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The Painted Man

(Demon Cycle #1)

Peter V. Brett (Goodreads Author)

4.26 · Rating details · 99,227 ratings · 4,953 reviews

As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always th ...more

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ebook, 416 pages

Published January 8th 2009 by Harper Voyager (first published September 2008)

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· 99,227 ratings · 4,953 reviews

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Feb 18, 2009 Peter rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

I learned a lot from this book, because I wrote it myself. My rating may be somewhat biased as a result.

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Aug 22, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-all, own, favorites

Buddy read with my wonderful friend, Celise

I freaking loved this book!! Arlen, Leesha, Rojer, Bruna, Ragen, Cob, Leesha's father and Twilight Dancer were my favorite characters.

The book tells the story about 3 people, Arlen, Leesha, & Rojer. It starts when they are younger until they are adults and how they find each other.

They live in a world where you have to be inside a Warded home or Warded circle etc, before night fall. This is when the demons rise and if you're not safe, you're prett ...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Mark Lawrence rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A rather brief review since I read the book very nearly 5 years ago.

I came to this book with no expectations, finding it on the shelves in my house. Both sons recommended it, but that's not always a recommendation!

There are fantasy books that are all about the plot, fantasy books that are all about the characters, and fantasy books that are all about the world-building. This one manages to be all about all of that.

The 'big idea' is the demons and it's a good one. I'd not seen demons done this wa A rather brief review since I read the book very nearly 5 years ago.

I came to this book with no expectations, finding it on the shelves in my house. Both sons recommended it, but that's not always a recommendation!

There are fantasy books that are all about the plot, fantasy books that are all about the characters, and fantasy books that are all about the world-building. This one manages to be all about all of that.

The 'big idea' is the demons and it's a good one. I'd not seen demons done this way and the partitioning of them into the night, combined with the system of wards, really works to create a very interesting dynamic.

The wards themselves are not only interesting in the sense of a magic system but also in a meta-sense as they are a marketeer's dream. They provide for the fandom almost limitless fuel for fan art, cos play, and branding (not in the literal sense). I've seen a line of wards as jewelry, warding as body art ... it goes on.

The main character (first introduce, driving force) is Arlen and although he's a 'farm-boy-rises-to-hero' he manages to overcome the trope and be an interesting character, primarily through his combination inventiveness, down-to-earth morality, and bravery. The other point-of-view characters are also engaging and offer complete a diverse set of windows onto the world Brett's made for us.

Arlen's chosen vocation involves a lot of traveling which is great for covering the map and colouring in the detail.

The plot works too. Ostensibly the book is about defeating (or surviving) the demon threat, and it has more of that in this first book than the later ones, but even here the politics and character interactions are a major focus. Brett gives us a complex world full of interesting people, and the demons act as a constant source of pressure to drive the characters to extremes.

In many ways The Warded Man is old school fantasy, but it's written in a modern style that I found refreshing. A really good read.

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.... ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Character-driven fantasy fans

Shelves: owned-physical-books

4.5/5 Stars

The Warded Man is a superbly written debut that every fan of character-driven fantasy must read.

I started reading this book without knowing anything about it other than the premise. It’s been hundreds of years since the demons returned to ravage the world. The demons only come at night and this situation has left humans isolated in their respective cities and heavily reliant on wards to repel their demonic adversaries. The Warded Man is truly different from what I thought it would be ...more

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May 18, 2011 carol. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: epic fantasy fans

Recommended to carol. by: FA, of course

Shelves: fantasy, male-lead

The Warded Man had a tremendously strong start and was well on the way to a five star read. Then three quarters of the way through, I became extremely disenchanted with characterization and plot jumping.

Brett's world is fascinating: a feudal system at the mercy of demons arising from the earth each night, and the only way to defend against them is through the work of drawn/carved wards. The story begins by following a young boy, Arlen, allowing well integrated world-building as Arlen grows. Bre The Warded Man had a tremendously strong start and was well on the way to a five star read. Then three quarters of the way through, I became extremely disenchanted with characterization and plot jumping.

Brett's world is fascinating: a feudal system at the mercy of demons arising from the earth each night, and the only way to defend against them is through the work of drawn/carved wards. The story begins by following a young boy, Arlen, allowing well integrated world-building as Arlen grows. Brett did a fabulous job of creating the feeling of subsistence living, of huddling behind the doors each night and the race to get daily chores done by dusk to prevent demon attacks. Before Arlen reaches teen years, the point of view switches to a young girl, Leesha, and then on to another boy, Rojer. Their tales are equally interesting, although Rojer's is significantly shorter; it was almost as if someone said "enough exposition, let's move on." Leesha experience and creation was well done, and I got a great feel for what it must be like to be female and growing up in a village. Then we move to the city of Miln, and Arlen's life takes a sharp turn; in short order he is apprenticed to a Warder and planning to be a Messenger.

Section 2 of the book focuses on the teenage years, roughly speaking, so for Arlen that means his apprenticeship in Miln, Leesha her apprenticeship as a Herb Gatherer and Rojer's own apprenticeship as a Jongleur. This section is much shorter, a mere 88 pages to the 158 of the first section, although it felt anemic, as the time period of growing into adulthood makes for rapid and significant changes. Oddly, what seems to happen to these three is that the "moral code" of their childhood selves solidifies, becoming a kind of arrested development.

