Carolyn read and liked Jeffrey's review of The Warded Man:

"This new fantasy is excellent. The world is full of demons (corelings) who rise at night and terrorize and kill the humans, who live in scattered homesteads and a few major cities run by Dukes. Most of the people hide behind ancient wards that can s...more This new fantasy is excellent. The world is full of demons (corelings) who rise at night and terrorize and kill the humans, who live in scattered homesteads and a few major cities run by Dukes. Most of the people hide behind ancient wards that can stop the demons, but over time, the corelings overcome poorly done wards or negligence and slaughter the humans. Linking the people of the cities with the outlier hamlets are professional messengers who travel at night behind wards. Only one city, Krassia fights the corelings.

Into this world are three young people. Arlen loses his mother at a young age. Rojer, a musician loses both parents to the corelings, Leesha becomes a healer. The novel follows each youngling from when they are kids to adulthood. Leesha learns her craft, Rojer as well but Arlen searches for a way to bring the fight to the corelings at any cost, learning ancient arts of the warder and the messenger and visiting ancient ruins.

The magical system, the narrative and the characters are well drawn.

Its a winner.(less) "