Steel Gods

The Great Silence #2

by Richard Swan

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION BECKONS. SPIRITUAL CATASTROPHE LOOMS.
AND THE EMPIRE OF THE WOLF TEETERS ON THE BRINK

The true horror of the Great Silence has been revealed. As nation after nation succumbs to the mind-plague and Sova scrambles to enlist help from across the globe, Ambassador Renata Rainer has been given a simple task: save the world.

While she travels to the Principality of Casimir to enlist the help of the Empire's oldest enemy, Lieutenant Peter Kleist returns to the haunted forests of the New East to search for ancient answers - and finally confront the terrible fate that awaits him. In their wake, a task force of engineers, soldiers, and arcane experts will try and unpick the final secrets of the Great Silence - on both sides of the mortal plane.

But time is running out. Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg has returned to the capital, armed with a terrible vision and enough madness to see it through. Those who stand in his way face a simple choice: join the revolution, or die.

As the world tips towards chaos, all paths converge on the Eye of the Sea, where the fabric of reality wears thin - and where the Empire of the Wolf must confront the most terrible enemy it has ever known.

Steel Gods is the second novel in the Great Silence trilogy from Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan - a dark flintlock fantasy filled with epic adventure, arcane mysteries and creeping dread

Praise for the series

'Dazzling and immersive epic fantasy' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'An absolute treat . . . crammed with imagination, horror, epic scale, and characters I simply could not put down' Grimdark Magazine

'A truly remarkable page-turning, flintlock fantasy horror' Fantasy Hive

The Great Silence
Grave Empire
Steel Gods

The Empire of the Wolf
The Justice of Kings
The Tyranny of Faith
The Trials of Empire

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Adult, Audiobook

448 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2026

About the author

Richard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Empire of the Wolf and Great Silence trilogies, as well as fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. His work has been translated into ten languages.

Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.


For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.

Reviews

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆

”What is most baffling to me is that, knowing the afterlife is real, our great preoccupation remains destroying one another on the mortal realm.”

if there’s one word to describe this book, it would be ambitious. the author has really opened up the world to insane heights, there was so much going on . i struggled with this book a little more though, simply cause of how many characters we’re now following and the pacing was uneven in certain areas. i love how the stakes are actually high, Peter was legit fighting for his life the whole entire time. the battle scenes were incredible, the one at the end has seriously got to be one of the most epic scenes I’ve ever read. i have so much admiration for this series, curious to see where it’ll go next.

↠ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit Books for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[ଘRory (Hiatus )]

Pre-read:
Guys I Got the ARC 😭😭😭 thoooo i did not read the first book 🙊

[ivanareadsalot]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

and also

PETERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

there's absolutely nothing coherent coming out of my mouth after seeing the majesty that is this book cover

supremely ready for "creeping dread" 2.0
let's fkin gooooooooo

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Silence has been revealed, the mind-rot plague spreads, and Sova is desperately scrambling to find a way to keep the Eye of Sea firmly closed, for should the Vorr and other creatures from the Holy dimension break free, humanity will end. In an attempt to save the world Sova’s task force sends Renata Rainer to Casimir to help form a peace agreement and hopefully an alliance, whilst Peter Kleist must once again face the horrors of the catmen and return to the forest where he was captured to seek arcane answers and retrieve a weapon which could hold the power to defeat their enemies. In the midst of this is von Oldenburg who never ceases to cause chaos and leads what he sees as a holy revolution that would bring down the Nema creed and see the nations lead by a terrible force.

Steel Gods by Richard Swan is the phenomenal sequel to Grave Empire. Once again prepare to be plunged into a fantasy horror full of supernatural terrors, exciting naval warfare, and characters facing their worst nightmares.

As we return to Renata, who is still reeling from all that had been uncovered surrounding the threat of The Great Silence, we learn that she now plays a pivotal role as Ambassador to not only the Stygion (mer-men) but also in the wider political affairs of Sova. This responsibility hangs heavy as she is still in the midst of grief and understandably the weight of the fate of the world hangs heavy over her. Yet in this sequel Richard Swan pushes his characters even further, he’s an absolute monster to them! As Renata faces even more horrific ordeals, her resilience is tested and toward the end her story arc became unputdownable. As did Peter Kleist's narrative because his own horrific ordeals only worsened. Though it was not all doom and gloom for him and I loved that Peter and the Draedist Olwin shared an interesting relationship between them. Two people from two different worlds and cultures coming together in a time when all seemed hopeless. Their pleasure in each other’s companionship and their comfort in one another helped to bring some warmth and light to an otherwise grim world. Then as Peter visited the catmen, his discoveries with the Kato and Tree-man made for some fascinating chapters that had me glued to the pages.