The final section is what caused rapid downshifting in enjoyment and rating: (view spoiler)[ Section three is where Brett seriously tested my belief in the characters he created and the world he built. We catch up with Arlen three years after he's left Miln. He's in some mysterious ruins (aren't they all), discovering wards and a heavily warded spear. He takes the spear he's found to the city of Krasia, which is clearly modeled on every stereotype about Middle Eastern desert tribal culture. That's right: warrior men, women that do all the labor, cripples are in the untouchable class and outsiders are "considered cowards." Arlen shows them the spear, fight corelings alongside them, and for his reward, is thrown into a pit weaponless to fight his way free of corelings. Yes, that's right; the boy that spent every day in study--who had to be told by his master to go play outdoors with the other kids--is suddenly an expert in hand to hand combat.

Once he becomes the tattooed man, his physical skills increase. I found suspension of disbelief seriously threatened in this section; one, Arlen's becoming the perfect warrior: highly intelligent, creative (we knew from work with the wards) and now physically amazing. It's always a little annoying when your protagonist becomes superhuman, and I really don't feel Brett gave us enough justification for getting there. Two, I mention again his entire teenage youth spent in the library or crafting, except on Sundays when he studied physical skills with Ragen, and riding around on horses with Mery once they become more intimate? How exactly did he get amazing? Three, Arlen was afraid to make wards into the spear, because they would be damaged with the attack, but he's not afraid for his tattoos? Break tattooed skin and scarring mars the tattoos. Later we get the justification that he's started to absorb magic from the demons when he destroys them.

I think this is when my credibility stretched and snapped. Oh, now Arlen is magical as well? And the first in centuries to discover this? Then, by the time he meets Leesha and Rojer, he's riding a war charger he bred and trained to stand with him against demons. Like a little selective breeding and horse training wouldn't take another ten years and be a whole new set of skills. So now he's a natural warder, a scholar, an amazing fighter, a subsistence forager and hunter and now a horse trainer? Doesn't strike me as possible within the boundaries of the world Brett set up. It felt like suddenly we have the Epic Hero, but we missed out on the process of getting there. The lavish detail showing in their childhoods and world building is suddenly cut down to bare bones.

I think it goes without saying that it is about time that we leave the female rape scene out of fantasy, particularly when it is your only female character.

The rest of the book became a chore to finish, as my enjoyment in the world Brett created was spoiled by the metamorphosis of his lead into an invincible superhero. I found the moment of sommersaulting in the air and double-heel-striking two corelings annoying--how did I get in a Jet Li movie? The immediately doomed love scene between him and Leesha was a complete letdown in it's unoriginality. He immediately decides it needs to end because he must be part demon and his "seed is tainted." Yawn. Like we didn't get an enormous diatribe on how Leesha learned to prevent pregnancy at part of her training. We get the stereotypical dual stomp-off instead. Leesha becomes mother figure to village and alternates between tears and screaming at people. Sigh. What happened to our more thoughtfully created female? (hide spoiler)]

I really loved the beginning and spent hours wrapped up in the book. Once section three came along we switched into Epic Fantasy Action Hero mode and I lost a lot of enjoyment. That said, world building until then was solid. Language use was well done. Plot believable (until then). I down rated this from a "must buy" to a "borrow" book.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0... ...more

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Sep 25, 2017 Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2017, kindle

I've seen this book in my feed for years now, so I finally decided to take the plunge and see what all the fuss was about. And I'm really glad I did because this was a pretty cool story.

description

Ok, in this world there are demons. Hiss!
Not the kind that possesses you and turns you into a minion of Satan, though!

description

The kind that come out at night and eat you! RAWR!

description

Alright. So basically these demons (called corelings b/c they come from the core of the earth) rise up at night and wander around looking fo ...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Nataliya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-kickass-heroines, first-in-a-series

The world of The ~~Painted~~ Warded Man (*) is governed by fear. Countless corelings/demons rule the night. Magical wards that keep the demons out also keep the people in. The promise of safety has become their prison.

* Sidenote: By the way, what's up with the name change? Is this book a part of Book Witness Protection Program? Why?

Being caught out in the open at night equals gruesome death. People in this world hide trembling behind their wards at night terrified of what's out there. Fear ru
The world of The ~~Painted~~ Warded Man (*) is governed by fear. Countless corelings/demons rule the night. Magical wards that keep the demons out also keep the people in. The promise of safety has become their prison.

* Sidenote: By the way, what's up with the name change? Is this book a part of Book Witness Protection Program? Why?

Being caught out in the open at night equals gruesome death. People in this world hide trembling behind their wards at night terrified of what's out there. Fear rules their lives and determines their actions. They have lost their will to fight. They have traded freedom for safety. And so enter our three main characters who decide that life is more than just cowering in fear:

(A) Arlen, who refuses to live his life in fear and forgoes conventional happiness for what he feels is right - and becomes the titular ~~Painted~~ Warded Man, battling the corelings (**).

(B) Leesha - a brave and determined young woman, a skilled healer and herb gatherer who defies all expectations of her male-dominated society.

(C) Rojer, a self-doubting young jongleur alive thanks to his mother's sacrifice, who is able to charm corelings with music.

(A) (B) (C)

------------------------------------------
** Sidenote #2: It's hard to believe that nobody EVER thought about doing to themselves what Arlen did. Yes, they did not have battle wards until Arlen found them. But a few defensive ones, just to be on the safer side? (***)

*** Sidenote # 3: Upon further thought, maybe the years of viewing the demons as the deserved punishment from the supreme being made those people accept their "fate" and just pray for the Deliverer. Without ever trying to take a stand. That's sad.
------------------------------------------
Brett does not bother with the recent trend of having "shades of gray" antihero/protagonists - and his approach works. They have their flaws - Arlen is angry, Leesha is headstrong, Rojer is insecure - but they are clearly the good guys. They are instantly likeable, and it feels good to be rooting for them. We are also given just the right amount of worldbuilding to draw the reader into this universe without making the story drag. Unlike so many recent fantasy books it does not drag the reader into the endless political intrigues, which is refreshing. Instead, we get character development and adventures, and it's great. Yes, Mr. Brett is a talented storyteller.

