The Book in Brief
The novel contains a prologue and 88 numbered chapters. Each chapter is titled for its viewpoint character, so those names are retained below.
Prologue and Chapters 1–15
Prologue: Evnis. Eighteen years before the main story, the ambitious Evnis meets Rhin and the giant Uthas beneath Dun Carreg. He swears himself to Asroth and learns that an ancient giant-written book may teach him to use earth power. His search for that book begins a long betrayal of King Brenin and Ardan.
Chapter 1: Corban. At Marrock and Fionn’s handbinding celebration, young Corban watches the adults and worries about the warrior trials awaiting him. A spider at the centre of its web foreshadows the hidden schemes already tightening around Dun Carreg.
Chapter 2: Veradis. Veradis travels with his older brother Krelis to Jerolin, escorting a captured Vin Thalun named Deinon. He hopes the mission will let him earn honour beyond his brothers’ shadows and bring him to the attention of High King Aquilus.
Chapter 3: Corban. The trader Ventos sells practice swords to Corban and his friend Dath. Rafe and his companions attack the boys and steal the weapons. Gar intervenes after the humiliation and offers to teach Corban how to fight properly.
Chapter 4: Evnis. During the celebrations, Evnis secretly receives a message from Rhin through the outlaw Camlin. Rhin claims that the giant book and a starstone cauldron can save Evnis’s dying wife, Fain, ensuring that fear as well as ambition keeps him obedient.
Chapter 5: Corban. Corban broods over Rafe’s beating and the loss of his sword. His family tries to place the incident in perspective, but the shame strengthens his determination to train with Gar and become capable of defending himself.
Chapter 6: Veradis. At Jerolin, Deinon tells Aquilus that Vin Thalun king Lykos is meeting one of Tenebral’s barons in secret. Aquilus sends Prince Nathair to investigate, and Veradis is selected to accompany him.
Chapter 7: Cywen. Corban’s older sister Cywen works in Gar’s stables and proves more confident with horses and knives than Corban is with a sword. She protects him from Rafe but embarrasses him by doing what he wants to learn to do himself.
Chapter 8: Kastell. Kastell and his shieldman Maquin guard a merchant caravan near Forn Forest. Kastell resents the influence of his cousin Jael and feels displaced in his own kingdom, while Maquin urges him to stop surrendering ground without a fight.
Chapter 9: Corban. Near Baglun Forest, Corban encounters a giant-stone that appears to bleed. He loses consciousness and experiences a terrifying brush with Asroth. The omen suggests that the ancient God-War is returning and that Corban is already entangled in it.
Chapter 10: Kastell. Hunen giants attack the caravan in search of a stolen starstone axe. The merchants and guards are overwhelmed. Kastell and Maquin escape as the only survivors, with the giants pursuing them through the forest.
Chapter 11: Corban. After waking near the stone, Corban hears an animal in distress. He risks entering a bog to rescue a pregnant wolven, using a rope and horse to pull the enormous creature free. His mercy creates a bond that will later save his life.
Chapter 12: Veradis. Nathair’s party reaches the supposed meeting place but finds only an old man named Calidus. The story of a traitorous baron was a device to arrange this encounter and present Nathair with a proposed alliance with the Vin Thalun.
Chapter 13: Corban. Corban returns to Dun Carreg shaken by the bleeding stone and his encounter with the wolven. He struggles to explain what happened without sounding foolish, while the adults around him recognize that the signs may be more serious than he understands.
Chapter 14: Evnis. Evnis watches Fain’s illness worsen and convinces himself that betrayal is justified if it saves her. He gives Camlin directions to Darol’s isolated hold, advancing Rhin’s plans while pretending that he still controls the cost.
Chapter 15: Corban. Gar begins assessing Corban’s weaknesses. Rather than immediately teaching swordplay, he emphasizes balance, endurance and discipline. Corban is frustrated by the slow beginning but accepts that there is no quick route from humiliation to skill.
Chapters 16–30
Chapter 16: Camlin. Camlin leads Braith’s outlaws toward Darol’s hold under Evnis’s orders. He forbids the murder of women and children, revealing limits that distinguish him from his companions, but he knows the raid is unlikely to remain controlled.
