are somewhat unexpected for epic fantasy heroes. Truly, the horrors are many and, sure, the characters do try to get through them with some bravery and stubbornness, but in point of fact they are actually terrified the whole time. And who wouldn’t be when facing such terror and hopeless situations they were very much not trained for?! You can’t help but deeply feel for them and root for them in equal measure. Also, the number of times I just went “What a mood” out loud, is telling.

Whereas with the third pov, Swan does something I always enjoy finding if done well, and that is gradually revealing that the eyes through which we are seeing that side of the story belong to someone despicable. It is subtle at first and expertly done, and I can only tip my hat to this slow unravelling of an already deplorable mind into something far worse. I hated every added second of being in it and I was delighted all the same that the author could pull such a visceral sense of repulsion out of me. The key was in all the small details that so effectively wormed their way under my skin and kept adding to my discomfort so that even when the actions become outright villainous without any subtlety about them, I was still both expecting it and yet appalled at the progressive worsening of the situation.

Not to mention how Swan’s overall narrative pacing was so masterfully varied so as to perfectly render the slowly mounting dread and anxiety of tense moments, or the hectic chaos of sudden action and fever dreams, as well as the Fuck-that-run-for-your-lives scenarios. Hell, he even succeeded in creating multiple jump-scares and, as we all know, that is not easy to do on page. And again, sometimes all it took was some very small yet expertly placed details that so strongly rendered the utter wrongness of a given situation.

However, do not think that because there are bleak moments in the story, this first book is itself heavy and tiresome. Quite the opposite, interspersed with all of the aforementioned, there is plenty of wry and dark humor which had me chuckling quite often because of how well it worked in tying the whole story together and in rendering the absurdity of some situations.

All of that said, perhaps the book suffered a tiny bit from some heft of the war politics and history exposition here and there, so as to not make it ideal for the newer fantasy reader, but not overly so as to make it inaccessible either. For the seasoned epic fantasy reader though, this world and its new story are easily an embarrassment in riches. Swan brings to the page battle and machinations which he sometimes plunges the reader right in the middle of if necessary and sometimes we skirt along the edges of along with the harried protagonists, and it is always just the right amount of either epic, chaotic, or terrifying, as needed to serve the given situation.

Also, I need to give a shoutout without context and spoilers to a scene that gave me strong KALI MA vibes, just because.

In short, Grave Empire is just one big, badass cocktail of awesome.
I loved seeing the character development throughout the whole book, I loved the plot itself and I’m intrigued to no end, if not even a little wary (in a good way), as to what is to come next in The Great Silence and how our protagonists will persevere.

Mr. Swan you have my undivided attention, and so should you, dear reader or listener, run to immerse yourself in this grand new epic, and have this author on your shelves.

Now pardon me while I go back to read Empire of the Wolf so I can better understand and enjoy all the easter-eggs and to simply enjoy even more of Swan’s writing.

Until next time,
Eleni A.E.

3.5⭐️. I have really mixed feelings about this book. I struggled to get into the first 40% and I don’t know whether that’s, in part, because I haven’t read The Empire of the Wolf, which I believe is set in the same world. There are a lot of names and political scene setting provided at the start without a huge amount of explanation, which probably feels more familiar, more quickly if you’ve read his previous series. Having just finished and now gained a much greater understanding of the world, I almost feel like I need to start again to fully appreciate the first part of the book. That being said, I really enjoyed the latter half and am definitely intrigued to see where the series goes.

You follow 3 POVs: Peter (a soldier in the Sovan Army), Renata (ambassador to the Stygion mer-men) and Count Von Oldenburg, and part of the problem was that it took me a while to connect with any of the characters and get invested in their journey. Yet by the end, I was very bought into Von Oldenburg as the villain:

“He was subtle in his manipulations and delicate in his murders, but nonetheless has a reputation as an evil man.”