"We are what we choose to be, girl,' she said. 'Let others determine your worth, and you've already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves."

----------------------------
Great fantasy book, a real page-turner. Good story, good characters, good execution. Easy 5 stars.
...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Enginesummer rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Oh, where to start with this book.

Perhaps I should begin by pointing out that, according to the back of the book, this *is* the author's first novel (don't quote me Wikipedia, this is his first published novel, I guess).

Unfortunately, it shows.

So, it's a fairly generic set-up with a Medieval-style community, humans vs. demons, good vs. evil. Blah-de-blah. As is obvious from the title, the primary protagonist eventually carves runes onto his skin to combat the demons and take a stand. As a concep Oh, where to start with this book.

Perhaps I should begin by pointing out that, according to the back of the book, this *is* the author's first novel (don't quote me Wikipedia, this is his first published novel, I guess).

Unfortunately, it shows.

So, it's a fairly generic set-up with a Medieval-style community, humans vs. demons, good vs. evil. Blah-de-blah. As is obvious from the title, the primary protagonist eventually carves runes onto his skin to combat the demons and take a stand. As a concept, it's fairly interesting. It just was not very well executed. The pacing was severely lacking. The world-building was heavy-handed. And the inconsistencies in the functioning of this world are just overwhelming.

The greatest example of inconsistency concerns the handling of genders. Perhaps because it's his first novel, the author tries to borrow from (a rather sexist view) of history concerning gender roles. That's one thing. But only addressing the female characters in relationship to their reproductive capacity got old. Fast. One of the three protagonists, Leesha, is a young woman who quickly gets caught up in a sex scandal... and then never gets out. If all mention of sex and babies was removed, I don't think there would be any other female characters (okay, maybe the old mentor Bruna), and Leesha herself would only be in it for about five pages. It's baffling just how poorly the author understands women. But even this aside, the treatment of major social matters is just completely inconsistent. Everyone stresses (constantly) that having children is necessary because everyone keeps getting killed off by demons. Okay. Then throwing in slut-shaming for unmarried women doesn't make sense, since the whole point is to just have more babies. Then having almost every woman using contraceptives and sleeping around? What? I don't understand the logic being used here! Then there's the city with the social ranking based on being a mother. This is a pretty solid idea, given the necessity of more babies to eventually fight the demons. It's an interesting take on social hierarchy. Then they introduce the idea that these Mothers are even advisers to the ruler. Well okay then! Aaand that is... all. There's no further development. We never see the women in any sort of advising capacity. The one woman who is supposed to be in charge gets ignored and bullied by a glorified postman. And two sentences after introducing this concept, the characters are bemoaning having to go through selling off useless daughters and remarrying to different women for the all-important MALE HEIR! Why a woman can't be next in line for succession is never mentioned, let alone explained. All we're left with is yes, oh, how important these Mothers are and damn it these useless daughters! I think the author tried to throw a bone with this one, sanctity of motherhood, whatever--it just didn't take. He also tried when he said only women (Herb Gatherers are all women, mind you) were allowed to know the secret of demon-fire, since men couldn't be trusted not to light the whole world on fire. Um, yeah, since when? How is this form of sexism any better? Not only is it showing the ONLY independently powerful women as a bunch of scheming, suspicious, bigoted, man-hating hags, but it's a pretty poor estimation of the male population as a whole. In fact,the men really don't have it very easy in this world, either. It's all "protect this" and "be a man" that. You know, not every person is suited for taking on 8-foot wood demons, and being smart enough to know that means you can live to fight another day. It just doesn't make much sense. Half the population is subjugated to basically the status of incubators--while mussing up their feathers at the idea of single-mothers--and the other half are supposed to be super-manly male men who are called cowards for not entering a fight they, by the way, have no chance of winning without the proper wards (which they don't know). I honestly couldn't care less whether these idiots survive against the demons. Apparently they deserve it for being so stupid.

All right. So there's my rant about the treatment of gender. Then there's the plot in general. I understand wanting to give the characters back-stories, but by the end of the book the main protagonist, Arlen, has completely cut himself off from his roots anyway. Wouldn't it have been more interesting to meet him as he was at the end of the book, tattooed and angry, and get to wonder about how he got there, where he gained his knowledge, how he came to be so well-read and -traveled? In the hands of a more competent storyteller, I feel like we would have been given this information a little bit at a time, at appropriate intervals. As it is, there's no wonder. And there's no connection. By the time Arlen becomes The Warded Man, he's like... goddamn Batman. He's a symbol. And a little bit flat. I didn't worry for him at all, and he didn't seem to be in danger. There was no more development of his character. He just... stopped. If you had to use the woman as a plot-device, she could have at least helped show more of his remaining humanity than the fact that he liked sex (surprise!). But to go more on about the plot, the ending just seemed really contrived. It was like there was a certain quota of encounters that had to be met, and they were summarily dispatched. Honestly, by the time the final battle rolled around, I was feeling somewhat bored. And then there's the wards. Why no one would think to use them to build bloody roads, or rest-places, or ANYTHING to improve communication and travel is beyond me. Even if they had to do it warded-brick by warded-brick laying down a path, they had 300 years to accomplish it. That seems like it would be a first freaking priority!

