Book Review of The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

 

Name of Book: The Tyranny of Faith

Author: Richard Swan

ISBN: 978-0-316-36168-2

Publisher: Orbit

Part of a Series: Empire of the Wolf (sequel to The Justice of Kings) 

Type of book: Fantasy, religion, faith, control, dark magic, justice, fight, empire, budding romance, monsters, mystery , grey areas, right vs wrong, questioning 

Year it was published: 2023

Summary:

From a major new debut author in epic fantasy comes the second book in a trilogy where action, intrigue, and magic collide. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is an Emperor's Justice: a detective, judge, and executioner all in one. But these are dangerous times to be a Justice....

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.

"Richard Swan's sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more." - Sebastien de Castell on The Justice of Kings

"A fantastic debut." - Peter McLean on The Justice of Kings

Also by Richard Swan:

The Empire of the Wolf

The Justice of Kings

The Tyranny of Faith

Characters:

The two main characters in the book are Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor's Justice who often acts as a detective and tries to solve cases. He is a highly dynamic and oh too human character who is still trying to come to terms with a lot of things. He doesn't concern himself with political maneuvering but instead tends to follow the letter of the law. At the same time, while in first book he is presented as almost god like who rarely if ever does anything wrong, in The Tyranny of Faith he is portrayed as much more human filled with a lot of faults. Helena Sedanka is an orphan who becomes Sir Konrad Vonvalt's protege and is the narrator of the book. She is brave, loyal, determined and does her best to understand the men she serves. Sir Radomir and Sir Bressinger are seen as tanks without high intellect by Helena but she underestimates them at times. They are fighters who are wrestling their demons and who have to make a lot of ugly decisions. 

Theme:

Although I hadn't finished it but read it briefly, I am reminded quite a bit of Plato's The Republic and debate about meaning of justice, although this novel is a lot more fun

Plot:

The story is in first person narrative from Helena Sedanka's point of view. First of all, yes highly necessary to read the first book before starting the second one, and apparently the summary of what happens in the first book is provided on the author's website rather than inside the book. The novel immediately picks up with Sir Konrad Vonvalt, Helena Sedanka, Sir Dubine Bressinger as well as the new member of the team, Sir Radomir, traveling to Sova capital to figure out what is going on. Upon coming there, the emperor thrusts a number of tasks on Sir Konrad Vonvalt along with finding the missing grandson prince. While the story is action packed, there is a lot of focus on character relationships as well as the tests that either weaken or strengthen their bonds with one another. Romance is hinted at, but not acted upon. Having said that, I'm definitely counting down days until the third book comes out. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Richard Swan is a Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction.

He was born in North Yorkshire, and, thanks to a childhood spent on RAF bases in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, now has an unhealthy interest in fighter jets.

In 2010 he moved to London, where he spent the better part of ten years litigating multi-million pound commercial disputes. He now lives in Sydney with his wonderful wife, Sophie, their two very loud sons, and a very large container of sunscreen.

For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.

Opinion:

Can anything be done about the release date for the third book? Like, say maybe releasing it in a month or two rather than 2024? No? Pity. This novel was truly a masterpiece, from chapter quotes to the story to the characters, definitely showing a very promising author where I definitely want the third book NOW instead of next year. The foreshadowing, which was highly prominent in the first book was cut down a lot in the second one, and oh boy, the characters and events, there are times that I ended up tearing up and cheering at the events they experienced. This was definitely a worthwhile rollercoaster that I would urge everyone to read and give chance to. Please please grab a box of tissues and prepare for a lot of feels and frustration. And yes, I loved the cover. Also, a fun fact, but I wonder if author is aware that some of the words are in Russian? For example Sova means owl which can stand for wisdom, while Oleni means reindeer in Russian. 

This was given for review

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)