MALICE (FAITH OF THE FALLEN #1) BY JOHN GWYNNE– A Review.
Malice is the first book of the four in the Faith of the Fallen series written by John Gwynne.
Upon starting the book, John gives his readers an interesting short story about the higher beings of the story's world and how strife in their realm affects the realm of man. The story is similar to that told at the beginning of the bible; however, it is so much more refined that we get a beautiful story where we see how Elyon, the creator, makes humans in his image and how his first beloved, Asroth, an angel, creates a rift among the other angels due to his hatred for Elyon's creation. This leads to a war between the Ben-Elims (the angels of Elyon) and the Kadoshims (the angels supporting Asroth). Asroth is defeated and banished with his minions to a part of their spirit realm. Nevertheless, Asroth's aim to destroy humanity never dies, so he brings corruption into the world, leading to the first sin, murder, being committed. This seed, planted by Asroth, continues to grow deeper into the world and leads to Elyon nearly destroying the whole world (a period known as the god-war). When Elyon realises he is being tricked, he preserves the rest of humanity and goes into solitude to mourn. With Elyon missing, the war continues between the Ben-Elims and the Kadoshims, with the former seeking to protect Elyon's creation and the latter seeking to destroy it.
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The main story begins about two thousand years later. The giants, who had originally been one clan, are now scattered across the land after being chased by humans who came from their islands during the Scourging. The seven treasures from the starstone are also spread across the Earth, with some among the giants, some with men and the rest simply missing. The tales of the god-war seem like a fairytale to most, but a few believe in it and the possibility of its reoccurrence. There is a prophecy about the god-war happening again, known among the giants and a few humans who each plan to act in favour of their sides.
The book is more or less about how Elyon's faction tries to prevent Asroth from entering the world as a man of flesh and how Asroth's faction does everything possible to ensure his arrival. We also see how war ensues over the treasures Asroth dropped on Earth to create a gateway between the land of the living and that of the spirit realm. We follow the journey of the main protagonist, Corban, as he grows in his village, trying to become a warrior amidst the constant bullying. He is loved by his parents and elder sister, Cywen, who always tries to protect Corban but occasionally worsens his problem due to her impulsive behaviour. Gar is a stable master of King Brenin, the king of Corban's village (who starts training Corban personally because of the constant bullying). Corban, an avatar of Elyon, begins to have experiences he cannot decipher because his parents, who knew this, and Gar never told him what he would face.
Evnis is the king's right hand who develops a hatred for Corban after an incident in the forest leads to the death of his men. Evnis, unknown to his king, is a traitor who swore an oath to Asroth via Rhin, the Queen of a neighbouring village. Rhin has ambitions to reign over all the other villages in their kingdom and promises Evnis he would rule over his people as long as he did her bidding. Strange signs start appearing around the world, indicating the coming of the god-war that was foretold in different prophecies.
In another part of the realm, King Aquilus, a king of the whole realm, calls the kings of various regions to a meeting to discuss the coming god-war and the importance of allying to face the imminent disaster and help each other with problems in their kingdoms. This, contrastingly, breeds distrust among them and eventually leads to a war fueled by Aquilus's son, Nathair. Nathair is a young, ambitious fellow who knows something important is going on because of the signs happening worldwide and wants to leave his mark on the world. We see how he meets Calidus, the captain of the Kadoshims, how Calidus manipulates him into thinking he is Elyon's avatar and how his actions start the war all around their realm. The giants are a big obstacle to the humans, and thw search for Asroth's treasure by some clans also fuel the war that ensue.
Veradis, the third son of a Lord, leaves home with his elder brother to transport a captured prisoner to the palace of the high king of their realm. He stays behind, however, because his father had also sent his eldest to that kingdom to gain experience as a warrior outside their home, and that is where he meets Nathair, the prince of the realm. Veradis becomes the captain of Nathair's army, and the two become sworn brothers after Veradis proves his loyalty to Nathair. Kastell and his shieldman, Maquin, are also characters of note. Kastell is the third cousin to the king of his kingdom; his enmity with his cousin, Jeal, and his pessimistic view make his life miserable. He gets to meet Nathair and Veradis when his uncle heeds Aquilus's call. After an attempt on his life, he decides to join a squad known for hunting giants and patrolling their borders to avoid being noticed, but Fate doesn't grant his wish.
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This book was a 9 out of 10 for me, not just because it was the first book with a Viking setting I ever read but because of the beautiful story John told in a very intriguing manner. There was never a dull moment — every chapter pushed the mind to contunue following the story. The fact that your favourite side characters could meet their end at anytime also increased the 'interest quotient'. So, join me as we read through battles driven by destiny, prophecy, belief, love, hate, despair and hope.