Chapter 17: Corban. News reaches Dun Carreg that something is wrong at Darol’s home. Corban fears for his friend Dylan, whose family lives there, and joins the growing alarm as Brenin’s warriors prepare to investigate.
Chapter 18: Veradis. Calidus surrounds the meeting in fire. Believing Nathair endangered, Veradis leaps through the flames to protect him. Nathair is impressed by his courage, while Calidus gains evidence that Veradis’s loyalty can be used to bind the prince more securely.
Chapter 19: Cywen. Cywen grows close to Princess Edana and gains access to the fortress’s political life. Her friendship with Edana and interest in the young warrior Ronan draw her beyond the stables, where she begins overhearing matters meant for nobles.
Chapter 20: Veradis. Nathair rewards Veradis and forms a blood bond with him, eventually making him First Sword. Veradis finally receives the recognition he has wanted, never realizing that the oath also places him inside Calidus’s influence.
Chapter 21: Corban. Corban accompanies Gar and Brenin’s warriors to Darol’s hold. They discover Dylan and his entire family slaughtered. The horror destroys Corban’s remaining childhood certainty that warriors always arrive in time to protect the innocent.
Chapter 22: Kastell. Kastell and Maquin continue fleeing the Hunen until King Romar’s warriors rescue them. They learn that the giants were seeking the starstone axe carried secretly in the caravan, connecting the attack to the ancient relics now reappearing across the Banished Lands.
Chapter 23: Corban. Corban mourns Dylan and blames his own helplessness. Gar turns that grief toward training, warning him that anger without control will merely create more victims. Their lessons become both more demanding and more serious.
Chapter 24: Veradis. Nathair reports the Vin Thalun proposal to Aquilus. The High King reluctantly accepts a limited alliance but remains suspicious of Lykos and Calidus. Nathair interprets his father’s caution as weakness and begins trusting his own judgement more.
Chapter 25: Evnis. Evnis renews the search beneath his home and Dun Carreg. His agents discover previously hidden passages, convincing him that the giant book is near and that Rhin’s promises may finally be fulfilled.
Chapter 26: Corban. Training with Gar becomes a daily routine. Corban learns the sword dance and techniques designed for a two-handed blade rather than Ardan’s usual sword-and-shield fighting, another indication that Gar is not the ordinary stablemaster he appears to be.
Chapter 27: Kastell. Kastell and Maquin travel with Romar toward Aquilus’s council. Kastell knows Jael will continue undermining him, but surviving the Hunen attack has restored some of his purpose and strengthened his desire to fight giants directly.
Chapter 28: Corban. Another strange sign troubles Corban and those who understand the old stories. The supernatural threat remains indistinct, but Corban senses that Gar and his parents know more about his danger than they are willing to tell him.
Chapter 29: Cywen. Cywen and Edana listen to discussions surrounding Brenin’s journey to the kings’ council. Cywen sees how quickly old grudges between neighbouring kingdoms can become war and begins to understand that Dun Carreg is vulnerable from within as well as without.
Chapter 30: Veradis. Kings and their heirs gather in Jerolin after Meical warns Aquilus of the coming God-War. Veradis observes the rivalry and suspicion that make unity unlikely, while Nathair becomes convinced that only a single ruler can save the Banished Lands.
Chapters 31–45
Chapter 31: Corban. The rescued wolven returns to Corban’s life, and one of her young becomes attached to him. Corban names the pup Storm. Their bond grows quickly, although many in Dun Carreg fear what the enormous animal will become.
Chapter 32: Camlin. The raid on Darol’s hold becomes a massacre after Goran murders a woman. Camlin’s attempt to restrain the outlaws fails, and Pendathran’s warband hunts them down. Camlin is badly wounded and captured while the other raiders are killed.
Chapter 33: Veradis. At the council, a supernatural carpet of ants devours a dog and nearly consumes a child. Veradis, Kastell and Maquin save the child together. The encounter creates a friendship and gives Nathair the idea that disciplined formations can defeat stronger individual enemies.
Chapter 34: Corban. Rafe dares Corban to steal from Brina, the feared healer whom the children call a witch, offering to return his practice sword. Brina catches Corban and turns his trespass into service, making him gather herbs and assist in her cottage.