I had a few new favourite characters this time around, Lyzander and Azura Ozolinsh. As they both deal with the events taking place in Sova, they become trapped in a mad frenzied battle which really had tensions running high and I could hardly predict what would happen to them both. Ozolinsh now being a paraplegic was thoughtfully depicted showing her facing limitations and many health problems but also showing her strength to endure and survive. Swan also gives us a few new characters, Captain Jason Laine and Kaito Kuroda, and though it took some time to see how their arcs fitted into the overall story, it all came together fantastically at the end. Then there was our ultimate madman, von Oldenburg who I didn’t think could become any more unhinged but I was very wrong! This is a character who was always one step ahead, a manipulative violent psychopath who believed the Vorr to be gods and his crusade had zero limits. Basically, he’s a fantastic villain to despise.

The political aspects of this book are done excellently too, without becoming dry and losing my interest. Swan kept me engaged by presenting further prickly tensions between Sova and Casimir, right at the point where Renata was trying to unite them. Furthermore the Victorianists and the Conformist churches are also at a disarray in Sova. The enemy forces use this discord to their advantage by keeping all eyes away from what is actually happening in the arcane dimension, and then political figures use it to their advantage to gain more power and higher positions. Swan builds the stakes up phenomenally and shows the game of war from all sides. This actually reminded me of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time and Rand’s own struggle to unite the lands, so I was excited to see the intricacies of that here too. Then, just as we had been anticipating, as we reached the end of the novel there were some fantastic naval battle scenes. Soldiers, sailors and the Kasar all against enemy thralls using only muskets, bayonets, and cannons. Then underwater the mer-men waged their battle to protect the Eye of the Sea and in turn witnessed an epic and catastrophic battle between two ancient creatures.

Steel Gods ends in the best way possible, it’s thrilling, jaw dropping and left me desperately wanting more. Swan gives us a sequel of epic proportions, it’s a must-read!

ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy!

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems that every century or so a mad man with a vision and access to demonic powers will march on Sovan capital.

With powers of Sova aware of the Great Silence danger upon them, the special task force headed by Renata Reiner was formed to study and hopefully solve the problem. Together with Lyzander, Ozolinsh, Yelena, Peter Kleist, Geigner and retried colonel Glaser she is working on a safe way to access afterlife and learn more about Vorr. She is also using her diplomatic skills to coordinate with other nations in this matter. She ensured cooperation with Stygions and now she is sent by Zelenka to Iliyanabourg, capital of the great Sovan enemy, Principality of Casimir with an impossible task to convince them that they have common enemy now. And from the most powerful nation in the southern hemisphere, the Ayakashi Imperial Shōgunate, a ship is on the way to Sova with the man that can help them.

Pure mayhem.
This novel is relentless onslaught of chaos. If the first novel was divided between several point of view character who, in their own way, went from realizing that something is not ok to identifying the great danger the world is in, this whole novel is them screaming into the void. Swan has a way of depicting fallacies of the system and in the case of impending arcane doom on horizon what does the powers of Sova do? They delegate. They form a task force, they bureaucratize.
So, a ragtag group of characters we got to meet in Grave Empire, left with scars and irreparable damage are, once again, just trying to survive against the odds. This task force was the reason some of the secondary characters I really liked in previous novel had a good reason to stuck in this one like Lyzander and Glaser and hopefully the same will happen with Captain Laine and Kuroda in the next one.
I was especially happy to see Renata doing her primary job which is diplomacy more in this novel and do it in a more traditional sense. She travels to Casimir with a delegation and representatives of both countries are so condescending toward each other. I love how everyone is offended by something the other side did or said but choose to disregard because they are adults. It's lavish dinners with verbal sparring and jabs, ending in an international incident. It only empathized the point that even faced with brain rot plague, empires would rather hold on to their old grudges then work together. Sova is also having an inner political turmoil with industrialists opposed to young Haugenate ruler and different religious factions and in such state of affairs, one man sees an opportunity.
Of course, that's Lamprecht von Oldenburg and Lamprecht thrives on chaos. His chapters are a fever dream, he is insane and gross, but also brilliant and the trail of destruction he leaves behind him is astonishing. Every time his chapter would come up, I would wonder how far would he go next. He is a cataclysmic hurricane.
Some of my favorite parts from previous novel belong to Peter and his horror experience in the New East. He travels back to the place he barely escaped from and find the mysterious Kato. This part of the story was the weakest for me, but Swan still managed to find a way to fit it into the whole Great Silence overreaching arc.
I think with this novel Swan really let himself go full throttle into the dramatic effect. There is an overabundance of horror from creepy afterlife to monsters. He let his characters be over the top romantic, heroic, insane. The plot constantly accelerated resulting into an absolutely absurd final battle.
Steel Gods is a pure mayhem. I cackled, I stayed up all night reading, I can't wait for the next one.
---------
I would like to thank Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit and Richard Swan for an advanced copy of Steel Gods. All opinions are my own.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word. Ambitious.

