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Envy
When Charlie Lightfoot plays his fiddle, people listen.
More importantly, they pay.
It could be that music is Charlie’s way out of a tough life on the Backstreets of Calver.
There are, however, plenty of people who are only too happy for Charlie to stay exactly where he is. Not only that, they’ll do whatever they can to keep him there.
But when Charlie decides to take his future in his own hands, he realises just how far-reaching the hands of others can be.
A story about always keeping your eye on someone else’s blessings.
“Envy is a Seven Deadly and Four novel set in and around the notorious city built on a hill – Calver. Once within the city’s great walls you’ll encounter such luminaries as Auntie, Drunk Morgan, Mr. Lunk, Blind Watch ‘em, as well as Charlie Lightfoot and his friends. Just remember to watch your step, keep your wits about you and carry something pointy.”
The Seven Deadly and Four books have been described as “ideal for fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.”
More importantly, they pay.
It could be that music is Charlie’s way out of a tough life on the Backstreets of Calver.
There are, however, plenty of people who are only too happy for Charlie to stay exactly where he is. Not only that, they’ll do whatever they can to keep him there.
But when Charlie decides to take his future in his own hands, he realises just how far-reaching the hands of others can be.
A story about always keeping your eye on someone else’s blessings.
“Envy is a Seven Deadly and Four novel set in and around the notorious city built on a hill – Calver. Once within the city’s great walls you’ll encounter such luminaries as Auntie, Drunk Morgan, Mr. Lunk, Blind Watch ‘em, as well as Charlie Lightfoot and his friends. Just remember to watch your step, keep your wits about you and carry something pointy.”
The Seven Deadly and Four books have been described as “ideal for fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.”
- GenresFantasy
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 20, 2022
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 29, 2022
A fun, whimsical story which will be great for fans of Terry Pratchett. Full review to come!
May 25, 2022
This review first appeared on my blog - https://nsfordwriter.com - on 25th May 2022.
A hilarious adventure with a Terry Pratchett vibe, this is the second novel in the Seven Deadly and Four series but you don’t need to have read Greed first. It’s a standalone story, although it’s set in the same place, the city of Calver.
The protagonist is Charlie Lightfoot, from the grim Backstreets of the city. He learns to play the fiddle and has ambitions for a musical career. However, other people don’t like the idea of him going up in the world and will do anything to stop him.
With a cast of memorable characters – kick-ass heroes, posh villains, friendly mercenaries, tough innkeepers and dodgy salespeople – and tons of funny dialogue, this is a very entertaining read which encourages us to follow our dreams, be loyal to our friends and honest, even if it gets us into trouble. I think this novel is an improvement upon Greed, which was a very good debut. I look forward to the next in the series.
A hilarious adventure with a Terry Pratchett vibe, this is the second novel in the Seven Deadly and Four series but you don’t need to have read Greed first. It’s a standalone story, although it’s set in the same place, the city of Calver.
The protagonist is Charlie Lightfoot, from the grim Backstreets of the city. He learns to play the fiddle and has ambitions for a musical career. However, other people don’t like the idea of him going up in the world and will do anything to stop him.
With a cast of memorable characters – kick-ass heroes, posh villains, friendly mercenaries, tough innkeepers and dodgy salespeople – and tons of funny dialogue, this is a very entertaining read which encourages us to follow our dreams, be loyal to our friends and honest, even if it gets us into trouble. I think this novel is an improvement upon Greed, which was a very good debut. I look forward to the next in the series.
June 8, 2022
Tim has managed to not only release a second book which lives up to his already stunning debut, Greed, he's managed to somehow surpass it. Sometimes, with sequels, authors lose steam, or it becomes evident that the debut was lightning in a bottle. Not so with Envy. Captivating, confident and most important, laugh out loud funny, Tim writes characters you want to love and hate with absolute ease. The Seven Deadly and Four will now be an instant buy from me whenever Tim releases.
I love Mr Lunk with all my heart.
I love Mr Lunk with all my heart.
October 5, 2022
If you need a book to put a smile on your face (maybe even laugh your heart out) then I think Envy is a safe bet to provide said smile.
