The Malevolent Seven follows mercenary war mage Cade Ombra. He along with Corrigan, and the chaotic, ragtag companions they pick up along the way prepare to face off against the Seven Brothers, deadly powerful mages. All the while, they’re learning that things aren’t as they seem on the surface in regards to the job they’ve take on.
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Sabastien de Castell had a distinctive writing style in his Spellcaster series, and you can pick up on that same style in the Malevolent Seven. If I didn’t already know de Castell wrote this novel, he would’ve been my first guess. I love his ability to craft morally grey to outright devious characters and have you rooting for them even during some of their more questionable moments. Corrigan was one of my favorite characters in The Malevolent Seven, and he fit the chaotic character role perfectly.

Similar to previous work by de Castell, we’re given a main character that believes he is beyond saving only to find out that at the heart of it, Cade wants the best for the world. I really enjoyed the various revelations about Cade’s backstory to fully understand his character development arc. In general, I think the main group of characters had very interesting develop arcs even if it wasn’t always what I wanted to see. In addition to the characters, the world building and magic systems were equally intriguing. I spent a decent portion of time trying to figure out which type of mage I would want to be (hint: for info on the different magics, read the acknowledgment section).

For the story itself, de Castell was a genius at blending information, action, and jaw dropping revelations. The Malevolent Seven was such a wild ride. While it took me a little while to get invested, partly from trying to figure out what was going on, once I was hooked, I was HOOKED. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, there was a new bombshell dropped. It was enough to keep your head spinning while simultaneously demanding you keep reading. Be prepared for the ending, though, because if you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to chuck something (no books were hurt in the reading of this story) and then find yourself laughing out loud a few pages later. Like I said, this book is a wild ride full of secrets, surprises, and betrayals.
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Overall rating: 4.5⭐️

You know when you read a book and it is so similar to another book that it becomes throws you off? That was my experience while reading The Malevolent Seven, Sebastien de Castell's latest novel about a team of villainous mages who have to team up to destroy (or perhaps even save) the world. If this basic premise sounds familiar to you, it is because it is nearly the same plot as Cameron Johnson's The Maleficent Seven (published by Angry Robot Books).

The short of my review is that while I enjoyed my time with The Malevolent Seven, you are pretty much better off picking up The Maleficent Seven, as that is by far the stronger of the two similarly titled and premised books.

Having said that (and I'll get to the book's shortcoming in a moment) there is actually a lot that works well in The Malevolent Seven. Cade Ombra, who narrates the book in a first-person perspective, is a genuinely fascinating character. He sees himself as being evil, but in practice his moral compass is much more complicated than that. Cade, along with the cadre of other characters that de Castell populates his world with, challenge the binary of "heroes" and "villains", because it really is all a matter of perspective. We are all balancing our own individual needs and wants with some of the needs of the people around us; sometimes our own needs and selfish desires win out, and sometimes we do what is good for the collective. None of us are "pure" heroes or "pure" villains in our everyday lives, and de Castell uses Cade to explore the transitory nature of heroism and villainy.

But de Castell doesn't get bogged down in the philosophizing. He lets his characters express the complexity of the themes of the book through a propulsive and very fast-paced plot. There is never a moment in the book where you feel bored or wish something would happen. Something is always happening on the page as we are immediately thrust into Cade's head. In a lot of ways this works with the comedic and intentionally unhinged tone and timbre of the book. Characters are constantly spinning and moving as de Castell continuously throws new balls in the air for his characters to deal with.

On the other hand, the madcap pace at times works as a detriment to the story. Some readers will revel in the speed of the plot, but there were times where I just wanted to take some time to breathe. It seemed that de Castell didn't fully trust himself (or his readers) to hold our attention. This leaves certain elements underdeveloped, and some characters whose presence exists merely so that de Castell could get his titular play on words. Particularly some of the "Seven" introduced later in the book feel personality-less, and if you would have subbed out their names I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

At the end of the day, how significant of a problem these are depends on what you look for in a book. If you are looking for a good time (this would make for a perfect summer beach read), this is the book for you. However, if you are looking for something with just a bit more depth beyond the superficial, there won't be a lot to chew on here. But again, if you are looking for a book full of fun, definitely give this one a look.