And also. Awesome!

This book is so large in scope and our cast has a lot of ground to cover and I believe Richard Swan succeeds for the most part in balancing plot and character development.

I love multiple pov books and this book has a full cast you follow and get to know. It’s a tough balance because you gotta have each plot line, line up and be interesting. Imbalance in favorite characters and limiting their page time can be very difficult but I genuinely enjoyed every plot line and pov. I never felt bored or found pacing issues. I will revisit this later though as one minor complaint.

This book is visceral also in its descriptions. Swan succeeds massively in going into extreme detail about more eldritch and gruesome aspects. Some of the best parts of the books are the fight/battle scenes or when the horror is happening.

This world feels fresh, massive and unique. I love we are still continuing to learn more even now.

I also really enjoyed swans prose. It’s just got some quality that it’s straight forward but also his vocabulary range is wide and invokes vivid imagery for me personally. Especially when we get into the darker aspects of this book. Truly gripping descriptions. Some even making me squirm over.

I do have a couple “cons”.

I do think that with how large scale this book is. I feel like these books need to be a bit longer. I don’t usually say this. But I do feel like scenes and characters need to breathe at times. It’s tightly written but it almost feels too fast. And I feel like a couple characters needed more screen time to get me more invested and care for them. This may not bother others but this is also extremely minor but I’d love to get some more development from them and getting some slower parts that can really build these characters to be a bit more well rounded.



A huge thank you to net galley and Orbit books for this eArc. My reviews are always honest about my books.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Steel Gods is the second book in The Great Silence Trilogy , set in the same world as The Empire of the Wolf.   I haven’t read Swan’s earlier series, and while familiarity with it would probably make the pantheon of gods and some of the stranger magics feel more intuitive—this trilogy takes place centuries later—I don’t think I missed anything essential to the plot. At most, there are some enjoyable Easter eggs tucked into the history and lore.

In Sova, when life hands you a crisis of truly epic proportions—one that spans the mortal world and the afterlife—the best response is apparently to form a task force and make it someone else’s problem. Many of the characters we followed in the previous book are now part of this desperate group, racing against time to locate the artifacts needed to stop the Eye of the Sea from opening, unite bitterly opposed nations under a common cause, and avoid dying or succumbing to the mind rot that’s creating armies of the undead.  T he biggest hurdle? Convincing the living that spirit vampires in the afterlife are devouring the newly dead. It’s a tough sell when you can’t exactly produce evidence. 

Richard Swan delivers another gripping tale packed with mayhem, murder, and a healthy dose of horror, much of it channeled through Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg’s point of view. (Just kidding… sort of.) His chapters, teetering on the edge of madness, are some of the most disturbing and riveting in the book. The rotating POVs from other task-force members round out the story, with each character tackling their piece of the sprawling mission. As with most multi-POV narratives, some perspectives pull you in more than others, but Swan masterfully builds tension by cutting away at the worst possible moments, leaving characters and readers dangling. 

This was a wild, crazy ride. I’ve grown deeply attached to several characters in this series, so it was heartbreaking to watch them split up to handle different parts of the mission. Renata heads into enemy territory on a high-stakes diplomatic push to rally allies, while Lysander remains in Sova, digging for answers. Peter, who endured such horrors in the prior book, remains especially close to my heart. It’s fascinating to see how profoundly the cat people’s actions changed him.  He now carries a destiny, and his perilous journey to reclaim the Spear that transformed him is loaded with danger. There are also a few new characters and a new PoV added to help round out the story.  One man can help keep the Eye of the Sea closed and Captian Laine has been tasked to get him into place no matter the cost.  

