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The Malevolent Seven
Author: Sebastien de Castell
Published: 2023 by Arcadia Books
Among my varied reading interests is a good fantasy novel.
On that basis alone, I was drawn to The Malevolent Seven by Canadian author Sebastien de Castell. The fact that he is Canadian ticked my interest up another notch, as I very much enjoy supporting my country in small ways whenever I can.
A quick visit to Arcadia Books reveals that the novel is about seven war mages with dark pasts who must come together to fight an unknown enemy. The stakes are higher than anyone can imagine, and someone is setting the seven up for a fall.
Sure, that sounds like standard publisher hyperbole. And yes, a small band of heroes in a fantasy novel is almost always faced with impossible odds and hidden deceptions. But few fantasy readers pick up a book expecting the next great work of literature.
Instead, we look to be entertained by some good old-fashioned escapism.
Going into this one, I honestly expected more action, particularly in the form of large-scale battle scenes. Instead, de Castell has created a book that focuses more on building trust and relationships within a ragtag coven of “wonderists,” and it works remarkably well.
One thing de Castell does exceptionally well is present a detailed explanation of how magic functions in this world without allowing it to bog the story down. Well… it comes close a couple of times. The various “paths” to magic are diverse, creative, and thoughtfully developed, each giving different wonderists unique ways to access their abilities. While I occasionally wondered if the explanations were becoming a little too much, de Castell always managed to stop just short of overplaying that aspect of the story.
Thanks to the evolving group dynamic and the hidden agendas you know are at work—even if you don’t yet understand them—I found myself becoming more invested than I had expected.
De Castell also gives the main character and narrator, Cade Ombra, an offhand, flippant sense of humor that is used to great effect. It keeps the novel from becoming overly bleak or melancholy, something that could easily have happened with just a slight twist of the author’s quill.
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel—more than I expected, given the relative lack of large battle scenes and the occasionally complex magic system. That’s a credit to de Castell for crafting a fantasy that feels a little different while remaining consistently engaging and highly enjoyable.
I certainly recommend The Malevolent Seven, and I’m already looking forward to reading its follow-up, The Malevolent Eight, which is already available.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
The Malevolent Seven
Author: Sebastien de Castell
Published: 2023 by Arcadia Books
Among my varied reading interests is a good fantasy novel.
On that basis alone, I was drawn to The Malevolent Seven by Canadian author Sebastien de Castell. The fact that he is Canadian ticked my interest up another notch, as I very much enjoy supporting my country in small ways whenever I can.
A quick visit to Arcadia Books reveals that the novel is about seven war mages with dark pasts who must come together to fight an unknown enemy. The stakes are higher than anyone can imagine, and someone is setting the seven up for a fall.
Sure, that sounds like standard publisher hyperbole. And yes, a small band of heroes in a fantasy novel is almost always faced with impossible odds and hidden deceptions. But few fantasy readers pick up a book expecting the next great work of literature.
Instead, we look to be entertained by some good old-fashioned escapism.
Going into this one, I honestly expected more action, particularly in the form of large-scale battle scenes. Instead, de Castell has created a book that focuses more on building trust and relationships within a ragtag coven of “wonderists,” and it works remarkably well.
One thing de Castell does exceptionally well is present a detailed explanation of how magic functions in this world without allowing it to bog the story down. Well… it comes close a couple of times. The various “paths” to magic are diverse, creative, and thoughtfully developed, each giving different wonderists unique ways to access their abilities. While I occasionally wondered if the explanations were becoming a little too much, de Castell always managed to stop just short of overplaying that aspect of the story.
Thanks to the evolving group dynamic and the hidden agendas you know are at work—even if you don’t yet understand them—I found myself becoming more invested than I had expected.
De Castell also gives the main character and narrator, Cade Ombra, an offhand, flippant sense of humor that is used to great effect. It keeps the novel from becoming overly bleak or melancholy, something that could easily have happened with just a slight twist of the author’s quill.
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel—more than I expected, given the relative lack of large battle scenes and the occasionally complex magic system. That’s a credit to de Castell for crafting a fantasy that feels a little different while remaining consistently engaging and highly enjoyable.
I certainly recommend The Malevolent Seven, and I’m already looking forward to reading its follow-up, The Malevolent Eight, which is already available.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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