BOOK REVIEW | THE MALIFICENT EIGHT | SEBASTIAN DE CASTELL

BOOK REVIEW | THE MALIFICENT EIGHT | SEBASTIAN DE CASTELL

ABOUT THE BOOK

The stakes have never been higher.

 The world is teetering on the brink of annihilation. The Lords Celestine and the Lords Devilish, celestial and infernal beings locked in an age-old enmity, have at last found the perfect battlefield for their apocalyptic Great Crusade: the mortal realm.

 Cade Ombra, former Glorian Justiciar turned mercenary wonderist, leads a band of emotionally unstable mages in a desperate bid to prevent the impending clash of divine and diabolical titans. Failure will leave humanity to be conscripted into an eternal war, serving as foot soldiers doomed to oblivion.

 The mission seems impossible, but Cade and the Malevolent Seven aren't exactly pacifists, so they're determined to bring peace no matter how many people they have to kill first. With wit as sharp as their blades and a moral compass that points only toward survival, they're ready to cut down anyone in their path to stop the war before it begins.

 Prepare for a whirlwind of dark magic, irreverent humour and relentless action in The Malevolent The Bad, The Worse and The Wicked. The fate of the humanity hangs in the balance, and only the most malevolent can hope to save it.

REVIEW

Sebastian De Castell returns to the world of The Maleficent Seven in this uproariously irreverent sequel to The Malificent Seven.

Following the events of the first book, Cade Ombra and the gang (including new member Temper, a vampiric Kangaroo) have taken up the mantle of the world’s protectors and are doing their level best to derail the machinations of the heavenly host of the Aurorals, and the devilish Infernals to bring about the final battle that has been foretold.

In the midst of this, there is another flashier group on the scene stealing their thunder, The Apocalypse Eight and a deadly new foe, a Spellsinger who for some reason has a beef with Cade.

De Castell is pbviously having as much fun as his readers in this latest book. Besides racking up a body count that puts John Wick to shame, he drops more F Bombs than the US military has hot dinners.

In terms of plot, De Castell rehashes Kurosawa’s Seven Samuri or The Magnificent Seven with as much glee as kid in sweet shop.

As usual, De Castell writes fantastic characters that you cannot help but love, and the new addition of the Spellsinger definitely adds a new dimension to the motley crew of miscreants.

At times, the story can get a little repetitive, but, to be honest, I will forgive De Castell anything as he is one of my favourite authors and for me hasn’t done a bad book yet.