Chapter 35: Veradis. Nathair studies the ants’ cooperation and begins developing shield-wall tactics that reject the Banished Lands’ tradition of individual duels. Veradis admires his prince’s intelligence and increasingly sees Nathair as the leader the approaching war requires.
Chapter 36: Corban. Corban’s work for Brina becomes another education. Her harsh manner conceals knowledge of healing, old power and prophecy. Between her lessons and Gar’s training, Corban is quietly being prepared for far more than his warrior trial.
Chapter 37: Veradis. Aquilus sends Nathair to confront giant incursions in Tarbesh. The assignment gives Nathair his first real opportunity to command an army and test his shield-wall, while Calidus continues positioning himself as the prince’s indispensable adviser.
Chapter 38: Cywen. Cywen’s affection for Ronan deepens as she balances stable work with her friendship with Edana. She continues watching Corban’s secretive training and suspects that the adults’ concern for him involves more than his ordinary coming of age.
Chapter 39: Veradis. Nathair uses the Vin Thalun fleet to reach Tarbesh, openly defying his father’s distrust of Lykos. Veradis is uneasy but accepts Nathair’s reasoning, placing loyalty to his prince above obedience to the High King.
Chapter 40: Kastell. Kastell and Maquin join the Gadrai under Captain Orgull. The company patrols the Rhenus beside Forn Forest, protects merchant traffic and prepares for the giant attacks Kastell has wanted to confront since his family’s death.
Chapter 41: Corban. Gar gives Corban a skewbald colt sired by his stallion Hammer. Corban names the horse Shield. Caring for Shield and Storm teaches him responsibility while giving him two fiercely loyal companions.
Chapter 42: Veradis. Nathair’s army encounters the Shekam giants and their draigs. His new formation proves effective, and Veradis fights with increasing devotion. Nathair asks the giant Alcyon to capture a draig, treating every victory as preparation for a larger campaign.
Chapter 43: Corban. Corban’s sword training advances, but Gar continues emphasizing restraint. Corban begins recognizing that courage is not the absence of fear or the ability to win a fight; it is choosing whom to protect when fear and violence arrive.
Chapter 44: Evnis. In a giant’s tomb beneath Dun Carreg, Evnis finally finds the book of earth power and a chained black stone. Removing them awakens a white-wyrm egg. Evnis kills the hatchling and plans to use its remains to support another lie.
Chapter 45: Corban. The discovery of the white wyrm confirms that ancient creatures are returning. Corban sees the adults’ anxiety increase and senses that Dun Carreg’s familiar routines are ending, even though Brenin’s court still treats each omen as an isolated threat.
Chapters 46–60
Chapter 46: Veradis. The Tarbesh campaign concludes with Nathair’s reputation greatly increased. Veradis sees proof that their tactics work and that Nathair inspires extraordinary loyalty, without recognizing how much of that devotion is being strengthened by Asroth’s corruption.
Chapter 47: Corban. Storm grows with unnatural speed and becomes both Corban’s companion and a source of alarm. Corban refuses to abandon her, demonstrating the instinctive loyalty that will distinguish him from leaders who see every creature and person as a tool.
Chapter 48: Veradis. Calidus encourages Nathair to seek the Jehar, legendary warriors who could transform his army. Veradis distrusts the old man’s secrecy but remains persuaded that Nathair’s expanding power is necessary for the coming God-War.
Chapter 49: Corban. The bleeding stones, strange weather and reports of giants make the prophecy increasingly difficult to dismiss. Corban experiences further hints of the conflict between Elyon and Asroth, although no one will yet explain his place in it.
Chapter 50: Veradis. Nathair returns from war convinced that the Banished Lands must be united under one command. Veradis shares his belief that division is dangerous, even as Aquilus becomes more disturbed by his son’s alliances and growing independence.
Chapter 51: Corban. Corban’s approaching warrior trial is accelerated as military danger grows. He realizes that the childhood milestone he has long desired may arrive at the exact moment when Dun Carreg can no longer protect those who fail it.
