Reviews

Some people might think I am too dramatic for what I am about to say, however I am being 100% serious when I say that Malevolent is such a beautiful work of art that makes me feel genuinely happy and beyond overjoyed that I am alive in this monumental point in time, I feel genuinely priveleged that I am able to witness such brilliant storytelling in the making. It has been quite a while since I felt this creatively inspired and motivated to pick up a pen and draw again and I only have Malevolent to thank for it. Please, do give this podcast a chance... It will be worth it... And to you, Harlan Guthrie. I might spend my whole life thanking you for this wonderful story and even then I think it will never be enough thanks. But regardless, thank you!

I began listening to Malevolent in late 2022 around the time when I finished The Magnus Archives for the first time--by that point, I was fully jumping off the high-dive into horror audio dramas. I so clearly remember the moment I listened to Part 4 for the first time around 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, and the amount of dread, and anticipation I was filled with from head-to-toe is unrivaled; I was on the edge of my seat. Let's just say, if TMA was my entire world in late 2022/early 2023, Malevolent has been my entire world all the time after and until now. There is no other story that can replicate the passion, the heart, nor the performances in Malevolent. The driving force of the show and why I believe it's so incredibly special is because of John and Arthur's relationship; it's messy and oh-so human, but overflowing with such love; when I say that no other friendship in any other piece of media has moved me so much since Sherlock and Watson, I mean it. There are no other characters like John and Arthur out there. Additionally, no other story has made me cry so much in all my life; that is not hyperbole. (Part 20 and Part 26, I'm looking at you--) I have screamed, and laughed, and sobbed my guts out--frankly, I've experienced the entire spectrum of human emotion while listening and I know I will only continue to do so. Not a day has gone by when I am not interacting in the fandom and the InvictusStream community as a whole; I have never, in all my decade of experience in fandoms, come across a community more loving, welcoming, and passionate. Ever. That is ALSO not hyperbole. When it comes to Harlan and Jo's community, it seems to INJECT one with motivation and utter joy. Not only have I never spent so much time in a community, but I have never been urged to do so many things I've never done before and to step outside my comfort zone. Writing is my passion in life, but I rarely put my work out into the world, original or otherwise; however, because of Malevolent and the continued support of so many people, I now write fanfiction fairly often; in fact, I just participated in my first ever fan-project! I am truly so blessed to be surrounded by creative people who seek to build each other up; all this because of how gripping and touching Malevolent is as a story and the environment Harlan has created for his fans. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, Harlan. Here's to many more years! <3 Seer

I started listening to Malevolent two months ago. I remember that evening very well because I started to listen to the first episode before bed and it evolved into me binging half of the first season through the night. Best experience if you ask me; Harlan is incredible at writing horror, the narration is incredibly immersive, and the still and dark of night made it infinitely better. It came to me as a huge shock that Harlan not only voices all the characters himself (which I had to double check a couple times because even John and Arthur sounded so differently to me I couldn't believe it), but does the writing, editing and soundscaping himself as well. You cannot overstate how much talent, dedication and sheer force of will that takes. And the story delivers - I mean it. It encapsulates the mood of the Call of Cthulhu setting very well for any fans of that out there, but even beyond that - the pacing of the story is incredibly well done, the discussion of grief and dealing with past mistakes, of determination in spite of difficulties, of humanity and what it means and most of all, of hope. Additionally, the narrative itself, I think, caters both to people (like me) who like a complicated story with connections to be made all over the place, going back to the Invictus Stream games, as well as to people who just want to enjoy a good audio drama without making a red string board out of it, as everything in the podcast itself is explained on its own. PLUS - The entire thing being a choose-your-own-adventure sort of thing over on the Patreon just absolutely blows my mind. Not only is Harlan able to create this well-thought out story with a clear idea behind it (though it might take a while for the idea to reveal itself - but that's a whole other thing that Harlan talked about in the season 4 discussion if I recall correctly), but he is able to do that while leaving some very important decisions that shape the narrative up to the Patrons. The feeling of being able to influence this story is incredible and I feel very honored that I get to participate in that. I could go on, but I believe you get the idea. Harlan - you are an incredibly talented creator and I cannot put into words how much I appreciate the effort you're putting into this story. I wish that it brings you just as much joy and passion to create it as it does your audience. From the bottom of my heart - thank you.

