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Malice

(The Faithful and the Fallen #1)

John Gwynne (Goodreads Author)

4.13 · Rating details · 13,899 ratings · 1,387 reviews

A black sun is rising …

Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.

The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and ...more

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Hardcover, 672 pages

Published December 6th 2012 by Tor (first published December 1st 2012)

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· 13,899 ratings · 1,387 reviews

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Feb 20, 2017 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Epic Fantasy & aSoIaF fans

Recommended to Petrik by: Lady Luna. ✨

Shelves: favorites, owned-physical-books

4.5/5 Stars

Do you ever have this feeling, just after you finished reading the first book of a series, you knew immediately there's a huge potential for the series to become one of your favorite series of all time? Malice, the first book in The Faithful and the Fallen quartet by John Gwynne is one of those rare cases for me.

What started out as a simple classic tale of Good vs Evil ended up being not as simple as I thought. As the story progressed, the story evolved darker gradually while keeping ...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Mark Lawrence added it

I finished Malice by the excellent John Gwynne whilst at hospital with Celyn this week. It's taken me a very long time to read due to the many calls on my time, so I've read it in small chunks over many months - and that's exactly the opposite of how I would want anyone to read my own work. It's a particularly bad way to read complicated books, and with a GRRM-sized cast and many point-of-view characters this is a book that really needs your attention on it or you'll get lost in the whirl of ...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy-all

My thoughts . . .

Yeah!

I wanted to kill people seven ways til Sunday in this book! The damn bullies and the evil people. If you read this book you best not like anyone or anything because they are going to DIE! Well, not all of them, but still! You know how these epics go =)

Some of my favorite characters:
1. Corbin
2. Cywen (Corbin's sister)
3. Gar (stablemaster)
4. Thannon (the smith & Corbin/Cywen's father
5. Veradis

Okay, there are several more I loved but I can't list them all!

Corbin and his ...more

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Nov 10, 2016 James Lafayette Tivendale rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

"That is my prayer, what use is prayer to a God that has abandoned all things..." - Halvor

Gwynne's debut is the foundation of what will arguably be a perplexing but ultimately breathtaking fantasy saga. One that is flowing with age-old and perhaps cliched elements preparing for the ultimate battle. Good vs. Evil. It features a whole range of species such as humans, giants, wolven, draigs and also incorporates a friendly intellectual talking crow.

A few wise people have envisaged through their ...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Lady Luna. ✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: great-books, badassery, favorites, epic-fantasy

Another buddy read with my fantasy addicted pals at BB&B

4.5 BRUTAL STARS

'even the brave will fall'

Warning this book is not for the lighthearted I can't even count the amount of times I was shocked and saddened in this book.

description

I heard this is the authors first book... Umm wow what a great start to no doubt a wonderful career for John Gywnne!

This is another great fantasy read that I throughly enjoyed. I did however find the story extremely dark with little relief but it was a good read that ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 Choko rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-grim

*** 4.55 ***

A second buddy read with the Fantasy Buddy Reads Group, because this book is awesome!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A buddy read with my Fantasy addicted friends at BB&B!!!! We are on a quest to read all worthwhile Fantasy ever written:-)

I loved it just as much the second time around! Everything anyone could want from a Fantasy Novel!

I loved it!!! A bit of a slow start, but needed to introduce all the main players and for us to *** 4.55 ***

A second buddy read with the Fantasy Buddy Reads Group, because this book is awesome!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A buddy read with my Fantasy addicted friends at BB&B!!!! We are on a quest to read all worthwhile Fantasy ever written:-)

I loved it just as much the second time around! Everything anyone could want from a Fantasy Novel!

I loved it!!! A bit of a slow start, but needed to introduce all the main players and for us to get used to the world. I loved the Classic Fantasy feel to the writing and storytelling. It is a bit on the Grim side, but has plenty of characters you can root for, unlike many other darker reads.

