Malice

Written by Pintip Dunn

Narrated by Suzy Jackson

What I know: a boy in my school will one day wipe out two-thirds of the population with a virus.

What I don’t know: who he is.

In a race against the clock, I not only have to figure out his identity, but I’ll have to outwit a voice from the future telling me to kill him. Because I’m starting to realize no one is telling the truth. But how can I play chess with someone who already knows the outcome of my every move? Someone so filled with malice they’ve lost all hope in humanity? Well, I’ll just have to find a way?because now they’ve drawn a target on the only boy I’ve ever loved...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980007043

Reviews for Malice

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Let me be clear. While this is a Grimdark book it is fairly traditional. it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. I still enjoyed it. I was in the mood for fantasy and I really liked Corban. Sometimes the good old stuff is just what the doctor ordered.

[Mukvipa S. · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNF at 26% I tried so hard to like this book. believe me I've tried.
as a Thai, I love that we get a small pieces of Thai culture and we got two Thai's characters and one of them is the love interest. that enough sold me. plus the cute romance between Alice and Bandit. it was really adorable. and the narrated this audiobook was great! you could have guess I would definitely love this book.

Unfortunately nope. the plot was interesting at first. future Alice travel back to save the day. but the time-travel in this book was rather vague. and the first task was really ridiculous, unreasonable, and so childish it doesn’t make any sense. and after that she willingly destroys her best friend life for just her older self told so... umm I'm not buying this. and if I read the 'blue hair' again I might drown myself. so I decided to DNF.

[emily · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. Twisty, addictive with lovable characters. Highly recommend. The narrator was great too

[hegallis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG This was the BEST BOOK EVER I LOVED IT SO MUCH

[cindy_draumrkopa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Malice” is a classic High Fantasy tale of Good versus Evil in an all-consuming war set in a medieval-esque world. It tells the story of Elyon and Asroth, two gods, good and evil respectively, and how they use the creatures on earth to fight their war. We follow a colorful handful of characters throughout the book, every chapter another POV. Every element you would expect in such a classic tale can be found within the pages of Malice: heroes, destiny, betrayal, gods, a prophecy, war, battle, terrifying creatures and so on.

Gwynne choses to fill his world with an elaborate cast of characters, telling his story from many different angles to give the reader a chance to experience the different sceneries, cultures and viewpoints, thus shaping an overall images of the many things going on, ultimately merging into one storyline in the end.
Some of the characters really touched a string and pulled me in, like Corban and Cywen, but not all succeeded at that.
I did really like his choice of POV’s, which were not always the most important pawns on his elaborate storyboard, but some secondary characters that give a different spin to the story and show another side of classic Fantasy.
Gwynne also uses some tricks to give a twist to his story and to surprise his readers. You're never really sure who'll be on Asroth's side and who'll be one of the good guys. You just know all of them will have a part to play in the oncoming God War. The further you read along, the more the places seem to shift and the ones you already gave a spot on a certain team (Good or Evil) show another side that makes you rethink everything.

The reader gets to know all of the different kingdoms throughout the story, so all the new information is never overwhelming or too much. We get accustomed with the different cultures and landscapes at an easygoing pace. Gwynne describes his scenery with just enough detail to help you paint a vivid picture in your mind, without the unnecessary long elaborations that usually make these passages tedious when overdone.
The worldbuilding is rather marginal, not that detailed, more of a general image of the different kingdoms and their scenery than a close-up, which I actually liked a lot.

I loved the explosive ending, which makes you yearn for the sequel, as a good ending should do. There is still so much that needs to happen, lots of tension hanging in the air, characters whose destiny is still uncertain… I’m really curious how all will come together in the second book.

The writing is sharp, clean and reads fluently, although it’s not in league with the big names, like Martin and the others that are mentioned on the back cover.
The pacing is very good, there's never a dull moment, the author knows how to keep his audience satisfied. The book is filled with exhilarating battles and action, enough to keep a fan of swordplay and medieval-esque battlefields satisfied.
“Malice” is an enjoyable read and I will certainly be looking forward to the next installment in the Faithful and the Fallen series!

[didireallyreadthat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A long book with many, many characters that were hard to keep track of. They were so hard to keep track of that I couldn't follow the plot all that well. I also felt that the first part of the book could have been shortened. What redeemed this book was the last half when everything came together. I will try the next book in the series; hopefully it will be better.

