Scott's Take: The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien De Castell

 

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien De Castell is second book in the Malevolent series that began with The Malevolent Seven. At this point there is supposed to be a third book in the series, The Malevolent Nine, but the publishing date is unknown. All we have, for now, is the reference to it in the author’s multi page acknowledgement section at the back of the book.

 

Spinning out of the events of the first book, The Lords Celestine (their version of angels) and the Lords Devilish (their version of demons) are recruiting humans to wage war against their counterparts on the Mortal Plane (quasi Earth). Cade and his friends (The Malevolent Seven) are attempting to stop the war before it truly gets going by murdering people both sides until they call it off. Of course, things only get worse from there. As happened with the first book, the plot synopsis does not really reflect what the book is actually about and I am not going to ruin with a more accurate description.

 

This book has humor, action, sex, extensive and graphic torture scenes, and much more. If you enjoyed the first read, you should enjoy this book as it is more of the same. As was true with the first one, this is very much an adult book. Like the previous read, this one also gets weird at times, but in a good way. For example, one of the new characters introduced to join the team includes a vampire Kangaroo from another dimension. About halfway through the read, the Kangaroo also learns and can speak Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite movie curse word.

 

I read the hardback book through my local library and enjoyed it a lot. I am eagerly awaiting the third book which is supposed to be the final book in the series.

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4aRlp9V

 

 

My hardback reading copy came from the Central, aka Downtown, Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2026

Scott's Take: Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

 

Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell is the first book of the Court of Shadows series. It could easily be considered as the fifth book in the Greatcoat series since it is set in the same universe. but it is designed to be a standalone series.

 

Damelas Chademantaigne was supposed to be in a duel to the death. Instead, he flees and does not face the famed killer, The Vixen, because of an obscure law. If one is a member of a company of actors, they do not have to fight in duels to the death, as long as they remain a member of the company. He is able to convince the company to take pity on him and protect him from the vicious killer.

 

He is able to remain safe for over a year until one night when he is performing a play and starts changing the lines from what they are supposed to be. He does not remember performing the different lines, however the local Duke does. He wants Damelas to continue to perform this new version for his own reasons.

 

At the same time, a local group of self-styled law enforcement folks, basically a gang, named the Iron Orchids, want him to shut up and stop. Both sides are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goal.

 

This is one of the strangest books I have read this year though it was quite enjoyable. The main character goes through lots of character development in this book. There is violence, humor, action, and the world that Damelas lives in is not a very nice one.

 

I can’t say much more as I otherwise run the risk of ruining the novel. Like any novel by Sebastien De Castell, the jacket cover copy does not really explain what happens in the book.

 

The intro was a little slow, but I am glad I stuck with it. To be honest, I probably would not have if I was not such a fan of Sebastien’s previous work. I did not like Damelas at the beginning, but by the end of novel I did. The theater aspects made the book drag at the beginning, but they got a lot better as it went.

 

There is a sequel currently titled, Lady of the Blade, with an unknown release date. The ending here sets up a very interesting sequel that should better than this one.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3UKZgAm

 

My reading copy came from the Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2024

Scott's Take: The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell

The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell is a complicated book just like all his works. The book jacket copy describes the read in one way and the actual book tells another. In the book description, Cade is a mercenary wizard who, after the end of his last job, pissed off a lot of people. He has now joined his friend Corrigan on a suicide mission to kill 7 deadly wizards who want to change the world for the better. Of course, things are a lot more complicated than that.

 

This book has action, horror, drama, humor, and lots of dark fantasy elements. This is a world where there are not really any just rock-solid good guys or good girls. Everybody in the read, just like real life, are characters that are shades of grey.

 

As one expects in a book by Sebastien De Castell, there are plenty of twists, turns and manipulations. My one complaint is that for a book that supposed to be from the bad guy perspective, the so called “bad guys” are not as bad as one would expect. They are pretty tame. I was expecting evil mercenaries, instead I read about people who are troubled and need a good therapist.

 

While the book is supposed to be about fighting the powerful wizards, a good portion of the book is spent on the journey to get to where the other wizards are gathering. There is also a good portion of the book spent detailing Cade’s last job before he went on this suicide mission. While a really good book, The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell is not the book I was expecting based on the book jacket copy.

 

The book offers a route for a possible sequel should the author choose to do it. I hope that happens.

Amazon Associate deal is not showing correctly so go here to pick it up.

My reading copy from the Downtown, or Central Branch, of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple © 2024

Scott's Take: Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell

Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell is the first in a series by the author of the Greatcoats series. Kellen, a young man, is trying to make his way in the world where magic is more important than character. Kellen is good person, but not a very powerful mage. In fact, his magic is slowly fading away.  if he does not pass his mage trials he will be forced to become a servant of others whose magic has only grown. He is searching for a way to pass his trials while also trying to and save his magic. His only hope seems to be a mysterious woman named Ferius Parfax who wields strange magic that no one else in his town can do.

While the above is the basic premise of the book, the read is far more complicated. The amount of character development Kellen goes through is tremendous. If you are familiar with the author you already know that he loves to write complicated tales with lots of twists and turns while making the characters suffer emotionally and physically. He prefers to write complicated worlds, smart heroes, and intelligent, yet utterly morally bankrupt, villains. He writes villains that have their reasons for doing evil and those reasons may or may not be justified. His tales always start out pretty straightforward, but by the end, the characters have tremendously changed.

Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell reflects the author’s usual mode of operation as Kellen at the beginning is far different by the end of the book, though his core of who he fundamentally is remains the same. He relies on being smart as others have strength and others have magic skills that far exceed his abilities. In this word, he may be the weakest mage so he has to out think others. Luckily for him he is smart and makes friends with Ferius who is funny and a great character in his own way. It will be interesting to see how their friendship grows in the next book, Shadow Black. 

My reading copy came from the Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Alexander © 2020

Scott's Take: A Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell

A Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell is the first book in the Greatcoats Series. In the vein of The Three Musketeers, this dark tale starts a trio of heroes after their King was overthrown and killed by his own dukes. During the violent coup, his greatest warriors, the Greatcoats, did not fight for him. These traveling warriors, who also were judges that traveled the country dispensing justice, all stood down at the King’s order and did not try to stop the overthrow. The King had a plan that would trigger in the wake of his death. That plan activated with his death and then things went sideways. The populace turned on the Greatcoats and they scattered into hiding and the Dukes seized power over the country and its people.

The story is primarily told from the perspective of Falcio. He is a dark and troubled hero who mourns the past and has lost all hope in the future. He sees the world around him as broken beyond repair. His only goal is to die doing something good.

He is joined in this quest, if you will, by his trusted allies Kest and Brasti.  Kest is a man who has been a friend since childhood. A grim and bitter man who is an excellent swordsman and a worthy companion. Also there is the master archer, Brasti, who is a womanizer of epic proportions. As I explained, this is basically the three musketeers in a different format.

The story skips around chronologically split between stories from the past and the present. Even the more linear portions have a lot of twists and turns. A Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell is a grim tale not for everyone, but, I enjoyed it a lot. 

A Traitor’s Blade

Sebastien De Castell

https://decastell.com/

Joe Fletcher Books

Quercus

https://www.jofletcherbooks.com/landing-page/jo-fletcher-books/jo-fletcher-books-contact-us/

July 2014

ISBN# 9781623658090

Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and paperback formats)

384 Pages

Material was supplied by the Park Forest Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020