...“I shall stay and tell my tale, hope that it may serve some purpose, that eyes shall see it and learn, that the future will not repeat the mistakes of the past. That is my prayer, but what use is prayer to a god that has abandoned all things . . .”..."

The book is the classic battle of good and evil, G-ds and Demons, but unlike many of the typical Fantasy books we were raised on, it shows the internal battle of good people who find themselves fighting for the bad side, and those with dubious character, who have to stand on the side of the Light. Those are the characters who are best invested in throughout the whole book and the inevitable questions of what makes a person chose one way or another, what are the motivations which form the people we become....

I loved the legends and mythology behind the plot, the many references to the out of cannon tales of the time when Angeles mingled with humans and G-d was involved daily in Earthly affairs... It is fascinating and very engaging. But most of all, I fell in love with the two pups - a hound and a wolffen animals who can teach us all about loyalty and love.... ( While reading about the pups I couldn't help but think about Alcatraz Smedry by Brandon Sanderson, who has a theory that authors must really hate mothers and dogs, since they always tend to kill them in their books... Hahaha!!! I hope JG is not one of those authors).

And, there is a Prophecy! How cool is that?!?!?!

"War eternal between the Faithful and the Fallen,
infinite wrath come to the world of men.
Lightbearer seeking flesh from the cauldron,
to break his chains and wage the war again.
Two born of blood, dust and ashes shall champion the Choices,
the Darkness and Light.

Black Sun will drown the earth in bloodshed,
Bright Star with the Treasures must unite.
By their names you shall know them –
Kin-Slayer, Kin-Avenger, Giant-Friend, Draig-Rider,
Dark Power ’gainst Lightbringer.
One shall be the Tide, one the Rock in the swirling sea.

Before one, storm and shield shall stand,
before the other, True-Heart and Black-Heart.
Beside one rides the Beloved, beside the other, the Avenging Hand.
Behind one, the Sons of the Mighty, the fair Ben-Elim, gathered ’neath the Great Tree.
Behind the other, the Unholy, dread Kadoshim who seek to cross the bridge,
force the world to bended knee.

Look for them when the high king calls, when the shadow warriors ride forth,
when white-walled Telassar is emptied, when the book is found in the north.
When the white wyrms spread from their nest,
when the Firstborn take back what was lost, and the Treasures stir from their rest.
Both earth and sky shall cry warning, shall herald this War of Sorrows.
Tears of blood spilt from the earth’s bones, and at Midwinter’s height,
bright day shall become full night."

So, I think this is a perfect fit for those who love Classic Epic Fantasy with some Grim-Dark overtones. The story is told from multiple Points of View and spans across multiple kingdoms. I enjoyed it very much and hope you guys give it a chance!

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find joy between the pages of a good book!!! ...more

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Apr 23, 2017 Samir rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a buddy read with my dear friend Orient and I thank her for encouraging me to start this series sooner than I planned.

Before I started Malice I was warned that the first half of the book is a slow burn but as soon as I was about fifty pages in I understood why. This book hosts a large cast of characters and we follow some of them through POV chapters so the slower pace was needed to get us acquainted with them and to lay the foundation of the story through them.

The premise of this story This was a buddy read with my dear friend Orient and I thank her for encouraging me to start this series sooner than I planned.

Before I started Malice I was warned that the first half of the book is a slow burn but as soon as I was about fifty pages in I understood why. This book hosts a large cast of characters and we follow some of them through POV chapters so the slower pace was needed to get us acquainted with them and to lay the foundation of the story through them.

The premise of this story is an ancient prophecy of a war between Light and Darkness and there are many signs throughout the Banished Lands indicating the prophecy will soon be fulfilled. Every war needs its champions and such is the matter with this one; the champion of Light, Bright Star, and the champion of Darkness, Black Sun. As we follow the story we begin to get the vibe of who might those champions be and by the end of the book we are almost certain of their identities.

