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The Malevolent Seven #3
The Malevolent Nine: They're Not Evil, Just Misunderstood. The Explosive New Fantasy Novel By The Author Of Traitor's Blade
Not yet published
Expected 3 Dec 26A mind-blowing journey through mystical realms where power-hungry mages seeking ever more potent spells have unwittingly started the countdown towards universal annihilation.
With the Great Crusade between the Celestines and the Infernals finally over, mercenary mages and megalomaniacal warlords have gone back to business as fighting for wealth, territory and just to beat the snot out of the other guys because hey, it's more fun than a real job, right? But every spell creates a momentary breach between the mortal realm and those whose physical laws make magic possible. Until now, those breaches healed over time, but with the veil between realities left in tatters by the Great Crusade, every conjuration and invocation now worsens the rifts.
The solution is limit the amount of spells being cast so that the mortal realm will heal itself. But mages aren't good at sharing, and the threat of losing their powers triggers a frantic mystical arms race before their connections to the realms of magic fade entirely.
Now, Cade Ombra, former Glorian Justiciar and current guy-sick-to-death-of-saving-the-world, is forced to reunite his infamous crew of war mages known as the Malevolent Seven in a last-ditch effort to eliminate the threat of every single living spellcaster - including themselves. But can seven emotionally unstable wonderists protect the entire mortal realm from rogue bands of avaricious wizards, previously unimaginable horrors creeping through the veil, and their own dark impulses?
Malevolent A Fistful of Hexes delivers an electrifying finale filled with relentless action, irreverent humour, and heart-pounding twists. As the mortal realm teeters on the edge of destruction, Cade and his crew must decide how far they are willing to go to defend a world that may not be worth living in. The fate of reality itself hangs in the balance, and only the most malevolent can hope to save it.
With the Great Crusade between the Celestines and the Infernals finally over, mercenary mages and megalomaniacal warlords have gone back to business as fighting for wealth, territory and just to beat the snot out of the other guys because hey, it's more fun than a real job, right? But every spell creates a momentary breach between the mortal realm and those whose physical laws make magic possible. Until now, those breaches healed over time, but with the veil between realities left in tatters by the Great Crusade, every conjuration and invocation now worsens the rifts.
The solution is limit the amount of spells being cast so that the mortal realm will heal itself. But mages aren't good at sharing, and the threat of losing their powers triggers a frantic mystical arms race before their connections to the realms of magic fade entirely.
Now, Cade Ombra, former Glorian Justiciar and current guy-sick-to-death-of-saving-the-world, is forced to reunite his infamous crew of war mages known as the Malevolent Seven in a last-ditch effort to eliminate the threat of every single living spellcaster - including themselves. But can seven emotionally unstable wonderists protect the entire mortal realm from rogue bands of avaricious wizards, previously unimaginable horrors creeping through the veil, and their own dark impulses?
Malevolent A Fistful of Hexes delivers an electrifying finale filled with relentless action, irreverent humour, and heart-pounding twists. As the mortal realm teeters on the edge of destruction, Cade and his crew must decide how far they are willing to go to defend a world that may not be worth living in. The fate of reality itself hangs in the balance, and only the most malevolent can hope to save it.
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
Expected publication December 3, 2026
About the author
Sebastien de Castell
65 books5,173 followersHi Folks!
My nineteenth novel, MALEVOLENT NINE is now available. Cade Ombra and his misfit band of mercenary war mages are determined to prevent a cataclysmic war between supernatural beings. But peace at any price might mean killing an awful lot of people. The Malevolent Seven might be heroes, but they'll be the good guys . . .
My eighteenth novel is OUR LADY OF BLADES. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of judicial duelling, intrigues and secret identities.
My seventeenth novel is titled PLAY OF SHADOWS. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of mystical theatre where exalted actors can channel the spirits of the historical figures they portray on stage. But Damelas Chademantaigne seems to be summoning the spirit of a notorious villain whose secrets could unleash a civil war!
My sixteenth novel is CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS. Estevar Borros is my favourite swashbuckling investigator of the supernatural, so come investigate alongside him and his dauntless mule, Imperious inside a mysterious abbey where the gods seem to be driving the monks mad!
You can get a pair of free stories here.
The best way to stay up to date is at www.decastell.com, but I'm also on that Facebook thing. Also that Twitter thing. One day I'll even remember to get on that Instagram thing.
As to who I am? Well . . .
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.
Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages.
Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats. You can reach him at www.decastell.com
My nineteenth novel, MALEVOLENT NINE is now available. Cade Ombra and his misfit band of mercenary war mages are determined to prevent a cataclysmic war between supernatural beings. But peace at any price might mean killing an awful lot of people. The Malevolent Seven might be heroes, but they'll be the good guys . . .