Chapter 52: Cywen. Cywen overhears Meical discussing Corban with Gwenith and Thannon. She learns that her brother may be the Bright Star, Elyon’s champion, and understands why Gar and Brina have trained and guarded him so carefully.
Chapter 53: Corban. Corban continues preparing for the Long Night, unaware of the full prophecy. His confidence has grown, but thoughts of Dylan and the coming trial keep victory from feeling like a game.
Chapter 54: Ventos. The travelling merchant Ventos observes the spreading unrest before continuing through the Banished Lands. His brief viewpoint reveals that his apparently harmless trade gives him access to news, roads and people far beyond Dun Carreg.
Chapter 55: Veradis. Veradis fights through another major engagement beside Nathair and the Eagle Guard. The prince’s disciplined army prevails, but Veradis experiences an increasingly fanatical battle fury whenever Nathair is threatened.
Chapter 56: Corban. Corban’s preparations intensify as reports of Narvon’s movements reach Ardan. Gar, Halion and the other warriors know that his Long Night can no longer be delayed, because Dun Carreg may soon need every trained fighter it has.
Chapter 57: Veradis. After the fighting, Nathair’s ambitions become clearer. He believes himself the Bright Star and views opposition as evidence that others cannot understand what salvation requires. Veradis continues to support him despite growing doubts about Calidus.
Chapter 58: Corban. Corban faces the final lessons before his trial. He reflects on the difference between the warrior he once imagined and the protector Gar has tried to create, then prepares to spend the Long Night alone.
Chapter 59: Kastell. While escorting cargo on the Rhenus, Orgull’s Gadrai are attacked by wyrms and a large Hunen force. The company is devastated. Kastell and Maquin fight beside Orgull, but survival soon becomes more important than holding the river.
Chapter 60: Camlin. Camlin recovers from his wounds under Brina’s care as a prisoner in Dun Carreg. Her treatment and the memory of Darol’s murdered family deepen his remorse. He begins moving away from the outlaw he was and toward the man he might still become.
Chapters 61–75
Chapter 61: Corban. Corban begins his Long Night beyond the fortress. The ritual is meant to test endurance and courage, but the signs around him suggest that the danger is no ceremonial imitation.
Chapter 62: Corban. Exhausted during the trial, Corban encounters a supernatural presence and briefly loses awareness of the ordinary world. When he wakes, the approaching threat to Ardan has become immediate.
Chapter 63: Cywen. Cywen waits anxiously for Corban’s return while Dun Carreg prepares for possible war. Her concern for her brother competes with the political danger surrounding Edana and Brenin’s family.
Chapter 64: Corban. Corban detects the invasion and races toward Dun Carreg. His Long Night has become a real test: he must warn the fortress and bring the outlying villagers inside before Narvon’s warriors overrun them.
Chapter 65: Veradis. Aquilus is killed, and Mandros is blamed. Grief and supernatural influence drive Veradis into an unquestioning pursuit. He kills Mandros for the supposed murder, helping remove an opponent while Calidus’s larger deception remains concealed.
Chapter 66: Cywen. The alarm reaches Dun Carreg. Cywen helps Edana and the household prepare as refugees crowd through the gates. She realizes that Corban’s warning has given them time but cannot prevent the siege.
Chapter 67: Camlin. With Ardan under attack, Camlin is given an opportunity to help rather than remain a helpless prisoner. He applies his woodland and fighting skills to the defence, choosing the people of Dun Carreg over the outlaws who once defined him.
Chapter 68: Evnis. Evnis coordinates the final stage of Rhin’s plan. He has murdered Owain’s son Uthan while disguised as one of Brenin’s warriors, creating the war, and now prepares to open Dun Carreg to the army he summoned.
Chapter 69: Corban. Corban helps shepherd villagers into the fortress and joins its defenders. He has completed his Long Night, but there is no celebration; the warrior he wanted to become is immediately required to face an actual invasion.
Chapter 70: Cywen. Cywen works alongside Edana and Ronan as Narvon surrounds Dun Carreg. She watches fear spread through the fortress and understands that someone inside must have helped the enemy move with such speed and certainty.
Chapter 71: Camlin. Camlin fights for Dun Carreg and earns the trust of people who know he participated in the earlier raid. His actions cannot undo Darol’s massacre, but they demonstrate that guilt has become a reason to protect rather than surrender.