I already mentioned the large cast of characters and the thing I liked about them was that they were all memorable which means they’re very well written and their progression was very well done because each of them evolves in an unique, and for some, an unpredictable way. They are the main focus of this story and their motivation and inner thoughts are moving it forward. There were a couple of main ones that stood out for me; Corban, a young boy training to become a warrior, who we follow the most in this novel. His POV is a coming-of-age tale and through this tale we’re introduced to his friends and foes and I would like to mention one certain friend that appealed to me, a wolf named Storm. Their relationship reminded me of the one between Fitz and Nighteyes from the Farseer Trilogy and it was a joy to read. The second one is Veradis. I can’t say more of his role without spoilers so I’ll just say that he is a master swordsman, in service of Nathair, who fights to earn his father’s respect (and that is a hard task because his father is a king), and I have high hopes for him. As you probably concluded yourself, Gwynne succeeded in one thing that is very important to me, he made me care for them so I can’t really ask for more.

The world of the Banished Lands is set in the medieval surroundings influenced by Celtic folklore and mythology so you have the names like Cywen, Mordwyr, and creatures such as giants, wyrms and draigs. This helps to create the atmosphere of this novel and gives a particular feel to it.

As we’ve already established, the Banished Lands is a place with a rich lore but there is much more to this novel to keep you entertained; great set of characters, plenty of battles and sword fighting duels, scheming, betrayals, which will set in motion a chain of events affecting all of the kingdoms in the Banished Lands and this is just the beginning of this compelling tale.

I can’t say Malice brought something new to the genre, it felt more like a convergence of tropes but a convergence done right. Gwynne has shown a promising talent with this great debut and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I was reading this on my Kindle and when I was done I realized that this the beginning of something special so I ordered the paperback versions of the entire series because I have a feeling that this series will deserve to be proudly displayed on my bookshelf. ...more

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Mar 07, 2014 Bookwraiths rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, e-books, review-freebie

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews

Malice by John Gwynne is the first book in The Faithful and the Fallen series, and it is an epic fantasy that has flown under the radar of a lot of fantasy aficionados. After reading it, I can understand that to some extent, because – in this time when grimdark and its close cousins are all the rage – Malice is more of a classic fantasy story with many of the tropes that go along with that term. However, where some novels might flounder under those ...more

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Nov 11, 2016 Celeste rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

4.5 stars, rounded up. (Half-star taken off for a slow start. But man, did that ever change.)

Move over, Martin, because Gwynne is here to steal yo’ girl.

The A Game of Thrones comparisons here are completely understandable. As in Martin’s series, there is a varied cast of characters from whose perspectives we witness this story unfold. There is no time travel here, no resurrection for those who die. Death is final, and it is an equal opportunity reaper, not caring how good or bad a person is, how 4.5 stars, rounded up. (Half-star taken off for a slow start. But man, did that ever change.)

Move over, Martin, because Gwynne is here to steal yo’ girl.

The A Game of Thrones comparisons here are completely understandable. As in Martin’s series, there is a varied cast of characters from whose perspectives we witness this story unfold. There is no time travel here, no resurrection for those who die. Death is final, and it is an equal opportunity reaper, not caring how good or bad a person is, how likable, or how important. As with Martin’s work, no one is truly safe here.

However, Gwynne has already surpassed Martin in my mind, even though I’ve thus far only read this, Gwynne’s first novel. (Side note: I do really like A Song of Ice and Fire. This is in no way me dissing Martin. So don’t yell at me.) Martin is a king of backstory and plot twists, but Gywnne was far more successful in crafting characters that I care about. They aren’t just well polished pieces on a chess board; they breathe. The love and are loved and fight and mourn and laugh and rage. These people are as real as ink and page can produce. Their physical appearances aren’t touched on much, but I was actually okay with that. The characters took on the features of people in my life who shared their personality traits, causing me to care even more about their well being.

