In "Malice" by John Gwynne, the slower pacing might detract a bit from the plot for some, but it's a boon for character development, which is executed brilliantly. The narrative unfolds through seven to eight points of view, all in third-person perspective. This diverse array of viewpoints allows readers to grow alongside the characters, experiencing their development organically over time rather than through rushed exposition or info-dumps. While nowhere near the ‘shades of grey’ you’ll find in books by Mark Lawrence or Rebecca Levene, many of Gwynne’s characters – particularly later in the series – show how easy it is to find oneself on the ‘wrong’ side of a conflict, and how ‘evil’ can be a matter of perspective. It’s particularly interesting to watch some of the protagonists develop and change because of careful manipulation by others.

Who would I recommend this to: I think this book would only be suited to adults who have a heart of steel. There are a few parts in this story that are brutal and I literally cried my eyes out. This is also not for the faint hearted a lot of killing, blood, guts and grim shit lol. Veradis is too cool. He is sent over to another King to fight in his son, Prince Nathair's warband. He does a pretty freaking good job protecting the prince, but some things happen there and off Veridis goes fighting stuff because of stuff. And I'm not sure what is going on with Nathair at this point. I'm thinking all kinds of people in this book are being possessed by stuff. <--I love saying stuff! I love the characters and found them all really well developed. There is a few characters who I ABSOLUTELY LOVE.. Cywen was amazing and such a badass (I love strong female characters), Corban who is a cinnamon roll (and a badass too, I felt so proud of him during this book) and then there was VERADIS omg he is so amazing & honourable *heart eyes*(but he is blinded atm) I also loved storm, shield, Gar & Brina <3 From this point, Mr. Gwynne uses multiple characters to develop the story, and even if many are standard fantasy fare, they are well written, fully developed, and uniquely entertaining.

The Tales of the Otori Series by Lian Hearn

For me as I read I got strong whiffs of fantasy legends like David Gemmell, J.R.R. Tolkien, and especially Raymond E. Feist in Gwynne's writing. The detailed world he builds and the way he develops his plot and characters have that epic fantasy feel, reminiscent of Feist's style. That's about as high a compliment I can pay John. One other thing Gywnne did incredibly well was present a wide variety of relationships. We were given fantastic friendships, mortal enemies, beautifully close families, and their dysfunctional counterparts. We see kings interact with subjects, warriors interact with their leaders and each other, and mentors training younger generations. And best of all, we see some incredible kinship between man and beast. The animals in this book had so much personality, and their relationships with their humans was beautiful to behold. Family was so important in this story, whether that family was formed by blood or bond, and some of these animals were truly part of an amazing family.

I love Corbin and Cywen's parents too! They are good people. And they have some secrets about Corbin which I hope will come out in the next book. Their father is a smith but he is bad to the bone too, well, so is Gar. The world is intricately created incorporating nationalities, races, religions, family ties etc... I mentioned before that some cliches worm their way throughout this book, however; fantasy is my favourite genre so if it isn't broke then why fix it. A cliche of my own! This series follows a young warrior named Takeo in his struggles to avenge his adoptive father, escape the legacy of his biological father, and pursue the love of his life in the midst of an enormous power struggle involving dozens of clan lords and thousands of warriors. Pixieltd on Reading The Wheel of Time: Taim Tells Lies and Rand Shares His Plan in Winter’s Heart (Part 3) 5 hours ago Many have asked if this is Grimdark, since they know I love that subgenre. I'd say no. There is a grit and a darkness to it and your favorite characters are never safe. But there is no feeling of hopelessness or nihilism here. You'll find those comfortable pair of jeans in the familiarity of the themes that made us fall in love with Fantasy in the first place, but then Gwynne will turn you on your head and subvert your expectation in a completely satisfying way.

The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence

We also have giants, wyrms, elementals and other stuff. There is to be a God-War. You can read the book and find out what all that entails!