Steel Gods dramatically expands the scope: ventures into the afterlife (or purgatory), direct conversations with gods, character transformations, and a dizzying array of threats to navigate. I’m eagerly awaiting the final book to see how all these threads come together and find out if the machinations of gods can be thwarted and the danger that is the Vorr crushed. 

[James Morpurgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steel Gods has been one of my most anticipated books releasing in 2026 following what was one of my most favourite reads of last year, Grave Empire and set many years and generations after the events of the Empire of the Wolf Trilogy.

Middle books of a trilogy are notoriously the weakest entry of the three and can sit awkwardly between the excitement of something new and the satisfying conclusions of the finale. My experience with Richard Swan so far from the EOTW Trilogy was to expect a swift ramping up of pace together with greater inclusion of higher, darker forces at play and the title of this book more than hints that this would be the case here too. Armed with this expectation, it was less jarring this time and helped by better set up during Grave Empire. Yes, with Steel Gods Swan decides to go all in with the otherworldly, eldritch horror elements and is at his very best when his characters encounter these entities or differing planes of existence.

As with my review for Grave Empire, I feel that the use of multiple POVs in third person gives Swan much better freedom to expand his story telling and show much more of his world which despite progression to industrial revolution and flint locks is still limited by horseback and sailing to physically travel between locations. Throughout there will be cliffhanger moments at the end of a chapter followed by a change of POV which can be frustrating but you are never left for too long before returning back to that character, readers of John Gwynne or Joe Abercrombie will be more than familiar with this approach. Events did also become a little more nautical in nature this time around - I am not usually a fan of this in fantasy fiction but did enjoy where this eventually concluded and was an opportunity for some bonkers action beyond the stereotypical canon fire and boarding raiders that you would usually find.

With Steel Gods, we have all the returning lead characters but there was certainly more of a spotlight on the antagonist, Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg. I anticipate many reviews and ratings will hinge on reader experience with this character who is completely insane and chaotic and was certainly one of the most unique and unusual POV characters that I have ever read. We also get some additional characters and species. Whilst I am completely here for more perspective from antagonists and a growing cast of POV characters, possibly we did not get enough development or time with Renata or Peter and with Swan's prose and writing style I don't think that another 100 pages or so would have felt too bloated.

Continued praise for how Richard Swan can quickly write and get books published, as he becomes more ambitious and expansive with his storytelling I would still appreciate a recap or dramatis personae to aid getting back into the series but on this occasion it didn't take too long to get familiar with everything again. Once things got going it was quite the ride and the final third was filled with fast paced action, shocking twists and revelations. Just knowing that it can only get bigger and better in book three has me eagerly awaiting its release hopefully early in 2027...

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review. Steel Gods is expected to be released on 31st March 2026.

[Stacey Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

my rating is 4.25
Another incredible installment in The Great Silence trilogy!
Richard Swan once again delivers a grim, lived in setting, layering in new threats and deepening the questions at the heart of the story. As always, Swan's prose is crisp and biting, the story that excellent mix of flintlock fantasy and horror. He is a master at it too.
Again we get three main POV's - Renata's, Peter's and Von Oldenburg's. One desperate for power and destruction, two hell bent on saving the world. I'm not going to lie, Von Oldenburg's chapters were so insanely fun to read because of the absolute brutality and the unhinged thoughts he has!
I have loved both books and I'm already salivating about the third and final volume!
Be about it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this advance copy. My thoughts are my own.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much Orbit Books and Net Galley for one of my anticipated arcs of 2026!

Following Grave Empire, Steel Gods is
total havoc and chaos ensuing. There is some lore drop, the political maneuvering is becoming more grand, and most importantly... characters become so unhinged! As a reader, we literally feel the world on the brink of annhiliation as the mind rot continues to plague the nation forcing many of our protagonist and antagonists alike to confront the dilemma of apocalypse.. or salvation.

There were so many epic scenes and action sequences that had me gasping out loud quickly turning pages. Richard unrelentingly puts his characters through their BRUTAL arcs as we read their journeys and cant help to compare its relevance to present day.

As a character-driven reader, I do wish we spent more time with our characters and their internal struggles to increase the emotional stakes for me. I also feel the constant foreboding tension I felt from Grave Empire was less so in Steel Gods. But again, this is more so a preference as a reader. I love the slow burn subtleness of books. If you are more of a plot-driven reader, this book will absolutely be a reccomondation for you!