Not only are the characters sarcastic and witty, but the world that de Castell has built here is a whole heck of a lot of fun. There is still a lot to be explored (the book seemed to indicate this might be the first in a series, but I couldn't find confirmation of that anywhere), but the way that de Castell was able to craft a pretty complicated magic system while explaining it efficiently and succinctly is a work of art. The magic system is (at it simplest) a fun play on an elemental magic system, but there are also angels/demons, multiple dimensions, portals, and so much more. With everything else going on in the book you would think the extensive worldbuilding would weigh everything down, but all of the worldbuilding comes together pretty well.

So, despite all of this, why the middling tone at the beginning of the review? I already talked a bit about pacing above, and the pacing did muddy the waters quite a bit particularly in regards to what de Castell was actually trying to say about heroism and villainy. I'm not expecting a treatise on "good vs. evil" here, but there were certain elements of the main conflict that were underdeveloped to the point where I had a hard time following the various alliances, betrayals, twists, and turns. Johnston's The Maleficent Seven did a much better job of giving us the "pro" and "con" list of what each side wanted out of the conflict.

The other big thing that didn't land for me was the book's sense of humor. This is a fun and funny book that is trying for the laugh-out-loud humor of King of the Wyld combined with the sarcastic cynicism of Joe Abercrombie. Unfortunately, it just doesn't quite land. A lot of the humor is awkward and unfunny, and at times made fun of things that made me a bit uncomfortable (the most blatant example being a lot of jokes about sex slavery in the beginning of the novel). The humor starts to even out as the book progresses, but a lot of the early "jokes" left a bad taste in my mouth.

Concluding Thoughts: If you are looking for you next fast-paced and humorous fantasy, check out The Malevolent Seven. It is chock full of some really great ideas, some strong worldbuilding, and a fantastic main character. The humor and tone of the book won't work for everyone (it didn't for me) and some readers might get annoyed by a lack of depth to many of the characters. Things take a turn for the better at the end of the book as the plot builds in intensity and intrigue, but if you are struggling to get that far, I recommend Cameron Johnston's The Maleficent Seven for a similarly plotted and far stronger book.

Synopsis:

Cade Ombra is a mercenary Infernal Wonderist. After being accused of murdering his current employer, he’s on the run with one of his fellow mercenary heading North to a town called Mage’s Grave to look for a nasty baron who is creating havoc there along with seven wonderists called the Seven Brothers. Along the way they recruit four more wonderists, more or less, each unique in their own way. Unbeknownst to them greater forces are at play to alter the very fabric of mortal plane and this job is turning out to be more than just another job. The Malevolent Seven is the story of the journey of Cade and his comrades and the dangers they face while trying to finish this perilious mission.

Trigger Warnings:

The Malevolent Seven is a grimdark fantasy book, and it contains a lot of profanity, gore, violence and violent themes and is filled with amoral characters. So as the genre name suggests it is not everybody’s cup of tea. Therefore, if you happen to stumble upon this book, please be aware of its content.

Thoughts:

"Go ahead, close your eyes if you need to…"

I am actually wondering whether I am ever going to hate something Sebastien de Castell write. Having read and absolutely loved both his The Greatcoats series and The Spellslinger series I had very high expectations going in to this book and I was not disappointed at all. As expected from Sebastian, he did nothing but delivered, line after line. From start to finish The Malevolent Seven was an amazing book that boasted exceptional world building, an impressive magic system, captivating character arcs, and a masterfully woven plot filled with suspense.

Firstly lets talk about The Malevolent Seven’s impressive magic system. I knew Sebastien could always cook up a magnificent magic his eyes closed but maaaaaan this was truly a joy to read about this magic system. It was layered, comprehensive and solid overall. Every aspect of the system was thoroughly thought out, and the author explained in detail the reasons behind each magic spell or casting, as well as how they worked. It was evident that Sebaestian had put in a great deal of effort and attention to detail when creating this magic system, making it one of the highlights of the book.

Secondly, the world building. It is never easy to create a fresh take on heaven and hell and all their machinations for the mortal plane, especially to make it mindblowingly impressive but Sebastian makes it look so easy with his writing skilling in The Malevolent Seven. I am absolutely in love with the idea of Celestines, Infernals and their hierarchal political systems.

Thirdly, the great cast of characters. Cade was a brilliant protagonist. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself and the reader he was irredeemable, Sebastian made sure he came across as relatable. The rest of the characters, Corrigan, Galass, Aradaus, Shame, Alice and Fidick (he WAS a f**** d*** as his name suggests lol) were unique and were great addition to the story. I LOVED Corrigan with his impulsive moronic behavior and his colorful sarcastic vocabulary. He provided most of the much needed comic relief in such a grim tale.

Lastly, the writing style. I don’t think it is an easy feat to write an entire book in conversational style between the protagonist and the reader but Sebastien pulled if off really well. I loved how Cade asked for reader’s opinion on various things and how he posed questions at the reader.

I can absolutely gush about The Malevolent Seven for hours if given the chance. However as I need to keep this review compact and comprehensive in conclusion what I have to say is, I absolutely loved reading this book and looking forward to reading the next installments to know where the story is heading and how Cade’s jorney progresses, although there is no indication on goodreads whether this is going to be a series yet. FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! JUST BRILLIANT!

"So, go ahead, open your eyes, I’ll show you a fucking hero…."

Thank you Netgally and Hachette Book Group for providing me this advanced reader copy.

Note:

Quotes may change upon publication of the book.

This was a funny and engaging read that had me smiling and laughing at all of the characters antics. But don’t be thinking this is a light read, it’s not, it is quite dark, violent and gritty. This group is so dysfunctional, and yet even though they often want to kill each other, deep down you can tell that they love each other, or at least don’t totally despise each other. They are all antiheroes who despite themselves end up almost saving the day.

Cade is the sole narrator, and he was perfect for the job. I loved his sarcastic banter, his way of talking to his audience/reader, and his whole attitude about not being able to redeem himself because of all of the horrible things he has done. Cade also has secrets that he hides from his companions but are slowly revealed to us over the course of the book. But even with all of that, he is still quite likable and relatable.

The other characters are not as well developed as Cade, especially Alice and Shame, but you get to know them well enough that you develop a fondness for them. I really liked Corrigan, who is Cade’s companion, not sure friend quite fits, from the start. He has an affinity for thunder and fire, and pretty much will just kill you if you annoy him to much.

The big highlight of this story was the magical system. I loved it and thought it to be unique, or at least I have never come across anything like it before. The wonderists/mages, draw on powers from other universes/alternate worlds to create their magic. In this way they are able to circumnavigate around our laws of physics. Each mage is attuned to one of these worlds and is only able to draw magic from it. It is explained better in the book, but you get the gist. Some of the affinities were really interesting.

The story is well done, with a pretty fast pace and lots of action. There is a tiny bit of info dumping by Cade, explaining the world to the reader, but it is done in a humorous way for the most part and I really didn’t mind it. There is a lot of mythology, religion and magical history woven throughout the book as well as politics. Oh the politics, this will send your head spinning trying to understand it all, but in the end it doesn’t really matter if you do or not. The world is well developed and the characters fit into this messed up place very well.

I have not been able to find any indication that this is going to be a series, but it damn well better be, because we are left hanging at the end of this one. If you are a fan of this author’s work, I think you will enjoy this one. If you are into antiheroes who don’t particularly like each other, or even necessarily want to save the world, this is a book you should consider reading.

This was so good. I was spellbound and entrantsed by this story. I quickly made my way through it and was absolutely in love with this!
I just reviewed The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell. #TheMalevolentSeven #NetGalley
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I love a good wizard, but The Malevolent Seven has almost no good wizards. Instead, we’re treated to mage after mage with rather horrible temperaments. No one sides on the ‘good’ side here, because there is no good side. The Malevolent Seven is about as grimdark as I can take before throwing in the towel. There were no brutal murders for brutal murder’s sake here — everything that happened really did happen for a good reason. And the main character, Cade, while he has some moral issues he probably needs to work out eventually, is actually a pretty decent person. He just hides under sarcasm and literally being a mage for hire. Those are probably the two reasons I kept going – you all know how much I’m not a fan of grimdark. But despite that, de Castell really made the book interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading. Plus, I really sort of loved de Castell’s writing. It’s quirky, sarcastic, and generally not really the tone you’re used to in this sort of setting.

The Malevolent Seven is a short book, in my personal opinion. Most fantasies that I read usually clock in around 450 pages or more. The Malevolent Seven only tips the scales at 384 — and it is a rather quick read. There’s no wasted action in those few pages, thankfully. The pace is lightning quick, and the plot decently easy to follow. I had a hard time with all the explanations of the different magical planes, but once I sort of…let it glide over me…I realized it didn’t matter in terms of the plot all that much. There’s not a ton of world building here, but that’s probably because the pace of the book is just go, go, go. Either way, it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the novel. There’s enough here to go on, but I do wish we had seen perhaps more of the regular people? Instead, we get mages, demons, angels, etc. And while cool, they don’t really help pad out the world too much. The characters we do see, we know very little about, again, thanks to that short page count. The one we know most about is Cade’s best ‘friend’, and even then we really don’t’ know much at all.