The series is frankly fantastic. It's an excellent modern execution and interpretation of the "Chosen one v. Evil Emperor in Medieval Times"-style of fantasy. The series is by no means the most original or groundbreaking work out there, but it subverts many fantasy tropes and executes others tremendously well. John Gwynne's prose style that is both dynamic and richly textured, making it a standout in the fantasy genre. The action scenes are particularly notable; Gwynne writes these moments with a visceral intensity that is both thrilling and remarkably clear. I would say 50% of this book follows young Corban. A youth from Ardan who is dealing with bullies, family issues and the ever present knowledge that he needs to work hard before his looming manhood challenge; sitting the Long Night where he can prove he is a warrior which is his main ambition. He wants to make everyone proud if possible. It doesn't always appear easy for young Corban with the challenges he faces on this road to ever looming manhood. Well, if he makes it that far. Not a spoiler. Just may end up being a fact in this rotten world.John’s prose really took me by surprise, I finished the whole book in less than 4 days and I enjoyed what I was reading. It was hard to grab everything from the start, so I was making slow but steady progress and taking notes at the beginning but after like 20-25% of the book, it was much more easier to read and it made more sense. John’s writing is lush and I like the way he described things. World building – This was really nothing special at all. I always got the sense that the Banished Lands were quite empty and depopulated, even though we visit every nation, But, like I said, there is no filler and everything is about the plot and enjoying the ride. This has its cons of course, because I would have loved to know more about the history of every nation and their cultures. Unfortunately, all the different nations felt a bit copy and paste. The only real difference was that they drank wine in the south, mead in the west, and ale in the north. Oh, and they have sandals in the south, not boots.

The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars. This epic fantasy series is set in the Banished Lands, a place with a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, and where the earth is running dark with their heartsblood. Malice is the first book in the epic fantasy series of The Faithful and the Fallen. I may be considered slightly bias as I am the authors son, but I truly find this to be one of the greatest stories of all time. Love and family! Something I just have to give Gwynne a standing ovation for is how he writes love between family and friends. This is one of the reasons why you will love the characters so much. There are so many small but moving scenes in these books and they felt so real. I haven't really read stuff like that before. Even so the story was still able to come to an exciting head for me in the closing stages with all manner of battles, betrayals and revelations.The pacing! There is absolutely no fluff whatsover in these books. Yes, Malice starts slow because it has to introduce so much, but there is no filler. I put this in neutral because I see both pros and cons with this. Personally, I wouldn't have minded more filler and scenes where the characters just sit around a fire drinking mead and chatting. I wanted more character moments, but I came into this series after reading six of Abercrombie's novels in a row, so Gwynne's fast pace took some time to adjust to. He isn't afraid of doing a lot of time jumps either, there will be a lot of ”a ten-night later”. But, this speeds the plot along nicely. Gwynne tells his story, and he tells it well. The story constantly kept me on the edge of my seat, it’s a book that is both heart-warming and heart-breaking, and I cannot believe this is his DEBUT??????? Among the standout characters, Tull, Storm, and Envis particularly resonated with me. Tull's journey of bravery and Envis's descent into something more unhinged are just two examples of the rich, multi-dimensional character arcs Gwynne crafts. The book's strength lies in its ability to present a wide range of complicated personalities—some are immediately likable, while others remain shrouded in mystery. Apart from it being a typical fantasy - which isn't really a problem, I do have one criticism. For a published novel by TOR, I noticed a handful of errors. Main character names spelled wrong, missing "-marks from sentences, repeating exactly the same statement a paragraph later when that point; for the progression of the book did not need to be repeated. In the introduction, Gwynne thanks 9 people; excluding an editor for proof-reading his manuscript. It is a shame that errors sneaked through. (I know I make spelling mistakes - probably even in this review yet I don't sell these at Waterstones). Spelling errors alas, but still a spellbinding story and I can't wait to start Valour well, probably in about 7 minutes.