[Elizabeth Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for providing the e-ARC of Steel Gods.
Steel Gods builds upon the conflicts introduced in Grave Empire, presenting elevated stakes, expanded world-building, and a multifaceted cast of characters contending with war, power dynamics, and evolving alliances. The narrative broadens its scope by exploring regions beyond Sova, particularly highlighting tensions with Casimir and the Stygion, resulting in world-building that feels more expansive than Richard Swan’s previous works.

The story is characterized by intricate political intrigue and conflict, underscored by larger forces at play. Increased emphasis is placed on the development of the afterlife and spiritual domains, as well as the role of the gods in influencing events. Swan demonstrates his expertise in integrating eldritch horror into the fantasy genre, especially as entities from the afterlife encroach upon the living realm.

While action was present in Grave Empire, it primarily served as preparation for future developments. In contrast, Steel Gods features several dynamic battle sequences, predominantly naval engagements. Although some of the technical terminology may challenge general readers, the battles are clearly depicted and reflect the depth of research undertaken by Swan.

Character development is a notable strength of Steel Gods. Whereas Grave Empire focused more on the world itself, Steel Gods provides deeper insight into the cast, examining their motivations and biases to further enrich the world-building. Lamprecht von Oldenburg emerges as a compelling antagonist whose behavioral parallels to real-world figures enhance his complexity.

Overall, Steel Gods is a strong successor to Grave Empire, elevating narrative sophistication, character exploration, and thematic resonance. I highly recommended this installment for fans of the series and look forward to reading the final installment.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I've relayed my disappointment loudly, but will formulate comprehensive thoughts that are not just 'angry girl, hating' 🤣 Listen...I had expectations based on Grave Empire and The Scour, not my own hopes and dreams...so how did I get burned?? Peter carried this, and the ending saved it. But respectfully, wtf?

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic second book, brilliant pacing. Can't wait for the third book. How long do we have to wait for the third book?? 🤯

[Jamedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

Steel Gods is the second book in the dark fantasy series The Great Silence, written by Richard Swan, published by Orbit Books. A phenomenal sequel that continues the dabbling between horror and fantasy, fully plunging into the chaos that menaces not only Sova, but the whole world, in a novel that blends together political and arcane intrigue, and that will push its characters to face the worst of their nightmares to stop the holy revolution orchestrated by von Oldenburg.

Swan continues moving the pieces on the board, pushing them to the best of their limits, in all senses. Renata, still reeling from discovering the threat of the Great Silence, has to play a pivotal role not only as the Ambassador to the Stygion, but also having to deal with the political affairs of Sova; a Renata processing grief, and with all the weight over her shoulders, knowing that failure might mean the literal end of the world. Simply one of the best arcs in the book.
Peter Kleist is also forced to face his own horrific ordeals, having to revisit the catmen to continue discovering more in order to stop the Great Silence, but at least he has the company of Olwin; a relationship between two people of different cultures, but who help each other with their suffering, also facing the prejudice from others.
Among the rest of the characters, I have to admit I absolutely loved von Oldenburg, again our antagonist. While he's unhinged at many points, he's also showing his brilliance manipulating all the threads, trying to consolidate his power and finally end Nema's Church, instituting his new doctrine and shaping Sova in the process. The contrast between the image he shows to the different people he needs to manipulate is brilliant, giving hints of his brilliance.

A sequel that builds on the foundation laid by the previous novel, expanding the world in the process, showing more of the cultures outside the Sovan Empire, needed allies if they want to stop the threat. I particularly enjoyed the subtle hints towards Victorian spiritism and its practices, well suited to the direction this novel is following.
The pacing is again excellent, making this a read that engulfs you from the start and doesn't let you stop until you finish it.

Steel Gods is all you could have asked for the second novel of the Great Silence series; it continues blurring the line between fantasy and horror while the stakes grow, and excellent characterization on top of everything. Can't wait to see how Swan wraps all with the final instalment!

[Cass (the_midwest_library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by Mr. Swan that I have to sadly rate less than 5 stars. My rating is going to be 3.5 stars, and I'll get into why. I think largely this book suffers from middle book syndrome, and my expectations were just a bit too high. My expectations were high, because before this, Richard has failed to disappoint me. Richard, I'm a scooch disappointed, but ALL IS NOT LOST!

