martereadsalot 's review for:

Malice by John Gwynne

3.0

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“History is of value. If more of us took heed of the mistakes of the past, the future could be a different thing.”

This is very clearly the first book in a series. And by that, I mean it’s quite literally "Setup, the book".
That being said, it was some of the most entertaining setup I’ve read in quite some time.

By the end of Malice, John Gwynne has managed to setup everything needed for an epic series: Interesting characters, clear stakes and a world filled with potential for even more expansion. Does that mean that the first book was amazing? No, but the rest has the possibility to be.

Malice is in all senses of the word, cliché – but in the best way.
You get your typical prophecies, chosen ones and battles between good and bad, but it’s all executed in a way that keeps you turning the pages.
I could contribute this to Gwynne’s easy-to-read writing style, but that would be to understate the effort put into his world and characters. Both offer so much that most readers should find something to enjoy here.
Personally, I was most interested in characters like Veradis and Halion while also appreciating the occasional mention of gods, giants and their history.

As a first book Malice does its job, but by itself it’s not as strong. There is just so much to set up, making a slower pace inevitable. At least in the beginning; the end definitely picks it up.
Most of the setup is also done through dialogue, which I think should be praised. It’s rare to see a fantasy book giving you most of the information by having characters talking or being overheard. However, I can’t help but wonder if a bit more inner monologue would’ve allowed for some faster pacing and fewer plot conveniences.

Halfway through the book I thought my review would be lot more negative; with some very big complaints. But as both me and story got familiar with the world, less info-dumps were needed and the book eventually found its groove. Towards the end I could barely remember why I had struggled with the first 200 pages or so.
And I’ve already started my hunt for an available library-copy of Valour. Hopefully, I’ll be back in The Banished Lands soon.