This was a fun and funny story along the lines of The Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven as the title implies. Cade, our compromised Fortune Mage narrator, is a wonderful guide through this world of violence, danger, and warring forces from beyond the mortal world. The magic is based on mages drawing on powers from different plains depending on their “affinity” and bringing those powers into our world breaks something. I loved this aspect of the story. I liked the way the story is told to us with small “interruptions” by Cade talking directly to us.


Characters
Sebastian De Castell has really good characters. They are fully realized and aside from Fidick I didn’t feel like they were one dimensional. I wish we had more time to see them in action as a group and as individuals, but even with the small parts we see they feel like rounded characters.

Atmosphere
Its very easy to immerse yourself in the world that Sebastian has created.

Writing
Good writing. You can tell thought went into it to make sure it was precisely want is needed.

Plot
A simple plot, but with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Investment
I had a really hard time putting this book done.

Logic
The rules of the world that were put out were followed and subverted when necessary, the right way.

Enjoyment
Lots and lots of enjoyment, between watching Cade try and be a “bad” guy and the rest of the groups antics as they group together.

In The Malevolent Seven, we are following a group best described as anti-heroes and worst described as murderous mercenaries with magical powers. The story is dark and funny with a rag-tag group of people who would have never come together if they had a choice in the matter. While the characters in themselves aren't the loveable sort I found myself rooting for all of them to make it to the end.

Cade is definitely a favorite, I loved his self-deprecating humor and sarcasm, he had me laughing out loud. I also loved the way he talks to the reader bringing us further into the story.

The ending is action-packed and had some great twists and turns that had me frantically flipping pages to make sure everyone survives. This was such a fun read, and I hope we get more books with Cade, and the rest of the Malevolent Seven!

Possible Triggers:
Death | Gore | Sexual abuse | Body horror

Positives:
+ I like that the author doesn’t shy away from talking about atrocities of war or even just the ugliness that can be found in our world/the book's world. Nothing is tip-toed around. Can it be unsettling or even uncomfortable? Absolutely. There is something to be said in acknowledging all the absolute garbage that humans can and have been.
+ Can the acknowledgements be one of your favorite parts of a book? There was a fantastic explanation about the different magics throughout the story that was really interesting while also nodding thanks at people that helped make the book possible.

Final Thoughts:
This book had wonderful humor and a whole lot of awesome action, and yet, still didn't hit home all the way for me. I really enjoyed the way that the story unraveled and how we got to learn about all the characters slowly, but I didn't connect with any of the main characters in any way. The main character (Cade Ombra) reminded me a bunch of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden, so if you enjoy that character a bunch, this might absolutely be up your alley. Loud resounding kudos to the author for making fantastic morally gray characters and then making them seem almost pristine in comparison to the antagonists they face.

I am not certain if this is meant to be a stand alone, as the way the book ends there is absolutely lots of jumping off room for there to be a second book added later on down the line.

Ever heard of Merlin, Gandalf, Dumbledore? Amateurs!

Book Information

Sebastien de Castell, a celebrated author in the fantasy genre, is set to release his 14th book, The Malevolent Seven, on May 16th, 2023. This upcoming release follows the success of his previous works, including the highly acclaimed fantasy series, The Greatcoats, and the YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, both of which have received critical acclaim and recognition. I was fortunate to receive an Advance Reader Copy of The Malevolent Seven for review, courtesy of Mobius Books. The book spans 384 pages and promises to be a thrilling addition to de Castell's impressive body of work.

Summary

Cade Ombra, a mercenary wonderist who has never claimed to be particularly noble or honorable, finds himself in a dangerous situation. He realizes that the people he works for are far less noble than him, and he is forced to confront his own morality in the face of their actions. Cade describes the real war mages he knows, painting a vivid picture that shatters the stereotypical image of a wizard. These war mages are violent, angry, and dangerously broken individuals who sell their skills to the highest bidder, with little to no regard for any moral or ethical considerations.

Despite his past, Cade is on the run and in desperate need of allies. His only friend is a homicidal thunder mage who invites him on a suicide mission to kill the seven most powerful mages on the continent. This will require Cade to put aside his differences with his friend and recruit other dangerous individuals to help them on this deadly mission. As they embark on this perilous journey, they must face their own demons and confront the harsh realities of their violent profession. Only time will tell if they succeed in their mission or if their past will catch up to them.