This book has a lot of potential, but was very discombobulated from the start. The tone of the book was chaotic and we really didn't find out footing until the 3/4 mark. The last part of the book was SPECTACULAR, really strong and the writing I'm used to. The begining of the book though really was....just fine.

There were also a number of very forced sexual jokes in this book which for me didn't land. They distracted. I love Richard's slutty characters, but this was more fidora than fun for me. Sorry Richard it's just a little cringe for me but I love you and I promise this will not be the end of my love for you and your books.

I am excited for book to bring it back.

[Conor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it about a third of the way through this book before giving up on it, and I'm someone who usually grits my teeth and finishes a book even when I don't like it very much. I thought the first book of the trilogy was fine, though the seeds were planted there. Unfortunately, all the characters here take a backseat to the ambitious plot, which is so convoluted as to be basically incomprehensible.

One of the issues with the first book was that the POVs were spread widely across the world and generally only overlapped in a meta-plot sense. This isn't unique to this series, certainly, and the ending of that book offered hope that it would bring the characters together so they were interacting in meaningful ways in the way that second books in epic fantasy tend to do, but this installment decided to spurn that immediately and add new far-flung POVs and send the returning characters back on merry journeys across the world, sometimes right back to where they started in the first book.

The main villain's actions and motivations are at best tough to follow, and the fact he keeps getting away with it is so over the top that it strains belief way past its breaking point. I suspect there was an attempt at drawing real-life parallels here (people follow a lunatic for their own personal gain), but that may just be me reading too much into it. It never lands in any case. Actually existing villains may be able to shoot someone in broad daylight and get away with it, but that's usually because of their personal charisma. The villain here has yet to exhibit anything approaching charisma — in fact, he's been characterized as a repugnant, pathetic loser since the first time he was introduced, though I'm unsure if that was wholly intentional — but of course he has a brilliant plan that never fails and a zombie ray gun. The zombies themselves aren't very interesting, either, basically just being tired zombies. Ultimately, having a villain as a POV is difficult to pull off, and the book may have worked better if his POV was left behind in the first book.

We also get a little more worldbuilding, but a lot of it relies heavily on tropes you'd have expected to see in fantasy written in the 80s — in the prologue we meet what appears to be an offensively stereotypical Japanese man, and it only gets worse from there as he spends all his time talking about samurai, saying "hai," and drinking tea and sake. The first book had hints of this, with lightly-drawn stereotypes of the indigenous people of North America, but it wasn't nearly as noticeable as it was here. I'm not one to get bent out of shape about these sorts of things if they're pulled off well, but this just felt lazy and was distinctly not done well. We also get a little more of the supernatural world building early on, in the form of a brand new plane of existence that everyone learns about in exposition right before traveling there. Again, the plot and setting was already convoluted and we're layering more on top of it from the get-go?

Oh, and we get some cringy, gratuitous sex scenes before we get close to anything approaching plot. Enjoy if that's your thing. I'm sure there was some more cat-man-dong later on that I'm sadly going to miss out on.

Unfortunately, there isn't much to recommend this.

[Michael MRBookReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5/5
Format: eARC via NetGalley

I truly enjoyed this latest installment in Richard Swan’s ever-expanding grimdark eldritch horror universe. After reading the original trilogy, Empire of the Wolf, and now finishing both books currently out in The Great Silence trilogy, Swan has become one of my favorite authors. He continues to evolve his characters, lore, and weirdness in his stories. I can’t wait for the next book in this trilogy and others coming out by him.

Thank you, Orbit, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[makilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Holy shit the last 150 pages or so of this were INSANE.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Von Oldenburg is so unhinged and demented, definitely the MVP. Go Team Villains!! Tbh the good guys in this are all squares

[Ryan Bartz]

Can’t wait to get my hands on this book!

[Vanessa Hermanns · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars — Just As Good As The First!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC!

So as you know Grave Empire was an unexpected banger for me. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I’m enjoying this story.

Steel Gods picks up immediately where Grave Empire left off, and since I received this ARC as soon as I finished it, I was able to dive straight back into the chaos. *Blessings were counted.* I hope the ARC approver over at Orbit for this book gets front row parking for a year.

