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tmlore's review
5.0
Malfus Necromancer Unchained by Casey Sutton
The writing is Phenomenal!
FIVE STAR FANTASY NOVEL!
Fantasy lovers just stop reading the reviews and buy the book! The writing is amazing!
This adult fantasy novel is in my top five favorite reads of the year! Take Game of Thrones and mix it with The Walking Dead, and add some magic that only Casey Sutton can do and Y’all this novel is better than GOT and TWD! I have enjoyed every second of reading it. I took my time with it because I loved it so much. Truly! Fantastic read! Monsters, battles, zombies, magic… what’s not to love?
Pick it up! You won’t be sorry!
Five stars all the way for Casey Sutton’s novel Malfus Necromancer Unchained!
The writing is Phenomenal!
FIVE STAR FANTASY NOVEL!
Fantasy lovers just stop reading the reviews and buy the book! The writing is amazing!
This adult fantasy novel is in my top five favorite reads of the year! Take Game of Thrones and mix it with The Walking Dead, and add some magic that only Casey Sutton can do and Y’all this novel is better than GOT and TWD! I have enjoyed every second of reading it. I took my time with it because I loved it so much. Truly! Fantastic read! Monsters, battles, zombies, magic… what’s not to love?
Pick it up! You won’t be sorry!
Five stars all the way for Casey Sutton’s novel Malfus Necromancer Unchained!
feelinnocane's review
4.0
"Malfus: Necromancer Unchained" — Let's kick things off with the cover: as an artist myself, I have to say I absolutely adored the cover art. It sets the tone beautifully for what awaits within. This book is exceptionally well-written, with vivid descriptions that truly immerse you in the story. It offers a captivating character journey, packed with action, gore, and a dose of sarcasm. I didn't quite know what to anticipate when I picked up this book, given that the author was new to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would wholeheartedly recommend it to fellow readers.
winifara's review
5.0
Thanks again to the author for giving me a free copy! I loved every page of this book. It was so much fun to read and I loved the characters. I'll definitely be reading the next one as soon as it comes out.
itcamefromthepage's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Received as an ARC from Netgalley:
Did not know what to expect from this one going in, but I ended up having a great time. I really appreciated the GRIMDark setting that went through lengths to discuss the horrors of war, whilst still being an engaging action tale.
The plot revolves around a single area and the battle our main character finds himself trapped within, so you get a good microcosm of the world the book is set within. The fact that our main character spends so much of the book being literally dragged through the mud sets the tone really well and makes his rise to power more interesting when you understand his limitations.
The writing had plenty of genuine laughs and the use of zombies in this book were incredibly entertaining.
Excited to read more from this series in the future.
Did not know what to expect from this one going in, but I ended up having a great time. I really appreciated the GRIMDark setting that went through lengths to discuss the horrors of war, whilst still being an engaging action tale.
The plot revolves around a single area and the battle our main character finds himself trapped within, so you get a good microcosm of the world the book is set within. The fact that our main character spends so much of the book being literally dragged through the mud sets the tone really well and makes his rise to power more interesting when you understand his limitations.
The writing had plenty of genuine laughs and the use of zombies in this book were incredibly entertaining.
Excited to read more from this series in the future.
littlecabbage's review
As someone not a fan of DND there was a lot of explaining that I would have needed from outside the book itself.
juan_adhd_reading's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
TLDR: This was an incredibly high-paced book, full of action and magic! The main character and villain interactions were amazing, and the magic system felt original and very powerful. I am beyond excited to keep reading and learning about this world.
Wow! This book was a fantastic debut to an original D&D-based world. It's incredibly high-paced. From the first chapter, we start getting into battles with the main villain in the series: Inquisitor Deza. He was my favorite character in the book because he actually felt DANGEROUS. I think it's a difficult job to make the human characters feel like this in a fantasy world with wizards, giants, and 10-foot hyena men, but Casey managed it, and it only gets better when we actually find out his true motivations for pursuing Malfus.