I don't know how to categorize this book but slice of life comes to mind (I've never looked up what slice of life is but this felt like it). We follow Charlie Lightfoot who is an everyday guy who only wants to play his violin and perform for people. He is though the epitomy of unlucky and everything that can go wrong for him and his friends, does. And so we follow him as he tries to get out of trouble, always facing the adversities with a joke and a smile. And that's it. There is no epic story here, no big quests.
What the book lacks in epicness, it makes up for with heart, witty humor and great characters.
You must know what you're getting with this one. There is just a hint of plot, the magic is non-existent (in fact I'm finding hard to categorize this as fantasy) and there is not a ton of action (but what little action we get is quite bloody).
This was a pleasant surprise. Come for the humour and by the end Charlie and his loveable friends will have won you over with their big hearts and their simple dreams..
7,3/10
I don't know how to categorize this book but slice of life comes to mind (I've never looked up what slice of life is but this felt like it). We follow Charlie Lightfoot who is an everyday guy who only wants to play his violin and perform for people. He is though the epitomy of unlucky and everything that can go wrong for him and his friends, does. And so we follow him as he tries to get out of trouble, always facing the adversities with a joke and a smile. And that's it. There is no epic story here, no big quests.
What the book lacks in epicness, it makes up for with heart, witty humor and great characters.
You must know what you're getting with this one. There is just a hint of plot, the magic is non-existent (in fact I'm finding hard to categorize this as fantasy) and there is not a ton of action (but what little action we get is quite bloody).
This was a pleasant surprise. Come for the humour and by the end Charlie and his loveable friends will have won you over with their big hearts and their simple dreams..
7,3/10
July 12, 2022
Another great tale in this series - and if you haven’t read the first book ‘Greed’, then it is well worth while. An easy going storyline with strong characters and numerous adventures throughout their journey. As before, it’s set in a mythical place and in times gone past. It still however feels very relevant to modern day. Can definitely recommend.
September 2, 2022
After reading Greed I was really interested to see what direction this series was going to head in, Envy absolutely lived up my expectations and then some. Both books are set in the same city but the characters we follow are brand new (with a few familiar faces popping in).
Whilst the plot of Envy is perhaps a bit less bonkers than Greed, Beeden still delivered a quick and enjoyable read with a twists and turns and a decent amount of humour throughout. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions which was extremely awkward when I read this is a public place.
A short review for this one, I’m finding it incredibly difficult to talk about the many great things here without getting into spoiler territory. If you are a fan of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett you should definitely give this series a try!
I can’t wait to see what Beeden puts out next, it’s going to be an automatic buy for sure.
Whilst the plot of Envy is perhaps a bit less bonkers than Greed, Beeden still delivered a quick and enjoyable read with a twists and turns and a decent amount of humour throughout. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions which was extremely awkward when I read this is a public place.
A short review for this one, I’m finding it incredibly difficult to talk about the many great things here without getting into spoiler territory. If you are a fan of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett you should definitely give this series a try!
I can’t wait to see what Beeden puts out next, it’s going to be an automatic buy for sure.
August 23, 2022
Another cracking read. Knew I wouldn’t be able to put it down once I started it - much the same as Greed. Lots of laughs, twists and turns and a cliff-hanger at the end. Really enjoyed the story line. Can’t wait for the next one.
August 7, 2022
I can’t remember whether ‘devour’ is a deadly sin or not, but this is what I did to Tim Beeden’s latest ‘Seven Deadly and Four’ novel, ‘Envy’. It’s a bold claim to make to compare this series (I read and loved ‘Greed’ too) to Terry Pratchett’s brilliant work, but it compares very well, in my opinion. It’s Pratchett without the physical magic, creating its own in the storyline, characters, and humour.
This latest book has musician extraordinaire, Charlie Lightfoot, leading this romp through Lower Calver and beyond, meeting a range of lively characters ranging from his solid best pal, Arthur, to the solid wall of Mr Lunk. The dialogue is clever and funny, the action ticks along at pace and the people Charlie encounters are a delicious mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. He and they kept me thoroughly entertained throughout as Charlie goes on a voyage of discovery from the edgy but genuine Backstreets to Middle and Upper Calver where he has to keep his wits and wit about him to survive.
Just loved every page. More please, Mr Beeden, more! (Oh, good - I see that there will be!)
