Grave Empire had me utterly engrossed from start to finish - for high fantasy fans looking to get lost in an expansive and detailed world, this would be an excellent choice! It has battle scenes, political bickering, a band of explorers on a mission, dastardly villains acting dastardly and an existential threat to all life; what more could you want!

The atmosphere created in the story was a particular highlight. As the lead players come to grips with The Great Silence, an ominous sense of dread builds over the course of the book, as it slowly dawns on the characters around the world how real the threat they face is. This is especially true in the Soldier Peter Kleist and the Count Oldenburg’s chapters, where both narratives twist into genuinely unsettling horror at times!

The worldbuilding on show in Grave Empire was fantastic - a detailed, expansive world that is actually explored extensively throughout the book! I loved how the character’s journeys could be accurately traced using the detailed maps at the start. Those new to Swan’s work (myself included, a clear oversight on my part) may suffer from a bombardment of place and race names near the start, though the narrative did an excellent job at providing reminders of critical info when necessary.

There’s an awful lot to love in Grave Empire, and I eagerly await another book in the series to continue the story. In the meantime, I must atone for my sins and check out Richard Swan’s other books!

I really enjoyed this one. I wasn’t too much of a fan of The Justice of Kings, however, this one had me hooked.

The characters were likeable, each POV had their own voice and motivations. My favourite being Peter’s. I loved the horror aspect of the story.
The world felt lived in, and well developed, which I suppose you would expect when it is set 200 years after the authors original series.
The pacing was fine, it never felt rushed or slowed too slow.
Overall I’d give this 4 stars. Very enjoyable and cannot wait for book 2.

Grave Empire is set roughly 200 years after The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, expanding upon the richly developed Sovan world. For fans of the original trilogy, this book feels like the start of another captivating series.

The story unfolds through the perspectives of three characters: Renata, a human ambassador to the mermen, begins her journey with a chilling confession from two monks who admit to attempting to commune with the dead—only to be met with silence. This silence ties to a prophecy known as the Great Silence, which threatens both mortal and immortal realms. With death magic strictly forbidden, Renata is driven to uncover the truth behind this unsettling phenomenon.

Peter Kleist, a reluctant nobleman forced into military service, finds himself fighting for the Sovan Empire in the Near East, a desolate and eerie region rife with strange and foreboding events. Von Oldenburg, the antagonist, casts a menacing shadow over the story, though his presence is less prominent than that of the other characters. The three protagonists are complex and well-drawn, even if their choices are sometimes questionable. This only adds to their authenticity, making their arcs more engaging and emotionally resonant.

The world-building is expansive and immersive, seamlessly building upon the foundation established in The Empire of the Wolf. The writing is lush and vivid, with descriptive prose that brings the setting to life. Horror elements are woven throughout the narrative, adding a layer of tension and intrigue that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall, Grave Empire is a fantastic return to the Sovan world. It blends character-driven storytelling, intricate world-building, with some good pacing to the story. This looks to be a gripping start another excellent series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5

This is my first time getting a taste of Richards Swans writing and I must say I am really looking forward to trying Justice of Kings now.

An epic tale of an empire while at times making me a bit lost it always pulled me back just as fast.

As high stakes as it was I’m not sure the genre is specifically something for me, but this specific example definitely was. The pace was not too fast not too slow and the world both historically inspired yet something fantastical and completely different. I tempted to be confused to from time to time and it may have been easier if I read his other books beforehand but it did not stop my enjoyment of it too much. The POVs were intriguing, the horror was shocking and the plot was plotting!

As someone who loved the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, I was very excited to get my hands on this. Set in the same world, but two hundred years later, Grave Empire gives us a snapshot into how the world and the Sovan Empire has evolved over time.

The book is very much the first in a trilogy. There is a lot of 'setting up', laying the groundwork for events that will surely follow in books two and three. Therefore, at times the pacing felt a little slow, however the world is richly described and almost every page is an attack on your senses, so I was intrigued enough to keep reading. #

There are three main POV characters throughout, and an army of a supporting cast surrounding each one. Renata, an ambassador's assistant to the merman - a people that live deep underwater. She is finally called upon to take the long journey to meet the people she has spent her life studying, on a quest to discover the truth of the Great Silence.

Peter, a newly promoted captain in the army, sent to the far reaches of the world, where monsters lurk in every shadow. He doesn't want to be a soldier, certainly doesn't want to be in the far reaches of the world. What he will discover there is set to haunt him for a lifetime.

And finally, Count van Oldenburg, a senator besotted with the arcane. He too has heard of the Great Silence, but instead of trying to fight it, he wants to harness the power that comes with it. He is (intentionally I assume) dislikable, but we all love someone to hate in a book!