[toby_sugden · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A really good read. john Gywnne certainly doesn't hide his influences (there are strong shades of Game of Thrones) and some may see this book as quite derivative. However gywnne injects enough of his own voice to make Malace stand out as the start of an engaging series in its own right with a strong cast of characters and plenty of plot twists. I will definitely be buying the next book in the series.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Malice is that rare epic fantasy which bridges the gap between Tolkienesque high fantasy and more modern gritty realism. The world here is huge and much of the beginning of the book is taken up in introducing us to the many different kingdoms and the characters (and there are many) who will play central roles in the coming events of the story. This tended to slow things down a bit but if you are a fan of fantasy, just keep reading because things change and quickly.Like much of traditional fantasy, this is a story of good vs evil as the world braces for a god war. The thing, though, that sets Malice apart and raises it above just another generic fantasy tale is the depth of the characters. The characters here are so well-drawn and nuanced that it is often hard to tell which side they are on. It is clear that, in many cases, they are not sure themselves. People change, they doubt, they evade, and they are deceived by those they thought they could trust. Even the bad guys tend to be sympathetic or, at least, likable.The book is divided between differing POV and, despite the large number of these views, they always seem true to the character. There is Corban, the young son of the blacksmith, who longs for the day he can sit his Long Night and become a man and a warrior and whose closest companion is the wolven he raises from a pup; his sister, Cywen, best friend of a princess, but who regrets that, as a girl, she cannot be a warrior even though she is braver and more skilled than most men; Veradis, who is loyal to a fault and has become first-sword to a man who may be either saviour or curse; Camlin, the woodsman and bandit who is still an honourable man; and Kastell, a good man who has attracted the ire of his cousin and is forced to embrace decisions that are not his own. Throughout the book, they all seem to be going in different directions and it is only near the end, during more than one epic and bloody battle in very different parts of the kingdom, that we begin to get a glimpse of how all of these different people with their different POVs will converge. Like the more modern fantasy, it is not a guarantee that all of these people will survive to see the end of the story. This is not to say that there isn’t a lot of action in the book. And it is here where you see the influences of the modern gritty fantasy. Despite the presence of wyrms and magic, battles here are won by sword and strategy and they are heart-poundingly realistic, often reminiscent of ancient Roman battles with the use of the shield wall to break the defences of the enemy.Malice is the first book in author John Gwynne’s epic fantasy series, The Faithful and the Fallen and it’s one fine read. It may start slow but it ends with one heck of a bang. Definitely a series worth reading and I recommend it highly to fans of both traditional and modern fantasy.

[decaturmamaof2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a fun exciting read! Like a familiar friend:a combo of Tolkien and Martin. Can't wait for book 2 - this one ended with quite a cliff hanger. I particularly enjoy the detailed characterization and the intricate plot. Good job on your first novel, Mr. Gwynne!

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This would have scored better if it hadn't been for the google translate of Irish with English grammar that appears in two chapters. P448-9 has "Mise toil abair tusa faic"; "muid ga an iarann go cearta airim, ar an cogadh" and "An dia cogadh" and on page 494 we have "Athru mise, folaigh mise, cloca mise, talamh bri" and if the author paid for this, he needs to get his money back.We have a vaguely celtic plot in the treasures of the Daghda, we have a blacksmith's apprentice who has hidden talents and has several teachers who are trying to ensure he is prepared for his mysterious future and several factions (that we follow, a la George R R Martin). However the author could also have added in a bit more of a variety of names, several of them were very similar.It isn't a bad read, but it didn't overwhelm me, some of the characters sound like they might make things interesting in the future and I'm curious about what how the gods are going to influence things. It's somewhat a cross between Eddings and Martin.The author still needs to realise that cultural appropriation can happen with Irish/Celtic culture too and needs to be less sloppy with it.

[schlyne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

bit derivative of GRMM and a few other epic fantasies here and there, but very good.

[chris_el-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I started this one and then laid it aside after just a few pages for Christmas. When I came back though, I was captivated and stayed up very late to finish it. I was pleasantly transported to another world and enjoyed the stay. And isn't that why we read fantasy?

Interested in what happens next. Second book ordered. :)