Sova is a conquering nation, where the practice of magicks is illegal. Unexpectedly, Renata and the ambassador are visited by two monks who say that they have lost contact with the afterlife, and that this aligns with an ancient prophecy known as the Great Silence, which portends the end of the world. While she journeys to Stygion to seek aid from the mer-men, Von Oldenburg is investigating a so-called plague that is affecting the country, which may have a magikal origin. Peter’s journey was the one that I probably found the most consistently interesting - he’s been sent on a post many miles from Sovan to Fort Ingomar, a place where “soldiers speak constantly of ghouls and sprites in the forests, and I am certain they fear supernatural misadventure more than the enemy’s muskets” - and finds himself on a mission into the forest to investigate the mysterious beings killing soldiers and infecting their minds. This part of the story, in particular, had a horror-type vibe, which I think was really well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

⤷ 4.5✩
In this book, the mortal realm is on the brink in ceasing to exist due to the prophesied but unknown “Great Silence”. Alongside the characters you are finding out what the “Great Silence” entails and its impact on this world. The framing of the problem and events evokes a constant feeling of dread; something is terribly wrong and you do not know what. The story is scary, mysterious and unique in its telling. The pacing is excellent, with every chapter necessary to the bigger picture. Hiwever, the book does feel a bit like an prologue, especially since the big revelations and solutions are yet to be revealed.

This book should ideally be read after the Emipre of the Wolf trilogy, but this is absolutely not necessary. I have yet to read that series and still perfectly understood everything going on in this book. Therefore, I assume that, apart from missing some history and references, you can pick up this book at any time. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series!

4.9⭐

Happy book publication day to Grave Empire! Truly, it was mind-blowing, as expected from Richard Swan.

This time, there are deadly secrets, strange prophecies, rich, epic fantasy, and endless greed.

The extremely suspenseful start of the story is what makes the novel perfect. Everything started with strange noises. I never thought it could lead to such disaster and chaos. With every page turned, the growing sense of dread made the story even more immersive.

This epic fantasy is on a whole different level—I can’t even explain it without giving spoilers! But I can tell you about the characters.

Peter is a reluctant soldier. If I remember correctly, I think he was a lieutenant. He had to face so much horror while investigating the cause of the strange happenings.

Renata is an ambassador, while Von Oldenburg has his own mission, accompanied by a strange woman. All three of them are outstanding in their own way, but I like Peter and Renata’s story more.

The ending leaves us on a minor cliffhanger. We learned so much about Renata and Lyzander. And, uff, Peter and the lethal magical event disguised as a plague outbreak!

The stage has been set! I can't wait for the second book.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Orbit. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Grave Empire.]

Rating: 4.5/5

For the last two weeks, I’ve been fully submerged in the dark and mysterious writing of Richard Swan, and it’s all been leading up to this point. Grave Empire published today and having recently finished the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, my expectations were pretty high. Now, having reached the last page roughly an hour ago (so please forgive my ramblings in this review), I can confirm that Grave Empire goes above and beyond.

First of all, if you’re keen to jump right into this book but haven’t read the original Empire of the Wolf trilogy, don’t worry – Swan provides a strong and comprehensive introduction to this world that ensures new readers won’t feel lost. That being said, there are many easter eggs scattered throughout the story, so those familiar with the world will have plenty of ‘aha!’ moments to enjoy.

Grave Empire is set during an industrial revolution roughly 200 years after the events of The Trials of Empire. Sorcery and anything pertaining to the arcane have been outlawed in Sova, but as whispers of an impending calamity spread and doomsday prophecies come to light, it falls to a low-ranking ambassador to seek answers from those who still practice the forbidden arts. Packed with supernatural horror, political intrigue, and existential dread, this is the perfect read for any lover of dark fantasy.

In Grave Empire, we follow three distinct points of view, each offering a unique lens through which the plot unfolds and the world expands. With new places to discover, new people to meet, and a lot of new horrors to uncover, the backdrop for a looming disaster couldn’t be more perilous. And it's this degree of high-stakes that makes this such a hard book to put down!

