The Malevolent Seven (The Malevolent Seven #1) by Sebastien de Castell

The Malevolent Seven are some of the finest quest bands you’ll ever find in this subgenre of fantasy, with their eccentrics and wit elevating the reading experience.

I haven’t read a Sebastien de Castell book in a while, the last one being one of the Spellslinger books. However, I definitely rate the author highly enough to want to read any of his new offerings, especially one with a cover as sweet as this.

The Malevolent Seven isn’t necessarily the author’s best work yet, having read all of his series to date. Still, it definitely packs a light-hearted punch for readers looking for light yet fast-paced fantasy thrillers.

Plot

The Malevolent Seven tells of a quest involving an unlikely group of magicians forced together by an equally unlikely union of warring gods to fulfil some hidden scheme. The scheme is gradually revealed as the story progresses, and while it’s not exactly a bad one, it’s a far cry from what I enjoyed about Greatcoats (which I think is undoubtedly the author’s best work so far).

In typical Sebastien de Castell style, there’s a big reveal at the end, only slowly hinted at by the narrator through a clever main character. It’s an interesting premise but not necessarily a great one.

Characters

The Malevolent Seven are some of the finest quest bands you’ll ever find in this subgenre of fantasy, with their eccentrics and wit elevating the reading experience.

They’re quite a motley crew, with Alice standing out for me as the most ironic of a lot. Corrigan was a bit annoying at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed his character. The romance between the rat mage and the angelic Shame was just the right amount of subtle, and Galass and Cade were okay.

I did feel, though, that the author didn’t explore the characters as deeply as he could’ve. I suppose there’s only so much character development you can do with seven MCs and a limited page count. Regardless, it wasn’t shabby at all.

Worldbuilding and Magic System

This is where The Malevolent Seven really excels! The world of Glorian Justiciars, The Lords Celestine, The Lords Devilish and wonderists with different magical attunements is quite exciting. Despite its initial complexity, it’s quite easy to follow and enjoyable to imagine.

I very much look forward to seeing the author expand on this world and its magic system in the next installation of the series.

Wrapping Up

Sebastien de Castell is undoubtedly a great writer. He’s one of the few fantasy authors whose writing I’d recognize anywhere, even if it were anonymously penned.

His swashbuckling, easy style is easy to follow and engrossing to read, and his characters’ comic wit is thoroughly enjoyable.

While The Malevolent Seven was fairly enjoyable, it lacked many of the intriguing storytelling elements that made Greatcoats awesome. Hopefully, there will be a significant improvement in the next book.