This latest book has musician extraordinaire, Charlie Lightfoot, leading this romp through Lower Calver and beyond, meeting a range of lively characters ranging from his solid best pal, Arthur, to the solid wall of Mr Lunk. The dialogue is clever and funny, the action ticks along at pace and the people Charlie encounters are a delicious mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. He and they kept me thoroughly entertained throughout as Charlie goes on a voyage of discovery from the edgy but genuine Backstreets to Middle and Upper Calver where he has to keep his wits and wit about him to survive.
Just loved every page. More please, Mr Beeden, more! (Oh, good - I see that there will be!)
September 9, 2022
What a fantastic 2nd entry for the Seven Deadly and Four series.
Anyone who's wondering if Greed was a one hit wonder and there's no way it can be equalled then I'm pleased to say that this is very much not the case.
Still set in Calver and to start with the dubious and run down back streets this is another great story with a mostly new set of characters set years before the events of Greed.
The odd character pops up from the first book and it makes me smile a lot that these characters are explored a bit more as they were some of my favourites from Greed. I'm still of the opinion that I would love to see a short story collection with stories of some of these characters, even after only 2 books it would be an instant buy for me.
Brilliant humour, story and characters, yet again made for a fast paced and easy read.
Now I would like to put a spoiler warning for the final part of my review
***************************************************
Believe it or not this held a very rare occurrence for me in the fact that, it did have a predictable part right near the end of the book BUT . . .
I actually wanted what happened, to happen and the reason for it (you'll understand why if you read it) is that if it hadn't happened that way; the whole book would have become much bleaker and darker and would not have in fact fitted with the tone of the series overall.
All in all absolutely worth reading and there's a bright future ahead for this author, I genuinely can't wait to read what comes next.
Anyone who's wondering if Greed was a one hit wonder and there's no way it can be equalled then I'm pleased to say that this is very much not the case.
Still set in Calver and to start with the dubious and run down back streets this is another great story with a mostly new set of characters set years before the events of Greed.
The odd character pops up from the first book and it makes me smile a lot that these characters are explored a bit more as they were some of my favourites from Greed. I'm still of the opinion that I would love to see a short story collection with stories of some of these characters, even after only 2 books it would be an instant buy for me.
Brilliant humour, story and characters, yet again made for a fast paced and easy read.
Now I would like to put a spoiler warning for the final part of my review
***************************************************
Believe it or not this held a very rare occurrence for me in the fact that, it did have a predictable part right near the end of the book BUT . . .
I actually wanted what happened, to happen and the reason for it (you'll understand why if you read it) is that if it hadn't happened that way; the whole book would have become much bleaker and darker and would not have in fact fitted with the tone of the series overall.
All in all absolutely worth reading and there's a bright future ahead for this author, I genuinely can't wait to read what comes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2022
I actually enjoyed this book more than Beeden's first book - and I had a great time reading that too.
Envy is the story of Charlie, a young man with dreams of a better life. A chance encounter with an older musician, leads him down the path of an entertainer. Through endless practice, Charlie masters his craft and makes it from the backstreets and into the mansions of the rich and powerful. But flying that close to the sun can have hazardous effects on your health!
This is a fun, engaging and well-crafted page-turner. I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
Envy is the story of Charlie, a young man with dreams of a better life. A chance encounter with an older musician, leads him down the path of an entertainer. Through endless practice, Charlie masters his craft and makes it from the backstreets and into the mansions of the rich and powerful. But flying that close to the sun can have hazardous effects on your health!
This is a fun, engaging and well-crafted page-turner. I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
September 27, 2023
I’ve seen references to Pratchett in other reviews, and this definitely has similarities in terms of world-building. The descriptions of the people and places were so good that I could smell it, and hear it too.the story went in directions I didn’t expect, which was also a nice surprise. Looking forward to reading the other book in the series.
April 30, 2023
Humour and wit is exploding out of this book. Charlie Lightfoot has the wit that I wish I had and feverently hope that my children never display.
The humour is reminiscent of Pratchett but without his philosophical/social commentary.
I would love to read more of the characters tales.
The humour is reminiscent of Pratchett but without his philosophical/social commentary.
I would love to read more of the characters tales.
October 31, 2024
3.5✨ such a fun, cosy read
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews