Malice

By: John Gwynne

Narrated by: Damian Lynch

The first book in acclaimed epic fantasy author John Gwynne's Faithful and Fallen series, Malice is a tale of blind greed, ambition, and betrayal set in a world where ancient monsters are reawakening -- and a war to end all wars is about to begin.

The world is broken. . .and it can never be made whole again.

Corban wants nothing more than to be a warrior under King Brenin's rule -- to protect and serve. But that day will come all too soon. And the price he pays will be in blood.

Evnis has sacrificed -- too much it seems. But what he wants -- the power to rule -- will soon be in his grasp. And nothing will stop him once he has started on his path.

Veradis is the newest member of the warband for the High Prince, Nathair. He is one of the most skilled swordsman to come out of his homeland, yet he is always under the shadow of his older brother.

Nathair has ideas -- and a lot of plans. Many of them don't involve his father, the High King Aquilus. Nor does he agree with his father's idea to summon his fellow kings to council.

The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Now, the stones weep red and giant wyrms stir, and those who can still read the signs see a danger far worse than all that has come before. . .

Critic reviews

"A series that promises the same degree of complexity and depth found in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books and George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Influenced by Gemmell's Rigante and George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones ... Hell of a debut."—Conn Iggulden

"Middle Earth-ish extravaganza with all the usual thrills, chills, spills and frills ... there's plenty of action."—Kirkus

"Three-dimensional characters, a gripping plot, and a world that became real to me ... this is the type of fantasy I love to read and I truly can't wait to read the next volume in The Faith and the Fallen!"—Fantasy Book Critic

"John Gwynne hits all the right spots in his epic tale of good vs evil . . . there's a lot of pleasure to be had in this debut novel; Gwynne is definitely one to watch."—SFX

"Warring clans, sleeping giants, Banished Lands and omens and portents ... a strong contender for 'if you like Game of Thrones, why not try this?' award."—Independent

Great story- No issues with narration

After both reading and listening to so many fantasy series, this was a breath of fresh air. World building is deliberate and not overwhelming, while still being intriguing. The small character base becomes enthralling, especially as plot lines start to cross. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am on to the next one.

A last note- I have noticed many negative reviews about the narrator. I experienced no issues. Yes there are a few accent/dialect inconsistencies here and there, but nothing was jarring or took me out of the story. From someone who has logged months worths of audible hours with mostly fantasy, to the point where Nick Podehl, Kate Reading, and Michael Kramer feel like close friends now, I really enjoyed getting the feel of Damian Lynch with Gwynne’s work. SO- if you’re scared of the narration downvotes, give it a try. And Welcome to the Banished Lands!

great writing ,mid narration

Super great story. I'm super ready to read the rest of the series. the narrator is one of the worst I've listened to so far. it's as if he recorded.each individual sentence separately and added a 2 second pause between each. It was so very distracting.

Engaging Characters and a Goo Tale with Potential

This is the first book by the author, John Gwynne that I've read. I'll leave it to others to critique the author's world building skills, and other techniques, etc.
I read for escape, to be drawn into a good tale with characters I care about. All of that can be found in the first book of the series. Are there things I expect going forward?
Yes. I am still not sure what 'the chosen one' is chosen to do. And would like to be told.
Why Corban (story's focal point) isn't questioning why everyone finds his survival so vital at the climax of this first book.
Yes, the author needs to tidy up bits of his story crafting but all in all you will find likable characters, detestable villains and a story that draws you along.
Starting book two tonight.

John Gwynne is superb...

if the rest of the story is as good as this first book I am in for a real treat. I cannot wait to keep going. Damian Lynch isn't terrible but there are many better narrators.

Great find

Being a fan of this genre I had considered this book several times before but always passed after seeing some of the reviews that is was just like GoT or too confusing to follow at first. I finally decided to give it a listen and I am so glad I purchased this!
True to many reviews, it did start out with a lot of characters and each chapter was from another perspective all leading towards the main story.
Early on however I was finding the main characters to be very interesting. By mid point I was fully engulfed in this amazing first book and it turned out to be one of the best finds in several years.
With well written heroes and villains, a touch of magic, great battle scenes and the narration by Damian Lynch really draws you in. IWhat a great book!