What about the message as a whole? All right, all that it takes for evil to triumph is for good men (and yeah, it's going to be men in this series) to do nothing. Fine. I get that. Okay, then, Wardy, WHY the HELL didn't you share the fancy demon-killing wards you learned? It was well-established by your very long back-story that you thought sharing helpful wards (like ones that might, I don't know, KILL demons) was the only moral choice. You had plenty of Warders you knew, personally, who would have been happy to spread that information to literally everyone. Instead you painted yourself up pretty and went to have a ball all on your own. Oh, well done. Yeah, I'm sure the hundreds massacred every night wouldn't have wanted your wards anyway. You prick.

Yeah. That just about summarizes my feelings for the Warded Man. He's ultimately kind of a stupid prick. Leesha is just there to jiggle about and occasionally throw potions at something. Oh, and I didn't even mention Rojer. Because who gives a shit about Rojer. He plays his fiddle and demons get entranced. For no discernible reason. I guess no one, ever, in 300 years, happened to try playing music near the demons. Go figure. Rojer was just ultimately so bland. If I didn't have a thing for ginger musicians I'd probably be a lot meaner. As it is, the characters were all fairly forgettable.

So, in closing, The Warded Man... is a little bit of a mess. ...more

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Aug 07, 2011 mark monday rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-modern

The Warded Man is an effective, efficiently-written fantasy thriller, one with an ingenious premise: at nightfall, various sorts of grisly 'corelings' rise from the earth to slaughter all living beings. folks live and travel behind various 'wards'. draw an imprecise ward: you are fucked, and probably dead. the novel documents a society which may or may not be in transition to ways that more proactively and aggressively engage with this continual threat. the set-up is particularly effective in it ...more

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Jun 10, 2016 Kyle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

One of the most unique and engrossing novels I have ever read!

The Warded Man tells the story of Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer and how their lives end up intersecting. We meet Arlen and Leesha when they are only eleven and Rojer when he is only four. They live in a world ravished by demons every night. Humans are forced to live behind protective wards or die terrible deaths at the hands of these demons.

I have to admit it was hard to believe the book was over 900 pages long. The pages seemed to fly

...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review is going to be a hodgepodge – The Warded Man was such an unusual read that no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get my thoughts organized on it. Here goes:

The Warded Man was a mixed bag of emotions for me (and for most of my fellow Fantasy Buddy Reads group on Goodreads). The consensus was that it had a really slow start. Even though I found myself invested as early as Chapter 3, many were struggling even as far in as the halfway point to find their enthusiasm (if they even made it ...more

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Jun 11, 2015 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ Rabid Reads-no-more rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: angels-and-or-demons, creeptastic, kickass-heroines, it-burns-us-precious, some-kinda-magic, the-book-boy-is-mine, rabid-reads-reviews, fantasy, apocalypse-post-apocalypse

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

4.5 stars

One of my favorite things about reading fantasy is the brand new worlds.

Writing a good book is an accomplishment by itself, but in fantasy . . . the writer not only has to come up with a good story and good characters, they have to create a new place with new rules, new creatures, new cultures, new everything.

For an escapist reader, like myself, shoddy world-building can ruin an otherwise perfectly good book, but above and beyond fantastical, yet believable new ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Dana Ilie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Dana by: Moglan Radu

Shelves: fantasy

I was really blown away by this book. I heard about it, especially from Radu my GR friend, but I never actually got around to reading it until now. I’m glad I did. The Warded Man (also called The Painted Man in the UK) did not disappoint. This is the first book in a series, but oh what a delicious book it was.

What stands out about this book is the interesting world portrayed, vicious action, and strong characterization. The world portrayed is a world without hope. Men are reduced to a food sourc I was really blown away by this book. I heard about it, especially from Radu my GR friend, but I never actually got around to reading it until now. I’m glad I did. The Warded Man (also called The Painted Man in the UK) did not disappoint. This is the first book in a series, but oh what a delicious book it was.

What stands out about this book is the interesting world portrayed, vicious action, and strong characterization. The world portrayed is a world without hope. Men are reduced to a food source for demons and the will to fight has been lost. It’s a world that’s ripe for a hero.

This book is very action orientated; combines a hell of a lot of action, very good characterization, and interesting world building. There is also a keen sense of anticipation and adventure throughout the novel. If you like books like Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind and Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, you should find yourself at home in this book. This book is NOT a complex epic fantasy saga in the vein of Song of Ice and Fire, nor is it a turn-fantasy-tropes-on-their-heads like The Blade Itself. This is a more classic fantasy tale, but the world building, magic, and characterization are all top notch.

I found this world so intriguing. Especially the magic (in a way) system. I loved the idea of the Wards. So, each Ward serves a specific purpose. You have some that keep out demons, some that can make demon-fire into harmless air or water, and so on. These wards are painted on walls, on floors, and pretty much everywhere else. I do wish that they have drawings of the wards in the book? In the Kindle version at least, there weren’t any which I though was quite a shame..

The last things I want to say about the world are that I thought the religion was intriguing too, and the different cultures within this country. The religion was intriguing because a sort of holy book does exist, and they have Tenders in small villages to preach and keep a Holy House. I also loved how Arlen challenged it. And the different cultures were intriguing too, especially in Krasia, a desert city.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you up all night, I highly suggest Peter V. Brett’s The Warded Man. ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2017-shelf, worldbuilding-sf

I'm easily super excited about this book and have no reservations about flying through the sequels.

Why?

