Malarkoi - BookWyrm

English language

Published Jan. 6, 2022 by Galley Beggar Press.

ISBN:: 978-1-913111-30-4

(1 review)

Nathan Treeves is dead, murdered by the Master of Mordew, his remains used to create the powerful occult weapon known as the Tinderbox. His companions are scattered, making for Malarkoi, the city of the Mistress, the Master's enemy. They are hoping to find welcome there, or at least safety. They find neither - and instead become embroiled in a life and death struggle against assassins, demi-gods, and the cunning plans of the Mistress. Only Sirius, Nathan's faithful magical dog, has not forgotten the boy, and, bent on revenge, he returns to the shattered remains of Mordew, newly deformed into an impossible mountain, swarming with monsters. He senses something in the Manse at its pinnacle - the Master is there, grieving the loss of his manservant, Bellows - and in the ruins of the slums he finds a power capable of destroying his foe, if only he has the strength to …

Nathan Treeves is dead, murdered by the Master of Mordew, his remains used to create the powerful occult weapon known as the Tinderbox. His companions are scattered, making for Malarkoi, the city of the Mistress, the Master's enemy. They are hoping to find welcome there, or at least safety. They find neither - and instead become embroiled in a life and death struggle against assassins, demi-gods, and the cunning plans of the Mistress. Only Sirius, Nathan's faithful magical dog, has not forgotten the boy, and, bent on revenge, he returns to the shattered remains of Mordew, newly deformed into an impossible mountain, swarming with monsters. He senses something in the Manse at its pinnacle - the Master is there, grieving the loss of his manservant, Bellows - and in the ruins of the slums he finds a power capable of destroying his foe, if only he has the strength to use it. So the stage is set for battle, sacrifice, magic and treachery in the stunning sequel to Mordew. .Welcome to Malar.

3 editions

P. E. T. Conroy reviewed Malarkoi by Alex Pheby (Cities of the Weft, #2)

Looking forward to the sequel (but this was a slog)

4 stars

This book feels longer - there is a lot of preamble before the story starts, which is the author catching you up to where everyone is geographically and figuratively - and although well written, the book is still bloated with pomposity in its language and over-philosophizing, and this detracts from what is an enjoyable story now cut short (this is the second in the trilogy, and you still can't trust anyone but the dogs it seems)...

For these reasons, this book is a struggle to love and gets three stars.