I’m not even a little surprised that this book turned out to be a banger, and Grave Empire has cemented Richard Swan as a favourite author for me. His fresh take on dark fantasy rejuvenates the genre, and my only issue is, now that I’ve read all that I can regarding this world, the wait for book two is truly going to suck.

‘“Blood once turned the wheels of the empire; now it is money.” Maruska quoted, ignoring the engineer. “We can threaten to shoot our enemies, but it is much cheaper to pay them.”’

‪First book of The Great Silence, epic flintlock fantasy Grave Empire brings us back to Sova 200 years after the events of Empire of the Wolf. Amid an Industrial Revolution the threat of an apocalyptic prophesy and a mysterious plague unravels, bringing new questions to a setting fans of Empire of the Wolf will be thrilled to return to. Exploring new territories and cultures throws us deeper into the world Swan has meticulously crafted, casting every lead in the mystery off course.‬

Grave Empire is dark and eerie, with a looming dread that builds into some great intense and gripping moments. The central mystery makes it hard to put the book down and as each perspective character learns something new, you can’t wait to see if and when the others will uncover it too. Some of the horror was so thrilling I was on the edge of my seat envisioning the scenes perfectly. The Erdrich magic lends itself to a kind of horror so effective in a flintlock fantasy like this, we see the world’s rapidly advancing technology tested in many ways.

‘“The problem with the Imperial Office is that it views every race of people on this world as a problem to be solved. A dog to be brought to heel. It thinks in terms of administrative ledgers, accounts, mathematical equations, supply trains and tons of powder. It sees the Kasparov and the pagans and the Casemiro and the mer-men not as pieces in a common lot, but either as tools or as enemies. Does the gardener negotiate with the rake? Does the armed entreat the ploughshare?”’

The true beauty of this book is its slow paced immersive world building and how it threads together the stage for the full story. Through three very different character perspectives the reader is taught about the world both in-depth and surface level. We are introduced to the Stygion, the mer-men race who protect the Eye of the Sea and we become better acquainted with the wolfmen Kyarai fighting the proxy war between their native Casimir and as conscripts for Sova itself. The action is gritty and the horror moments are dark and full of gore which brings a strange realism into this fantasy, making it all the more impressive when our characters are tested to the extreme.

Swan’s writing is sharp and informative with descriptive imagery full of detail. His ability to reflect each character so well within the writing—through Peter’s letters, Ambassador Renata’s dialogue and Von Oldenburg’s internal ruminations—is what keeps the reader so engaged, especially through the more dense explanations. We uncover hidden delights in the moments a character becomes a living person through Swan’s writing, though he doesn’t do this extravagantly, he does it so minutely that you get such a wave of joy in finding them. From righteousness to moral quandary to pure terror the reader is placed into the shoes of each character as they begin to unravel each new mystery and its weight.

‘[I did, however see the thaumaturgic wind generators being installed by teas of engineers though they were not yet working.] They are a modern marvel, though it seems there is no part of the Empire now untouched by the fires of industry, and much of the natural beauty of the world—to say nothing of the native peoples within it— being excised at an alarming rate.’

You don’t have to have read Empire of The Wolf to enjoy this book and the core mystery will not be spoiled in doing so, in fact I believe it would be great to experience reading them for the first time after Grave Empire. There is so much more I can praise about this book, but I will stop here in fear of spoiling it.

I can’t wait for the next instalment of The Great Silence you bet I’ll be reading it as soon as it comes out. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an e-arc.

5 of 5 glowing stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/02/04/review-grave-empire-the-great-silence-1-by-richard-swan/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I Loved This So Much

I loved this book. Richard Swan is quickly turning into a favourite author. Grave Empire is perfection to read. It’s not particularly a short story at around 530 pages but it doesn’t feel long. There’s no excess here. Literally, never a dull moment. The world building is excellent, the world is truly satisfying. There are three different POVs and they’re all good and can hold their own. I don’t know what else I can say – read it.