Because we have an immersive epic fantasy world that focuses simply and easily on survival. The world is overrun with demons that pop out of the ground at night and are only held back by drawn or carved wards. Life is hard and harrowing, and if you make a single misstep, you die. The three main characters: Arlen, Leesha, and Rojen, are given delightful treatment in this world, from their chil ...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Zach rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fantasy

A fantasy (secondary-world or post-apocalyptic Earth isn’t clear, or at least not in the part of the book I read) in which humankind is subject to attack every night by demons that materialize from the ground. At the opening of the book, the only defense people have is to huddle behind magical wards which the demons cannot breach (unless the chalk or whatever is scuffed or something, I don’t know.) Humans cower in their cities or individual farmhouses, and it would be really great if someone lea A fantasy (secondary-world or post-apocalyptic Earth isn’t clear, or at least not in the part of the book I read) in which humankind is subject to attack every night by demons that materialize from the ground. At the opening of the book, the only defense people have is to huddle behind magical wards which the demons cannot breach (unless the chalk or whatever is scuffed or something, I don’t know.) Humans cower in their cities or individual farmhouses, and it would be really great if someone learned to, I don’t know, cover their own body with wards, becoming some sort of WARDED MAN, hmm?

No one, I should mention, seems to have thought of having failsafe or layered wards, or maintaining warded roads or safehouses for travellers, or whatever else. Also the demons supposedly rampage about every night and shoot fire everywhere and have done so for 300 years but the opening village, at any rate, is in the middle of an idyllic forest with wildlife and trees and what have you. Again, these failures of logic might be addressed later, I don’t know.

Said village is where we meet our first character, an unsophisticated farm boy (novel!) who is constantly having conversations with everyone around him about how it’s the job of women to bear children and of men to protect the women and children. This was such an over-the-top Eagle Forum-esque understanding of gender politics that I thought for sure that the protagonist would Learn His Lesson once he met some more forward-thinking people (this particularly because the back of the book makes the point that men and women used to fight the demons together).* Then the extraneous and “gritty” sexual violence started and I checked the negative reviews on here and amazon and realized that not only are there are no twists or surprises or intelligent anythings in store for me here but that it gets WORSE than that and so I bid you fair ‘morrow, Mr. Brett.

* Even with all the gender things that he gets wrong, I’m so glad that Steven Erikson at least gets this right, because it’s depressingly rare in the world of fantasy. ...more

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Jul 25, 2018 J.L. Sutton rated it really liked it · review of another edition

What readers quickly recognize is that Peter Brett’s The Warded Man (Demon Cycle #1) has the feel of a traditional fantasy epic with something different. Part of that something different has to do with the world Brett has created (which is sort of medieval, but this is a world which has been blasted back to this state from a more modern era by the onslaught of corelings/demons). This is reflected in how each section is dated (AR-After the Return). Through this dating system, we learn that it has ...more

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Sep 03, 2013 Eon ♒Windrunner♒ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

You can get this book FREE right now from the publisher at this link if you have a US address: freebie

A fantastic debut novel by Peter V Brett that feels fresh and original, even a few years after I first read it.

This book is one of the best first efforts by any writer I have ever read, a real page-turner. The story is extremely gripping, the characters are easy to like and care for and the worldbuilding is excellent. I never found myself bored or dragging my feet and the ending came far too ...more

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Feb 08, 2010 seak rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: top-12-fantasy, audio, 2010

Not only did it rise above the hype, but the hype looks like an ant from up here. This is traditional fantasy done extremely well and with its own unique elements. The Warded Man (The Painted Man in the UK) is exactly the type of fantasy I love.

Goodreads summary:
As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise - demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. Sand demons. Wood demons. Wind demons. Flame demons. And gigantic rock demons, the deadliest Not only did it rise above the hype, but the hype looks like an ant from up here. This is traditional fantasy done extremely well and with its own unique elements. The Warded Man (The Painted Man in the UK) is exactly the type of fantasy I love.

Goodreads summary:
As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise - demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. Sand demons. Wood demons. Wind demons. Flame demons. And gigantic rock demons, the deadliest of all. They possess supernatural strength and powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards - symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and mystery, and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile...
Sounds great so far right?

All of this in a world that's fully realized and well plotted; you're almost afraid to go out at night yourself. Each day I couldn't wait to put my headphones back on and get back into this world where wards are life, where becoming a good warder could save your life and making a mistake could get you killed.

We are introduced early on-ish to three main characters, Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer (hope I got that right - no spelling on the audio for some reason). They live in three separate and distinct places and Brett does a great job showing how each part of the world deals with the problem of the corelings. Some tend to ignore them until problems occur. The smaller hamlets are constantly being attacked. But, almost everyone is on the defense and almost no one fights back.

Arlen is sick of living in fear and his dream is to become a messenger, one who braves the night while traveling in between the cities and towns to deliver well, messages, along with trade goods. This dream is only spurred by Arlen's cowardly father who's always taught Arlen to run and hide.

I thought Brett did a great job using traditional epic fantasy elements to create his own unique world. Of course there's a prophecy and a boy from nowhere who goes through a huge change, but the end result is unexpected. I was also entranced with the magic of the wards, which was very unlike traditional magic in fantasy and made for some great action especially toward the end.

When Should You Read The Warded Man?

This is the perfect page turner (at least I assume - should I say track turner?). It's full of action and really sucks you into a wonderfully imagined world full of danger and hope. I loved every bit of it, so I can recommend it for anywhere at anytime...but especially if you're in the mood for that great traditional feeling.

5 out of 5 Stars (Yup, that just happened) ...more

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Mar 14, 2016 Mayim de Vries rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Before I knew what has happened, this book had sucked me in, chewed me, and spat me out. Broken.
I expect nothing less from an epic fantasy.

Also in the Demon Cycle:

2. The Desert Spear ★★★☆☆
3. The Daylight War ★★☆☆☆
4. The Skull Throne ★★☆☆☆
5. The Core ★☆☆☆☆ (Actual rating: ZERO stars)

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Jun 03, 2010 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2010, favorites

Three survivors of demon attacks spend their younger years learning to fight the corelings in their own ways. Rojer becomes a Jongleur, a wandering minstrel whose fiddle playing can ward off the demon's attack. Leesha becomes a healer and herb gatherer. And Arlen walks the path of a Messenger. At least at first...