Once again, Richard Swan absolutely nails the voice and atmosphere. The prose feels distinctly 1700s-inspired, right down to the spelling and linguistic choices, which somehow manages to feel both historically grounded and completely original. I love how Swan uses familiar cultural references influenced by French, Japanese, and Saxon, yet reshapes them into something entirely his own. It’s immersive in that rare, “I forgot what century I actually live in” kind of way.

The characters remain sublime (truly no notes), and the action might be even better than in book one, sharper, darker, and more relentless. And that ending???!!! The gasp I guspeth. A full-on, unhinged cliffhanger. Help me. I am not well.

I am completely invested in this series now and desperately awaiting the conclusion. If The Great Silence trilogy keeps escalating like this, we are in for something really special.

Highly recommend!

[Yev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was ambivalent about the familiarity I felt with The Justice of Kings, the first book written in this setting, though not this series. That hasn't changed and there's far more with this book where how I felt could've gone either way, though most resolved in Swan's favor. What may matter most for your enjoyment with this book is your preferences and tolerances.

The scope increases to where there's no doubt that this is epic fantasy. The book starts with the introduction of the Ayakashi Shogunate, which is very much not-Japan. I appreciate that because it bothers when there's a world-ending catastrophe but the response is entirely local. There was one event was mythologically epic but also overdone.

Survival and body horror were the focus of the first book. This time the horror is far more diffuse. There's religious; political; economic; existential; cosmic; and several other sorts of horrors, mostly conveyed through metaphor. Very violent and gory metaphors. Sometimes the horror doesn't signify anything other than something horrific has happened.

There's no veil to the politics, especially near the end. Several of the epigraphs all but state they're about the current political moment. I read one character's perspective as an absurdist dark comedy satire because if I took it seriously at face value I wouldn't have enjoyed myself.

The few sex scenes are more mournful than erotic. Almost everything tends toward the grim and dark as its primary emotional inflection, including what's meant to be comic relief. Aside from one, the characters aren't terrible people, as can be the case in the stories like this. What they suffer doesn't make them worse, but it doesn't make them better either.

The characters remain unimpressive in the usual sense that viewpoint characters are judged by, but I developed an appreciation for what they are. Several of the characters say they would rather die than continue on, but even so they do. They can't possibly carry the burden placed upon them, and yet they must try anyway. All they can do is the best they can to make it through each day and hope that somehow everything works out in the end, against all odds.

The ending of this book is among the most bittersweet I've ever read. It's hilarious, fitting, and reassuring. Taken in context though, it's discouraging, demoralizing, and dispiriting. It had me reconsidering agency. The epilogue is an enticement to read the next book.

There isn't anything in particular that I enjoyed enough to give it this rating. However, when considered altogether it's far greater than the sum of its parts. The contrast between the characters and the plot is oddly refreshing. The narrative turns and twists were rather amusing. The metaphors meant more to me than I'm willing to explain. I was engaged on a page by page basis. I chose not to be overly troubled, which arguably I ought to do more for the sake of my own enjoyment.

[Joe Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read. The magnitude and scale of the last 60 pages or so make me want to abandon all critical thought and give it 5 stars outright. I couldn’t imagine that the book would reach the height it does at the end, it was completely fucking nuts.

Von Oldenburg’s POV descends further into complete insanity and I’m not sure I’ve read anything like it. It’s creepy, funny, repulsive and disorienting simultaneously. There was something really compelling about having little to no idea what he was going to do or say at any given moment.

Captain Laine was a POV I somewhat struggled to get behind, not necessarily because there was anything wrong with it, I just wasn’t sure it needed to exist, but the character has a moment in the latter part of the book that makes the commitment more than worth it.

If I am being critical, I do think the book does slightly suffer from middle book syndrome, that the pacing was perhaps a bit off in the middle, but that could also be because I slowed down to do other things in my own time as well. I also felt that the believability of Von Oldenburg’s gaining of power in Sova is maybe a bit far fetched in moments, considering he is insane, stinks of vomit and shit, and is constantly responding to voices nobody else can hear and also chunders black ectoplasm down himself. If it’s to demonstrate that Sova is that badly corrupt and its citizens so misguided then I understand, but also feel that Swan’s material could be more refined in parts.

That being said, those are minor gripes. Swan’s output is quick and consistent, and his ideas and imagery in this insane world that he’s built are far too exciting to be dampened by any shortcomings. Eagerly anticipating the conclusion to this trilogy, fingers crossed it’s not a long wait.

[Ryan Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Silence is on track to become a staple of grimdark… or perhaps more accurately, fantasy horror epic.

