“Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are mere precedent to the quill.”

If you’re looking for a grim dark, expansive fantasy, look no further than The Justice of the King.TJOK is about Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an esteemed Justice to the Empire, and his experiences as problems ignite across the Empire— told through the POV of Helena Sedanka, his protégé. Vonvalt, Helena, and Bressinger (Vonvalt's muscle) never expected one aristocratic murder to unveil a secret conspiracy to destroy the Empire itself, but they’re certainly going to try to stop it with every measure possible. They'll run into loads of betrayal, vengeance, first love, and plenty of intimidating standoffs. Any fantasy lover will adore this story for its complexity. I’m obsessed with this convoluted Empire of morally grey people and conspiracies. It's a perfect blend of fantasy and detective genres.

"‘Tis both as tangled as a spider’s web and yet as simple as day versus night.”

What I loved most about this story was the slow build in world building. It’s been a while since I read a fantasy book that was THIS successful at not info dumping or overwhelming the reader. Part of this is due to the small scale events at the start of the novel that build to bigger and grander issues. You never realize how one moment can define any entire historical turning point, specifically such a small event in retrospect, but TJOK proves small moments can be the catalyst. It was a masterful way to start this series, and I’m in love to be frank.

“The wise man arms himself with knowledge before a sword.”

Onto the characters specifically— Helena is a magnificent protagonist! I didn't know going into the book that the narrator was Helena, so it was a wonderful surprise. You come to find out she’s writing down her life following Vonvalt, and readers get amazing insight into her recollection of the past and these relationships. Bressinger and Helena have absolutely wonderful banter, somewhat sibling-like while Vonvalt and Helena defintiely vibe with that stereotypical father-daughter bond. Helena is one of the few instances that Vonvalt actually shows his softer side compared to the stern, serious Justice everyone else sees, and I loved that their relationship was a central part of the plot. The end scene specifically in the whorehouse is one of my all time favorite scenes because of what it not only means for Vonvalt's character but Helena too as his protégé. In general, Helena acknowledges she was not perfect, but whoever is perfect at nineteen? She's young and prone to making bad decisions, but I loved that about her and even the boys too because they certainly aren't anywhere near perfect either.

"All may be judged by the law, so all may uphold it."

Lastly, the magic is another great element to this story. The biggest magical use throughout TJOK is the Emperor’s Voice, an intimidating magic that forces people to speak the truth and answer questions. It's only commanded by Justices and takes nearly a decade to learn. The first time it was used I was not expecting it at all, so it sent endless shivers down my spine... and that’s not even involving the necromancy! Magic plays a bit of a side part to this fantasy until the end, but I loved that. I'm near certain book two is going to go into greater depth since everyone left is returning to Sova. The hidden magics certainly scared me in the end, so I'm curious about what Swan has up his sleeve next.

Thank you to Orbit Books for a finished copy to review!