The Malice (The Vagrant Trilogy)

A very good continuation of the series. I was unsure of how this book would go for me with a child as the "hero", but the story had such a natural flow that it worked well and Vesper is written as a pretty fascinating character with a unique strength of her own. I really enjoyed how we got flashbacks of the time before the collapse and we start to learn what happened and how the Seven were created. I really enjoy these high tech post apocalyptic tales but it takes away from the stories for me if the reader gets thrown in and never learns "what happened", and I'm glad to see that's not happening in this series. Peter Newman has really done a terrific job of world-building and I'm glad that the third book is out now so I don't have to wait to finish this up.

A series that is truly novel in its approach to blending modern, medieval, and alien giving a sci-fi story a fantasy feel. I liked the first book enough to give the second a try. I am glad I did, as I think I enjoyed this book more. A good read verging on great.

Was immediately hooked on it and so glad I bought all three, it really needs to be made into a movie or short series

A fantastic coming-of-age meets dystopian sci fi / fantasy (demons, swords, magic, technology-oh my!) and clear improvement over the fantastic opening chapter (The Vagrant).Striking the just right blend of humor, dialogue, poetic prose and emotional investment (Duet!), this book- and series- should be on everyone’s short list.

Peter Newman’s unique voice shines throughout The Malice as it did in The Vagrant. It took a while for me to warm up to the in The Malice since it is not the same individual as in the first. That said, however, the character was compelling and every bit as good.Eager, now, for book three.

The interwoven novella of Massassi is fascinating, I would have much prefered the telling of that story instead. But the rest of the book is very much the same workmanlike, straight forward read as the first. Strikes a weird balance between grotesque and corny. Never bad, and on a few occasions manages to be quite good. I'm intrigued enough to buy the final book in the series, once it drops in price a bit.

This second book is just as moving as the first. More of a bildungsroman than the first, but still fast-paced and wondrous.This is one of those books with such lovely prose and new ideas that after reading it you are thankful that the writer chose to write!

I would recommend these 2 books to everyone. The story and writing style is as unique as it is amazing.Bk

Having waited for the book it was a pleasure to dive back into a broken world with flawed characters delivering strong messages.

The Fantasy genre is diverse, there are some fantastic epic novels, diverse and interesting novels, great standalone novels and stuff I would rather not read. When I first came across Peter Newman, I knew we were in for something special. His fist novel The Vagrant has gone down as one the best books I have ever read and I was jumping for joy when a new book was announced in the same universe.The Malice is hands down a brilliant and well written fantasy novel, Peter Newman's compelling writing style is also what makes the series so compelling and awesome. Written in the second person which I will admit might make it difficult for some coming in to this series (I will admit it was a challenge), this is what makes the world and story Newman writes about so compelling.The Malice continues the story established in The Vagrant, the breech that has remained quiet after the events told in that story stirs and a new evil is rising. The Malice (a awesome and scary sword) stirs but it's owner has a life that he cannot ignore so another answers the call, her name is Vesper. Be prepared for a awesome story that is relentless and exciting and tense, make no mistakes this is a story of the end the world with mankind struggling to survive.The world that Peter Newman has created is compelling, dangerous and exiting, humanity is on the back foot, but there is hope, it is fleeting but it is there. I personally love novels that deal with this scenario, the humanity shown by characters and the hopes and fears are on full display and it truly makes for some excellent story making and telling. The Malice is a novel that I highly recommend, and if you have not read anything by Peter Newman then what the hell are you waiting for??!!I always try to keep my reviews spoiler free as I wouldn't want my reading of any fantasy novel spoiled.