It's much, MUCH darker than Empire of the Wolf (the previous trilogy hundreds of years prior to this new series), which itself didn't pull any punches.

This one veers closer to The Second Apocalypse. Not as violent, but the philosophical and spiritual implications are harrowing.

[Lit Wizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stress enough how strong of a 5-Star Read this book was for me. Too often books suffer from middle-book syndrome whereas this one is somehow even better than Grave Empire.

There’s an excellent recap at the start of the book if it’s been a hot minute since you read book one, and then we’re right back into the thick of things. More politics between the powers at be and more struggle to stop the afterlife and mortal realm from being consumed.

We get even more of our favourite characters along the way, they really come into their own. I left book two loving them all even more, even the ones I’m supposed to hate.

There’s fantasy, existential horror and dread, interwoven with moments that genuinely made me laugh at loud, all building to an incredible avalanche at the end, just like we saw in book one.

Just enough questions answered and new questions asked to leave us with the perfect cliff hanger as we await book 3.

Richard Swan knocked it out of the park again. A crackin’ good time.

[Azrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, body horror, injury, murderr/mass murder, death, animal death, war, suicide/suicidal ideation, minor sexual content, religious bigotry, slavery, pandemic/epidemic, vomit
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Steel Gods is an absolutely fantastic sequel to Grave Empire!

The action and chaos truly ramp up in this one as we follow Renata, Peter and the other members of the Arcane Task Force as they seek reinforcements in order to save Sova and the wider world from total annihilation, all the while Von Oldenberg spirals into insanity as he continues to sow infernal and political mayhem.

Honestly, if you enjoy when fantasy is on the darker side and haven't picked up The Empire of the Wolf or Great Silence books yet then what have you been waiting for??

Swan's writing is as compelling and atmospheric as ever and he has raised the bar once again with regards to expanding the scope of the narrative. So much happens in this book and I was as excited to be back with the characters as I was worried about what new terrors would be unleashed on them and rightly so..

The horror factor doesn't just stop at the spiritual and eldritch kind though. The story also masterfully portrays how easily a society can fall apart at the seams not only in the wake of things arcane but when the whims of people of influence with only their own self interests, beliefs and pockets in mind are key instigators.

The foreign affairs and geopolitical aspects of the story and how they played into all of the disorder were also phenomenally done and I really enjoyed the nautical side of the narrative and its introduction of new characters, lore and worldbuilding as well as the naval battles!

With how quick everything goes down the personal stakes of the characters take a bit of a back seat but I was still super invested in all of the main arcs that we follow. I look forward to seeing how the story continues in the next book!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars

[Israel Zilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The only Gods I used to pray to were the Steel Gods.”

I begin to wonder at this point if Richard Swan has made some deal with a writing demon from hell, because this man has yet to write a bad book. While not as good as Grave Empire in my opinion, Steel Gods is a very strong sequel and sets up The Great Silence to be one most interesting dark fantasy trilogies fantasy has ever seen. Everything that is good about Grave Empire continues to be very good in this novel, from characters, to plot, to action, Steel Gods in a maniacal rollercoaster of dark humor, supernatural horror and flintlock action.

There are moments in this book that are fairly disturbing and show to me that if he wanted to, Swan could be a very good horror author. There was also a moment in here that made me think Richard should write a POtC inspired fantasy saga! From demons, to disease ridden cat men and every horror in between, Steel Gods is a horrendous good time of a dark fantasy novel and I can’t wait to see what Blood Dynasty has in store! 8.8/10

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as the first book, but it was still a great book. I struggled in the first half of this book mostly because of the female audiobook narrator... I don't like the male voice she puts on. Once the book picks up though I was invested and pushed through despite my dislike of the narrator. The last 25% was very action packed and enjoyable. I am very excited for the last book in the trilogy and don't know how I am gonna be able to wait for the conclusion.

[Tessa Tollenaere · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Incredibly ambitious book but so well done. Expands the world building and lore even more, puts the stakes even higher. Enjoyed it a lot, can't wait for the final book!

[Gordon Fenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting second book in this trilogy. I find myself delighted by the conclusion and the anticipation for the third book. It took a little bit for me to get settled back into the universe but by the 33% mark in this book I was all the way back in and remembering everything from book one and from the Empire of the Wolf trilogy.

This series is a wonder as a standalone and as part of his larger works, what a wonderful book.