My Thoughts

Get ready to be swept away into a world of magic, danger, and betrayal in The Malevolent Seven - it's a must-read for any fantasy fan! It is a wonderful read that packs a punch with its clever plot, engaging characters, and intriguing world-building. The characters, all different kinds of mages, are all distinct and each has their own unique agenda and/or goal. Watching them develop over the course of the story was fascinating, especially when it comes to Cade's backstory, which was a real highlight.

The world-building and magic systems are also amazing. I loved learning about the different types of mages and how they draw magic from different planes of existence. It added a lot of depth to the story and made it more enjoyable.

What really makes this book stand out is its tone. It's sarcastic, witty, and a little bit tongue-in-cheek. The main character breaks the fourth wall and frequently preempts questions that the reader may have, which I found very clever. The plot was very compelling. Full of surprises with each twist and turn keeping me hooked and wanting more. I am always pleased when I am genuinely shocked at a twist or at an ending that I didn’t expect…this book had both.

Recommendation

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who loves clever plots, engaging characters, and dark humor. De Castell's vivid and captivating storytelling will leave you breathless and begging for more. It's a very well-crafted story that's a ton of fun to read.

Rating

4 Literary Mage Stars.

A fresh perspective on magical structures and how they influence the story in a major way. The entire journey begins right away and doesn't stop until the book's conclusion. I'm interested in reading the upcoming chapters to see how each character's dubious morality develops.

I’m so hoping this is the start of a series.

Cade is a wonderist, a magic wielding person. In spite of his best efforts he just isn’t the thoroughly bad guy he pretends to be.

The story follow the journey as Cade and his bestie Corrigan set out to gather seven powerful wonderists to defeat seven brother wonderists set on destroying the mortal world.

It’s funny and makes you question what and who are actually good and evil and all the gray area between.

I loved the description of this book, but once I started getting into it, I was slightly disappointed. The main character Cade felt both flat and wannabe edgy to me, and his thoughts often didn't align with his actions. This made me very confused about his motivations, personality and even his opinions on very basic things.

The main other issue I noticed was that we got excessive infodumps--but not about the right things. At the beginning, it felt like I was thrown into the immediate plot with no explanation about the background, but then Cade would start talking about the religion or all the specific types of demons (AKA, stuff which wasn't IMMEDIATELY relevant) so it felt like I was getting explained the world but not the plot. It was sort of on a seesaw between too much information and not enough, which felt like whiplash to read.

Despite these complaints, I did really enjoy certain parts. The world seemed really well developed and interesting, and the magic system was really cool! The book was fast paced and it was very easy to get sucked into. The Malevolent Seven wasn't really a good fit for me, but people who like TONS of worldbuilding details and a huge cast of characters will probably enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

In The Malevolent Seven, we follow the first person POV of Cade, a “wonderist” magic-user for-hire who also happens to be morally sensitive. When Cade’s moral convictions get him into hot water, he and his friend Corrigan set off on a grand quest toward the unfortunate-sounding Mage’s Grave for another get-rich job. Along the way, they pick up some new friends and have to deal with some side quests and personal drama.

’Any chance you’re going to share the details about whatever motley assemblage of moral defectives we’re off to recruit for this job?’

Characters: Although the “malevolent seven” perform horrendous acts, their gray morality and troubled character backstories point more toward damaged, desperate people rather than your conventional villains. (That’s not to say that they’re sympathetic or likable… at least they weren’t for me.) Cade stands out due to his particularly inconsistent but earnest effort at being moral, his circumstantial sensitivity leading to continuous internal turmoil and sticky situations for himself and those around him.Don’t expect to find your conventional “found family”. A general surliness exists between these ill-tempered individuals. Add to that, this band of mercenaries maintain an uneasy alliance of convenience, in which mistrust sometimes festers. However, the crew does band together for the ultimate challenge.

I got some major Dresden vibes—minus the urban fantasy framework.

Prose & Style: Easy, accessible prose style with prevalent humor that lightened the tone. (Despite the jaunty adventure feel, de Castell has definitely added darker elements to the plot.) Along with the snark and dark humor comes a casual delivery and modern speech.

Magic System: “Wonderism” is the catch-all term for magic in this world, but it encompasses multiple types/sources of magic pulled on by practitioners in this universe. These are not hard magic systems in the way that Brandon Sanderson’s are near (faux) science. However, the narrator ruminates a lot about wonderism and throws random factoids at the reader via internal monologuing and character-to-character dialogue.

