John Gwynne’s Malice is the first novel in the four-book epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, which includes Malice (2012), Valour (2014), Ruin (2015), and Wrath (2016). The book’s prologue and front matter establish a detailed mythology that serves as the foundation for the entire series. An excerpt from “The Writings of Halvor” recounts an ancient conflict between the creator-god Elyon and his “first-created, Elyon’s beloved” (5), a celestial being named Asroth. After a war in the spiritual Otherworld, Asroth was defeated and banished. Later, he corrupted Elyon’s mortal creations—giants and men—by sending a starstone to earth, which the giants forged into powerful Treasures. In an event known as the Scourging, Elyon nearly destroyed the world before realizing his actions were part of Asroth’s plan. Overcome with grief, Elyon “turned […] from all creation, and retreated to a place of mourning” (6). The series is driven by a prophecy foretelling that the final God-War will be fought between avatars representing these two deities: the Bright Star and the Black Sun.

Gwynne has published two prequels adjacent to The Faithful and the Fallen series, which develop important historical context alluded to in the series. In the short story “Sundering,” Gwynne delves into the history of the giants to explore an event known as the Sundering, 1,000 years before the events of The Faithful and the Fallen. The story details the wars between the giants and their eventual breaking into clans. Another short story set 10 years before the events that open Malice, “Better to Live Than to Die,” the narrative follows a young Camlin, a character featured in the series, as he navigates the loss of his family and home and becomes part of Braith’s band of woodsman brigands. Each of these narratives develops the world of the series by focusing attention on the backstory behind both larger historical events and more personal stories, echoing the balance offered in the series itself.