This is a classic old school fantasy series that starts with old prophecies coming to life, and the required young boy being bullied coming of age. The Banished Lands are ruled by competing kingdoms, loosely aligned under a High King. An alliance not strong enough to withstand the prophesied God War and it doesn't take long for the bickering to begin. The human kingdoms are not alone in this as the Giants that used to inhabit the Banished Lands are also aware of the prophecies. Giants are much longer lived and they remember how to use the old magic, so their return just complicates things even more. This gives the Banished Lands a lived-in sense of history as ancient grudges, changing loyalties, and conflicting interpretation of prophecies create a complex tapestry ripe for story telling.

I found this one a little complicated to follow at the beginning because of the large cast of characters and kingdoms, but eventually a few characters begin to stand out as alliances start to form. The most interesting character is Corban, who starts as a bullied young boy who needs his older sister to defend him. It's a typical coming of age tale, but it does help to establish Corban's moral compass as he tries to navigate a dangerous world where good and evil is a matter of perspective. Not to mention establishing his sister Cywen as a young woman who will not be pushed around in a world dominated by men. And also Nathair, the prince who has lots of new ideas on how to prepare for the God War, yet often finds that his father is not interested, especially when it comes to allying with a clan of Giants.

This first book does take time to come together, but once the threads begin to converge, Malice delivers exactly what epic fantasy promises: battles, betrayal, and the uneasy feeling that an age of legends is returning to a world that is not ready for it.

Damian Lynch does an excellent job on the narration for the audiobook version, especially with Corban. He really helps bring the story to life and that makes listening a solid option.