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Malediction's Embrace

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Lynn has spent the last five years of her life tracking down her brother, Xaraan, after he killed their mother, cutting down anyone that gets in her path. Once she finally catches up to him, armed with her sword and the support of her newfound allies, she realizes the stakes are much higher than she anticipated.

Xaraan now wields great power gained through a dark contract with an ancient Lord of Hell, granting him an army of undead that plague the land-but also a power that threatens to undo him. As Lynn and her allies race through the realm to stop the carnage, she is faced with a decision that affects the entire kingdom. She must choose between reforging a connection with her estranged brother and saving his soul or damning him to the same Hell he sent their mother, and she must choose quickly.

The fate of the realm rests in her palm, and the Lord of Hell is trying to enact his own plans...

Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2024

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24 people want to read

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Candice Morris

2 books8 followers

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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Chimeric Archive.
40 reviews3 followers
August 23, 2024
Initially drawn in by the cover and title alone, Malediction’s Embrace presents itself as a high fantasy piece with touches of grimdark allure and the violence that accompanies it. I was very pleased at the start that the book came across as a novelization of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, complete with some clear parallels between the world of Faerûn and the Forgotten Realms from the purple-skinned Dreyvaren in place of the Drow in the setting proper, and the Dreyvaren spider-bodied goddess, Lledrith, no doubt the analogous transition from Lloth. The novel also opened up with a diagram of the continent’s map, which is always a promising and good sign with any secondary world or fantasy setting.

I do, however, wish the novel was overall structured better? It had a very solid plotline base that, if adequately expanded upon, could have been an epic and thought-provoking fantasy. Unfortunately, a novelization of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign – as this novel does seem to be – teeters on the brink of presenting too much information, and not enough information simultaneously.

Malediction’s Embrace boasts a diverse cast of characters, complete with a variety of class specializations and races, but the party members aside from the main character, Minolynn – Lynn – fell flat and one dimensional, as we didn’t get much insight into their own motivations or reasonings for being part of Lynn’s group in the first place beyond being available by circumstance. Little to know further exposition is given to the side-characters and other party members short of their physical description and surface-level personality traits. I also enjoyed that the author took into consideration the racial nuances that would impact a characters experience in environmental settings outside of their norm, such as Lynn’s struggling with the open ocean air due to her subterranean upbringing.

Further evidence towards these Dungeons and Dragons session inspiration is the formulaic nature of the novel which tends to ere on the party going from location to location, a fight ensuing, some evidence gathered before they wash, rinse, and repeat to the next location on the map. Periodically, there is a usage of flashbacks for further highlight some of the circumstances that brought the party to their current position in the story, but these too offer little insight into the pomp and circumstance of the main character and the technical, secondary antagonist.

That aside, however, it’s clear to me that the author felt that this was a passion project. With every carefully laid sentence and word choice, it was evident that the author is either an English teacher or maintains a similar passion for the written word. The prose and syntax itself were very well-written, save for the occasional spelling error or accidental space. Were the novel structured more novel-like and less like an individuals Dungeons and Dragons session notes turned into a story, I think this novel would have been an absolute hit with me.

That isn’t to say reading it wasn’t enjoyable, because even I found myself enjoying the book despite its shortcomings. And I’m sure that this novel will find its audience, I am just personally of the mind that this book needed a bit more time to cook and a bit more development where there doesn’t seem to be any.

I’m giving this novel 3-stars, though it more aptly a 2.5-star read, not abhorrible, but not quite the gold star read that I would have liked it to be.

I would also like to thank #NetGalley and Candice Morris for providing me with a copy of #MaledictionsEmbrace to read in exchange for my honest feedback and thoughts.


Rating: ★★★ | 3/5

7 reviews
August 27, 2024
A story following a sister’s journey to find her brother and end his reign of chaos takes readers across a fictional land in a fight against the devil and his followers. After their mother is poisoned by her brother, Lynn follows him years later, gaining a band of friends along the way who help her look for and fight against her brother.
My first impression of this book was simply just Dungeons and Dragons. Everything from the characters to the setting to the plot line and conflict just screamed Dungeons and Dragons campaign. As you progress through the book, the plot line fails to get more complex, and the characters just feel empty. Much like how for a D&D campaign to be interesting you had to have been there, this novel feels the same. The simplicity of the conflict, and the lack of any running sub-plots makes it feel dry and lacking. Without sub-plots to contribute to character depth and word building, there is not significance to the main plot. In such a minimally developed world with shallow, unlikeable characters, it was hard to continue reading.
The plot and conflict progression was very much linear, following a chain reaction of steps to get to their main end goal. Every step in the journey to the conflict resolution feels too easy and like a given. There is a lack of resistance holding the character back, a lack of realistic failure and seemingly unsolvable moments.
However, my above points do lend veery well to the accessibility of this book. Quality is given to this book in the realm of ease of reading. Due to the simplicity of the plot conflict and world building, there is much less need for remembering or understanding new magic systems. This makes for an easy, casual, quick read. Outside of the content, the writing itself was also pleasant and easily digestible. It was a beautiful balance of not too short, but also not too long winded. an adequate amount of imagery gives the reader a clear image of each scene, but also leaves enough room for imagination.
While I did not particularly enjoy this book, my complaints fall mostly into the realm of it just not being my type of book. As I prefer more intense world building and complex, multi-faceted conflicts, this book is not going to satisfy someone looking for complex epic fantasy. However, I am also of the opinion that this book is perfect for someone looking for a quick, easy fantasy read that doesn’t require too much mental effort to follow.
Profile Image for Olivia Host.
137 reviews2 followers
July 27, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This story was very much a D&D campaign turned into a novel. This can work at times, but most of the time campaigns function more like a "you had to be there" thing. This felt like a "you had to be there" thing.

