Anderson Viana’s Reviews > Malice > Status Update

Now Morrock owes a life debt to Corben and Cywen—that’ll certainly come in handy! Rafi is being his usual oafish self (as always), and—good grief—how many times do they have to defend Storm to keep her from being killed by these bloodthirsty creatures? 😨😨

And, alongside Veradiz, Prince Nathair is on his way to the village of the giants for his military campaign—and with the intel provided by Alcyon, the giant who has joined their ranks, they now have mounts, not to mention elemental sorcerers... yeah, things have truly gone to hell now 😨😨 (don’t eat anything while reading this chapter!)

Phew! Thank goodness the pup Storm is doing okay🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️. Corban, meanwhile, keeps showing that he’s very easily distracted—whether it’s while on guard duty or during Gar’s lessons. And Vonn—Evnis’s son—nearly ended up in the grave; he keeps whining and complaining, wanting to finish off the wolf pup... don’t make me wish that *you* were the one heading to the grave instead😒😒

Even though the chapter focuses on Veradiz, Nathair really stands out: he tries to probe Micail, works to ease military divisions in the face of an impending invasion by giants and forest bandits—all happening almost simultaneously—and even confronts his royal father regarding the alliance against Lykos (though without success). I get the feeling that something heavy is about to descend upon the household.

Well, Pendrathan—the healer—and Brenin leaving Camlin in custody in a stone cell (having been captured as one of the men from the ambush), only for him to be rescued near his final moments and end up—presumably—on the very same path as Corban inside the cave... well, irony is a funny thing.👀👀

Now we have an idea of what "heaven" and "hell" are like in this world—with Asroth seemingly serving as the "Lucifer" of this story, Elyon as God (or paradise itself), and the giants as the peoples who failed. It’s all very interesting, but—good heavens—the fact that Storm the wolf got lost at the end is just heartbreaking! 😢😢

New political schemes unfold within the royal halls; Prince Nathair finds himself belittled—referred to as a "child" by certain monarchs, much to Veradiz’s intense irritation—yet he still shows the guts to explore a remote ruin. And, lo and behold, he has managed to secure an unexpected alliance—who would have thought? 👀👀 (with the right to a blood pact with Veradiz, being his "brother" now).

Well, the scene where Cywen—along with her parents and Corban—witnessed the conversation about keeping the cub alive, while Evenis, consumed by bitterness, wanted the creature to die, was really intense... Thankfully, Queen Alona, ​​despite her cold demeanor, still gave the wolf cub a chance to live (albeit under very harsh conditions)—which, I must say, felt like a glaring reference to *Game of Thrones*!

Well, up to this point, Corban has only managed to speak with Farrel after the events took place; now, however, he’s become aware of an ancient law that could lead him to make direct contact with the king—a golden tip from Brina, the healer. I also get the feeling that this approaching storm isn’t just literal—there’s something sinister on the horizon. 👀👀

Despite a certain level of immaturity, Kastell does not romanticize war or the title he earns from slaying giants—which is, at the very least, noteworthy. Furthermore, the fact that he and his companions are ambushed by individuals revealed to have been paid to hunt them down (targeting both him, Maquin, and the others) only serves to turn the whole situation into a powder keg.👀👀