I like to give a lot of podcasts a chance, but this one immediately stuck out to me. There’s such a strong hook and concept straight from the first scene, and the dynamic between Arthur and this entity is so fun to see develop. I’m finding it’s on my mind 24/7! Please, give this story a shot. I promise it’s worth every second.

When I started this podcast I was not thinking I would be this invested in the story. 1 couldn't put it down and wanted more. I love this show so much and it inspires me to draw more often. Thank you Harlan.

I have gotten into Malevolent a few months back. I normally have a hard time getting into podcasts but this one was an exception! I fell in love with the character immediately to the point I spent money because I wanted more. Thank you Harlan for an amazing show.

I am obsessed with Malevolent, it's the deepest I've been in a fandom, I have drawn more, written more,and interacted with other fans more then any other fandom. And this is because the podcast is awesome, and Harlan is great at curating a lovely fandom. I have shared this podcast with a lot of people, and they all immediately love it. It's such a good audio drama, and if you don't like it, the I will either assume the topics are a bit too dark for you or your just not human, and can't appreciate good things. Thanks for this masterpiece Harlan!

Thank you for your amazing podcast! It's absolutely wonderful story! I can't wait for season 5 😊

Listen to this podcast I beg of you

Hi hello this podcast will eat at your soul and make you want to bang at the wall. Tumblr makes it sillier than it is but despite that this story tells tales of love, sacrifice, and the selfishness of humanity from nonhuman entities previously incapable of feeling emotion.

Originally, the podcast found me while I fell asleep listing to Spotify. I was half listening and half asleep, dreaming of the scenes happening as the episode went on. I'm not even lying when I say I woke up upset cause the episode ended along with the awesome dream. Immediately, I searched up the podcast for the second episode, and I was ecstatic to find near fourty episodes to binge. I've now listened to almost half the episodes, and there hadn't been a single dull moment. How each scene is described comes off so naturally, the attention to detail is incredible, and I LOVE the character dynamics/interactions. I feel like I've discovered an otherworldly and unforgettable experience, Malevolent is truly an incredible masterpiece.

This podcast is perfect and I have nothing to say except that I truly thank the creators of this show from the bottom of my heart.

I genuinely have no words for the sheer brilliance of this podcast, and I am *not* exaggerating. I found this podcast in 2023 and by the 2nd episode I knew a new hyperfixation was coming up. I binged S1-S3 in 2 days. The characters are so well fleshed out and can we talk about how most of the characters are voiced by Harlan Guthrie himself? Thank you for your work. I will always support you and this podcast.

What a story with the best acting. Can’t wait for season 5.

Just WOW. I discovered Malevolent less than a year ago when I heard about one of the author's other podcasts, Deviser. Impressed with the incredible sound engineering, I had to take a deep dive into Malevolent. This podcast has been a rollercoaster, from jumping out of my seat, heart pounding to sobbing in the parking garage of my work trying to compose myself. The music, sound engineering, voice acting and storytelling are all five stars! I have quickly become a fan of Harlan Guthrie's work and intend to be a lifetime listener. What else would I be doing on the way into the office? More people need to hear this. Stellar work.

Thank you so much for creating Malevolent. The way it’s written is very fun, and it brings me back to very fond memories of playing DnD with my parents. I’m not trying to be sappy, but a handful of months ago, I underwent an extremely traumatic event that had a big impact on the trajectory of my life. I was only 16 at the time, and I didn’t know what to do with my very large emotions. A lot of me still doesn’t. It’s for this reason Malevolent is important to me. The way Arthur’s trauma is written, it made me feel seen. I finally had a character that I could connect my emotions to. His negatives and positives. The poem he recites in episode 20 brings me tears, even when I know it’s coming. Partly because it’s sad, but mostly because I know exactly how he feels. Arthur may not be real, but his pain is very comforting to me because it makes me feel seen. Thank you so much for creating this story, because it’s helped me through a very difficult time in my life. I can’t wait to see what happens next, and I’ll be supporting this story until the end!

