The Maleficent Seven - Review
Link to the author's (C. Johnston) personal website
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (55)
- Length (5 / 10)
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: Black Herran was a dread demonologist, and the most ruthless general in all Essoran. She assembled the six most fearsome warriors to captain her armies: a necromancer, a vampire lord, a demigod, an orcish warleader, a pirate queen, and a twisted alchemist. Together they brought the whole continent to its knees... Until the day she abandoned her army, on the eve of total victory.
40 years later, she must bring her former captains back together for one final stand, in the small town of Tarnbrooke - the last bastion against a fanatical new enemy tearing through the land, intent on finishing the job Black Herran started years before.
Seven bloodthirsty monsters. One town. Their last hope.
Review: A great premise. How do you stop an evil force from overtaking the world? Turn to the evil that tried to overtake the world previously. As a reader, sit back as the old captains get gathered up and head to war.
The book delivered on the premise, and managed it in a single not so large installment. The cast of captains, which dominate the book in terms of focus, gave opportunities to touch different bits of the fantasy world without drawing out the story. That gave the illusion of a larger type of story, with an expanded world, without the associated page count and cast of minor characters. I also found the complete lack of a 'good' main character kind of refreshing. Plenty of the characters did good things, or have clear boundaries on evils they won't do, but they're still unequivocally not 'good', and this is never shoved in your face.
With all that said, I found that the writing didn't match the story for me. It was not bad, but I have the impression that I could have enjoyed it much more. If you're in the mood for a stand alone dark fantasy book, then this a decent pick, and a solid recommend.