This was such a curious book.

Is cosy-despair a genre yet? Because that is kind of the feeling that i was left with. This was a book that was truly bleak and had some gruesome horror elements and yet had moments of humor and charm which were enjoyable to experience. Malfus especially was an enjoyable and charming morally grey protagonist.

I found it interesting that you are really plonked down in this world with these characters, and there is only the slightest reference to the greater world, political systems and motivations for war. But ultimately those things aren't really important in this narrative, because the focus of this story is this very micro snapshot into the lives of these soldiers on the front line, in this small window of time during a longer war.

So often in fantasy books 'the battle' is one scene on a longer journey, and i haven't read many examples where the focus has really been on the horror of being in the thick of it.

I really enjoyed this (and the artwork along the way) and will definitely be keen to read the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley and Casey Sutton for providing an ARC. This review is my honest uninfluenced opinion

Rated down. My rating 4.5/5.
CW: Graphic Violence/Gore
-Horror, Fantasy
In the lands of Ossoria, magic is revered, that is unless the magic you practice is raising the dead. Malfus, a necromancer on the run is finally tracked down by Inquisitor Deza, a zealot of the goddess Vesenia, to be taken in to be tried, tortured, and executed for his crimes. On their way to the Holy City they are ambushed and make a run for the nearest fortress. There they find a battalion barely hanging on by a thread. While Inquisitor Deza only cares about getting his prisoner to Vesper, the Colonel of the fortress sees an opportunity to raise a new army with the help of Malfus, an army of the dead.

I immediately fell in love with Malfus, just from the first couple of pages. He is a gloomy and sarcastic delight of a person. His melancholic disposition is nearly comical especially paired with the all too serious Inquisitor Deza. Plenty of morally gray characters to go around though.

As a whole I found the story to be steadily paced. With a special attention to detail in the fight scenes. I’ve watched and read a lot of horror and although its not at the top of the most graphic I’ve read, I would personally give it a content warning for graphic violence/gore. I personally love the detailed fight and massacre scenes not sure what that says about me, but know I’m here for it.

I appreciate the different perspectives presented, however I found the ones from the seemingly random soldiers to be a bit hard to keep track of. I understand that the reason was to humanize these soldiers for what came later, but it also felt a tad unnecessary. Although these small glimpses into the backgrounds of these soldiers is supposed to create an emotional tie, I felt it fell short. There were too many and not enough time, so their inevitable fates were glazed over. The more main characters are pretty well fleshed out though. The internal battle that Malfus has is entertaining and heartening. For someone cast out for being a necromancer and painted as an abomination, he is probably the most honest out of the lot of them. I enjoyed reading his battle between self-preservation and “doing the right thing”.

It’s nothing for me to breeze though 298 pages, but there is some great world building going on that it took me a little longer to digest. Casey Sutton paints a great basic picture of the physical nature of the Ossoria as well as it’s political and social climate. With enough detail to draw you in Casey still leaves enough to build on in later books. I can’t wait to see what trouble Malfus gets himself into next and for any old and new faces to come.

I have to mention the artwork. For the cover art, I wasn’t completely sold. Although it’s beautifully done, when I had initially browsed it didn’t capture my attention. After reading the book, I like it much more. The artwork I really want to talk about is the interior artwork. I won’t say too much about it other than I love the Magic the Gathering-esque look, it feels very on brand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Casey Hawkins for providing this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion and a voluntary submission.

Malfus is one of my new favorite characters. He's not the standard archetype for a hero of his own book. Beyond his abilities as a fledgling necromancer, he not physically imposing, battle trained or brave. But, true heroism lies in being scared, but still being bold and pushing through fear to do that which terrifies because it's the "right" thing to do. Obviously necromancy is not seen as right , for any means by some. By its nature Malfus Magic is only ambiguous when used to save others, because at its heart is evil.

Almost the entire story takes place inside a fort on the edge of civilization, next to "the scar", which has not thoroughly been explained, but I look forward to more stories regarding. Regardless of the bulk story taking place in one location, the story is tense, dark, and quick paced. Sutton made the story draw you in and used a technique of showing the battle from multiple points of view, even when the characters are relatively minor. All views intersect on the shared battles which they all experience.

Since this book isn't a fantasy EPIC but a shorter story, I look forward to many further adventures from malfus and his sardonic wise-cracking. Wether he's feigning respect for a particularly nasty "better"( inquisitor) or talking to his "abominations".

A fun, lighter grimdark fantasy, with a great aspect of magic. Professional writing which I would happily recommend to fans of fantasy & fiction alike

Definitely just as fun as the prequel, don't expect anything mind shattering going into it but this book is definitely a great amount of fun just waiting to be had.

Clear your day, this book grabs you fast and takes you on an extraordinary ride you wish will never end. This is one of those books where discovery is the best part; the twists and turns, emotions invoked and the intriguing characters. Enjoy it!