I must have listened to this entire series at least 3 times by now. The main characters bring such great personality to the table; its great fun listening along as they face and overcome all matter of trials and tribulations.

Malevolent was the second story based podcast I listened to and yet it still remains my favourite. The quality continues to grow from season to season and I'm constantly telling myself "it will never top this" and yet as always I am surprised. I cannot recommend this enough if you are an enthusiast of eldritch horror or really good stories.

No, I am nto exaggerating. I decided to check out this podcast on the 4th of January 2024, which is a date burned into my memory because of how thoroughly this podcast took over my life. One episode in, my eyes were wide and mind awash with wild excitement. Five episodes in, I couldn't take the headphones off. I tried to pace myself like a normal person but ended up binging seasons 2-4 in about 3-4 days total. Everything is perfect: the characters, the plot, the dynamic between Arthur and the Entity, the lore, the voice acting, the dialogue, the locations, the sound editing, the horror... I am counting down the days to my next paycheck so I can throw myself at patreon. I keep recommending this podcast to everyone who I think would enjoy it - like a cultist of some sort. No other podcast has ever gripped me this hard. I physically cannot recommend it enough.

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This podcast is one the best ones I have ever heard. I love how much Arthur and John have been through. The plot is amazing.

I begun to listen the Podcast when it was for around Part 17, found it by accident in a post on Tumblr and grow attached to Harlan voice inmediatly. Is the first podcast that I heard entirely (when it reached part 20 while listening) in my life and I simply love it, it has the lot of things I love: horror, a character that question their humanity and takes a lot of wrong, but necesarily, decisions and a little dark voice in their head that learns and yearn for the same humanity and a lot of reflections with a tiny (lots of it) bit of gore and suffering. I cannot wait for more parts and, at the same time, I will wait all the time it takes to reach the end of it all, because it's made with a lot of love and that kind of things take lotta time. And it f*cking worth it. Thank you for giving to the world this precious master piece. (PSD: Sorry if something is wrong or not written right, english is not my native language and sometimes I have a hard time writing it)

Good

I am a new listener and am already obsessed. The story is fantastic, the descriptions are so well detailed you will feel as though you are truly there. The music, the background sounds, and the voices... I was blown away to find out that all voices were done by one man. What an incredibly gifted spirit you are Harlan! Thank you for this listening pleasure!

Can’t get enough of this! The actors, directing, sound effects, plot, everything is outstanding! Can’t thank you enough! I listen every chance I get! I’m caught up now and cannot wait till the next one comes! Please please continue after this one is finished. This is movie worthy. Thank you again!

This is the best fiction podcast I've ever heard. The artistry behind the voice acting, story, characters, music and sound design is staggering. I've listened to a lot of fiction podcasts and they cannot compare.

Expertly made an acted (by the fantastic Harlan Guthrie, who plays all the characters, although you’d never know - he’s a master at voices and accents). The immersive sound design gives a very atmospheric depiction of a blind man’s odyssey through a Lovecraftian world, and the slow unfolding mystery of the voice’s identity and the world he came from, kept me hooked so far (I’ve only listened to season 1), but… I did find it a tad monotonous (new episode, new location, new other-worldy creature) I’m getting impatient to find out the backstory of “John’s” true identity and motivation

I love the concept of an audio drama told from the perspective of a blind man. The situations they end up in are so harrowing and suspenseful, thanks in no small part to excellent writing / acting and SUPERB sound design.

I highly recommend, especially if you're looking for a dark witty mystery with some comedy pieces as the cherry on top. 100% worth your time

It's been so incredibly gratifying to watch the following for Malevolent grow and grow, because it's so obviously a labor of love. And it shows. Gripping writing captures the feel of "Lovecraft" flawlessly, carrying the weight of the dread and suspense straight to your heart, buoyed by black humor and moments of tender sincerity.