Orbit has acquired four new Richard Swan fantasy novels: an untitled standalone due in February 2028, followed by The Mortal Divine trilogy. All four belong to his Empire of the Wolf setting, with the trilogy planned to conclude the wider ten-book sequence.
In its acquisition announcement, Orbit says both the standalone and the trilogy will offer starting points for new readers. The publisher has not announced individual titles or release dates for The Mortal Divine.
A new era for the Empire of the Wolf
The standalone moves a century beyond the Great Silence trilogy into a Victorian-inspired gaslamp world. Warfare has changed with the arrival of aerial combat, giving Swan a different stage for the empire’s military ambitions.
The story follows fixer Xander Holt through his life. He and a group of companions become entangled in an occult conspiracy that could trigger another devastating war.
The Mortal Divine will follow that standalone and bring the larger sequence to its ending. Orbit’s announcement names the trilogy but keeps its story details under wraps.
Where to start with Richard Swan
The original Empire of the Wolf trilogy begins with The Justice of Kings. It follows Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an imperial officer whose work combines criminal investigation, judgment, and punishment. His protégé Helena Sedanka accompanies him as a murder inquiry exposes a conspiracy reaching into the empire’s ruling class.
The Tyranny of Faith and The Trials of Empire complete that trilogy. Swan draws on law, political conflict, and supernatural threats as Vonvalt and Helena struggle with what it means to uphold justice in an unstable empire.
Grave Empire opens the Great Silence trilogy, moving the setting toward industrial revolution. The empire faces war and a mysterious plague, while reports that the dead have fallen silent raise the possibility of a much larger catastrophe. Ambassador Renata Rainer must seek answers among people who still use forbidden magic.
Swan also has a separate Warhammer 40,000 project, Voice of Command, which we covered in the announcement of three new Astra Militarum novels.
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