I’m rounding out my reviews of recently finished novels with the epic fantasy Malice by John Gwynne. I’ve admired his brilliant book covers for years at my neighborhood Barnes & Noble and finally got around to reading his debut novel. Better late than never, as they say.
My first observation is how squarely this book hits all the fantasy tropes. There’s a farm boy—or rather a blacksmith’s son—with a secret. An ancient enemy—Asroth—who is determined to start a God-War. There are monsters of various types, including giants who play the role of orcs in this world. There are even hints of a wise wizard and a magic weapon or two before it’s through. It’s no wonder the book is so popular with fans of epic fantasy.
Like many fantasy series these days, the book contains a cauldron full of viewpoint characters with so many names and separate storylines that it was hard to keep track of them all. A few stories, however, dominate the narrative.
First, there’s Corban, a teenage boy in the kingdom of Ardan, a pseudo-Celtic realm where a man’s highest calling is to become a warrior. Corban’s father is the king’s blacksmith, and his sister Cywen is a friend to the king’s daughter and an apprentice of sorts to Gar, a swordsman serving as the king’s stable master. Corban’s primary conflict early on is being bullied by older boys in the town, though he soon begins having strange visions of a sinister man, suggesting there’s more to Corban than meets the eye.
A second—and entirely separate narrative—involves Veradis, a warrior in the kingdom of Tenebral who becomes the first sword to Prince Nathair, the son of the High King. Veradis fights heroically alongside his prince, who has high ambitions and views himself as a savior, prophesied to fight on the side of good in the coming God-War. Then there is Evnis, a counselor to the king of Ardan, who early on is revealed as a traitor serving the will of Asroth. Evnis serves as the primary antagonist, I suppose, though his treachery stays hidden for most of the story.
The story of these three individuals and several more viewpoint characters evolves slowly. We are given hints about the true nature of some of these characters, and savvy readers will see where things are heading. The long development eventually pays off, particularly with a “twist” that comes as a gradual revelation rather than a shocking development. However, much of the story felt like set up for the following three books in Gwynne’s four-book The Faithful and the Fallen series. With 618 pages in this installment, I was hoping to get deeper into the central conflict in book one.
Overall, Malice is a slow-building but promising entry in the epic fantasy genre. While it relies heavily on well-worn tropes and takes its time getting to the heart of the conflict, Gwynne’s storytelling shows potential for deep payoffs in the later books. Readers who appreciate sprawling narratives, multiple perspectives, and a gradual buildup to epic battles will likely enjoy this novel. For those looking for immediate action, the setup-heavy nature of Malice may feel more like a test of patience. Nevertheless, with its clear homage to classic fantasy, it’s no surprise that Gwynne’s series has captured the attention of so many fans over the years.