So the other day I was at Barnes and Noble, searching for the book that ended the 'Dragon Keeper' and I just so happened to stumble across a bright red book with a peculiar, eye popping cover. This book was no other than the new book by Chris Wooding called Malice. Exited by the cover and fact that one of my favorite authors had a new book out, I bought the book without hesitation. I finished the book in a day (at the expense of staying up much too late) and I must say, I LOVE this book. You MUST read it, be it you're a Chris Wooding fan or have never read any of his books before.

It's much like a breath of fresh air from the mundane books around, with a mostly original plot and fantastic world that keeps you on edge the entire time. The workings of Malice (a world inside a comic book that you can get transported to after a certain ritual) are original and the creatures are even more awesome. I can't say that I'm very fond of the main characters though. My favorite character, for once, was the 'bad guy'. Tall Jake.

-WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD-
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Tall Jake is the main antagonist who appears a very small number of times, despite his importance in the book. Of these few and very short times he appeared he says even less. He is also a vaguely described (as in his personality. and the sound of his voice, couldn't imagine it with the description given). I found this quite irritating because you hear the characters discuss him quite often and he is quite advertised on both the book's cover and website. I understand that there is to be a second book (Havoc) and Tall Jake may be much more explained in it, but virtually NO information was given about him during the story. So throughout the book I came up with a set of questions on Tall Jake...
-Why did he over throw the other Six?
-Who was he before he took over Malice as a part of the Six(his role)?
-Why does he only take children/teens who 'ask' to come to Malice?
-Why is the Shard his enemy?
-Why is his right hand bandaged? (in the book a woman explains that the Shard gave Tall Jake the scars on his face, but nothing about anywhere else on his body)
-Why did he take over Malice?
-How does he 'rule' Malice?

I'm rooting for Tall Jake because people ask to be transported to Malice, despite the rumors of the place and Tall Jake. It's their own faults for going there and if they can't get themselves out. For no reason do I see a reason for them to destroy him. The creatures kill the people who come to Malice, not Tall Jake (but I will blame him if he orders them to do it). But I don't want him to be destroyed. (He was one of the original Six rulers of Malice, I don't think it'd be good if he was destroyed. Plus no one likes seeing their favorite character killed.)

Anyway, I love the art style in the book (how it's part comic, part chapter book) and I will make an attempt at fan art in a the most similar style I can muster!