Steel Gods

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

"This is one wild, intricate ride: Grim, grotesque, vivid, thrilling​." -- Kirkus (starred review)

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.

"A dazzling and immersive epic fantasy." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Grave Empire

Author: Richard Swan
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 03/31/2026
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.08lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.00w x 1.16d
ISBN: 9780316577038


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026

About the Author

Richard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. His debut fantasy novel, The Justice of Kings, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into seven languages. His other work includes the Art of War and Great Silence trilogies, as well as short fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine.

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.