The plot includes a couple betrayals you don’t see coming, and a pretty neat twist at the end. If you like wizards, morally grey characters, and a fast pace, you’ll love this one. Four stars.

This is by far my favorite book of 2023. I love the MMC so much. Cade is hilarious and while he is definitely a morally gray character (like most of the cast), he just wants what is best for humanity. This is my first time reading a book by Sebastian de Castell, and now I want to read every book by him. The cast of characters, while not entirely lovable, are so funny you can’t help but loving them. The dialogue between everyone is just fantastic to read. The cast is diverse, and I never saw the end coming. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to finally figure out WHAT the endgame was. I will absolutely be reading this again.

If I was into comedy books I would have loved it! It had some definite Monty Python and the Holy Grail vibes; however, for reading that’s just not my thing but I would still definitely recommend!

*Given to me for free by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This was my first time reading anything by Sebastien De Castell though I do own more of his books and now I can't wait to get to his other series. I am torn on my thoughts on this. Though, to be completely honest, not so torn as to not preorder from The Broken Binding in two weeks (because that is DEFINITELY happening), but torn as in I don't know exactly how I feel at the end of this.

So let me start with the characters. Out of the seven, I thought that Shame and Alice were the most forgettable, but the rest of them were quirky, different, and distinguished. I will say that I obviously like some characters more than others, but I think with this group of personalities, most readers will be able to find at least one character that they enjoy in this ragtag group of misfits. I definitely liked Cade a lot and telling the story from his point of view, with his experiences and the sort of big reveals along the way made him such a perfect main character. For me personally, I kind of love that whole "My soul is damned, I've done too much to be redeemed" but really they're the good guy kind of vibe and that's definitely Cade.

However, I think that maybe this is just a me thing so go easy on me here and remember that this is my first book by the author, but I thought the "humor" here was REALLY heavy handed. I actually only chuckled two times throughout the entire book. It's just a lot. I could have done with way less since I don't think it added anything to the story (the plot, the characters, the quest, the found family aspect was already so good) that it could have been toned down a lot. Though I do think some people will enjoy it or think that it makes the characters more relatable- it just made those big scenes feel less tense or high stakes than I think I would have thought had it not always been interrupted by some joke.

Though I also do need to point out that the way the story is told, how it involves you personally as a reader and breaks down that wall, I REALLY enjoyed here, and that is something that I usually can't stand. It just helped with character reliability and relatability and made for a really good time.

All things considered I would definitely recommend this book and I am hoping this is the start of a new series because I can't wait to see where things go from here!

This is my very first time reading any of Sebastien de Castell's writing, so a huge thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for approving me for the ARC!

The quick and dirty CAWPILE scoring:

Character(s): 9
Atmosphere: 6
Writing: 9
Plot: 10
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 10

Character(s)
We navigate through this adventure and world in the perspective of Cade Ombra, an Infernal wonderist (mage). He masks being an Infernalist - he tries to play his spells off as a Fortunal mage. So right away, my curiosity was piqued: who was Cade really? Who is he hiding from? Why is he hiding? I love Cade with all of his sarcastic wit - he felt like an antihero not unlike Deadpool. Which is honestly how I felt this novel was framed, like Cade sort of broke the fourth wall with the thoughts in his head being directed at the reader. Sort of. It's hard to explain, but it just worked. All of the characters were interesting and well written/developed, came from all walks of life, different types of magic users with some being more advanced than others - I loved them all, but the one who stole my heart was Mozen, the Rat Mage. When you read it, I bet he steals yours too.

Atmosphere
I didn't find anything too special about the setting, but there were some interesting things about the different planes and realms wonderists were attuned to and pulled their magic from.

Writing
Since this is the first time I've read de Castell, I don't know if this is a typical style of writing for him. I sincerely hope that it is because I loved it. It was quirky and fun while still being easy to read and understand the narrative.

