Series: The Malevolent Seven #2
Release date: May 22nd 2025
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Pages: 397
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

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.

Review

Cade and his band of wonderists are back, and things are about to go from bad to worse. The Lords Celestine and Devilish are finally about to have the battle they’ve been itching to have for centuries, and they’re going to do it in the mortal realm. Cade and the Malevolent Seven have to do everything they can to stop this war and they might just have to kill a whole lot of people to do it.

I absolutely loved this book. This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025 and it definitely delivered. It was fast paced with a captivating plot and I ended up racing through this one in a few days. It’s a compulsively readable story, full of de Castell’s trademark humour. There are quite a few surprise twists and this book had me gasping in surprise and laughing out loud in equal measure. There’s also a surprise crossover with de Castell’s Spellslinger series which I definitely wasn’t expecting.

The characters in this book might just be some of my favourites of all time. They’re not afraid to get their hands dirty and they’re all a little bit unhinged. Cade is a brilliant protagonist but my favourite is Corrigan – who doesn’t want to read about an angry thunder mage who tries to teach a vampire kangaroo to talk? This book is completely wild and I had the best time reading it. If you’re looking for a series that will have you entertained right to the very last page, this one is not to be missed. I loved every second of The Malevolent Eight and I cannot wait to see what Sebastien de Castell writes next.