Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days-the Great Silence.

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save . . .

Grave Empire is the first novel in an unmissable new epic fantasy series from Sunday Times bestseling author Rich Swan, packed full of action, intrigue and adventure

Praise for Richard Swan

‘A stunning piece of modern fantasy writing’ RJ Barker

‘Utterly compelling, thoroughly engrossing and written with skilful assurance’ Nicholas Eames

‘Richard Swan’s sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more’ Sebastien de Castell

‘Great characters, compelling and wonderfully written. A brilliant debut and fantastic start to the series’ James Islington

Books by Richard Swan

Empire of the Wolf

The Justice of Kings

The Tyranny of Faith

The Trials of Empire

The Great Silence

Grave Empire

Format: Paperback
Pages: 528
Imprint: Orbit UK/Hachette
Publication date: 11/02/2025
Series: The Great Silence v1

Staff review

The Grave Empire
By Richard Swan
Review by Josh

Richard Swan has an exceptional skill at crafting worlds full of life, vigour, and intrigue, and The Grave Empire is no exception. The novel is set in the same world has his prior series, The Empire of the Wolf, but 200 years in the future. While reading the former keys you in on some Easter eggs, it's not necessary. A new threat is facing the now expansive and gun powder-fuelled empire, known via prophecy and arcane research as 'The Great Silence'. The afterlife has gone quiet, causing arcane havoc in the mortal realm. Why exactly this is happening and what it means for both the living and the dead is what Peter and Renata are, in their own ways, trying to find out. Peter, a reluctant military officer, is off in the new eastern frontier where ghostly screams disturb the night while Renata, a junior ambassador to the mermaid people, is part of the convoy set to discover what they can of this new threat. Full of nightmare-inducing horror and truly marvellous character work, Grave Empire is a delight for all to behold and as the first in a series, there's plenty more to get excited about. For fans of the Empire of the Wolf series, The Bloodsworn Saga and The Covenant of Steel series.