So three people from different backgrounds, different worlds in many ways, end up facing up to the same problem in different ways. It is not a casual read. I think Richard may have swallowed a thesaurus at some point whilst writing it! It is a book that requires your full attention, keeps you on your toes. Very different to the trilogy it succeeds, but in a way that keeps the Sovan Empire evolving and gives it a different feel to what has come before.

Roll on book two

As a person who LOVED the previous trilogy, to say I was excited for Grave Empire is an understatement.
You have a wonderful world building before you with richness and considerable range, combined with politics and history.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me and failed to immerse me into the story or engage in some way and although the Easter eggs from the previous books were a nice touch, they weren't enough to hold my attention.
I think my biggest problem was the writing style and the fact that there was too much describing before getting to the story and live action. I found myself often skimming trough bits here and there because I caught myself getting bored at times.
In terms of characters I struggled to connect with them too and the only one that managed to grab my attention for a bit was Peter, but again, not enough to care.
All in all, to be honest, I missed the magic that the previous books brought as feelings and characters, and I'm heartbroken that I couldn't fall in love in the same way with this story.

My first ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book in 2025

After 200 years of events in the Empire of the Wolf, Sove is entering a new era. The world stands on the brink of a profound crisis, drawing a group of characters into an adventure filled with horror, mystery, action, and magic that spans continents. Each character is driven by their own motives and they will be forced to confront the challenges of this chaotic world. Meanwhile, a dark force from another dimension quietly watches, biding its time and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The characters each one of them goes on a different journey, with their paths gradually developing into something extraordinary. The POV will provide a deeper understanding of their perspectives and the details of their evolving stories.

The world-building and writing were completely captivating, with all the details including different creatures, magic, and history, adding to the overall experience. This gives the story a rich depth and effortlessly brings the world to life, which is one of the aspects I truly loved about the book.

I was excited when I heard about this book so I want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC of this book

P.S. If you are interested in the book world, you can check out The Empire of Wolf trilogy.

The Trials of Empire was my final read of 2024, so The Empire of the Wolf trilogy was front of mind when reading Grave Empire as my first read of 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Grave Empire, although it was a slow burn, mainly laying the groundwork for the rest of the series. There didn't feel like much action compared to Justice of Kings as a series opener, with the most satisfying element of Grave Empire being the convergence of plot lines towards the end.

I love Swans intricate world building, especially now that he can sprinkle easter eggs referencing the events from the Empire of the Wolf 200 years before Grave Empire and the Great Silence.

Based on the characterisation of the FMC, and the press and special editions marketing, I thought we'd spend much more time in the underwater fanstay world of Ozeanland and Maris with the Stygion's and their Great White Shark familiars. But that said, the Far East plot that took over word count that could have gone to the Stygions was equally intriguing, just unexpected.

Overall, Grave Empire was a great read, and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next in the Great Silence and spending more time under the sea! If you were a fan of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy I'd say this is a must read!

Grave Empire is a fantasy that will have you on the edge of your seat, whispering “what the fuck” in progressively more freaked out tones. It’s a pivot from the first series set in this world, but a fascinating one.

There are three POVs to this one: Renata, a low-ranking ambassador to the mermen (and who is mocked relentlessly for it), who finds herself dispatched on a mission to speak with them regarding the prophecy of the Great Silence (which two heretical monks have approached the Empire to speak about); Peter, a newly-promoted captain in the army who is sent to the farthest reaches of the empire, where demons and monsters haunt the ranks; and the final POV, which is more spoilery, and involves a man trying to discover the source of a mysterious plague.

This book was a guaranteed favourite for me, on the basis of the original Empire of the Wolf trilogy. Richard Swan writes in such a way that you don’t want to put down his books, you want to just keep going until you get answers (alas, none are forthcoming in this series opener, so I’ll be waiting for the sequel in suspense). There are authors you can tell have spent hours producing their world and thought through every eventuality, and Swan is one of those. It’s even apparent from the invented in-world epigraphs that mark the start of every chapter (also these are fun to read in themselves. Also also make sure you play spot the old friend!).

While I would have to say that Helena, Vonvalt, Bressinger and Radomir remain my favourite characters in this world, Renata and Peter are compelling in their own rights. About nine times out of ten, I’ll have a favourite POV in a multi-POV book, but that wasn’t the case here. Okay, so I preferred Renata and Peter’s POVs to the third one, but otherwise they were equally enjoyable (and uncovering different aspects of the mystery, so it was intriguing to speculate how it might all come together).

