Review - The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

 

Cover - The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

I hope this post finds you well. I haven't been, I've been sick with a cold, but on the plus side it has given me time to finish reading The Trials of Empire, book three of the Empire of the Wolf series by Richard Swan. And I've got great news, it was the second 5-star read I've experienced in a row.

I get the feeling this book has puzzled a few other reviewers and booktubers, primarily because of its switch away from mystery and political intrigues of the earlier installments to epic battles and supernatural horror. All I can say is that this new mix worked for me, and I honestly feel that Swan has saved the best for last. As a book, it succeeds at building up a genuine feeling of threat and dread for the main characters. In particular, the eerie atmosphere of the dreams visions by the young Helena as she is haunted by an otherworld of demons. The stakes are raised much higher as the main characters struggle through perils in order to regain the capital city of Sova and in battles against the fallen priest, Claver, and his diabolical allies. The locks that were previously kept on the horror content are finally released, as various characters must navigate through the home territories of the monstrous demon lords themselves. And an unexpectedly taut trial prosecution scene near the end did not disappoint.

Helena, the narrator as ever, is on a personal journey to break free of her feelings for and attachment to Vonvalt, her former mentor and a Justice of the empire. We get to see her heroism in the tasks she is given: to retrieve a sacred fire, to fetch a weapon from a demon lord and to cut the tether between Ramayah and Claver. She is also a foil against Vonvalt's self-centredness and driving impulses: Helena must restrain and remind him of the correct humanist and moral actions to follow.

Vonvalt is presented even more in this part of the series as a flawed character. His natural arrogance, impatiently ruthless demands and sense of superiority can be a weakness, as is his morbid curiosity about the forbidden Draedist arcane lore without a limitation of moral wrongness. His partial redemption near the end is as welcome as his heroism and ability to take over and direct the people of the city. But the spell book that is hinted at to still be in his possession at the end will put you in doubt...and possibly leave developments open to a sequel series.

There are constant questions throughout the story as to the ethical rightness of certain actions. Vonvalt's argument is always that because of the need to save many lives any action is justified, no matter its correctness and even if you makes you as bad as the enemy at times. This moral dilemma is at the heart of the book and surprisingly doesn't bore you with tedious details. 

Some highlights I found were the wolf-men, the Kasar, and the view of their believable society, culture and warlike ferocity. My favourite character was Agraexes the trickster, an otherworldly spirit on the side of the main characters who has marked Helena as his own. And satisfyingly we at last get the "dirt" on Claver: revelations of his fall and possession, and deals with devils.

I thought this third book was easily the best in the series.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Review - The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams

 

Review - The Navigator's Children by Tad Williams

 

Over the years, many of us readers have come to know what to expect from Tad Williams when another Osten Ard book drops. A common nickname for him in newsgroups and forums has been "the master", and we look forward to another installment where once again he shows his talent for writing a long, slow-burn epic story. In this case, the fourth book in the Last King of Osten Ard series does not disappoint even though it weighs in at a formidable 1,300 pages. The main focus of the story are the shapeshifter people, the Tinukeda'ya, the "navigator's children". Mysteries that have been stringing us along are finally resolved, sinister arch villains get dealt with, and the cast of characters find their way to a hopeful conclusion.

 

The book is structured into three parts: in the first, the Norns led by the maniacal Queen Utuk'ku move towards the mysterious valley of Tanakiru. At the same time, Morgan, the grandson of the High King, and Nezeru travel in order to discover the true nature of the "Witchwood Crown". Meanwhile, a host of other characters in different locations also struggle after the Norns' recent decoy attacks and actions start them on a path that will converge on the valley as well.

In the second part, the setting of the valley of Tanakiru is central and we get to experience a fast-paced, vivid sequence of pursuits and battles which I found truly engrossing. There are also complications and a violent effort by the people of Hernystir to retake their homeland from the crazed ruler, Hugh. After this major conflict in the second part is resolved, the rest of the book is a slow winding-down but it still manages to keep your attention.

The fate of the manipulative traitor, Pasevalles, is dealt with in the third part of the book. Simon and Miriamele must focus on taking their land of Erchester back. We then get the full details on the purpose of the Witchwood Crown and the origins and driving wishes of the shapeshifters, the Tinukeda'ya. With a kind of "group mind", they seek for their own future to achieve their own agency and freedom.

The horde of characters, as usual with Williams, are nearly always full of definition. Simon, the High King, despite his age must aid his friend Jiriki, and is caught up in the struggle against Utuk'ku. Morgan, the prince, is overcome in the face of his own feelings for Nezeru, and he also yearns to find his missing family. Nezeru, the half-Norn 'sacrifice' warrior, in turn must deal with the dilemmas of family belonging and subservience to an unhinged queen who has fallen down a dark path to oblivion. Her father, Viyeki, is given an opportunity by the Tinukeda'ya and must make a pivotal choice between his own people and his instinctive belief in the right action to follow.

It is good to notice once more that this series is a more mature work than the earlier Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. There is no longer the heavy-handed symbolism from earlier. The backstory is deep and the revelations we encounter are genuinely surprising. The battle and chase sequences will keep you flicking pages. Williams also once again excels at writing dream sequences, and the young girl, Lilia, left in a strange dream zone and dealing with threats on her own, I found was one of the highlights of the book. Even though she is a child, through her bravery she discovers power in the world of dreams. And despite the vast array of characters and different locations, I never experienced the feeling that the author at any time had lost control of the movement of the story. 

Any work has pieces that could be improved on, and one of these for me would be the tendency for the characters to speak at times what seems like wistful platitudes or bland philosophy. We get a brooding adolescent again and a character repeatedly griping, but luckily it's restricted to just Morgan's love troubles and Simon's distress at being unable to keep Lilia out of harm's way. Two characters didn't seem to particularly be needed much, the scholar Tanahaya and Jesa the nanny, and cutting their parts down would probably have tightened the story up a bit. Also, there is a lesser general "sense of wonder" than in some of the other books. 

But we get a satisfying conclusion to a weighty, rewarding series. One of the books of the year for me.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