I think mostly it was just a boring. The characters went very likeable, with our main character being the sole tormentor of her brothers life, and everything fell flat. As other have said, it was very wash, rinse, repeat.

I appreciated the heart I could feel from the author though. I've seen things here and there from them about this novel and there is clearly passion behind the work. It was for that reason alone that I both wanted to read the book, and pushed through the book. I think part of that is because a D&D centric novel is not for me. However I do play D&D and knew what I was getting into going into it. It just could have been MORE. Deeper.

I just kept wondering, why do we care? Their mom was awful. Our MFC is awful. Now she's trying to find her brother but for what? We never got any inclination that she had any change of heart, or why she would even care to find her brother. I guess we could assume that she felt guilty so she went looking for him? But it didn't seem like that was the case. I didn't feel like any of the other characters were very defined either, apart from their physical appearance. The relationships were hollow. Any affectionate intimacy wasn't earned. Just odd characterization.

All that being said, I think I want to give it a 2.5 star rating, rounded up to 3. I hope to see the author continue this type of work in the future with more depth and likeable characters!
Profile Image for Lynda Grace.
41 reviews1 follower
August 15, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for the ACR!!

Honestly 1.9/5(rounded to 2) for me.

I love fantasy but this was just a muddle of fantasy plots pieced together. I almost DNF'ed the book because I was sick of moving around so much. (I felt like I was a pirate too) I only finished it because I have a thing for unfinished books (I waited for the book to be released so I could use TTS to read it at 2.6x speed). I understand that adventuring and being in a party takes you to various locations but everything was so descriptive(not in a good way) that I felt like Xaraan in his younger years.

I'm honestly unsure of who the protagonist(Even though I know it's Lynn) is. Switching POVs is common, of course, but maybe the author could've added that at the beginning of every chapter.

I wanted to like Lynn partly because I share a name with her. But she comes off as cold and distant even to the party members she "collects" along the way. (Suzie and Anakis made sense but the others did not). The rest of her party make her bearable but that is not a good thing. Vengence makes a person cold, sure, but being able to like a character is important if you expect people to finish the book.

I loved Xaraan. I wish it was his book. His POV was wayyyy more interesting to read. I understood his pain. I understood the comfort he found in Kyarlin.

I could go on and on but I'm going to stop now mostly because I'm just glad I finished the book and I don't have to think about it again. Maybe I wouldn't have felt this way if the book was split into parts.

1.9 only 'cause the world-building is great and for my man Xaraan.

Best line in the book - "You can't stop the new Circle of Hell with a cheese knife."



Profile Image for Lorai.
49 reviews
September 4, 2024
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.75)
Spice: none, just some sweet romance 💕

"Malediction’s Embrace” by Candice Morris is an action-packed blend of LitRPG and classic fantasy that reads like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign brought to life. The story follows the relentless dreyvalken warrior, Lynn, on a quest to hunt down her treacherous brother. Along the way, she gathers an unlikely band of misfit allies as they face incredible dangers that push them to their limits.

The novel thrives on its high-energy pacing, offering combat scenes and plot developments that come in rapid succession, reminiscent of the fast flow of tabletop RPGs. While this quick pace occasionally sacrifices environmental descriptions and depth, those familiar with the genre can easily fill in the gaps. The almost episodic structure makes the story a light and accessible read, allowing readers to jump back in at any point without feeling lost.

Lynn’s character is a standout—fierce, stubborn, and always ready for a fight. The novel leans into familiar fantasy tropes, complete with metagame humor and a world steeped in dark magic, twisted creatures, and even spider-like elves akin to D&D’s infamous Drow. The second half ramps up the stakes with relentless climaxes that weave the story’s threads into a chilling and thrilling conclusion.

For those who enjoy fast-paced, trope-filled fantasy with a touch of RPG flair, Malediction’s Embrace delivers. Be prepared for an unresolved ending, as the fates of its characters will unfold in the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candice Morris for the ARC copy to review 🩵
Profile Image for NeedMoreBookSpace .
375 reviews10 followers
July 29, 2024
This was a 3.5 but I'll round it up to four. I didn't love it beyond belief, I didn't hate it. I liked it, it was interesting and had a diverse cast of creature characters. I read it in two days and wanted to know what was going to happen next. Did I guess some plot points...yes, did I hate that...no. There were still some interesting twists and turns, and dark concepts being discussed. Some of the characters seem a bit one sided, but I think with the way their back stories are discussed it makes sense for them. This is a D&D quest style adventure so random team ups and sparse sharing of information amongst new acquaintances makes sense. You're not gonna share your life story with a stranger unless it becomes relevant, and you'll still probably want to keep some of that information private. I get it. The writing was good, no plot holes. The author clearly loved what they were writing. There were minor things that annoyed me here and there, but those relate to my reading preferences.

