The Trials of the Empire by Richard Swan

Book Review

Elloise Hopkins

Helena Sedanka continues to learn under Justice Sir Konrad Vonvalt’s tutelage, although he is Justice no more, stripped of his title, a bounty on his head, and a traitor in the eyes of the emperor. Despite that, Vonvalt’s dedication to his duty is unwavering. A beast has been terrorising the barony of Hauner Vale, and they have called on Vonvalt to save them.

When Helena awakes in the middle of the night, with Sir Radomir’s hand stifling the cry she would make, she will discover that the beast is not the only danger here, nor is it the only creature that will feature in this next part of her journey. No matter what happens, they must find and defeat Patria Claver, or Obenpatria as he now calls himself, before he can cause any more damage.

Rumour has it that the 16^th Legion and the emperor’s third son were slain before they could take hold of Seaguard. The closer they get to the Northmark, the more demons they encounter, but Helena knows that when they arrive in Seaguard, they will discover the truth for themselves. Someone is there to greet her… but it is no one that she expected to see ever again.

The Trials of Empire concludes Helena’s tales of her journey with Vonvalt – or at least in so much as she allows herself to detail – as they are driven towards the inevitable clash with Claver and their discovery of the truth in how much of a grip Claver has on the arcane, and what lengths he will go to wield it.

To Helena, Vonvalt has, up to this point, been a steadfast, strong and reliable mentor, but this book explores the ever-complex relationship between them as his obsession with stopping Claver and the terrifying and distasteful lengths he will go to to do so, shake Helena’s faith in him, and irrevocably change her perception of the man she knew. It is a brave author who will rock the core of his characters this way in revealing their most uncertain, shameful, and weakest moments.

This is a much grimmer, action-driven narrative than the previous instalments, and at times, makes for a fairly shocking conclusion to the tale. This is certainly no predictable stride towards the end of Vonvalt and Helena’s journey. The supernatural elements are of central importance, and we see the full lengths Claver and Vonvalt will each go to overcome the other. Much has changed since the start of Helena’s story, back at the beginning of this Empire of the Wolf trilogy, but at the end, we remember that despite all she has seen, she is still a young woman, so perhaps she may have more adventures to speak of in the future.