Chapter 72: Corban. The siege begins in earnest. Corban, Dath, Storm and the warriors defend the fortress while Gar reveals frightening skill. Corban sees that his mentor has concealed both his history and the true extent of his abilities.
Chapter 73: Corban. Fighting reaches the streets and walls as Dun Carreg’s position worsens. Corban searches for his family and continues protecting those around him, increasingly relying on Gar’s training rather than anger.
Chapter 74: Kastell. Kastell, Maquin and Orgull flee the destroyed Gadrai company with Hunen pursuing them. A patrol from Brikan saves the survivors, kills the giants and captures one, providing information for a planned assault on the giant fortress of Haldis.
Chapter 75: Cywen. Cywen remains near Edana as defenders fall and loyalties fracture. Her feelings for Ronan and devotion to her family make every separation dangerous, but she refuses to hide while others fight.
Chapters 76–88
Chapter 76: Corban. Corban finds the battle collapsing around Brenin’s forces. He tries to reach his parents and the king while Gar and Storm hold attackers back, learning that courage cannot guarantee the survival of everyone he loves.
Chapter 77: Veradis. Nathair and his Eagle Guard arrive at Dun Carreg as supposed allies, but side with Owain and Evnis. Veradis follows the prince he has sworn to serve, even as Nathair’s choices turn the conquest into another step toward the Black Sun’s ascendancy.
Chapter 78: Corban. Corban fights through the betrayed fortress. The presence of Nathair’s warriors makes clear that the attack is larger than a border war. His family and Edana must escape if Ardan is to retain any hope.
Chapter 79: Corban. Storm protects Corban during the retreat, confirming that his act of mercy has created one of his strongest allies. Corban continues toward the hidden tunnels while the defenders buy time with their lives.
Chapter 80: Cywen. Cywen witnesses Thannon fighting to reach King Brenin and sees her father killed. Grief turns immediately into action as she tries to protect the remaining family and prevent the traitors from completing their victory.
Chapter 81: Corban. Corban learns of Thannon’s death and is nearly overwhelmed, but Gar forces him to keep moving. Gwenith, Edana and the surviving loyalists retreat toward ancient tunnels beneath the citadel.
Chapter 82: Kastell. Kastell and Maquin join the assault on Haldis with Romar’s forces and Nathair’s allies. The battle against the Hunen begins successfully, but shifting commands and the presence of the Jehar hint that the attack has another purpose.
Chapter 83: Evnis. Evnis enters Brenin’s throne room after opening the fortress gates. Nathair’s Eagle Guard turns on the king, and Brenin is killed. Evnis achieves the power he pursued, but only by delivering Ardan to Rhin and Asroth.
Chapter 84: Cywen. Cywen confronts the traitor Conall on the battlements. Unable to defeat him conventionally, she throws herself at him and carries them both over the wall. Those escaping below believe that she has died in the fall.
Chapter 85: Camlin. Camlin joins Gar, Edana, Gwenith and the other survivors in the tunnels. He helps guard the retreat through passages first uncovered by Evnis, turning the traitor’s hidden route into the loyalists’ only means of escape.
Chapter 86: Corban. Corban and the surviving group emerge near the shore and reach a fishing vessel. He is forced to leave Dun Carreg believing Cywen dead, carrying grief for his father, sister and fallen friends into exile.
Chapter 87: Kastell. At Haldis, Calidus orders the Jehar to attack Romar and Isiltir’s warriors. Kastell attempts to defend his king, but Jael blocks him and murders him. Maquin survives to witness the betrayal and the death of his oldest friend.
Chapter 88: Corban. The fishing boat carries Corban, Storm, Gwenith, Gar, Edana, Dath, Brina, Camlin and the other survivors away from fallen Ardan. Dun Carreg belongs to their enemies, but Corban—the true Bright Star—has escaped, ensuring that the God-War has only begun.
About the Book
First published in 2012, Malice is John Gwynne’s debut novel and the opening volume of The Faithful and the Fallen. It is followed by Valour, Ruin and Wrath. Malice won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for best fantasy debut.