Reason For My Rating: I do not think this was an objectively “bad” book. In all fairness (re: my rating), this was just not the fantasy book for me. At first, I did not enjoy the narrative style and first person. The POV voice and Cade himself as a character were meh for me—although I did enjoy the bonkers analogies and sarcastic comments. The occasional info dumps on magic tried my patience. In order for me to like the use of magic in this book, I would need either more mystery or more uniformity and logic connecting all the different types of magic. Finally, while I found aspects of characters interesting, I never found them compelling, sympathetic, likable, or generally fascinating.

The Malevolent Seven seems to harness the energy, tone, and banter of an irreverent action comedy. De Castell seems to know his project and be intentional with authorial voice. If this sounds like your jam, you may have a super fun time.

4.5/5

This was such a fun read. I've always been a fan of the seven Samurai story, and so when this popped up on my radar, I knew I wanted to read it and see what promises it held. It fulfilled them all and more. It felt like a clever combination of Constantine and the Seven Samurai, it flows beautifully together, weaving a mystery and story that entertains in a variety of ways. There were multiple times that the humor hit perfectly, while still keeping a darker tone from the characters as the mercenaries for hire. I really enjoyed the pacing of the novel, which was aided by the short chapters, that allowed to flow smoothly and very quickly.

The strength of the novel to me were the characters. Each was distinct, with their own goal and agenda. There were multiple times that the conflicts of what was happening made me laugh as well as be impressed that it did not distract from the main narrative that was being told. It was expertly crafted to keep me engaged in every page as well as showing off the variety of abilities of each of them. For a short novel, it was crazy to see how all seven characters were able to be shown with their abilities, leaving no doubt as to what they could do. The one drawback that I had was that the main POV seemed to have some draw dropping abilities, but we see them the least. I feel that this was intentional and leads to future novels that will truly show what can be done.

I highly recommend this novel for those who like clever plots, engaging characters, and dark humor. It hits all of these marks multiple times in just a few pages. I had not read this author before, but will definitely be reading their previous novels just from how much I truly enjoyed what was done in this novel. I eagerly look forward to being able to spend more time in the world as well as with the characters to see what the future will have in store for all of it. Until then, pick up this novel and take care of the deals that you make within sand circles.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!

The Malevolent Seven is a dark fantasy adventure about a ragtag group of morally grey characters who are brought together on a suicide mission to go head to head with the 7 deadliest mages to exist. The magic system was really clever and something I hadn’t seen before. Basically mages take their abilities from other dimensions where the rules are different and use them in our world to bend the rules of what is possible.

The characters themselves while at times murderous and destructive are also pretty lovable and a blast to follow as they meet each other and come together. The story loses a little bit of steam towards the middle but the characters really keep the reader invested. It felt like it would make a really fun movie, it very much has Suicide Squad vibes. There is more to explore in this world and I would definitely like to read about these characters again. Malevolent Seven is a quick read and a fun time just right for someone looking for something darkly funny and fantastical to enjoy in the summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Malevolent Seven" by Sebastien de Castell is a meanly funny send-up of grimdark fantasy tales while still keeping enough teeth to probably qualify as "grimdark" in its own right. With a chatty, self-deprecating antihero at the heart of things and a raggedy band of misfit magic-users who have been tasked to kill a bunch of do-gooders, this book is for anyone who enjoys POV from the bad guys in an irreverent, light-hearted-until-suddenly-its-tragic tone. It took a while to get going - the first 30% was all set up and we hadn't even met five of the seven - but once the plot got going it was a lot of fun for fantasy fans who want some humor with their axe-cleaving and spell-blasting.

A novel approach to magical systems and how they play a central role in driving the plot. The entire adventure starts immediately and doesn't take a break until the book's ending. I look forward to future installments and how each character's questionable morality evolves in the next chapters.

This was not what I expected but in all the best ways! This was much darker than I was expecting but the dark humor was a perfect fit for me. The tension was lifted at all the perfect moments by the humor.

Although not a cast of loveable characters (as pointed out in the book none of them are the good guys) but I found myself liking them anyway and rooting for them at every turn.

I’m not normally fond of narrators breaking the 4th wall but De Castell managed to pull it off perfectly with the narrator Cade. Highly suggest if your looking for a witty, dark, and humorous fantasy novel! Be warned, this can get a bit obscene at times and this author is not afraid of profanities but for me, that made this all the better!

