With Grave Empire Richard Swan returns to the fantasy world of his Empire of the Wolf series 200 years on to start a new series called The Great Silence. Setting the new book so far removed in time from the original series means that Grave Empire can easily start as a jumping off point for readers unfamiliar with Swan’s world. For others, there are plenty of Easter eggs, references and developments to savour. Particularly as Swan has modernised his world to deliver a flintlock fantasy that draws much from the colonial 19th Century for inspiration.
Grave Empire centres its narrative around the Sovan Empire and main characters in particular, although how they connect only becomes clear very late in the piece. The first is Peter Kleist, a young man who has traded his military career to head to the farthest reaches of the Sovan Empire called in the prologue “The Fort at the End of the World”. Only there is plenty more of the weird world beyond that fort as Peter will discover. In the Sovan capital, Renata Rainier, ambassador to a mysterious undersea people (who she has never actually met in person), is pressed into service when two monks appear, warning of a global calamity approaching which they call the Great Silence. As the Sovan Empire has eschewed most magic, Renata is sent to determine whether the threat is real and if so how to combat it. And then there is Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg, a sociopath Sovan noble who has the best idea of the existential threat but is determined to weaponise it for his own gain.
Being the first book in a trilogy, there is a lot of set up in Grave Empire. But building on the bones of the earlier trilogy, gives Swan a rich milieu to draw on. The world which these characters inhabit feels real, with defined cultures, religions and a long history. This more modern setting also allows Swan to explore a world driven by colonial ambition, prejudice and growing trade. But underneath it all is the magical world established in Empire of the Wolf – the alternative world of the Afterlife and the power that can be drawn from it.
By the end of Grave Empire, the threat has been identified, the pieces are in place and clearly things are on the cusp of becoming much, much worse. It is a fascinating set up for what is promising to be another great, action packed modern fantasy series.

Grave Empire plunges readers into a gritty, dark flintlock fantasy filled with supernatural intrigue and political maneuvering. The world is richly imagined, blending industrial progress with the creeping dread of a mysterious prophecy known as the Great Silence. Renata Rainer, the low-ranking ambassador tasked with unraveling this mystery, is an interesting protagonist, though her character development feels a bit overshadowed by the dense plot and world-building. Swan’s writing shines in its vivid descriptions of the Empire’s landscapes and conflicts, but the story sometimes struggles under the weight of its complex mythology and slower pacing. The themes of arcane power and impending doom are compelling, yet they don’t quite reach their full potential in this first installment. While Grave Empire doesn’t completely dazzle, it sets the stage for a series that could grow into something truly special. Fans of grim, atmospheric fantasy will find plenty to enjoy here.

This book was an absolute delight. Although I’m new to the ‘Flintlock’ fantasy genre, I’m now completely hooked. Grave Empire has it all: forbidden magic, sea creatures and armoured sharks, gore and shock and horror, humour, great world-building and character development, and so much more.

Let’s be honest, the cover drew me in, and the release of seeing the various editions being released further piqued my interest. So much so that I have already bought the Broken Binding’s copy edition.

What I hadn’t realised was that this is set in the same world as the author’s previous trilogy. However, I have since found out that this can be read without having read the others. Lucky for me then.

*Some possible minor spoilers ahead*

Renata, an assistant to the ambassador to the mer-men, dreams of a diplomatic visit to the underwater cities. Her dreams finally come true but for reasons she would never have imagined. There is a disturbance in the afterlife and the world is in peril.

Peter, a lieutenant for the Sovan Empire, is sent on a mission to the New East. He is out of his depth and dreams of returning home. But the mysterious goings-on he is sent to investigate turn into living nightmares.

Oldenburg, a senator and noble in the Sovan Empire, investigates strange happenings in the northern regions. A mysterious pox is spreading throughout the empire, and Oldenburg is determined to uncover its source. But to what end?

The book weaves together the three distinct perspectives, each driving the narrative forward. Despite each character’s story being seemingly separate, they hint at a potential connection or a more sinister plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Little Brown Book Group for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first in a new series set 200 years after the events of The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, the story follows ambassador Renata Renier as she embarks on a diplomatic mission to a mysterious race of mermen, desperate to find out about an event known as ‘the great silence.’ What Renata uncovers is an arcane horror that could destroy everything she holds dear, but with the Empire on the verge of war, will there be anybody left to save?

Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf trilogy is one of my favourite series of all time so Grave Empire was one of my two most anticipated releases for 2025. I was excited to see where Swan would take this story with it being set so much later than the events in The Justice of Kings. I ended up absolutely devouring this dark and gripping tale and while it was my first read of 2025, it will without a doubt be one of my top reads for the year. Swan has created a fascinating world and I loved seeing how things had changed 200 years later. The story was well paced and I definitely found myself thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it. This is a completely new story so you can read it without reading the first series, but there are lots of little references towards the Empire of the Wolf. The story kept me guessing, there were plenty of twists and turns and lots of fast paced action scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Swan does an incredible job creating these fascinating characters and each POV had such a strong voice. I thought Renata was a fantastic protagonist but I similarly also really liked Peter. There are some incredibly dark and creepy moments in this story that are guaranteed to send a shiver up your spine. I loved that the characters were complex, often working to their own agendas and made mistakes. They felt so real I cannot wait to see where Swan takes them in book two.

If you’re looking for a unique and engaging fantasy story full of action, adventure, magic and some mermen with armoured sharks, this is absolutely a must read. I highly recommend this enthralling tale and I am counting down the days until the next installment.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The idea is unique and the setting is great. I should point out that I haven’t read the previous trilogy, as far as I’m aware this is set in the same world. I really wanted to be gripped from beginning to end but struggled with the pacing, the second I found I was getting into the swing of a POV it switched. I also found the beginning 30 m% or so was too heavy on the worldbuilding but I do wonder if this would have been more enjoyable had I read the other books. Overall I really liked the premise but struggled with the flow. I would read the others though so I look forward to reading them. I think it’ll get easier in the second.

TL;DR Review: Bigger, more epic, and far more horror-drenched. A brilliant start to a tonally different but no-less-engaging new trilogy in one of my new favorite fantasy worlds.

Full Review:
It’s an absolute delight to be back in the grim, horror-tinged world of the Sovan Empire!
Grave Empire picks up two hundred years after the end of Trials of Empire, in a world that looks much the same and yet surprisingly different.
The Empire has continued its relentless expansion and now finds itself stretched thin and beset by powerful enemies that are trying to reconquer lost lands and curb their greed for growth. A war is raging and the Empire is losing—but it’s another battle entirely that could be the downfall of mankind.
One of our POV characters, Renata Rainer, finds herself drawn into a diplomatic mission to the mer-men of Ozeanland (yes, you read that right, mer-men!) in an effort to discover why the afterlife has gone silent. Necromancy and thaumaturgy have been integral to Imperial power yet now all entreaties to the dead go unanswered. The prophecy of “The Great Silence” hangs like a dark cloud over her mission. There grows within her and her companions the fear that something is very, very wrong in the world of the dead.
Another of our characters, von Oldenburg, has made a career of turning magic to his own greedy ends, and when he stumbles across what seems to be a magical plague, he is immediately fascinated by the its potential. What could ever go wrong when meddling with supernatural forces beyond human control?
Finally, there is young Peter Kleist, a naïve young gallant who enlists by mistake, and not even a captaincy can keep him out of the worst of the action. On the contrary, the rookie officer is sent directly to a remote fort where the enemy never attacks, but supernatural screams ring out all night, every night. And his story…well, you’ll have to read it to believe it.
The Empire of the Wolf series did an amazing job of layering in the macabre, supernatural, and horrorific into a fantasy world. In Grave Empire, it’s taken to a whole new level.
Every moment of happiness and sunshine is bookended by a terrible sense of foreboding. You just know something is wrong, but you can never quite put your finger on what until well into the book. It’s a masterpiece of building suspense by dangling just enough information to keep you coming back, but for every question that’s answered, two more are presented.
The horror is more of an undertone at first, but the building dread keeps rising and rising, dragging you deeper into the mystery and the feeling of wrongness. It’s like a ghost that’s seen only out of the corner of your eye—just when you think you’re getting somewhere, it takes a new twist or turn you never could have seen coming. And for that, I absolutely adored Grave Empire.
I do miss a little the narrow focus of Empire of the Wolf. However, expanding the world with three POV characters and the broader focus does an amazing job of making the story feel bigger—which it absolutely is.
This isn’t just one man’s mission to solve crime and save the world; no, it’s an entire Empire struggling to keep from being destroyed—not just in this world, but in the next, too!
Grave Empire sets up a fascinating new problem, incredibly high stakes, antagonists you know from the start are going to be a real bugger to deal with, and a grander, world-spanning story. We’re also treated to expansion of magic, the addition of mer-men and their battle sharks (hell yeah!), and a fascinating look at a Napoleonic-era Europe going through serious growing pains.
It was a truly spectacular read and I’m already champing at the bit to find out what comes next.

