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Nicole Sweeney

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Nicole Sweeney is Currently Reading

Nicole Sweeney is currently reading

Grave Empire (The Great Silence, #1)

by Richard Swan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in January 2025

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Nicole Sweeney said: " The first in a new series set 200 years after the events of The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, the story follows ambassador Renata Renier as she embarks on a diplomatic mission to a mysterious race of mermen, desperate to find out about an event known a The first in a new series set 200 years after the events of The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, the story follows ambassador Renata Renier as she embarks on a diplomatic mission to a mysterious race of mermen, desperate to find out about an event known as ‘the great silence.’ What Renata uncovers is an arcane horror that could destroy everything she holds dear, but with the Empire on the verge of war, will there be anybody left to save?

Richard Swan’s Empire of the Wolf trilogy is one of my favourite series of all time so Grave Empire was one of my two most anticipated releases for 2025. I was excited to see where Swan would take this story with it being set so much later than the events in The Justice of Kings. I ended up absolutely devouring this dark and gripping tale and while it was my first read of 2025, it will without a doubt be one of my top reads for the year. Swan has created a fascinating world and I loved seeing how things had changed 200 years later. The story was well paced and I definitely found myself thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it. This is a completely new story so you can read it without reading the first series, but there are lots of little references towards the Empire of the Wolf. The story kept me guessing, there were plenty of twists and turns and lots of fast paced action scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Swan does an incredible job creating these fascinating characters and each POV had such a strong voice. I thought Renata was a fantastic protagonist but I similarly also really liked Peter. There are some incredibly dark and creepy moments in this story that are guaranteed to send a shiver up your spine. I loved that the characters were complex, often working to their own agendas and made mistakes. They felt so real I cannot wait to see where Swan takes them in book two.

If you’re looking for a unique and engaging fantasy story full of action, adventure, magic and some mermen with armoured sharks, this is absolutely a must read. I highly recommend this enthralling tale and I am counting down the days until the next installment. ...more "

Dec 29, 2025 05:20AM · see review