So, what else wowed me about Grave Empire.

Firstly, the writing. I love the way Swan writes. It just works for me, I should think it would work for everyone to be perfectly honest. He is eloquent. I love reading his books and he manages to create such an atmosphere. It goes from all manner of intrigue to actually quite terrifying, screams in the night, eyes that watch from the thick of the woods – it’s scary stuff (although I’m clearly a bit of a wuss). I will mention that this is dark and doesn’t hold back the punches. But, neither is it gratuitous. This is a world at war (seemingly on all fronts). An empire on the verge of collapse and so there is plenty of action.

The world building is phenomenal. This is a fascinating, if scary, place. The Sovan empire has outlawed the use of magic – but that’s not to say that magic isn’t practiced in secret. Religion and politics all feed into the story and the characters we follow enable us to travel far and wide encountering the most wonderful aspects imaginable. There are wolfmen, mermen – cat people. It’s crazy, exciting and frightening.

The story is told from three povs and they’re all absolutely compelling. We follow Renata who is an ambassador (or deputy?) to the Stygion Mermen. This is a strange role – most Sovans don’t even believe in the existence of mermen and so Renata and her colleague have to put up with ridicule quite regularly. At least until a couple of monks come to visit the Empire with news of a prophecy that foretells the end of the world as they know it and sparks a mission. I loved Renata, she’s such a real character and has a great support network surrounding her. This particular storyline is absolutely fascinating and the encounters with the mer folk were excellent. I can’t get enough of this strange world. Then we have Peter – I confess this is my favourite storyline (although it’s very close run thing to be honest). Lt Peter has been posted to the end of the world (or so it seems). Fort Ingomar. This is a creepy place. The soldiers can barely sleep at night for the strange and piercing screams that surround the fort. People go out foraging and die in quite brutal ways. Peter quite regularly writes correspondence to his father where we become familiar with his fears and doubts, he fears he’s made a terrible mistake and desperately wishes he could return home but the thought of the shame this would inflict on the family keeps him in place. I was genuinely scared for Peter. This aspect of the story definitely veers into horror and makes for compelling reading. There is a third viewpoint which is also dark and gruesome. I don’t want to elaborate too much on this aspect but leave it for readers to discover for themselves.

I could write so much more. The storyline is great, it feels like serious fantasy, there are questions and there are answers and the ending leaves us realising just how much more is yet to come. I can’t wait for the second but I’m going to end this review here before I turn into a gushing maniac. I cannot fault this book. I loved it.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Review - Grave Empire by Richard Swan is the first book in the Great Silence series.
Thanks to Netgalley and littlebrownbookgroup_uk for an eARC of this book.

It is a new era of innovation and exploration, the Empire of the Wolf grows aiming to be the biggest power in the world however, they have competition and such competition means conflict which the young officer Peter Kleist learns. A mysterious plague has broken out on the Empire's borders, drawing attention from a man of old noble blood, and then, the Empress gets a warning from two monks of a world-ending prophecy known as the Great Silence. Renata Rainer is a low-ranking ambassador to a race of mermen who becomes embroiled in investigating this prophecy.

I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it and I had high hopes after thoroughly enjoying the author’s previous trilogy and those hopes were not just met but exceeded. The story kept me properly hooked as we follow various events happening in the Empire from its interior to its borders and beyond as the plot develops and we get an increasing sense of just what a precarious position the Empire is in.

The characters were well done in this book. We have the three POV characters Renata, Peter and the old noble Von Oldenburg and they are brought to life so well. Each has their motivations and lives, and we get to see those as they try to traverse the difficulties all around as they do what each think is best or to just try to survive. The supporting characters such as Captain Furlan, the two monks and Yelena were just as well done as were so many others.

The worldbuilding in this book was great and I enjoyed travelling across the different parts of the Empire and learning about the external forces leaning on it. I also really enjoyed how the author interwove the politics of the world at large into the story.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to any fantasy fans, especially if you enjoy some horror thrown in for good measure.