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Grimdark fantasy isn’t my usual genre, but I’m happy to say I genuinely enjoyed The Malevolent Seven and will be picking up the next book. I’m generally not fond of crude humour or profanity, so it took me a while to adjust to the tone, but that’s a matter of personal preference rather than a criticism of the writing. Once I settled in, I found the story clever, sharply written, and surprisingly heartfelt.
The book reminded me at times of Deadpool, The Mandalorian, The Suicide Squad, Crooked Kingdom, and even The Bone Season series. If you know those stories well, you’ll probably understand the mix I mean. None of it feels derivative, though. It’s more like this book shares the same family traits — the grit, the humour, the reluctant heroism, the sharp character dynamics, the intricate societies, and the sense of a complex, lived‑in magical world — while still standing entirely on its own.
Cade Ombra insists he doesn’t want to be liked, yet I gradually grew fond of him, and the ensemble cast, in all their glorious mess, is brilliantly in harmony. The worldbuilding is nuanced and specific, and while I occasionally got lost in the terminology or magic system, the explanations are woven into the narrative so naturally that it never felt like a lecture. The storytelling kept me hooked from start to finish.
Tone preferences aside, this was a well‑crafted, engaging read — original, entertaining, and far more charming than its grim exterior suggests.
3.5 ⭐️ rounding up to 4
Thank you to the author for welcoming me to the Seven.