Besides the villain, the highlight of this book was the battle scenes. Casey writes an incredibly realistic portrayal of war, where no one is safe, everyone is scared and the tides could change at any moment. The descriptions of pain, death, and fear were so vivid, it almost made me feel uneasy at times, but it also made it hard to put the book down! You can tell Casey used his own experiences as an ex-military and his remarkable abilities as a storyteller derived from his years as a D&D dungeon master.
The magic system is another highlight for me. Both the character of Malfus and the magic system reminded me a bit of T. Kingfisher's Minor Mage (albeit much more bloodier), in so far as he acknowledges he is far from the best (or even a good) necromancer and the act of pulling energy from the void to perform magic. This was an original take on zombies as basically puppets for the means of war. You can kind of see why an entire religion would ban necromancy as a powerful but disgraceful art.
The growth of Malfus throughout the book felt natural, and it does fit with the description of a "morally grey protagonist". As he learns more about his own necromantic abilities, Malfus becomes a dangerous and powerful individual. Of course, we know he was able to do it thanks to his ruby (spoilers if you know), but it highlights just how far he could go on his own.
Unfortunately, I don't think the other characters in the book were developed as well as Malfus or Deza. There are a handful of soldiers from whom we learn their motivations for signing up for the Tithe, but they weren't around long enough to sympathize and care about them.
I really hope we get to learn more about this world, necromancy and Malfus. I am very interested in the other schools of magic, and the true power the Inquisiton holds. I also hope we get to learn more about the other soldiers and especially Morten. I am fascinated with this book, and can't wait for more!
TLDR: This was an incredibly high-paced book, full of action and magic! The main character and villain interactions were amazing, and the magic system felt original and very powerful. I am beyond excited to keep reading and learning about this world.
Wow! This book was a fantastic debut to an original D&D-based world. It's incredibly high-paced. From the first chapter, we start getting into battles with the main villain in the series: Inquisitor Deza. He was my favorite character in the book because he actually felt DANGEROUS. I think it's a difficult job to make the human characters feel like this in a fantasy world with wizards, giants, and 10-foot hyena men, but Casey managed it, and it only gets better when we actually find out his true motivations for pursuing Malfus.
Besides the villain, the highlight of this book was the battle scenes. Casey writes an incredibly realistic portrayal of war, where no one is safe, everyone is scared and the tides could change at any moment. The descriptions of pain, death, and fear were so vivid, it almost made me feel uneasy at times, but it also made it hard to put the book down! You can tell Casey used his own experiences as an ex-military and his remarkable abilities as a storyteller derived from his years as a D&D dungeon master.
The magic system is another highlight for me. Both the character of Malfus and the magic system reminded me a bit of T. Kingfisher's Minor Mage (albeit much more bloodier), in so far as he acknowledges he is far from the best (or even a good) necromancer and the act of pulling energy from the void to perform magic. This was an original take on zombies as basically puppets for the means of war. You can kind of see why an entire religion would ban necromancy as a powerful but disgraceful art.
The growth of Malfus throughout the book felt natural, and it does fit with the description of a "morally grey protagonist". As he learns more about his own necromantic abilities, Malfus becomes a dangerous and powerful individual. Of course, we know he was able to do it thanks to his ruby (spoilers if you know), but it highlights just how far he could go on his own.
Unfortunately, I don't think the other characters in the book were developed as well as Malfus or Deza. There are a handful of soldiers from whom we learn their motivations for signing up for the Tithe, but they weren't around long enough to sympathize and care about them.
I really hope we get to learn more about this world, necromancy and Malfus. I am very interested in the other schools of magic, and the true power the Inquisiton holds. I also hope we get to learn more about the other soldiers and especially Morten. I am fascinated with this book, and can't wait for more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror and Blood
cat_book_nook's review
5.0
Arc review: Malfus: Necromancer unchained by Casey Sutton
I've been hesitant to pick up books with not a huge amount of reviews as I very easily get into a reading slump. But then I've read A Gamble of Gods by and Harbringer of Justice by and my attitude drastically changed. Casey Sutton is another author, as the two mentioned above, that I'll follow and read everything they come up with.
