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Books like The Justice of Kings

by Richard Swan

24 connected reads, with a reason for every recommendation.

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8 reading possibilities
  1. 01Cover of The Tainted Cup

    The Tainted Cup

    Robert Jackson Bennett

    An investigator and his unusual assistant solve a murder in an empire shaped by dangerous biological wonders, making it a particularly strong match for the seed’s fantasy-and-mystery blend.

    • fantasy mystery
    • eccentric investigators
    • strange ecology
  2. 02Cover of City of Stairs

    City of Stairs

    Robert Jackson Bennett

    A government investigator probes a politically sensitive murder in a city haunted by the legacy of vanished gods.

    • fantasy mystery
    • political intrigue
    • ruined city
  3. 03Cover of The Traitor Baru Cormorant

    Its hard-edged examination of empire, law, and power suits readers drawn to Swan’s morally fraught political fantasy.

    • dark fantasy
    • political intrigue
    • ambition
  4. 04Cover of The City & The City
    An unexpected connection

    The City & The City

    China Miéville

    A murder investigation unfolds across two intertwined cities in a striking blend of detective fiction and speculative world-building.

    • fantastical crime fiction
    • urban mystery
    • surreal
  5. 05Cover of The emperor's blades

    The emperor's blades

    Brian Staveley

    The sudden death of an emperor launches an investigation and a succession struggle across a vast fantasy realm.

    • epic fantasy
    • political mystery
    • assassins
  6. 06Cover of The Blade Itself

    The Blade Itself

    Joe Abercrombie

    Its cynical humor, compromised characters, and looming political conflict make it a natural fit for readers of dark epic fantasy.

    • dark fantasy
    • grim humor
    • political conflict
  7. 07Cover of Lies of Locke Lamora

    A band of confidence tricksters navigates criminal politics and dangerous schemes in a vividly realized fantasy city.

    • fantasy heist
    • city intrigue
    • dark humor
  8. 08Cover of An Instance of the Fingerpost
    An unexpected connection

    Its competing accounts of a murder amid seventeenth-century political and intellectual tensions offer a more historical route into intricate mystery.

    • historical mystery
    • court politics
    • multi-perspective
Explore 16 more recommendations
  1. 09Cover of The Curse of Chalion

    The Curse of Chalion

    Lois McMaster Bujold

    A battle-worn courtier becomes entangled in dynastic danger and divine forces in a politically intricate fantasy.

    • epic fantasy
    • court intrigue
    • redemption
  2. 10Cover of The Dragon's Path

    The Dragon's Path

    Daniel Abraham

    Its measured, adult take on empire-building and competing interests offers a close match for Swan’s political scope.

    • epic fantasy
    • political intrigue
    • merchant empire
  3. 11Cover of Mask of Mirrors

    Mask of Mirrors

    M. A. Carrick

    A con artist’s attempt to infiltrate an aristocratic house unfolds amid tangled identities and city politics.

    • fantasy mystery
    • political intrigue
    • masked identities
  4. 12Cover of The Alienist
    An unexpected connection

    The Alienist

    Caleb Carr

    A methodical hunt for a serial killer in nineteenth-century New York bridges the seed’s investigative plot with grounded historical suspense.

    • historical crime fiction
    • murder investigation
    • dark urban setting
  5. 13Cover of The Shadow of the Gods

    This grim, action-driven opening to a new saga shares the seed’s adult high-fantasy scale and dark atmosphere.

    • epic fantasy
    • dark adventure
    • Norse-inspired
  6. 14Cover of The Bone Shard Daughter

    Several intersecting perspectives uncover secrets within a troubled empire built around mysterious magic.

    • epic fantasy
    • political mystery
    • island empire
  7. 15Cover of The Raven Tower

    The Raven Tower

    Ann Leckie

    A struggle over a kingdom’s succession combines godlike powers, court politics, and an unusual narrative perspective.

    • epic fantasy
    • political intrigue
    • mythic
  8. 16Cover of The Buried Giant
    An unexpected connection

    The Buried Giant

    Kazuo Ishiguro

    This quiet, reflective fantasy turns a journey through a mythic Britain into an exploration of memory, justice, and collective responsibility.

    • literary fantasy
    • mythic journey
    • melancholy
  9. 17Cover of The unspoken name

    The unspoken name

    A. K. Larkwood

    A priestess drawn into a wider contest of magic and power gives this series opener a similarly dark epic-fantasy appeal.

    • epic fantasy
    • dark adventure
    • ancient powers
  10. 18Cover of A Memory Called Empire

    An ambassador investigates her predecessor’s death while navigating the perilous customs and politics of an empire.

    • science fantasy
    • political mystery
    • imperial court
  11. 19Cover of The Fifth Season

    The Fifth Season

    N. K. Jemisin

    Its intricate world, systemic injustice, and morally demanding choices make it a strong fit for readers seeking ambitious dark fantasy.

    • dark fantasy
    • epic scale
    • cataclysmic world
  12. 20Cover of The Historian
    An unexpected connection

    The Historian

    Elizabeth Kostova

    An archival investigation that crosses eras and countries offers a satisfying shift from fantasy courts to scholarly mystery.

    • literary mystery
    • historical thriller
    • gothic atmosphere
  13. 21Cover of The Rook

    The Rook

    Daniel O'Malley

    A woman with amnesia discovers that she works for a secret government agency confronting supernatural threats.

    • urban fantasy mystery
    • secret bureaucracy
    • wry
  14. 22Cover of The Thief

    The Thief

    Megan Whalen Turner

    A clever, politically consequential quest offers a lighter but satisfying bridge to fantasy centered on rulers and schemes.

    • fantasy adventure
    • court intrigue
    • witty
  15. 23Cover of The Councillor

    The Councillor

    E. J. Beaton

    A scholar is pulled into a dangerous succession struggle where political maneuvering matters as much as magic.

    • political fantasy
    • court intrigue
    • succession crisis
  16. 24Cover of The Way of Kings

    The Way of Kings

    Brandon Sanderson

    Readers seeking a large-scale fantasy world, intersecting investigations, and consequential political conflict may enjoy this expansive series opener.

    • epic fantasy
    • military conflict
    • storm-swept world

About the book

The Justice of Kings is a 2022 fantasy novel by Richard Swan, blending high and dark fantasy with an epic setting and a mystery-driven plot.

About the author

Richard Swan is a British fantasy author; The Justice of Kings is the first book in his Empire of the Wolf series.