Wow. I have to admit I wasn't expecting a whole lot with this book. Fantasy in a pseudo-European setting? Yawn city. Imagine my delight when the book proved to be a breath of fresh air ...more

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Nov 13, 2017 Deborah Obida rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, fantasy, favorite-books

There's nothing I love more in a book than when it exceeds my expectations, and this book did just that. This book has it all, a great plot, amazing characters, good writing, religion, sexism action,magic you name it. The author created a whole new world that is broken and on a brink of being destroyed by demons. As much as I love this book, I have a few issues with it, I feel like some things were unnecessary because it adds nothing to the plot whatsoever.(view spoiler) ...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of dark epic fantasy

Shelves: warrior, hero-i-loved, medical-profession, heroine-drop-dead-gorgeous, monster-hunters, virgin-hero, owned-copy, coming-of-age, epic-fantasy, scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero

At times, I believe that humanity is doomed to destroy itself. Actually, I feel that way a lot, although it saddens me. Which is why I prefer reading fiction that is hopeful, or with humans triumphing over the destructive forces within them or around them. Tales in which the monster of the story is a fantastical beast of the inhuman variety, defeatable, even if it requires cost and sacrifice on the part of people.

I couldn’t even imagine living in a world in which every night, demons take over, At times, I believe that humanity is doomed to destroy itself. Actually, I feel that way a lot, although it saddens me. Which is why I prefer reading fiction that is hopeful, or with humans triumphing over the destructive forces within them or around them. Tales in which the monster of the story is a fantastical beast of the inhuman variety, defeatable, even if it requires cost and sacrifice on the part of people.

I couldn’t even imagine living in a world in which every night, demons take over, and prey on humans. Fear becomes the primary motivation. One’s life is lived around the rising and setting of the sun. The only thing that protects humans from the demons is the wards, which must be assiduously maintained. That is the existence of the characters in this book, and it affects them all in different ways. Surprisingly, despite this ever-present menace, people still manage to have their own little dramas, squabbles, and tendencies to treat each other poorly. You would think that human spirit would triumph in these dark circumstances? Not so much. Or maybe it does. You’d have to stay tuned to see.

The Warded Man focuses on three main characters: Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer. Both Arlen and Rojer lost their mothers to the demons, their lives and futures shaped by these ugly experiences. Leesha’s mother is like her own personal monster. She’s harsh, cruel, amoral, selfish, and scheming. Leesha has vowed to be nothing like her. She finds a calling as the apprentice to the Herb Gatherer (the healer of all diseases and wounds) in her town, a way to find meaning in her life, other than being wife to the man who told lies on her and ruined her trust and her reputation along with it. Her decision to work with Bruna, the ancient Herb Gatherer for her little town, will lead her onto a path that intercepts with Arlen and Rojer’s path, and it won’t be an easy journey for any of these three people.

Although this story started out slow, and I was dismayed at depictions of human nature at its worst, ultimately I was vanquished by this engrossing story. It was a slow conquest initially. I found myself wanting to keep reading, and after a while, I couldn’t stop reading. The demons were very scary, and their attacks on the humans downright horrific. The sense of entrapment, fear, and the lack of options in the face of a supernatural threat that seems unbeatable really got to me. I wanted to see someone find an answer. I wanted someone to step forward and to find a way to prevail against the demons.

People have been waiting for the Deliverer to come back to protect them from the demons. Will the Deliverer come, or will the people have to save themselves? This story might be about demons on the surface, but deep down, the real theme of The Warded Man is the everyday sort of courage. The courage that keeps a person going without losing hope, and giving in to the darkness. A very important lesson that this book taught me is that the hero is within you. You can’t always wait on someone else to save you. You have to save yourself. And once you’re ready to do that, you might find that you can help others to do the same for themselves and for those who are in need of help and who truly are incapable of fighting for themselves.

This could have easily been a loss for me had the story been written differently. Bloodthirsty demons preying and always destroying people, seeing the good guys never win, doomed to continually destroy themselves and each other, and unable to triumph over the obstacles that they fight against, has no appeal to me. But seeing people fight back, taking back the night and renouncing the power that fear can hold over a person, now that interests me.

And I have to admit, the Warded Man was absolutely cool as all get out. He was a total bad*ss, a man who created himself from scratch, and wears the scars to show for it. Together with Leesha, and Rojer, they make an awesome team. If I ever had to fight demons, I will call them in for my reinforcements. They are my kind of demon hunters. This story inspires me to fight my own demons in my everyday life. And that’s the kind of hopeful message I need right now.

...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Ace rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Hmmmm... well I get the feeling I'm on my own here given the reviews, but here goes:

The warded man/painted man is set in a kind of alternate future where after the age of science, the world has been thrown back into a dark age, where ancient elemental demons known as "Corelings" have once more risen from the earth to feed upon mankind. Man's only salvation rests in the magical properties of "wards", magical symbols that can be written on homes, and earth to keep the creatures at bay. The story Hmmmm... well I get the feeling I'm on my own here given the reviews, but here goes:

The warded man/painted man is set in a kind of alternate future where after the age of science, the world has been thrown back into a dark age, where ancient elemental demons known as "Corelings" have once more risen from the earth to feed upon mankind. Man's only salvation rests in the magical properties of "wards", magical symbols that can be written on homes, and earth to keep the creatures at bay. The story has three protagonists altho it centres mostly on Alren a young boy who's mother is killed in a demon attack and sets out to seek a way to fight the Corelings. Then there's Rojer, a crippled musician who discovers that music itself can be a weapon against the demons, and Leesha, a healer who learns that what can cure can also cause harm. We follow each character from childhood to maturity across a sizeable time span. Although adhering to the traditions of the hero's journey, Brett does a nice job of avoiding the cliches that a lot of epic fantasy books fall into, however the book has many problems that really detract from what would have been an - if not massively original - at least, very enjoyable and entertaining read.