I also really appreciated Gywnne’s choice of setting. The Banished Lands weren’t overwhelmingly large, and I enjoyed the smaller scope of the story because of decision. The effects of disagreements between kingdoms was more immediately felt than in a larger fictional land like Westeros. And the Scottish feel of the setting, of the society, of the names, was wonderful. It gave a weight to the story that some fantasy series that focus more on unique setting and societal norms tends to lack, in my opinion. The many kings of small neighboring kingdoms, the importance of and methods of warring, the names of both places and people, all whispered of Scotland as I read, but with enough differences to plant this solidly in the fantasy genre. As far as I know, there aren’t actually giants or wyrms or saber-toothed wolves in Scotland.

Something else than made an impression on me was the mythos of the Banished Lands. The creation myth, beginning with the God-War. Asroth, Elyon’s beloved first-created and captain of the Ben-Elim, sowed seeds of discord and split the heavenly host. When Asroth was defeated, he turned his hatred on Elyon’s new creation: man. He wreaked havoc and Elyon, in his rage, almost destroyed the world. The He realized what He had done and almost done, He grieved. In the aftermath, Elyon vanished, turning His back on all creation to mourn. The Ben-Elim still seek to protect it, out of love for their Creator, while their fallen brethren still work toward destruction. The Judeo-Christian influence here is overwhelming, and I loved contemplating the theology here. The parallels are fantastic; Elyon is even a Hebrew name for God, meaning “Most High.” I don’t believe that He has abandoned us, as I’ve felt His presence in my life, but I understand how His disappearance works better for the story Gwynne is telling here. The Bright Star/Black Sun prophecy was also a big draw for me, the Bright Star as savior and the Black Sun as antichrist. The idea of a Chosen One is a trope as old as storytelling itself, but it was deftly handled here, and gave me all kinds of theological and philosophical goodies to chew on as I read.

One other thing Gywnne did incredibly well was present a wide variety of relationships. We were given fantastic friendships, mortal enemies, beautifully close families, and their dysfunctional counterparts. We see kings interact with subjects, warriors interact with their leaders and each other, and mentors training younger generations. And best of all, we see some incredible kinship between man and beast. The animals in this book had so much personality, and their relationships with their humans was beautiful to behold. Family was so important in this story, whether that family was formed by blood or bond, and some of these animals were truly part of an amazing family.

I’ve read some truly stunning debut novels in the past, but the best of them are standalones, and sometimes it’s many years before the author puts out another book. If ever. And often that next book is a letdown after the masterpiece that was their first book. But rarely have I read a debut as fantastic as this one that was the first in a series. A series that I have it on good authority only improves with each successive book. I am undeniably impressed. Congratulations, Mr. Gwynne; you’ve earned yourself another fan.

For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.

A buddy read with my cyber darlings, Petrik, Haïfa, and Mary, with Sarah lurking in the wings. :) ...more

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Oct 01, 2016 Mayim de Vries rated it it was ok

Have you ever heard me saying: The movie was better? I don’t think so, as such statement is an epitome of blasphemy for every self-respecting reader. But here comes Malice with each of its 672 pages like a severe toothache, and I promise: if they ever turn this book into a movie/series, it is going to be better than the original.

It took me (let me check) over a month to read Malice. I put it down twice and read two other books in between. And the only thing that kept me going was the sheer ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Eon ♒Windrunner♒ rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fantasy lovers

Shelves: favourites

4.5 Stars

Another great debut book which surpassed my expectations!

‘For whence But from the author of all ill could spring So deep a malice.’ John Milton, Paradise Lost

A classic fantasy story with the familiar end of the world, prophecy, chosen one arc that we see regularly (because we are suckers for epics obviously), but still a book every fantasy lover will enjoy. It is told from multiple POV's and as with such books you start favoring one or two characters above others, but I did not find ...more

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Feb 14, 2014 Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, cover-porn

Second Read-Through Completed 4/17/17 - Review Updated to Reflect Current Thoughts

This book was just as awesome as I remembered it. It still amazes me that this is a debut novel. The character growth alone over the course of the story is enough to really set this one apart. I love watching all my little favorites grow and mature as they get pulled into the rapidly unfolding events of the plot. You can tell this was a story crafted with love and a lot of planning.

