A review by dawn_marie
The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 

Sebastien de Castell’s The Malevolent Eight is a delightfully entertaining follow up to The Malevolent Seven. The story follows Cade Ombra and his merry band of misfit wonderists (aka mages) as they work to thwart the world-ending battle between the Infernals and Aurorals. The tag line for the novel is “Terry Pratchett meets Deadpool” - an apt description. I also think Leverage’s moniker “sometimes bad guys make the best good guys” applies as well. 

 

The novel is filled with Mr. de Castell’s clever plotting, witty banter, and dark humor. I appreciate the character work, each member of the Malevolent group is complex, morally grey, more than a little crazy and weird, and highly entertaining. I thought the “family” dynamic of the group was well done – they fight and bicker amongst themselves but will go to war if an “outside” hursts a family member. 

 

The world building and magic were well constructed. I found the idea that each wonderist’s abilities is drawn from a different plane and showing the consequences of using that ability interesting. The plot was filled with enough twists, turns, and double crosses with some red herrings mixed in to keep the reader entertained. My only quibble is that some parts of the book felt a little draggy. 

 

This was a highly entertaining and enjoyable read and I look forward to the next installment.