Richard Swan's sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more."–Sebastien de Castell, author of Spellslinger I'm not going to describe the plot, because I think it's best when you go in as blind as possible, but what I will say is that most of it is essentially a road trip through different places, with some investigating and eventually a battle. Their employer, Sir Konrad Vonvalt, is on a mission to deal with murderers, thieves and rapists; Helena Sedanka, the narrator, Vonvalt’s clerk, her job is to take down a note during proceedings. Dubine Bressinger, Vonvalt’s taskman; and Patria Bartholomew Claver, a Neman priest who had imposed himself. Finally, what really sent me over the moon with this book was the incredibly intense intrigue and hateful conflict between the Empire's servants and the religious faction on the opposing side. That central conflict is truly what made this a magnificent read that I couldn't put down. The Justices on one side believe in abiding by the laws of man while those faithful to the Neman religion believe that all laws spring from her and her alone. So you can see where something has to give here, yeah? That tension carries on throughout this mesmerizing story and made for some truly heart-pounding moments for sure.

No.” Sir Otmar all but spat out the word. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that Sir Otmar was a practising Draedist himself.Introducing an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon, The Justice of Kings is an unmissable debut where action, intrigue and magic collide. The novel was written well, especially for a debut novel. I could feel the conflict rising that continually built up my anticipation. The book elicited different emotions throughout due to the engaging writing. Different events and plot lines that didn’t seem connected at first were brought together, and a mystery was at the bottom of it all.

Brand, Paul (2004). "Oxford DNB article: Ormesby, Sir William (subscription needed)". Oxford University Press . Retrieved 12 August 2010. A murder case brings the party to a bustling town where underneath the calm exterior lies something that could cause an upheaval for the Empire and Sir Konrad himself. Our party must navigate the case delicately before political strife rumored to be at the center of the Empire can interfere. I liked this book and didn’t really have anything negative to say, except maybe with the synopsis. Konrad would have been great to follow as the main character, since the synopsis made it seem like he was the protagonist. I understand in the end why he wasn’t the main character though. I The Witch of Rill “Beware the idiot, the zealot and the tyrant; each clothes himself in the armour of ignorance.” From Caterhauser’s The Sovan Criminal Code: Advice to PractitionersSir Konrad, a man of justice, the Empire himself grants him the authority to be both Judge and Punisher. His solid belief is “No man is above the law,” and his loyalty to the empire is unshakable. Aside from Helena, in his employment is his taskman Dubine Bressinger, whose main job is to be Vonvalt’s bodyguard. These three, as well a Neman priest named Claver, arrive at Rilla where the townspeople are accused of practising the outlawed Draedist religion. Vonvalt, while strict, is fair but Claver feels his judgement was too lenient to the heretics. They separate at Rilla but as the remaining three travel to Galen’s Vale to solve the murder of a noble lady, they are unaware of what follows. An absorbing fantasy murder mystery . . . I have been thoroughly hooked by this series and cannot wait for the next helping of political upheaval’Fantasy Book Critic

Helena, Vonvalt, and Bessinger unknowingly find themselves in the heart of a sweeping political saga just being themselves in a complex and ever-tilting world, and as Helena herself tells us: we had no idea what our actions would set in motion.It is impossible to impress upon a man the severity of a situation until the point of its remedy is long past. ‘Tis something to do with the nature of a human being, that ingrained idiocy. The gods must shake their heads at us in disbelief.”—JUSTICE SOPHIA JURAS