The book is a grimdark military fantasy in which we follow a necromancer that had been caught by an Inquisitor- he is being brought to face justice and they find shelter in a fortress where a battle with an enemy ensues. We get immediately thrown into the story and the action is almost non-stop from there. Our main character is sarcastic and the book starts with a more fun tone, even though the situation presented to the reader is very dire. That's why I didn't expect being hit by all kinds of emotions that hard. We get multiple POVs interwoven with the one of Malfus and each one is really moving. Even though the pacing is very fast (I've sometimes had an issue with keeping my focus but that's on me!), there are also deep dives into emotions and lives of our characters.
I've really really loved the book and can't wait for the next part. It really kept me on edge and engaged.
I feel like it's a perfect book for fans of:
I've been hesitant to pick up books with not a huge amount of reviews as I very easily get into a reading slump. But then I've read A Gamble of Gods by and Harbringer of Justice by and my attitude drastically changed. Casey Sutton is another author, as the two mentioned above, that I'll follow and read everything they come up with.
The book is a grimdark military fantasy in which we follow a necromancer that had been caught by an Inquisitor- he is being brought to face justice and they find shelter in a fortress where a battle with an enemy ensues. We get immediately thrown into the story and the action is almost non-stop from there. Our main character is sarcastic and the book starts with a more fun tone, even though the situation presented to the reader is very dire. That's why I didn't expect being hit by all kinds of emotions that hard. We get multiple POVs interwoven with the one of Malfus and each one is really moving. Even though the pacing is very fast (I've sometimes had an issue with keeping my focus but that's on me!), there are also deep dives into emotions and lives of our characters.
I've really really loved the book and can't wait for the next part. It really kept me on edge and engaged.
I feel like it's a perfect book for fans of:
lskywalker918's review
3.0
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
The plot is quite simple. You could even say "nothing really happened!" There are no multiple story arcs, subplots, etc. But then again, you can also say that Old Man and the Sea is just a fishing story. While this book is nowhere near a literary classic, its forte lies in the characters. You get to see the story through every character, even the seemingly minor character like the random guard that only appears for a quick scene. Might seem unnecessary, but their unique view on what is happening surprisingly adds to the overall story of people rising up to fight against an overwhelming force.
It is no surprise to find that Sutton is a DnD DM. He succeeded in painting a vivid picture of the scene and showing what is going on inside the characters. This is an entertaining, fleshed-out beginning of a necromancer's [mis]adventure. There are still unanswered questions that hopefully we will discover in the future.
The plot is quite simple. You could even say "nothing really happened!" There are no multiple story arcs, subplots, etc. But then again, you can also say that Old Man and the Sea is just a fishing story. While this book is nowhere near a literary classic, its forte lies in the characters. You get to see the story through every character, even the seemingly minor character like the random guard that only appears for a quick scene. Might seem unnecessary, but their unique view on what is happening surprisingly adds to the overall story of people rising up to fight against an overwhelming force.
It is no surprise to find that Sutton is a DnD DM. He succeeded in painting a vivid picture of the scene and showing what is going on inside the characters. This is an entertaining, fleshed-out beginning of a necromancer's [mis]adventure. There are still unanswered questions that hopefully we will discover in the future.
rosita_reads1922's review
5.0
I don’t usually write reviews but as soon as I finished this book I ran to rate it 5
mikefromarkansas's review
5.0
This is the first book I’ve read about a necromancer and it was fantastic. Casey Sutton’s debut novel is a must read. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time and can’t wait for more adventures with Malfus. The book focuses on one battle and how the prisoner, Malfus, uses his talents to raise the undead to aid the soldiers in battle. People are dying left and right and being turned into zombies to fight giants and gnols. If this sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend this book. I read the book while listening to the audiobook. Both are exceptional.
I found Casey on BookTok. You should go follow him. He has great content. His book also comes with beautiful illustrations. It’s the real deal.
I found Casey on BookTok. You should go follow him. He has great content. His book also comes with beautiful illustrations. It’s the real deal.