The sun has finally set on the Empire of the Wolf, as the much-awaited showdown between former Justice Volvalt and Bartholomew Claver shapes up in The Trials of Empire.
The conclusion is hardly surprising, though, as the author already spent virtually all of The Tyranny of Faith building up a frankly unhealthy dose of suspense.
So, by the time we get right into the events in this book, there's not much to shock the senses. Indeed, Claver's end was outright anticlimactic, and the choice of a trial rather than the brutal execution he deserved was a pleasant turn of events.
Not much happens in The Trials of Empire, save for the slightly predictable trend of events that lead up to the final battle within the gates of Sova.
The former Justice Vonvalt, along with his mentee Helena, seek out allies from across and beyond the ailing Empire, eventually consolidating enough power to marshal the forces of good against those of evil.
There are a few twists, even if none compare to those we saw in The Justice of Kings. Still, the story was no less thrilling.
Much happens in the otherworldly planes as Vonvalt and his friends seek to understand the depth of the foe they face, as well as undermine their power there to the detriment of Claver.
All the events lead up to a final stand, where Helena will prove key to the defeat or success of the forces of good.
It's quite interesting to see Vonvalt's development take on a different trajectory. Gone is the uptight, self-righteous lawman we saw in book one. Now, we begin to see the true effects of such an unhealthy exposure to the elements of evil, both seen and unseen.
In fighting evil, Vonvalt becomes ruthless, willing to use formerly-frowned-upon methods to further his aim of defeating Claver and his minions; it's quite interesting to watch.
Helena increasingly becomes catalyst to events, even as her relationship with Vonvalt continues to worsen. I'm pleased that the author didn't try to force a romance between his two MCs, and that story thread turned out much better as a result.
The story in The Trials of Empire is well-written, as you'd expect of a book by Richard Swan. Indeed, he's one of the very best pure writers I've seen in the genre in a while, and I definitely look forward to reading more of his books.