This is epic fantasy done right, ...more

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Sep 25, 2017 Liam Degnan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

"There is a hole in your heart, an empty space. You must fill it with meaning. You need a cause to live for, to fight for, perhaps to die for... Choose me."

4.5 Stars:

Just a warning, this is less of a review and more of me explaining why this book was so personally meaningful to me. If you hate that stuff, please move on ;] haha. I almost feel like this book could have been written just for me, and very, VERY few books have ever done that. Simply fantastic opening to what I'm predicting ...more

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Apr 24, 2017 Orient rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Orient by: Craig

Shelves: historical, fantasy, desperado, hero, psychological, killer, 2017, br, recs-by-craig

A great BR with three swordsmen, who where with me in warrior trial and sat the Long Night: Samir, Terry and Jokoloyo.

When I first read a couple of reviews for “Malice”, I wasn’t sure if I want to try it. Mostly there were good reviews, but also I spotted some DNFs. So when Craig recommended this book and series to me, I thought I needed backup! Thank you guys for being there for me

"Malice” is an interesting story, about how good fights evil. I found values that make “Malice” a great read: ...more

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Jun 20, 2017 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

4.5 stars.
Normally I like to leave some space between books in a series, but with this one, I feel I need to continue quite quickly. Let me explain: this was one hard book to get into- so many names, I kept losing track. I was also listening on audio and the narrator was using everything from a Liverpudlian, Irish, scouser, Australian and Bavarian accents and they were distracting! I wouldn't recommend starting this book on audio until you have all the characters clear in your head.
Having said ...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Haïfa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, owned

4.5 Scottish stars!

Buddy read with my favorite warriors : Petrik, Celeste, Mary and my Evil Twin lurking in the shadows !

Actual review

With his debut (!!!) novel, John Gwynne has just joined my list of authors who reaaally know how to write an ending (along with Brandon Sanderson and Mark Lawrence among others)!! The man knows how to grip his readers and wrap things up at the end to give a really satisfying conclusion and yet letting all the doors open to numerous unpredictable possibilities. ...more

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Jan 20, 2018 Deborah Obida rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-books, fantasy, adult

You know you’ve read a great book when you can’t stop thinking about it and imagining all the different scenarios for the next book. This book turned out way better than I thought it would, it reminds me why I love fantasy. What I love most in fantasy(epic adult fantasy to be precise) is its originality and the way the authors play at words. And this is no exception, the author use a very rare story telling style in this book. Some fantasy books starts with a bang then backstory of the main ...more

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May 01, 2019 Em Lost In Books rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star, 2010-19, 2019

Took me a lot of time to get hang of things in this story but I really enjoyed last 25% of this book. A lot was going on from the start but author wrapped up things beautifully here. Definitely an introductory book to the great things that awaits in remaining three books.

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Jul 16, 2018 Fuzaila marked it as to-read

Shelves: read-rn, recommended-by-friends

Every single review of this book by my friends is five-starred. Who am I to defy the high-end knowledge of my faithful friends?

*added*

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Nov 21, 2016 Holden Johnson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, grimdark-fantasy, fantasy

Holy...

What an ending. It's almost as if John Gwynne is begging me to buy book two...
Oh wait, I already did.

A quick note before I get into the review:

I feel as if this series was written for me. In my mind, me and John Gwynne met up for coffee and he asked me what I loved about fantasy books and I wrote a list for him on a napkin and he then took it and wrote a book about it.