If the blurb speaks to you, read the book.
Profile Image for RaeAnne Palmer.
145 reviews7 followers
August 17, 2024
I liked that the book had a sort of d&d vibe to it. Overall, it was a good read.

In the story, we follow Lynn, who has been searching for her brother for 5 years after her mother died. Following Lynn, we start to meet the rest of our strange crew. Now I do feel it would have been nice to have more in-depth information on like why the people in the crew decided to join Lynn or any sort of motives from them.

I did feel a bit lacking on character development, but the world building was pretty decent. We see the crew go from town to town. Battle cult members and undead zombies along the way.

It would have been nice to have seen the changes in our characters' personalities a bit more. Especially those who had a change of heart! It felt we were given information we didn't need and then lacking what we did need at times. But overall, it wasn't bad. I didn't mind the read.

I did receive this as an eARC, and this is my honest review. Thank you, Candice, for the opportunity!
Profile Image for Beth Rosser.
293 reviews12 followers
July 21, 2024
I've read half of this and still can't really connect with it.

It reminds me a lot of the Legend of Drizzt, with these purple-skinned elves raised to be strong and brutal and to shun compassion as weakness in an underground society before necessity drives a few of them to the surface. In this case, it's a need for revenge.

The worldbuilding seems kind of cool with different kinds of people (devilkin, catfolk, the purple-skinned elves). There's a demon named Astaroth who is the main bad guy.

It's pretty grim dark with lots of action, and I'm sure that it will find its audience. And I may circle back around to it. I did read up to 46% of it before deciding to give up. My biggest issue was just not being able to connect with the characters. They were all just a bit too flat and one-dimensional for me.
Profile Image for KMart Vet.
1,552 reviews82 followers
did-not-finish
August 1, 2024
DNF 35%

This is for all of those readers who enjoyed Dragonlance and classic Dungeons and Dragons lore. It seems like this is a teacher and her students playing D&D sessions and then putting them into book format. Which is, let's admit it - adorable. But it does seem to make things seem kind of procedural. The BONES of this story are great and I really enjoyed these tropes. That said, the pacing was all over the place and the characters were pretty cliched. I hope this finds its readership because I know they're out there!
Profile Image for Cory S.
71 reviews
September 18, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an ARC.

I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I found it a bit hard to get into. It felt like it could've had another draft maybe to refine it a bit. Feels a lot like an old fantasy paperback from the 80s - not inherently a bad thing at all, fans of Dragonlance and looking for stuff just like that, but different, would probably enjoy this more. I did really like the fantasy races and the darker tone but never felt really invested. I liked it enough that I will sample future works from this author.
Profile Image for MarryAnn.
293 reviews5 followers
February 5, 2025
Personally I enjoyed the D&D feeling and how it blended into the story, but the story itself was not very complex and I found myself pushing a lot to finish the book, just to see it's end.

I think it has a lot of potential and the whole adventure filled with characters that have very diverse backgrounds, races and classes leaves many possibilities, it just needs the story to be more engaging and the characters to evolve and become more complex.

Disclaimer: I received a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review
Profile Image for Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog).
3,119 reviews92 followers
November 2, 2025
3.5

This was a dark tale with a lot going on. I enjoyed the fast-paced to it and it had a great overall storyline. I enjoyed the various magicks as well.

There were a ton of characters in here but my favorite was Xaraan and Kyarlin. Their relationship was beautiful and sweet. I loved their loyalty to one another.

Some tropes in here were quest driven, morally grey characters, ragtag group of heroes, some sweet romance, high stakes, sibling bonds, found family, magicks, demons, creatures, action-packed, D&D vibes, and more!
Profile Image for bookish_adventurer.
102 reviews23 followers
August 18, 2024
More so 3.5
That cover though ☺️
The title intriguing along with D&D vibes.

I think this story has potential. There was good that could have been greater. The world build could have been better expanded upon and organized by prioritizing the information shared with readers. The story is enjoyable. You can tell the author put time and effort into this book.
Profile Image for Rachael Rooklin.
43 reviews4 followers
July 24, 2024
Sadly had to DNF @ 36%. I had high hope for this book but it just didn’t hit what i wanted. The characters and their motivations felt flat and the story felt a bit formulaic. I enjoyed the concept and could see where the author wanted to go, it just wasn’t for me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
154 reviews5 followers
dnf
August 19, 2024
I'm sorry I really want to like this since the premise sounds so good and the trailer? so good but I decided to dnf after about halfway through. It just didn't grab me enough and I really struggle through most of it.
Profile Image for jennifer langdon.
654 reviews18 followers
July 29, 2024
I couldn't connect with characters or the story. There seemed to be way too much going on. All at the same time, it was very confusing. Sorry, I wanted to love it
Profile Image for Casey Hayes.
389 reviews56 followers
August 6, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t connect with it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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