The first and probably worst of these is that Brett's writing is surprisingly amateur and limited, to the point that it actually becomes incredibly intrusive. He uses endless adverbs in his dialogue tags (he said angrily, she said hopefully, etc) as well as an awful lot of "Arlen said", "Leesha returned", "Bruna snapped", "Steve went on", which are really superfluous and distracting. Brett's vocabulary seems noticeably small, resulting in naturally repetitive descriptions and unimaginative prose that fails to evoke any lasting impression. I lost count of the number of times someone's "eyes bulged", someone "gasped" or someone "spat on the floor". Sometimes there's so much spitting and gasping in a conversation that you wonder if Brett has ever observed a real conversation. In fact every time someone hears something they don't like in the world of the Painted man, they lean over to spit somewhere. Women, men, children... I'm surprised that even the corelings didn't flob at things when they couldn't get past a magical ward! I genuinely wondered through the first few chapters whether I was reading a children's book (which would be no bad thing at all), and when the first adult subject matter came up it actually seemed starkly out of place.

The second point, is that it's slow, and boy is it really, painfully slow. You can boil the actual happenings of the first 8 chapters and summarise them on a post-it note, in fact you can even boil down the entire dramatic content of the book and scribble it on an envelope. I find it immensely hard to stick with books that seem so obsessed with 'world building' that they basically end up being nothing more than meticulously crafted settings looking for a story. The Painted man is probably one of the worst offenders for this I've read in a while. Brett writes hundreds of pages of mostly directionless village based drama with characters who exist purely to impart back story directly to the reader. There's the continually inviting questions of the 11 year old Arlen to permit older characters to prattle on endlessly about the world, there's Hogg, the shopkeeper who wastes the best part of a chapter pointing out how village trade works, and the Jongleur, whose sole purpose is to describe some 300 years of history, which he bizzarely and very handily does every year!

I appreciate there's scope, but it's hardly complicated or broad and even if it were, you only have to read something like George Martin's: A Game of Thrones to see how complex historical threads and richly detailed world building can be seemlessly integrated into an unfolding story. Brett always steps way beyond the line of what the reader needs to know at that moment in the tale and what they don't, which cripples pace and really sucks the pleasure to be had out of reading the book. Also Brett always seems to be ahead of his action, often relating exciting or interesting scenes retrospectively through character chatter or paragraphs of narrative. There are great opportunities in the book for hugely dramatic conflicts, excitement, and drama which end up being watered to a trickle and it's so frustrating to read!

The third problem is characterisation. The Warded/Painted Man is populated with characters that are either so one dimensional that it's like being hit over the head with them or so contradictory that they lack any kind of realism. Pretty much without exception, they are the most unsympathetic, downright unlikeable cast of characters I've ever read. I'm still not sure whether this was intentional or just a result of Brett favouring the use of events to drive character, rather than the other way around. Shopkeepers are greedy, mothers are verbally and physically abusive, fathers are cowardly, downtrodden and in one instance even sexually abusive. Wives are harlots and liars, husbands are subservient, young men are reactionary thugs who chop wood and little else, and sexuality itself is regarded with a base disdain that Brett seems to continually impart in lots of really superfluous dialog about "bloodied sheets", "de-flowering", "slapping stomachs", "budding breasts" and endless insults about various things "between legs". In fact his uneccessarily detailed accounts of the the sexuality of young girls and lecheous ways of women is either purile or decidedly uncomfortable, and the entire thing is so utterly pointless in narrative terms that you wonder why any of it had to take up so many pages.

To me great fantasy always has a basis in reality. If you make the characters, families, societies, conflict, troubles etc as human as possible, you'll capture the heart of the reader. At the end of the day fantasy is just a setting, the human condition is universal. It's very tough to care about the characters in the warded man, because they're victims of a poorly constructed story. They have so little of worth fighting for and so little to care about that I found them impossible to connect with. It's that connection that what makes you champion your heroes, understand and fear for them, cheer and love them. The only flashes of such empathy I had, came from much lesser characters and even in some cases, the Corelings themselves. But unfortunately even as the protagonists are pretty basic and unappealing, the antagonists are like clunky blundering monsters from straight out of a computer game.

And this leads to the novel's main theme: The demons. The story basically has little to offer other than this constant threat, which is pretty much the identical device used in the film "The Village". They ring bells to announce the arrival of the night, they paint symbols on things to keep them at bay etc. Obviously there's a more to Brett's interpretation, but because this is the central conflict, it becomes old very quickly and the drama that underpins it is nowhere near enough to cause any kind of page turning excitement. In fact it's pretty much the opposite. And then of course Brett even manages to pretty much ruin the main dramatic twist by the title of the book!