More than The Justice of Kings, this is a set-up for what will happen later in the trilogy. Justice of Kings had a mystery plot alongside the (yet to be seen) ramifications in the world at large. This one has a lot of strange things happening, the significance of which you don’t yet know, but it was more like three disparate storylines that converged at the end. I have to admit, I’m still not quite certain how Peter’s plot is going to tie in, but that’s the beauty of this one. It might not have a conventional cliffhanger, but it leaves you with plenty of questions and a burning desire to know more.

To sign off, let me say you don’t need to have read the Empire of the Wolf series to get this one. Sure, it’d help, but it’s not necessary. I mean, I would hardly discourage it (one of my favourite fantasy series!), but this is a series you can start with regardless.

Grave Empire is the first book in a new trilogy by Richard Swan. Set in the same world as his last trilogy, starting with The Justice Of Kings, we follow the plot a few hundred years later.

Something strange is happening in the afterlife. We follow three different POVs - Renata Rainer, an assistant ambassador to the Stygion, a mere-people attuned to the magic in the world, Peter Kleist a young soldier fighting on the farthest front for his country's expansion interests, and Count van Oldenburg, a senator whose interests in the arcane make him interested in finding out what is going on.

I loved the story in this. I was hooked by the mystery of what was going on and the horrors that the characters experience. This is really fantasy horror with quite detailed descriptions of violence and bodily wounds but also atmospheric horrors.

I also enjoyed reading the different POVs. Not only were the characters interesting and complex with different goals and agendas but not necessarily easy to root for, it made the scope of the narrative so much more vast and gave a very detailed view of the world with its different races and people.

The writing drew me in as it did with The Justice Of Kings. It takes its time to explain things and trusts the reader to follow along.

And even though this is a first book in a trilogy, it ends quite satisfactorily with the arc of the book completed but enough open questions that I look forward to continuing this series.

My only qualm is that it it took its time a bit to get really going. But once it did, I couldn't put it down.

I really loved this and eagerly await the next book.

4.5*

3.25/5 rounded down for goodreads and Netgalley.
It was a solid first book in a new fantasy series. The plot was gripping and kept me interested throughout my reading experience. The pace is rather medium but steady. There are three main points of view, and one of them was definitely more engaging than the other two — Peter’s. In one of the points of view I did not particularly like, I was not a fan of the character nor hints at something I found very unnecessary. The third point of view, however, brought out some very intriguing plot points but the character itself is absolutely despicable and disgusting.
The ending was well-rounded and I could definitely read the sequel when it will be released.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

On paper, Grave Empire has all the ingredients of an epic fantasy I should have loved: a sprawling empire on the verge of crisis, intriguing magic systems, and a diverse cast of characters facing looming catastrophe. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with any of the various POV characters and found the pacing too sluggish for my taste. Despite the promising setup and grand scope, I felt increasingly disengaged as the narrative unfolded and it ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed and bored.

Review not posted anywhere else.

This book, set a few hundred years after the Empire of the Wolf series, follows three characters in different circumstances as events unfold that bring new threats to the Empire and world.

There is Renata, the secretary Ambassador, who is involved in a diplomatic mission following the revelations of two monks. Peter, a soldier who is confronted with strange goings on at his new posting. Finally there is von Oldenburg a count working for the government and investigating a mysterious plague in the north.

The interweaving of these storylines is a dark fantasy, with horror elements, that leaves a mystery that has the reader wanting to know more. There are pacing issues with this novel, particularly from losing momentum when switching character perspective. There is also a lack of character development with a lot of the secondary characters, which feels due to the three way split of the story and something I am sure will be explored more in later books of the series.

The magic system is well developed though, and the world is richly described. I am very intrigued by the mystery at the centre of it all, and excited to see where this series goes.

Overall this was a great start to a new series and I would recommend to anyone looking for a dark fantasy mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Aside from the writing style, which I felt too heavy for my tastes, I struggled to get into this book at first. I'd never read a book by this author before, but once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed the previous series of this author and when i heard his new series is 200 years after the events of the last series, i needed to read this book immediately.

The story follows 3 main pov characters. Renata, a young secretary ambassador to a race of mer-men, who's enlisted on a mission to uncover the truth behind a prophecy named The Great Silence. Peter, a fresh-faced Captain sent to the ‘New East’ to help man a fort in the middle of the dense unsettling woods. Finally there is Von Oldenburg, a Count with a passion for collecting forbidden magical objects who goes to investigate a mysterious breakout of plague in a neighbouring country.