I will have two sections to this review. The Non-Spoilery version which will come first and the Super-Duper-Spoilery ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Tessy Ijachi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

The only big regret I have while reading this book was reading it for three months straight. Am absolutely glad I was able to complete it cause it was absolutely worth it.

This first book is a little bit a coming of age story, which was quite interesting. I was able to witness the characters develop in and also in other skills.

‘Be very sure you mean the words that come out of your mouth. You cannot unsay them.’

The plot centres on an angel and demon war but in a fantasy setting. I truly can't ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 Kayla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Kayla by: Piera

Shelves: all-time-non-romance-faves, violent-gorey-moments, 2010-to-2016-releases, br-with-devin, would-reread-x-100

This is only 2.99 on kindle rn 5/17/19! PLEASE GO BUY IT! THIS BOOK IS SO FKN GOOD

TRUTH AND COURAGE BITCHES

This review was originally published on GracelingAccountant.

Hey Ya’ll!

This is my spoiler free review for Malice by John Gwynne, the first book in the Faithful and the Fallen series. I buddy read this book with my friend Devin and I’ve gotta say that I am obsessed with this series. I will probably be spending a good portion of OWNtober 2018 devouring at least the next book in the series. I ...more

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Sep 04, 2018 ChopinFC rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, audiobooks, fantasy

5+ Stars ( Outstanding)

This is my 2nd read through and overall, Malice jumped into my 'favorite' books of all times list for the sheer scope, genius, characterization and unrelenting action!

* Nearly every character is unique and shines in his/her own merit!

* A story of good vs evil- yet every turn there is a twist, a mystery and wild turn of emotions!

* A brutal book- where some of your favorite and most endearing characters perish- yet it all adds to the narrative and the vision of John ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 Jody rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I have been anticipating getting to this series for some time now, and I’m glad I finally did. This is an epic story of good versus evil at its finest. The world building had a unique quality that set it apart from other series in this genre. The characters were well developed and interesting. It did take me a little longer than usual to get familiar with all of the characters and kingdoms, but with the magnitude of characters and information in this story it is to be expected. At least for me ...more

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Jul 04, 2017 Lena rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-to-die-for, royalty, read-in-2017, kick-ass-heroines, high-fantasy-treasures, adult-fiction

Holy. Fucking. Shit. Those last 100 pages or so just sealed the five star deal for me. The amount of names thrown at you throughout the first half of the book was a bit overwhelming, but I got used to it and now I'm pretty much familiar with all of them. The thing about this book is that it's written in multiple POV's which made it easy for me to connect with the characters, good and bad although such a thing doesn't really exist here. They all have their own ambitions and reasons as to why they ...more

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Aug 09, 2019 Markus rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommended to Markus by: Eon ♒Windrunner♒

Shelves: fantasy, the-cover-was-better-than-the-book, put-some-brakes-on-the-hype-train

"War eternal between the Faithful and the Fallen, infinite wrath come to the world of men. Lightbearer seeking flesh from the cauldron, to break his chains and wage the war again. Two born of blood, dust and ashes shall champion the Choices, the Darkness and Light."

See, this is quite a fun premise. A good god and a bad god will start a war, and each will have their mortal champion. Who are they, you wonder? Well, their identities are carefully hidden and you will have to work it out for "War eternal between the Faithful and the Fallen, infinite wrath come to the world of men. Lightbearer seeking flesh from the cauldron, to break his chains and wage the war again. Two born of blood, dust and ashes shall champion the Choices, the Darkness and Light."

See, this is quite a fun premise. A good god and a bad god will start a war, and each will have their mortal champion. Who are they, you wonder? Well, their identities are carefully hidden and you will have to work it out for yourself...

...so it’s a good thing that’s all fucking obvious from page one. In fact, so is everything else. Not only does this book follow a completely standard fantasy recipe (not always a bad thing), but it makes sure to spray paint the solution to every future secret revelation with huge red letters on all the walls around you (always a bad thing). Malice is perhaps the most predictable book I have read in the fantasy genre. There are no surprises, and every detail about how everything is going to go down, is impossible to miss.