I really desperately wanted to like this book - especially as I heard it's just been optioned for a film - and I thought that from the synopsis it sounded like it could really have something good going on. Clearly for many people it does, but personally it was a real disappointment. I don't think Brett is exclusively to blame here, and I think you have to allow a certain slack to a first time writer. He clearly has some great ideas and some desire for interesting characters but somehow they never really take form in a succinct, dramatic or sympathetic way. It's like there's something good here trying to get out, and with some refinement, reevaluation, or even a restructuring it could well have been, but as it is, this was a really unrewarding chore to read. I think possibly if Brett had envisioned a single story rather than a trilogy (which so many fantasy writers seem so obsessed with) it might have worked better. It actually amazes me that there's a quote from Terry Brooks on the front of the Warded man, when if you read Terry's "sometimes the magic works", Brett seems to be a prime example of all of the writing pitfalls that Terry rebells against! Anyhow, regardless of my disappointment, Brett is clearly onto a very good thing with his demon trilogy and I wish him the best with it. Sadly there was nothing in this novel to make me want to read anything more. ...more

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Aug 31, 2013 Terence rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars

Welcome to a world where every person knows what time the sun sets. Sure it's partially because when the sun sets is quitting time, but it's mainly because people are trying to avoid being torn to shreds. When the sun goes down evil literally comes out. Some call them corelings others call them alagai, but their name doesn't matter when they come out. All that matters is being behind the wards, well that and making sure the wards are fresh and clearly drawn. In this insane world three survivors Welcome to a world where every person knows what time the sun sets. Sure it's partially because when the sun sets is quitting time, but it's mainly because people are trying to avoid being torn to shreds. When the sun goes down evil literally comes out. Some call them corelings others call them alagai, but their name doesn't matter when they come out. All that matters is being behind the wards, well that and making sure the wards are fresh and clearly drawn. In this insane world three survivors of demon attacks stand up to fight back against their seemingly indestructible enemy.

The Warded Man was an outstanding surprise for me. I read the premise and thought it sounded promising, but I didn't intend to fall in love with it. This book captured my imagination and left my heart thumping every time someone stepped outside their wards. I read late into the night and ignored all sorts of responsibilities to read The Warded Man.

The book focuses on three protagonists Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer. We meet them all as children and watch their exploits as they grow into adulthood. Arlen is a fierce young son of a farmer who wants to see the world and is willing to fight the demons to do it. Arlen is also such a strong warder that his father trusts him with the families wards. Maybe it doesn't sound like much, but if a family's wards fail the family dies in a gruesome manner so his the trust in Arlen is significant. Leesha and Rojer's stories unfold a bit more slowly, but they are each incredibly important.

The world of The Warded Man is one in which demons have stalked the night for hundreds of years. The flashes of light and horrible sounds of demons slashing at wards are as common a sound as owls and crickets are for us. All the free cities except Fort Krasia have given up fighting against the demons and the people huddle behind their warded homes to wait out the night...every night of their lives.

I could ramble on for days talking about The Warded Man, but I'll just say it's an astonishing debut novel for author Peter V. Brett. I've already lost count how many times I've read this book.

My original review (view spoiler) ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Orient rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, killer, bloody-romance, hero, psychological, desperado, recs-by-gavin

This book turned my attention after reading a great review of Gavin :) I’ll try and put my incoherent rambling to match at least 1% of his great review.

My journey started when the author led me into the world of monsters that rise in the night and attack humans who hide behind wards, fascinating old times with herb-gatherers, jongleurs and messengers, who are the only ones who dare to travel far despite danger to bring messages and goods for exchange. Interesting for sure! And the symbols in th ...more

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May 29, 2009 colleen the convivial curmudgeon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fantasy, library-read, fantasy

I don't have much to say for this book. I thought the premise was interesting, but there was something about the execution that just didn't grab me. Like Sandi, I found it pretty preditcable and straightforward. Unlike Sandi, I didn't connect with the characters enough for me not to care.

The characters I did like the most were secondary - Bruna, Ragan and Elissa, Master Cox - but after they fill their roll to the main characters, we don't see them anymore. This is has it 'should be', as it were, ...more

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May 15, 2017 Em Lost In Books rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star, 2017, 2000-09

This book was sitting on my tbr from last three years gathering dust. I have decided to read at least ten books that are on my shelf for more than two years and this was on top of that pile. One of the other reason is that the author is wrapping up series with the release of final book. I know its foolish to wait for a series to be complete when I even don't know if I am going to like first book or not. But in this case I liked first book and I have decided to go ahead with this series.

A really ...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Jay Z rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

misogyny is common in mediocre fantasy. misogyny AND orientalism takes skill, which this dude's got. i am appalled at how many authors are heralding this as one of the greatest new arrivals in fantasy. i can't remember the last time a fantasy author offended me this much. oh wait. i can. terry goodkind.

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Apr 19, 2014 Will M. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fantasy readers!

Recommended to Will by: mark monday

Shelves: books-i-own, paranormal, magic, favourites, fantasy, 2014

First things first, thank you Mark Monday for recommending this piece of treasure to me. I've read another amazing fantasy novel! Your recommendations are always spot on!

I finished this novel in just a day. Need I inform you that this is a Fantasy novel , and I finished it in one day. It was that good my good people. It's near impossible to finish a fantasy novel in a day, as the length of any tend to make you finish one in 2-5 days. I'm aware that this had fewer pages compared to most fantasy ...more

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Oct 05, 2017 Maria V. Snyder rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a really good epic fantasy without all that dense worldbuilding. Or it didn't read like it had a ton of worldbuilding and the focus was on the characters, which is the right way to do it - IMO :)

There are three main characters in this story and it does take a little bit to get into it as the POV shifts from one to the other - so just as you're really getting into Arlen's story, it switches to Leesha. But once you get to know all three, then the story just flies along at a nice pace.

This ...more

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About Peter V. Brett

Peter V. Brett

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Peter V. Brett is the internationally bestselling author of the Demon Cycle series, which has sold over two million copies in 25 languages worldwide. Novels include The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, The Skull Throne, and The Core. Other works include the Red Sonja: Unchained graphic novel and the Demon Cycle novellas The Great Bazaar, Brayan's Gold, Messenger's Legacy, and Barren ...more