The Justice of Kings

3.5 stars

By now I should know better than write long reviews on this bloody app on my phone... I was almost finished with my review, something glitched and it was gone... so let's be quick about this.

"The Justice of Kings" aka Law & Order Middle Ages

Pros:
- this was clearly written by a jurist. I liked how "real" the justice system was
- a true page turner
- original
- Helena and Vonvalt are very shippable

Cons:
- too light on the fantasy
- the digression into a court room drama (thank god it was only for a chapter)
- too low stakes. It's established that Helena lives to be an old woman. No situation that seems hopeless actually is.
- Helena is supposed to have been a tough street urchin but she literally shrieks whenever something is brutal or scary
- characters make dumb decisions in order to move the plot along

This was way more fun and fast paced than I expected. I had a really good time with this one.

This book combines fantasy with crime fiction/suspense very successfully. It makes a lot of sense that the author is a lawyer. It’s 95% perfectly paced with twists and turns the whole way through. The only place I’d say it drags is in the “court room” piece where Vonvalt summarizes what the reader already knows.

I loved this trio - Helena, Bressinger, and Vonvalt. They cared for one another but also largely respected each other’s competence, which felt cozy in the midst of some dark happenings.

I personally hate an info dumpy fantasy, so the minimal style here worked for me. Vonvalt could easily have provided a clunky lecture on all the powers Justices have, but he doesn’t. I know of some of them but not all because it’s not relevant to the story yet.

Swan did a decent job writing a female POV. She has moments where she cries or chickens out, but also moments where she’s strong and smart. This wasn’t one of those times when a character is called smart and then they proceed to never do anything smart.

I really, really wanted to like this book, because medieval fantasy with excellent worldbuilding, an interest in nuance, and female main characters, is incredibly thin on the ground. Regrettably, the writing was just too clunky for me to get into. I don't mean that in the sense of prose, but in the sense of how mood and character was conveyed. The writing would tell me what to feel, rather than having the characters react to it. Despite the book being of a reasonable length to get lots of scenes of characterization, I was instead informed post-hoc what the characters were like. Genuinely disappointing for such a promising premise, with such an interesting focus. I desperately want more books that deal with the (well researched!) intricacies of medieval law, set on the backdrop of a fantasy version of the Carolingian Renaissance, dealing with the politics of warring Germanic city states. Incredibly promising! I may still read the sequel, just to find out if the writing has improved.

The Justice of Kings was a surprise hit for me. Biases on the table, I love stories of Warrior-Judges and I expected to enjoy Konrad Volvalt wielding his unlimited authority to deal out justice within the Empire. I wasn't quite sure what else was in store, and I'm impressed with a story that seamlessly flows between a mystery akin to police procedurals as well as that of a treacherous plot rotting out the foundations of power. The worldbuilding is phenomenal, bringing to life the Empire and both how it expands and maintains its authority. Despite spending most of the story on the fringes, we know as much about the institutional pillars of Sova as if the story was all politics in the capital.

Volvalt is the reason why this novel excels though. Written through the eyes of his clerk, we get to learn about this cold, aloof Justice that reports directly to the Emperor, and we see the brilliant balance of morals and ruthlessness necessary to maintain a code of law during a time where might-makes-right. I was never disappointed when Volvalt was on-stage, and while Helena is often a frustrating character, the narration is that of Helena dictating her memoirs in her old age, and so often includes self-deprecating humor or criticisms that makes this an easy read.

All that said... The Justice of Kings is serious business. It's very grimdark, and set in a realistic medieval world with just a tinge of magic. Swords and sorcery are present, but expect more politics than action. And finally, the protagonists are not the good guys, they're just the least bad option. I love this kind of setting, but if you're just looking for a fun ride, this is not the novel for you.

Highly recommended.