Except in the eyes of the characters, that is. The protagonists in this book are so pathetically, monumentally, unreasonably, unrealistically moronic and naive that everything gets past them. And so you’re left sitting waiting for the painfully obvious to catch them unawares. Yes, they’re young and stupid. Yes, they don’t have all the information. There are many excuses one could make, and none of them even come close to mitigating these examples of cataclysmic idiocy (there is one scene in particular I will always remember from this book, which is unfortunately an example of just this). But alas, when the whole world is too obvious for comfort, the characters in it have to be kept in the dark even when it makes no sense, so that the storyline can go where it clearly must go.

It is also striking that all the young male main protagonists are so similar they might as well have been called Bob 1, Bob 2 and Bob 3. Maybe even Bob 4, depending on who and how you count.

There are quite a few interesting supporting characters to begin with. And in impressive ways, they almost without exception all manage to lose their appeal. Mostly that is because you start realising that they are all cardboard cutouts only functioning as plot devices placed somewhere for the furtherance of the author’s plan. Just like the protagonists, that is. And then one of the two that remain somewhat interesting at the end turns out to be a secret bastard prince, taking his trope-ridden archetype factor to level 437.

The writing and the worldbuilding are the best parts of the book, as they are somewhat adequate if you’re being very generous. In fact, there are quite a few decent aspects here. But literally everything Malice attempts to do, has been done so much better elsewhere.

How on earth did it come to this conclusion? Based on the number of positive reviews, I started reading the book expecting at least a fantastically fun reading experience, if not a masterpiece, and for the first third of the book I thought that was what I was getting. Sure, the writing was not particularly impressive, but it was genuinely enjoyable and a real page-turner, and I thought the rather uninteresting protagonists were just uninteresting because it was early on and they were going to develop. I thought the prologue was spectacular because I thought it was going to actually be important. I thought there would be great twists, great fights, and great fun.

Then the glaring flaws kicked in so fast and hard that I felt mistreated as a reader.

Look, there is potential in this thing. It could have been so much better. And all this said, I am still somewhat intrigued by what happens next, so I might read the second book. At least some of the characters now know who the bad guys are, I think. Mostly because the bad guys have killed their friends and loved ones in front of them. Maybe that will have made them see it? ...more

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Aug 02, 2017 Jack +Books & Bourbon+ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Yeah, I know I'm a slacker ass! This review should have been done last week, closer to when I actually finished the book...but it wasn't. Le sigh. I have no real excuse. I could get all defensive and offer up arguments like single parenting, full-time jobbing, yardwork, housework, yada yada, blah blah blah. But the fact is, I just didn't get around to it when I wanted to.

That being said, it's good that I've had time to let this one percolate in my brainpan for a bit. In my random wanderings ...more

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Aug 05, 2018 Ginger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

What a way to start a fantasy series!!

Malice is the first book that I've read of John Gwynne and it won't be the last. I'm already looking forward to reading Valor!
I'm hoping I will get a bit more information on the Elementals with the upcoming books. I really enjoyed that aspect in Malice and I'm looking forward to finding out how they work and who can tap into earth energy.

The beginning of the book is slow with world building and introducing all the main characters. Each chapter is a different ...more

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Mar 05, 2018 Phee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018

4.5 Stars
What a fantastic start to a series that seems full of promise.

I’ve had Malice on my shelves for quite some time now. Whilst I’ve been desperate to read it since I bought it, for some reason I just never seemed to pick it up. Then the audiobook went on sale at audible and I couldn’t pass it up. So I started my adventure into the Banished Lands and boy was it fun.

I’d like to quickly mention how wonderful the audiobook was. It was narrated by Damian Lynch and I think he narrates the rest 4.5 Stars
What a fantastic start to a series that seems full of promise.