This is the second in Peter Newman's Vagrant trilogy, and as with the first it's a damn fine read. Whereas the first novel followed the titular character, the Vagrant, here we journey with his adopted daughter, Vesper, as she unwittingly gets herself dragged into an epic quest to defeat the largest and most powerful infernal to ever crawl out of the Breach.Vesper is an unusual hero. She all but drags herself into an adventure she knows nothing of, and is wholly unprepared for the terror and chaos she faces during her journey, but rather than trying to escape her fate she approaches every challenge with conviction, with the belief that she is doing what needs to be done. Travelling with her are Duet (one half of a harmonised pair charged with guarding Vesper) and a young goat who seems to enjoy the adventure far more than his companions. As they gradually make their way south to the Breach they encounter various remnants of the demonic armies left over in the aftermath of book one (The Vagrant), making friends and enemies as they go.Setting-wise, the world of this trilogy is an interesting mix of post-apocalyptic nightmare coupled with some slightly more traditional elements of fantasy. It has righteous knights in shiny armour, but it also has airships, submarines and bio-engineered critters. In occasional interlude chapters we're gradually shown how the world came to be the way it is, how the Breach was first discovered, and why the world's protectors, The Seven, were created. It's a world brought low, with little hope of salvation even for those fortunate enough to live under the protection of The Seven and The Shining City.Stylistically, Peter Newman's writing leans very much in the direction of literary prose, reminiscent in some ways of Cormac McCarthy or China Miéville. For me this just adds to the book's charm, giving the narrative a strength I don't think it would have had with a more traditional style, and while the prose may be sparse, barely a word of it is wasted. This is showing not telling at its finest.While I can see that Newman's style might not be to everyone's liking, if you like fantasy that's decidedly different to the traditional fare then I'd still suggest you give this trilogy a chance. You don't necessarily need to have read The Vagrant to enjoy this one but it is recommended. As for this entry in the trilogy, I'd say it's a well-deserved four stars and I look forward to sinking my teeth into the final instalment soon.

If you haven’t read The Vagrant, this review may contain spoilers. Also, if you haven’t read The Vagrant…go and read it!I caught Fantasy-Faction saying they weren’t sure who to compare Peter Newman to. Well, for me, it’s China Mieville. It’s a weird, alien world with intriguing characters, twisted plots and gripping storylines. Nothing’s conventional, nothing’s cliché, and I love it.The Malice isn’t quite as good as The Vagrant…but only in the sense that The Vagrant was a 5*, and this is 4.5*. It just doesn’t have that linear plotline, that gripping tension, that made me read The Vagrant from end to end in one sitting. But it’s as good for characters and for world-building, and I read it in two halves, so…it only loses a little! It’s as enthralling and as entertaining as the first.It’s wonderful to see more of Vesper, and more of the same world we saw in The Vagrant. Vesper travels through the same territories, the same landscapes, as she heads towards the Breach – but her reactions are different, and I think that’s what I love most about this book. Vesper is a very different character to The Vagrant, and even with the Malice on her back, she carves her own path through the politics and problems that she encounters.We also get more of the history behind the Shining City and the world; I’m really hoping this will all tie into the next book in the series, The Seven, released in April.If you loved The Vagrant, you’ll love The Malice – and if you haven’t read either and want unique, character-filled, heart-tugging fantasy in a truly unique world…read these.

This is another inspired and distinctive tale. It takes the boundaries of traditional fantasy that were already stretched by "The Vagrant" and pushes them further but in new directions.The central character is no longer the mute warrior with the singing sword. Instead the story is carried by (and carries) Vesper the baby from The Vagrant who has grown into a child. She takes up the sword - The Malice - for a journey to try and complete the task of Gamma, champion of the Winged Empire. On the way she finds new allies as well as enemies, people who need more than the sword's edge to free them - to offer them some future in this most broken of worlds.Interleaved with Vesper's journey is a backstory set not months, or years, but a whole millennium in the past, telling the story of another child - but one more gifted and different than Vesper. While Vesper tries to do right without benefit of any special powers, Massassi is a wholly remarkable individual and her tale - glimpsed in isolated episodes - tells how the empire of the winged eye came into being.Complete as Newman's tale is, both the story of the past and the present are left interestingly poised to see how the world will develop, how ancient champions might find a purpose and how a young heroine might teach even immortals a thing or two.