Series: Empire of the Wolf #2
Release Date: February 14th 2023
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 496
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I received an E-ARC via Netgalley
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Synopsis
A Justice’s work is never done.
The Battle of Galen’s Vale is over, but the war for the Empire’s future has just begun. Concerned by rumors that the Magistratum’s authority is waning, Sir Konrad Vonvalt returns to Sova to find the capital city gripped by intrigue and whispers of rebellion. In the Senate, patricians speak openly against the Emperor, while fanatics preach holy vengeance on the streets.
Yet facing down these threats to the throne will have to wait, for the Emperor’s grandson has been kidnapped – and Vonvalt is charged with rescuing the missing prince. His quest will lead him – and his allies Helena, Bressinger and Sir Radomir – to the southern frontier, where they will once again face the puritanical fury of Bartholomew Claver and his templar knights – and a dark power far more terrifying than they could have imagined.
Review
The Tyranny of Faith is the second installment in Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf series. Picking up after the events of The Justice of Kings, we follow Helena and Sir Konrad as they return to Sova after the battle of Galen’s Vale. Sir Konrad and his team know the work is only just beginning – there is the threat of rebellion and traitors within the Magistratum. When the Emperor’s grandson is mysteriously kidnapped, the Emperor tasks Vonvalt with finding him and bringing him home alive, but as Vonvalt, Helena, Bressinger and Sir Radomir dig deeper, they uncover a much bigger plot than they could possibly have imagined.
After meaning to read The Justice of Kings for months I finally picked it up and was absolutely hooked. After finishing the book I immediately order The Tyranny of Faith because I was desperate to know where the story was going to go next. This fantasy series is well executed and I really enjoyed the plot of this second installment. There were a number of threads that Swan wove together seamlessly to create such a compelling narrative. We get to see more of the world in this installment and I was fascinated by the descriptions of Sova that practically leaped off the page.
In The Justice of Kings, I was keen to learn more about the magic and Vonvalt’s powers and we definitely get more of that in The Tyranny of Faith. This was probably the aspect of the book that intrigued me the most and I’m so glad we got to see more of it. The story features some really compelling characters that are so well-developed. Each character is dealing with their own issues and it was fascinating seeing how the dynamics between the four main characters changed as the story progressed and the tension heightened.
The Tyranny of Faith is an impressive second book in the series. It’s got wonderful characters and plenty of tense, action-filled moments to keep the reader turning pages. Swan has a really compelling writing style and that definitely shines through in this book. If you’re looking for a fantasy series with magic, mystery and tons of intrigue, this is definitely a series worth checking out. The Tyranny of Faith will definitely be on my best books of 2023 list and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.
Anna Stephens is back with a new Asgard novel, full to the brim with magic, action, and adventure. We are back following Lady Sif and the Valkyrie Brunnhilde as the head to Earth in search of the mysterious magic that is causing Brunnhilde nightmares. Arriving in Elizabethan England, the two warrior women must attempt to blend in and uncover what the Dark Elves are up to. The Asgardian warriors are not the only ones interested in this dark magic though. Hela, Queen of Hel has also arrived on Midgard, determined to take the magic for herself – Hela and the Asgardians are old enemies, but will they be able to team up in order to stop the Dark Elves from opening a portal between realms and waging war in Midgard?
Anna Stephens is back with the next installment in her brilliant Songs of the Drowned series and we pick up with our main characters two years after the events of The Stone Knife – Lilla is a slave warrior, training to be part of the biggest and most ruthless army the world has ever known. He secretly hopes to spark a rebellion amongst his fellow slaves, but how can they overcome the might of the Empire? Xessa is a slave in the fighting pits, tasked with providing entertainment to those she despises, she knows she will never get out alive, but can she help her fellow Tokob survive long enough to claim freedom? Tayan is stuck in the heart of the Empire, surrounded by the most ruthless and power hungry people, but the Singer’s magic speaks to him in a way no one thought possible – can he survive long enough to understand how to wield it? Meanwhile, on the other side of the conflict, Pilos and Enet are at each other’s throats, each one determined to outwit the other.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is the sort of book that grips you as soon as you read the first page and absolutely does not let you go. The story follows a man obsessed with myth and fairytales as he ends up married to the mysterious and beautiful Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. Their marriage is built on a promise that he must never look into her history or pry into her secrets. When the couple learns that Indigo’s aunt is dying they must return to Indigo’s family home – the House of Dreams and the bridegroom discovers a childhood best friend that mysteriously disappeared. Can he resist prying into Indigo’s past and what will be the consequences if he does?