I’ve had Malice on my shelves for quite some time now. Whilst I’ve been desperate to read it since I bought it, for some reason I just never seemed to pick it up. Then the audiobook went on sale at audible and I couldn’t pass it up. So I started my adventure into the Banished Lands and boy was it fun.

I’d like to quickly mention how wonderful the audiobook was. It was narrated by Damian Lynch and I think he narrates the rest of the series. Here in the UK anyway. That man is super talented. He puts on so many different accents to show the diversity of language in the world. It makes all the characters distinct and unique. I especially liked the voices he did for Corban, an Irish accent if I’m not mistaken and he really made him sound younger than the other characters whilst not making him babyish. Also Maquin. The wise old shield man was amazingly portrayed. There wasn’t one character that I didn’t like the narration for. Which is a real feat considering the massive cast of characters.

People that know me and my typical reading speed may be surprised to know that it took me 4 days to read. This is a 600 page book and by my normal book inhaler speed I would have been done with this in a couple of days. I’ve been known to read a 900 page Hobb book in 2 days before now. However I slowed my pace right down. Because it was clear to me right from the start of this book that it was something special and something to savour. I am so glad I took this one slow. I felt so invested and intrigued by this tale of good vs evil that I didn’t want it to end.

The first half was a little slow. The author spends this portion of the book introducing the reader to the many characters and perspectives we get to read from. He also provides us with a good lay of the land in terms of geography and politics. Not to mention all the lore and history of the realms. Even though it was slow paced, it was never boring. All the information was necessary and interesting, and the way it was written made it easy to digest.
Then at exactly the half way point there is a big battle that left my heart pounding and the pace shot off from that point. The second half of the book is action packed and full of schemes and battles. There were so many different plot lines happening that I looked forward to every chapter, no matter who’s perspective it was from. In every part of the book something interesting was going on.

Whilst this book did end with a lot of action, I think it’s main triumph is its characters. They are such a diverse bunch, in all shapes and sizes (yes there are giants!). There wasn’t any character that I didn’t like. Even the evil ones were great, once you realise who is who. This is a good vs evil sort of plot line but what I really liked was that the lines were quite blurred at times. There were times that I was rooting for the bad guys and there cause. There were times when the good guys did some pretty shitty things. As I said, blurred lines. I’d also like to add that there are plenty of kick ass female characters in this. So if that’s your jam, get on this!!

I am eager to continue on into the next book. The ending left me desperate to know the fates of some of my favourite characters. Be prepared to have your heart wrenching as this book was high stakes. The death count is high and I’m going to take a big guess here but it’ll probably get a lot higher in the coming books. Well done John Gwynne you’ve done a fantastic job with this one. The fact that this was your debut honestly leaves me speechless. This is not only fantasy of the highest quality but it is passionate writing and gift for captivating your reader. I can tell this journey is going to be epic! ...more

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Jul 18, 2017 Angela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I really enjoyed Malice by the end. Yes, there was a certain sense of predictability about the story lines. As the pace picked up through the novel, it kept my interest. Told from the point of view of six characters, I found the book easy to follow and the characters engaging.

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About John Gwynne

John Gwynne

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Malice is my debut novel. Goldsboro Books of London, specialists in signed first-editions, have made Malice their 'Book of the Month' for December 2012.

I was born in Singapore while my dad was stationed there in the RAF. Up until he retired that meant a lot of traveling around, generally a move every three years or so.

I live with my wife and four wonderful (and demanding) children in East Sussex. ...more

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The Faithful and the Fallen (4 books)

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Quotes from Malice

“I shall stay and tell my tale, hope that it may serve some purpose, that eyes shall see it and learn, that the future will not repeat the mistakes of the past. That is my prayer, but what use is prayer to a god that has abandoned all things . . .” — 15 likes

“Come, boy, it is time for a lesson. Let me teach you the power of words,” — 9 likes

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