This book suffers from a title easily confused with the Malificent Seven. But even if you bought it by mistake, it's well worth a read. De Castell is known for the Greatcoats series, and he brings that same level of character depth to this book. You'll be invested and I hope he writes more in this world.

4.5/5 stars! This dark fantasy story employed a lot of the sarcastic humor I enjoy, so it was a really good read for me. It had the energy of an epic high fantasy, while still keeping the nitty gritty of the darker elements. The style of the writing was great and the pacing was spot on. Can't wait to read his next book.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

"'Seven powerful mages want to make the world a better place. We're going to kill them first.'

Picture a wizard. Go ahead, close your eyes. There he is, see? Skinny old guy with a long straggly beard. No doubt he's wearing iridescent silk robes that couldn't protect his frail body from a light breeze. The hat's a must, too, right? Big, floppy thing, covered in esoteric symbols that would instantly show every other mage where this one gets his magic? Wouldn't want a simple steel helmet or something that might, you know, protect the part of him most needed for conjuring magical forces from being bashed in with a mace (or pretty much any household object).

Now open your eyes and let me show you what a real war mage looks like...but be warned: you're probably not going to like it, because we're violent, angry, dangerously broken people who sell our skills to the highest bidder and be damned to any moral or ethical considerations.

At least, until such irritating concepts as friendship and the end of the world get in the way.

My name is Cade Ombra, and though I currently make my living as a mercenary wonderist, I used to have a far more noble-sounding job title - until I discovered the people I worked for weren't quite as noble as I'd believed. Now I'm on the run and my only friend, a homicidal thunder mage, has invited me to join him on a suicide mission against the seven deadliest mages on the continent.

Time to recruit some very bad people to help us on this job..."

I mean, you read that description and you just HAVE to read this book right? It can't be just me who thinks this sounds legendary.

ALL OF THE STARS. Plot was amazing. Characters were relatable and diverse. Writing was phenomenal. The world building alone was just so incredible. The story is both Humorous and dark, the perfect blend, really. Cade is an entertaining narrator with witty sarcasm and what truly loved was his way of breaking that fourth wall to talk with his readers. This is one of my absolute favorite surprises to find in a novel, and it just helps me to become that more attached to the story. amazing.

This was so much fun! I've been meaning to read some of De Castell's books for a while, and this just happened to be the first chance I got. And I was not at all disappointed!
The world building unfurled naturally, the characters and plot were compelling (and delightfully snarky!)

I could do without the long wait for the next book- because what are they are all going to do now?!?


Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Book Group for the opportunity to read, rate and review this arc which will Abe available May 16,2023.

Everybody stop what you are doing and go pre order this book! Holy mother of God I never thought I would find another book Like Kings of the Wyld but I did and this book is it. It’s snarky, dark and fast paced but not so fast you aren’t sucked in. It’s a buddy fantasy but like if the buddies are battle hardened jaded aholes. I loved this book

I received this eARC courtesy of NetGalley and Hatchette Book Group, Mobius. I was tickled to pieces that I received this one, too, because I've enjoyed just about everything this author's written. This was no exception! I was surprised, though, when I realized that this was grimdark. I am not a fan of that genre at all. The humor running rampant through the story balanced out the grim aspect nicely.

The writing was excellent. The world is experienced as we follow along with Cade, the MC, as he narrates the story in first person. I much prefer this style as opposed to the awful Info Dump. Cade is part of a despicable group of mercenary war mages, and the story begins right in the middle of one of their dirty jobs.

I loved reading about the characters. Most of them were so awful that it was hilarious! The bulk of them are dubious at best or morally gray. Cade is given the most depth depth, which is kind of to be expected since we're in his headspace.

The dialogue was terrific. It's snappy, pithy and witty. And the gallows humor gave me the case of the giggles several times 😂. I enjoyed the dialogue between characters tremendously.

The plot was the weakest aspect, I think. A couple of them set off to recruit some more war mages, since they need seven in the group to accomplish a specific job. That's when things seemed to meander somewhat. There was no Point A to Point B in reaching the goal. Despite the meandering, the character interaction and dialogue kept the entertainment factor high. I was never bored and I never lost my interest.

This would appeal to many fantasy fans, especially if the reader's taste leans toward irreverent humor, ambiguous morality, and/or grimdark.