Swan's characters are wonderfully complex - some you’ll root for, others you’ll love to hate. I ended up loving Peter and feel as though he’s my adopted son, whom I must protect from all bad things.

It's not a bad book, i just didn't click with it. I think some readers might enjoy it a lot, and i don't have big gripes with it.

Grave Empire is an absorbing story with two contrasting main POV characters and a third who seems to be less important at first but is not what he appears to be. The book is set 200 years after the events in Richard Swan’s previous trilogy but you don’t need to have read that in order to really enjoy this one.
The world building in this epic fantasy is brilliant with several nods to things that are happening in our own world as The Empire continues its domination and exploitation of its subjects.
I loved both the characters of Renata, a young diplomat, and Peter, a young army officer. They are both sent off on missions# and go to the opposite ends of the empire. Both of them are out of their depth but despite this, manage to cope and deal with the situations they are faced with. Peter’s letters to his father give us a brilliant insight into his character and make the events he is faced with even more horrific.
The first part of the novel is quite slow paced but once it gets going, the tension and horror build up quickly. This was a great first instalment of a new trilogy and I look forward to seeing where Richard Swan takes the story next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Little Brown Group UK , for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I am a very emotional person, and quite accustomed to having allll the feels when reading.

However. I scarce recall a book which has had me in such a perpetual state of anxiety. Described as a "supernatural horror", Grave Empire takes place centuries after the events within the Empire of the Wolf trilogy. It's not necessary to have read that trilogy to dip your toes with this - but it's truly excellent so I would always recommend it.

For those who have read EotW, this marks a shift in tone to much darker. Strange things are occurring - the After Life has gone silent - arcane powers are stirring. Split between three distinct povs - Renata, the Ambassador to the Stygion (an elusive merman race); Kleist, an inexperienced Lieutenant, and von Oldenburg, a Count with a keen interest in pagan magic - each on their own quest to investigate the plague which is spreading across the country.

Swan has once again created a story both strong in plot and memorable characters. It's very distinctive, a unique premise / magic system which at times makes your skin crawl - wanting to both take a break yet need to know what happens next. God, it's creepy but it's so good!!

Strongly recommend for folks who enjoy the darker side of fantasy.

I was initially excited for this one as I really enjoyed the wolf of empire trilogy. I wanted to see what would happen to the world in 200 pages. The answer is nothing that interesting. The magic we were introduced to in the original trilogy is now outlawed and we only see easter eggs of the previous characters, since this was done as a new starting off point for new readers. I think that I really enjoyed about the previous trilogy was that it didn't feel like a straight up traditional fantasy. There was a mystery element and real discussions about law and justice from interesting characters like Vonvalt and Helena. In this one, for me, the characters didn't feel nearly as compelling. Peter was the most interesting out of the three. But sadly it just didn't draw me in this time and I found myself quite bored at times and missing the reasons I liked the original trilogy.

4 ⭐️

Grave Empire had me hooked from the minute I read the blurb and the book more than delivered. Swan’s ability to immerse you in a new world that feels as rich and complex as our own is amazing.

The story itself perfectly blends horror and fantasy for a reading journey dripping with suspense and tension. There were moments when I couldn’t put the book down and moments when I had to put the book down due to fear!

The story follows 3 main pov characters. Renata, a young secretary ambassador to a race of mer-men, who's enlisted on a mission to uncover the truth behind a prophecy named The Great Silence. Peter, a fresh-faced Captain sent to the ‘New East’ to help man a fort in the middle of the dense unsettling woods. Finally there is Von Oldenburg, a Count with a passion for collecting forbidden magical objects who goes to investigate a mysterious breakout of plague in a neighbouring country. Swan's characters are wonderfully complex - some you’ll root for, others you’ll love to hate. I ended up loving Peter and feel as though he’s my adopted son, whom I must protect from all bad things.

This book truly has it all; a gripping mystery that fills you with increasing dread the more you uncover, scenes of such tension and horror I had to briefly put the book down to recover, and plenty of fast paced intense action.

I’m incredibly grateful for the ARC but already dreading the long wait for the next book. I need it ASAP!

I’m rating it 4 stars as although I loved the story and was hooked by the end, I found my investment in the POVs to be unbalanced until around 60% through. Some POVs I loved from the beginning and others I felt I had to slog through. Nevertheless, by the end of the book I was completely hooked!

Richard has a remarkable way of just pulling you in and before you know it you're reading the epilogue.

What a unique story and premise! I haven't read anything like this before and enjoy every page. To think I was paciing myself on this. Such a fool.

5 stars. 10/10. Devoured the whole thing no crumbs etc.

Thank you netgalley and orbit for the arc!!!