The Serpent and the Dead is a fun and fast paced fantasy tale that follows Lady Sif and the Valkyrie Brunnhilde as they embark on a quest to discover why some souls on the battlefield are disappearing before they can be escorted to Valhalla. When they two arrive at a small town they hear about attacks taking place from fearsome creatures that cannot be killed. Determined to uncover what is going on and rescue the missing souls, Lady Sif and Brunnhilde must use every ounce of their strength to uncover this evil enemy.
Seven Faceless Saints lured me in with that intriguing title and beautiful cover. Set in the world of Ombrazia, the story follows our two main characters – Damian and Roz – as they attempt to uncover the truth about a series of murders that have taken place. Damian is head of security at the Palazzo, and recently returned from the war, he wants nothing more than to solve the murders and make his father proud. Roz is a disciple of the saint Patience, meaning she has magic and a more privileged life than many around her. But Roz never wanted to be a disciple and is strongly against the unjust systems that cost her father his life when he was killed as a deserter. While by day she is a disciple, by night she is part of the rebellion desperate to turn things around for Ombrazia’s people. Damian and Roz have a difficult history, but can the two team up and discover what is killing innocent people?
One for All is a brilliant, compelling YA historical fiction retelling that follows Tania de Batz, a young girl that wants nothing more than to be a Musketeer like her father. However, women are not allowed to be Musketeers and Tania has a condition that frequently makes her dizzy and faint. Known in her village as the sick girl, her parents worry about her prospects to find a husband. When Tania’s father is mysteriously murdered, Tania is sent to a finishing school in Paris in the hopes of finding a husband, but the L’Académie des Mariées is not quite what it seems – this elite school is for a new generation of Musketeers, young women who can play the part of a noble lady, but also protect King and country. When Tania and her sisters-in-arms uncover a plot to assassinate the King, they use all their wits and skills to determine who’s behind it before it’s too late.
Shield Maiden is a beautifully written fantasy tale that follows Fryda, a young girl with a dream of becoming a shield maiden. After an accident in her childhood leaves her disabled, she believes she will never achieve that dream – no matter how badly she wants it. When her Uncle Beowulf comes to visit the clan and celebrations begin, Fryda uncovers a plot that threatens the safety of the people she loves most. Determined to do what she can to protect her people, Fryda soon feels a strange power growing inside her, but Fryda isn’t the only one who feels the power stirring and a dragon long sleeping might finally awake.
Cara Hunter’s DI Fawley series is one of my all time favourite thriller series so when I heard she was releasing an all new standalone novel, I was dying to read it. This compulsive and unputdownable thriller tells the story of the mysterious murder of Luke Ryder who was killed in his own back garden in 2003. The case was all over the news, but it was never solved. Now his stepson is working alongside the team of the hit Netflix series Infamous, in an attempt to discover what really happened to Luke. Bringing in a crack team of experts, they will interview old suspects, talk to the family and perhaps finally uncover the truth.
The Godblind Trilogy by Anna Stephens is one of my all time favourite series, so I was incredibly intrigued to pick up the first in a new duology from the author. Set in the land of Ixachipan, this multi-perspective tale tells the story of people from two very different nations – those from the Empire of Songs and those of the free tribes, determined to resist the rule of the empire. Every other tribe has fallen to the Empire of Songs and the magical music that weaves through everything and everyone. The Empire will stop at nothing to make the Tokob and Yalotlan fall in line, but will they be able to resist where everyone else has failed?
The Bibliophile Chronicles 