At this point I'm pretty convinced that Richard Swan wakes up in the morning and thinks to himself "I'm gonna write a book that specifically caters to this random Svea person from Goodreads" because I loved his last trilogy and I'm already completely in love with this first book in his new series. It's just for me. Specifically.
Swann writes this very unique genre mixing of fantasy (in this case: flintlock fantasy) and horror that at times is almost too graphic for my weak little heart but adds so much to the atmosphere and the stakes of his stories that it leaves me breathless. <i>Grave Empire</i> takes place in the same universe of his previous trilogy, but centuries later. You don't have to read the <i>Empire of the Wolf</i> trilogy to understand this new series starter, but it adds a lot of context and some callbacks made me sob a little (also it's just great).

The world building is immaculate as ever, even though I still, as a German, sometimes feel a little taken aback because of the many German words included in the Saxan tongue, which is the primary language spoken and as such informs a lot of the place names for example. But it's definitely better incorporated than in the previous trilogy, where there were such gems as the <i>plains plains</i> (Ebenen plains). I admit I was a little confused when another nations turned out to be speaking plain French later in the book, which makes me wonder a little even beyond the clearly European inspiration for the world.
I loved that therworld building got expanded and now includes Swann's version of merpeople that I absolutely adore and catpeople that I'm definitely going to have nightmares about. There is just so much to love and so much more to explore.
Once again, the plot is complex and told from multiple perspectives, with twists and turns and emotional and thematic depth that glued me to my Kindle. The characters are incredibly intriguing once again, especially Renata. There's one character that I didn't like at all and yet I was fascinated by his chapters still, and not just because they contain one of the coolest female characters. All of these perspectives add so much to the story and build a perfect whole that, at times, took my breath away.
There is also a very complicated romance brewing in the background that I am rooting for like crazy already. Swann just excels at writing interesting character dynamics, not just the romantic ones which are generally far and inbetween anyway (which I'm grateful for honestly).

So, at the end of all that gushing and praising are five stars, even though I did find the beginning a little slow. The writing is excellent, the characters complex and intriguing with unique narrative voices, the world building keeps getting better, the story and its mysteries are exciting. I'm incredibly excited to see where this series is going and the antagonists are set up to be absolutely great once again, so here I am, being seated.

The first book of The Great Silence series starts strong!

Set 200 years after Swan's first trilogy it moves away from the first person writing style and instead approaches the story from 3 different points of view. The change makes things feel a little different but it’s clear from the tone and dark lore that we are in the same world.

I was drawn into Swans dark/horror style fantasy with his first novel, Justice of Kings, and was very happy to see the tone continued here but scaled up even further! What can I say, I love horror and impending doom when they're done right 🤷🏽‍♂️

It was really hard to pick a favourite character. All three story threads are great and I loved seeing things from each of their perspectives. If I had to choose though, the rich, power hungry alcoholic has a slight edge purely because he’s so absurdly evil (but in the best possible way) 😂

This doesn’t lack on the adventure side of things either. In fact between the three story threads Swan manages to give you a pretty comprehensive tour of the whole map but holds back enough that there's still more to be told and explored (even to the depths of the sea!).

Also, most importantly I can confirm there is a cat (kind of 😅)
Now it’s going to be a painful wait for the next instalment 😭

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.