Plot
Awesome. That's what it was. I will be forthcoming and say it took me a few chapters to get the big picture, but because the characters were constantly stealing the show, I didn't mind. I figured the author would get me there sooner or later and I was right. I thought for the longest time that the characters were my favorite element of this one, but once I finished and saw the depth of the plot, I had to give it top marks. The description led me to think this would be a sort of comedy regarding a fantasy quest, and while there is tons of great humor, there is a deeper story here that was so good. I want to say so much more here, but for those not having read it, I think it would be a spoiler.

Intrigue
I WANT MORE. Please, please, please let this be a series!!!!!

Logic
The author did a marvelous job explaining thoroughly the magic system and the different types of groups (I don't want to go into detail on the specific groups for spoilery reasons). I like that he used different ways to explain things a few times throughout the story, so if you're not a reader who takes notes, you don't have to memorize anything, you'll get more chances to have things described and illustrated. Not in an info dumping way and not in a hand holding way - it was very clever in my opinion.

Enjoyment
Absolutely looking forward to reading this one again. I had fun being with these characters. I loved learning the magic system, seeing different magic users and how spells were cast. I loved the discord between the different realms. It was a unique spin on the quest trope and I sincerely wish for more from the author in this world and with these characters.

An interesting and fun fantasy adventure that is hard to put down! Case is a great and human hero and I hope there will be more!

Thanks to De Castell & Netgalley for the opportunity to read & review this book.

1stly, this book is definitely not for the faint of heart! It's Gritty, graphic, and dark. But I'd classify it a grimdark novel, with that being said, it meets or exceeds expectations for this Genre. The malevolent seven is what Fantasy would be if Quentin Tarantino wrote a book. The reservoir dogs of fantasy, if you will.....

Getting past delicate ideas of murder, child abuse, demons, and perversions, there are more redeeming qualities to the book. Being graphic, the scenes are well depicted, the battles are detailed and visceral. The vividness of the wording makes you feel like your in the thick of tense scenes, you smell the smoke and see intensity...

Cade presents serious moral ambiguity in that first and foremost, he is a mercenary, and does almost anything for money, but it's obvious early on that he has a distaste for doing the really dirty work his employers ask...he definitely has a soft side that's not twisted, as many other characters.

The several different forms of magic are unique in where they derive and how they are manifested. There is a difficulty in the performance of many spells that is outlined.

If you enjoy dark humor, snarky characters in your sword and sorcery than check this out....if you prefer your fantasy a little more whitewashed and fairy tale-esque...keep browsing...

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Malevolent Seven.

I usually don't read science fiction but when a premise catches my eye, I have to submit a request.

That's how I felt about The Malevolent Seven; it has a great title and cover, the premise is eye-catching (come on, it's about magic and wizards and power and war! How can you not want to read it?)

I wanted to like this a lot more, and I'll tell you why I didn't. But first, what I did like:

Cade is a likable character with a mysterious past that comes to light as the narrative progresses. In some ways, I wasn't surprised at the big reveal.

He and his buddy, Corrigan, are on a dangerous mission and a dangerous mission needs wild and wacky recruits.

The malevolent seven are their twisted, magical version of Ocean's Eleven; they don't get along, they all have diverse personalities, but they're all unique and good at what they do. Well, most of them.

I really liked how the author weaves magic and religion into the mythos of this world; how magic is unnatural and causes dire consequences if it continues for too long in the mortal world.

The characters grow on you over time, which is a sign of good writing. At first, you might not like them, but as the story continues and you see how each character develops and adds his or her own unique skill to the group, you grow to appreciate them.

What I didn't like:

The world building is good, but abrupt and uneven.

The action starts right from page one with no buildup or exposition of the world the story takes place in. Readers are thrust into this magical, violent world and we have to make sense of it as we go along with Cade as our guide.

Cade offers explanations as info dumps and it's a lot. There's a lot of info and there's a lot going on.

Celestines and lords and angels and demons, and politics. I hate politics in the real world and I hate them in the fictional world, too.

There's plenty of politics and double dealing and double crossing and everyone wants power, so nothing new here, but Cade, thanks to his nefarious past and his street smarts, he's able to figure things out. But too little too late for it to count.

I'm still not sure what happened and who is what and what they do and how they fall in the hierarchy of this particular world.

I do love the unique and creativity of the story and characters.

This would make a great series on NetFlix and Amazon Prime.

I'm not a huge fan of the author's voice. He plays with genre expectations re: heroes and wizards as the bookends of the story, and I wouldn't pick up another book by him. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.