Every so often there is a book that I'm super excited about coming out. The book THE JUSTICE OF KINGS was one of those books. I remembered reading the description of the book and thinking that it sounded like a cool idea. Then I saw the cover and I knew I had to read it. And the wait was worth it. I was lucky enough to get an eARC of the book from Orbit Books and I'm glad that I got it. It was a stellar book
THE JUSTICE OF KINGS tells the story of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, one of the King's Justices. Think of them as one part Judge Dredd, one part Elliot Stabler and one part The Witcher. They're a one stop shop for law and order in the vast Empire. Told through the eyes of Vonvalt's young clerk Helena, a foundling given the opportunity to escape her lot in life by becoming the Justice's protégé. While making his rounds, Vonvalt comes across what looks like a simple murder in a town and stays to investigate. He uncovers a vast conspiracy that could undo everything that Vonvalt and his companions fight for.
As I said, this book is stellar. For such a dense book, I found it to be a quick read. It's an epic story told on a small scale. Helena is our window into this complex world and it's pitch perfect. We learn the way this complex world operates on the ground level and it never feels spoon fed or info dumpy. The action scenes are just amazing and breathtaking. The real strength of the book, however, is the voice. Swan's writing voice is just masterful. You want to keep reading it because of the voice.
I'd highly recommend this book if you're an epic fantasy fan.