My eighteenth novel is OUR LADY OF BLADES. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of judicial duelling, intrigues and secret identities.
My seventeenth novel is titled PLAY OF SHADOWS. A swashbuckling fantasy set in the world of mystical theatre where exalted actors can channel the spirits of the historical figures they portray on stage. But Damelas Chademantaigne seems to be summoning the spirit of a notorious villain whose secrets could unleash a civil war!
My sixteenth novel is CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS. Estevar Borros is my favourite swashbuckling investigator of the supernatural, so come investigate alongside him and his dauntless mule, Imperious inside a mysterious abbey where the gods seem to be driving the monks mad!
You can get a pair of free stories here.
The best way to stay up to date is at www.decastell.com, but I'm also on that Facebook thing. Also that Twitter thing. One day I'll even remember to get on that Instagram thing.
As to who I am? Well . . .
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.
Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages.
Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats. You can reach him at www.decastell.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Well, that was certainly... an experience.
Overall, I've really enjoyed this series, but unfortunately The Malevolent Nine wasn't quite my favourite outing.
I think this one leans a little too heavily into the chaos, weirdness and general insanity. Don't get me wrong, I've never expected a sensible, quiet stroll through the park with Cade and crew, but at times it all felt a little overwhelming. Almost as though someone had thrown every bizarre idea imaginable into a blender and decided to see what happened.
Thankfully, Cade remains a brilliant lead and someone I've thoroughly enjoyed following throughout the series. The ending was also a great way to bring everything together and wrap things up.
So, a satisfying conclusion to a series I've enjoyed, but one where I wasn't quite as enamoured with the journey as I'd hoped.
Overall, I've really enjoyed this series, but unfortunately The Malevolent Nine wasn't quite my favourite outing.
I think this one leans a little too heavily into the chaos, weirdness and general insanity. Don't get me wrong, I've never expected a sensible, quiet stroll through the park with Cade and crew, but at times it all felt a little overwhelming. Almost as though someone had thrown every bizarre idea imaginable into a blender and decided to see what happened.
Thankfully, Cade remains a brilliant lead and someone I've thoroughly enjoyed following throughout the series. The ending was also a great way to bring everything together and wrap things up.
So, a satisfying conclusion to a series I've enjoyed, but one where I wasn't quite as enamoured with the journey as I'd hoped.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This series is probably the most fun I've had with a loveable bunch of emotionally stunted and unhinged people.
This entire series was just such a hilarious ride from start to finish (although, reading the author's note, I do wish for The Malevolent Twel. That is one awesome pitch, just saying...).
If you like your fantasy Deadpool-style sarcastic with a group of adorable morons who mostly swear creatively while saving the world, go read The Malevolent Seven.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This entire series was just such a hilarious ride from start to finish (although, reading the author's note, I do wish for The Malevolent Twel. That is one awesome pitch, just saying...).
If you like your fantasy Deadpool-style sarcastic with a group of adorable morons who mostly swear creatively while saving the world, go read The Malevolent Seven.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
September 30, 2026
3.5 stars
This was one weird ride, even by the standards already set by the previous two books. One day while writing, the author decided to get high and watch Alice in Wonderland, the Musical. He later fell asleep with a series of documentaries on Australia's wildlife playing in the background. Then he woke up the next day and continued writing. Nothing you can say will convince me that this book came about in any other way.
The series was always a bit bonkers, but this one was just a bit too far for me, and so I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous two. The writing continues to have excellent humour, and the narrative voice of Cade Ombra is fantastic, but I’m quite a visual reader, and there were a couple of scenes here that were so far out there that I just couldn’t picture them in my head.
This was one weird ride, even by the standards already set by the previous two books. One day while writing, the author decided to get high and watch Alice in Wonderland, the Musical. He later fell asleep with a series of documentaries on Australia's wildlife playing in the background. Then he woke up the next day and continued writing. Nothing you can say will convince me that this book came about in any other way.
The series was always a bit bonkers, but this one was just a bit too far for me, and so I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous two. The writing continues to have excellent humour, and the narrative voice of Cade Ombra is fantastic, but I’m quite a visual reader, and there were a couple of scenes here that were so far out there that I just couldn’t picture them in my head.
September 19, 2026
4.5⭐️
(Thank you Quercus Books & NetGalley for this ARC)
Well… that was absolute chaos. And honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
What I love about this series is that the characters are not your typical noble heroes who always make the right choice. They’re messy, sarcastic, selfish, occasionally terrifying, & somehow still the people you end up rooting for. Cade Ombra in particular is the kind of character who can turn a serious situation into complete chaos within about five seconds.
