Published: October 20, 2025
Publisher: Grimdark Magazine
Series: Empire of the Wolf #0.5
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 145 (Kindle)
My Rating: 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Fifteen years before the events of The Justice of Kings, Vonvalt and Bressinger investigate the imprisonment of a fellow justice for murder.
I was delighted to return to the world of Empire of the Wolf, especially since The Scour follows Konrad Vonvalt and Bressinger in their earlier years. This is a wee little novella, coming in at 145 pages so it only took a couple evenings to read.
Vonvalt and Bressinger arrive at a small coastal town ready to hear cases, but they find that a fellow justice has recently been imprisoned for murder by the townsfolk. There also seems to be some sort of haunting at the nearby lighthouse and the storms that blow up have drastically reduced trade over the last few years. Much to my delight there’s also an appearance by Justice Resi August.
Even though this is a short entry in the Empire of the Wolf, it was a fascinating read with a nice taste of all the happenings in The Justice of Kings. You don’t need to have read any of the other books in this world beforehand, though I think reading the main trilogy first would lead to a more favorable experience. There’s plenty of tension, some of the macabre, and a good dose of Vonvalt’s brand of justice. Highly recommended for fans of the series!
Powder & Page 
I love this world and the characters but I decided not to request this one simply because shorter stories don’t always work for me (even when I’ve read previous works) and I didn’t want to take the risk of not liking it – which probably sounds a bit daft!
Anyway, glad you enjoyed this return.
Lynn 😀
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I totally understand! I have lower expectations (or hopes, I guess) for novellas so if it gets 4 stars its good!
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