The world itself is also a big reason the series stands out. The magic is weird, dangerous & unpredictable, & the idea that using magic can literally make the boundaries between different realities fall apart gives the story some pretty huge stakes. It feels like the kind of fantasy where you genuinely have no idea what disaster is coming next.
But honestly, the thing that makes de Castell’s books so much fun is the humour. There’s plenty of violence & darkness, but it’s constantly mixed with ridiculous situations & sharp banter. It stops the story from becoming another overly serious dark fantasy.
If you like fantasy with questionable heroes, chaotic friendships, strange magic & a healthy amount of sarcasm, The Malevolent Nine will be right up your street.
My only real criticism is Corrigan’s constant crude behaviour. I know it’s meant to be funny & fits his character, but after a while it became a bit repetitive for me. The man is pulling his trousers down every chance he gets😭 At some point I was starting to wonder if that was actually part of his magic.
(Thank you Quercus Books & NetGalley for this ARC)
Well… that was absolute chaos. And honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
What I love about this series is that the characters are not your typical noble heroes who always make the right choice. They’re messy, sarcastic, selfish, occasionally terrifying, & somehow still the people you end up rooting for. Cade Ombra in particular is the kind of character who can turn a serious situation into complete chaos within about five seconds.
The world itself is also a big reason the series stands out. The magic is weird, dangerous & unpredictable, & the idea that using magic can literally make the boundaries between different realities fall apart gives the story some pretty huge stakes. It feels like the kind of fantasy where you genuinely have no idea what disaster is coming next.
But honestly, the thing that makes de Castell’s books so much fun is the humour. There’s plenty of violence & darkness, but it’s constantly mixed with ridiculous situations & sharp banter. It stops the story from becoming another overly serious dark fantasy.
If you like fantasy with questionable heroes, chaotic friendships, strange magic & a healthy amount of sarcasm, The Malevolent Nine will be right up your street.
My only real criticism is Corrigan’s constant crude behaviour. I know it’s meant to be funny & fits his character, but after a while it became a bit repetitive for me. The man is pulling his trousers down every chance he gets😭 At some point I was starting to wonder if that was actually part of his magic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I found this book rather chaotic and, unfortunately, very difficult to get into. As a standalone read, I found it hard to follow, and I often felt that I was missing something because I hadn’t read the previous books in the series.
There was also a lot of discussion around particles and other scientific concepts which, for me, felt more like waffle than something that added to the story. It distracted me from the plot and made the book harder to engage with.
I also found the ending very confusing. I struggled to understand exactly what the outcome was meant to be, and I was left feeling rather unsure about what had actually happened.
I’ll be honest and say that I really had to persevere with this one. I came close to giving up several times and, in the end, felt like I had trudged my way through it rather than enjoyed the experience.
Perhaps having read the earlier books in the series would have made everything clearer and allowed me to connect with the characters and storyline more easily. However, as someone reading this one without that background, it simply wasn’t for me.
There was also a lot of discussion around particles and other scientific concepts which, for me, felt more like waffle than something that added to the story. It distracted me from the plot and made the book harder to engage with.
I also found the ending very confusing. I struggled to understand exactly what the outcome was meant to be, and I was left feeling rather unsure about what had actually happened.
I’ll be honest and say that I really had to persevere with this one. I came close to giving up several times and, in the end, felt like I had trudged my way through it rather than enjoyed the experience.
Perhaps having read the earlier books in the series would have made everything clearer and allowed me to connect with the characters and storyline more easily. However, as someone reading this one without that background, it simply wasn’t for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I think anyone about to start this book will already be in love with the series. How could we not be? I can't tell if there will be another book, but I'm not ready for this to be the end. It felt final, but with a touch of hope for more. This was my favourite book of the series. The beginning jumped straight back into the things, and it was just non stop chaos from start to finish. My absolute favourite heroes, villains? Definitely heroes. I love the style of Cade's fancy language and sarcastic story telling. The ending was epic. And who doesn't love revisiting our favourite kangaroo?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another excellent book in the series. These books keep getting better and better. This time the world is about to end (again!) and the team have to somehow stop them. The teams at h nemesis is back to haunt them with a few more additions and we meet some people from the past. A few of the team get better and come to terms with their lot in life and there is a twist you don't see coming.
Hopefully we'll get another book in the series?
Hopefully we'll get another book in the series?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a fantastic ending. Sebastien is such a fantastic writer and even though all his characters are flawed you enjoy and love all of them. Bonus for lovable yet definitely not cuddly animal characters too!
Want to Read
November 8, 2026Well this really sounds like a weird one! I love the purple cover art and am very excited to see how Castell wraps up the trilogy!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews