The Warded Man (The Demon Cycle #1)[August 6, 2025]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett starting on August 6, 2025.


Happy Reading!

[Nirkatze]

At Beena's Whim, here is the series:

The Demon Cycle
1. The Warded Man (Aug 6) (aka The Painted Man)
1.5 Brayan's Gold
1.6 The Great Bazaar and Other Stories
2. The Desert Spear (Sept 6) [link]
===requests made to here====
3. The Daylight War
3.5 Messenger’s Legacy
4. The Skull Throne
5. The Core
5.5 Barren

The Nightfall Cycle:
1. The Desert Prince
2. The Hidden Queen
3. The Demon King (expected April 2026)

Availability? Many have been on Hoopla...

[Monika]

I'll join with book 3 or 4 I think 😊

[Lenroi]

Hey everyone! I’m new to Goodreads and just joined this community — really excited to be here!
I’m a huge fan of epic fantasy, especially stories with rich world-building and deep, complex characters.
If you have any recommendations (or just feel like talking about unforgettable books), I’m all ears!

[Choko]

I'll be here 😊

[Felina]

Welcome Lenroi!

I'll be haunting the threads of the first 5ish as I just finished this series a few weeks ago. I will join for the second trilogy for sure.

[Beena]

Oh my god, I didn't realise there was another trilogy Nirkatze! I wasn't aware I signed up for this! Lmao :D I'll see how I feel towards the end of Demon Cycle as to whether I wanna hop on that straight away. ;)

[Beena]

Yay Choko!

Welcome Lenroi :)

[Nirkatze]

Beena wrote: "Oh my god, I didn't realise there was another trilogy Nirkatze! I wasn't aware I signed up for this! Lmao :D I'll see how I feel towards the end of Demon Cycle as to whether I wanna hop on that str..."

LOL I'm still waiting for you to feel like picking up the Powder Mage series again.

[Beena]

Lmao! Completely forgot about that!

Hmmm... I've gotta find the mood again... you've got plenty of books to keep you happy in the meantime, no?! :p

[Nirkatze]

LOL Yup! But when you do find the mood, you've got a second for the BR!

[Tom]

Joining in! Might be a slower start since I’m in the middle of some other books. But looking forward to following these posts.

[Nirkatze]

Welcome!

[Ann-Marie]

So I started and I have concerns (through ch5).....(view spoiler)[Is this how females are depicted here? Incest is best? Please rescue me from my rapist father and you can rape me all you want? I can be your new wife since you are such a coward your current will die(d)? This is giving me wanna be grimdark vibes like deCastell, is it like that? I wasted an Everand borrow on this too, dammit! (hide spoiler)]

[Felina]

Hey Ann-Marie. (view spoiler)[Woman are not treated well in this world. There is a lot of rape and disrespect. We watch our heroins rise above it but if that is a trigger for you, you will not like this series. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Ugh this just moved to the bottom of my list, I may pick it up again, I may not. Thanks for confirming though :)

[Felina]

No problem. It ruffled my feathers quite a bit throughout the series but damn, it’s good.

[Nirkatze]

Same... there is a lot of violence towards women, but like Felina says, they rise above it... there are some great female characters too, in all walks of life, and all types of people. It's just a pretty despicable world in general.... a lot of the story is the depths people sink to for survival, and climbing out to be better people--or not...

[Felina]

Or not…ha ha.

[Ann-Marie]

The thing that bothered me most was (view spoiler)[when he heard grunting (the father) and then cries of pain from the daughter so yeah, rough incest is not something I am good with. Like there was no need to include that, we already knew the incest was happening, why include even a secondary scene experiencing it? I am here for grimdark done well, this is not that so far. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Just started... I see what Nirkatze was saying about the worldbuilding premise being similar to Queens of Renthia, if you swap spirits for demons...

The blurb and opening chapters also heavily remind me of dystopian novels, since the plot seems to be about MCs leaving the safe areas to explore the dangerous areas and discover secrets (to put it all in vague dystopian terms)...

[Diana Stormblessed]

I just started. It’s ok so far but I opened some of the spoiler tags and now I’m scared. I’ll continue but I’ll do so hesitantly.

[Nirkatze]

There is a LOT of uncomfortable sexual violence in this series... it's not only towards women though... eventually I think they all get their just desserts, but it is a while coming... there is more than one castration in the series as well... a lot of trainwreck fascination. Proceed with content warnings.

[Marie]

Yeah there is definitely at least one iffy scene I remember but these things generally don't bother me much and the book was amazing otherwise. Can't wait to finally get into the rest of the series. I was a bit hesitant to continue last time because the first book is supposedly the best according to ratings and what I heard... But since it's so good the rest should still be pretty good regardless.

[Nirkatze]

The next couple books each start out (or alternate chapters--can't remember) with different characters' backstories, and that can be a bit jarring when you want the story to go forward dammit forward! Especially since they focus on characters that you don't necessarily like. More Leesha, Arlen, Rojer, dammit! But they're still fascinating. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where some of the review drop-offs come from, the new character POVs... Without them the world would be less rich, though.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "There is a LOT of uncomfortable sexual violence in this series... it's not only towards women though... eventually I think they all get their just desserts, but it is a while coming... there is mor..."

I'm about 1/3 in now, and it's definitely prevalent... the most recent/notable to me, was when (view spoiler)[the "boyfriend" boasted to his buddies about taking the girl's virginity and claiming her (all lies)... and it ruins her in the town, she has no interest in being with the boy after the lies, the mom starts belting her with a pricky belt/buckle, hitting her in the face sometimes in her enthusiasm... dad comes in, and some 3rd party stops him from interfering, smiling the whole time... (hide spoiler)]

This world is pretty fucked... real Anne Bishop vibes... without the cozy aspects really, to tide you over...

Just saw the castration comment... definitely Anne Bishop vibes...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

This audiobook has the biggest dead silence gaps I've heard in an audiobook in awhile... terrible editing job...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Alot more time is passing that I expected... Leesha jumped from 13 to 20... not sad... pleasantly surprised...

[Diana Stormblessed]

I’m about 40% in and I’m liking it a lot more than I expected. It did take me a while to get into but I’m def hooked.

[Sarah]

I highly recommend listening to the graphic audio (if you can), it is of high quality when it comes to listening to audio (it a movie in your mind). Don't have to read alongside a book. It will help if you have Hoopla and/or Libby.

[Nirkatze]

I did the Graphic Audio last reread and loved it. I was planning on doing regular audio this time around for a try, but if it's as bad as you say Iain, I'll end up switching back.

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I'm about 1/3 in now, and it's definitely prevalent... the most recent/notable to me, was when (view spoiler)..."

Man, that character--(view spoiler)[Leesha's mom (hide spoiler)]--is a prime example of a horrible person that you can't look away from...

[Diana Stormblessed]

Sarah wrote: "I highly recommend listening to the graphic audio (if you can), it is of high quality when it comes to listening to audio (it a movie in your mind). Don't have to read alongside a book. It will hel..."

I do regular audio. I can’t focus on graphic audio. I don’t know if it’s the ADHD but the background noise is too distracting for me.

[Diana Stormblessed]

Nirkatze wrote: "I did the Graphic Audio last reread and loved it. I was planning on doing regular audio this time around for a try, but if it's as bad as you say Iain, I'll end up switching back."

It def has pauses but I don’t think it’s that bad. Esp if you’re listening on it sped up. I barely notice it 🤷‍♀️

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea, I don't like sound effects in my audio... they don't sound that good if you regularly speed up your audiobooks, too...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "I did the Graphic Audio last reread and loved it. I was planning on doing regular audio this time around for a try, but if it's as bad as you say Iain, I'll end up switching back."..."

It's funny... I probably noticed because I listen at 3.5x speed, and having any pauses feels weird, since 3.5x speed is generally so fast there's no time to notice small pauses...

[Nirkatze]

Started myself... the silent pauses are pretty bad at the start, but I'm getting used to them. Otherwise the narration is fine. I miss the voices from the GA version though. Good characters.

Through Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[We've met Leesha and Arlen now, just one more POV to get introduced at this point... seen their childhoods, and the types of adults who populate them. Cowards who can't move to save their loved ones for fear. Greedy folk. Rapists. Men and women who don't know how to keep it in their pants. Abusers. The world has been made so small that everyone is out for their own.

We see some small moments of bravery and goodness. The town banding together to combat a fire--though that was as much self-serving as community feeling. Bruna standing up for young Leesha. Add her to the kickass grandmother list. Ragen the minstrel, helping young Arlen out, and arguing with the shopkeeper--but then, it was no skin off his nose, so we still have to see how his colors show in the dark of night.

We see our youngsters fiery to buck the system. Arlen, out on his own in the Dark, thirsting for a way to fight corelings. Leesha, standing up to her mother... and getting smacked down. But inspiring her father to finally stand up for himself and her as well. Again, thank gods for Bruna. With Arlen gone, we can't see how his words or running away might have inspired those he left behind--but we will. I can't remember if it's book 2 or 3, but we see the impact, and it isn't small.

There's a lot of sexism in the world that is horrible and disgusting--even little things like "who's going to seed the women if all the men die fighting corelings?" But feel like it's painted as part of what's messed up in the world... (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

I’m not quite done but I’m 90 something percent in so I think it’s safe to say I def loved this book. Unless the ending takes a drastic decline 5 stars for me. I was def afraid when I started due to comments but unlike some books *cough cough* The Pillars of the Earth*cough cough* I didn’t think this book had pointless, gratuitous violence against women that just read like a rape fantasy. I thought it all just showed how horrible the world was.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... things improved, for the most part, past the point I commented on earlier... until the brigands near the end, anyway... then more stuff happened and the book ended and I was like "I'm done?"... doh...

[Nirkatze]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "I’m not quite done but I’m 90 something percent in so I think it’s safe to say I def loved this book. Unless the ending takes a drastic decline 5 stars for me. I was def afraid when I started due t..."

I agree... zoomed through this yesterday, and while there's a lot of gratuitous violence in general, it isn't only against women, and it all shows how horrible the world is... (view spoiler)[The fact that both societies (Northerners & Krasians) are patriarchal doesn't help--but there are reasons for it: needing to keep the birth rate up because they lose so many people to the demons, ends up shoving women into baby-carrying roles--but that makes the women rebelling against that role more satisfying, and both societies also have structures of power for women outside those roles: Herb Gatherers and Dama'ting.

Leesha's rape scene is one of the worst events in the book... but I noticed this reread that the actual narrative spares the details. We appear on page after the worst is done, and "see" a bit in Rojer's memories as he's trying to get Leesha to stand up and get away... Compared to some of the authors we've been reading lately--(I'm looking at you, Stephen King, Alan Moore)--this was practically tame.

There are so many people who are horrible, people who do horrible things, people who are just stupid or unlikable... it makes the people who do step up really shine... and the people who are stupid or unlikable have opportunities to get better... Leesha especially is surrounded by some pretty fascinating people who start off horrible. And maybe even stay horrible.

I really like seeing Leesha stand her ground for her ideals even in her pain (even if I disagree--kill them all), and not long after holding her ground against her mother and other naysaying villagers. Arlen's line "You are all Deliverers!" is a great one, and the end scene--finally seeing people step up and fight, is a good endcap contrast to the opening with his father just standing and staring on the porch.

I also really like Rojer as a character. He's still so young for all he's seen in his life. After the time jump--after he drags himself out of the Krasian desert, Arlen feels like a different person. Or maybe it's just that we don't get his POV again as much in this book after that happens, mostly seeing him through Rojer and Leesha's eyes. But he's had the innocence burned right out of him at that point. No longer idealistically thinking he can save the world... he's devolved into just wanting to kill as many demons as he can. It's kind of a shame we missed that switch, since we see him regaining some of his faith with Cutter's Hollow.

Each of the three of them have a different piece of the puzzle on how to fight back against demons... (hide spoiler)]

We get a LOT more POV chapters going forwards, and it probably is part of what degrades the ratings... The core three here remain my favorites, and as interesting as the other characters or rest of the world are, it often feels like they just take time away from my favorite people. Future POVs include, if you want to know: (view spoiler)[Jardir the Shar'ka, Arlen's Krasian "friend" who stole the spear and left him to die. Inevera, his wife and a dama'ting. We also get their backstories, starting years before Arlen was born. Renna, the woman Arlen was promised to who they left with a rapist father. That POV is rough. Those are the biggest ones--we get others but I don't remember them as well... a niece of Jardir who trains as a warrior woman... a half-Krasian boy who lives in the wilds (MC of Messenger's Legacy)... the shaffit merchant friend of Arlen... (hide spoiler)]

[Tom]

My first buddy read! I am 25% through the graphic audio version. Thanks for the recommendation. This is a great book for this format. I love the three main characters and how they each have their own struggles and clear beginnings of good arcs. The world building is compelling and I love how the author explains things through various characters.

[Ann-Marie]

I got the graphic audio before it left Audible+ and got through it, I agree that the part that bothered me was the worst (view spoiler)[the rape was not as graphic as I expected it would be (hide spoiler)], TBD if i continue. I also got in the two shorts before they left Audible+, I liked the mountain one more than the bazaar one but both were good additions.

[Nirkatze]

I feel like the shorts fill in some of the time jump in the book... I definitely feel like (view spoiler)[pre-Krasia (hide spoiler)] Arlen is a lot different from post, as is (view spoiler)[Messenger (hide spoiler)] Arlen different from village Arlen. The shorts help fill in the gaps a little, and smooth out the character.

I think the Great Bazaar was initially supposed to be part of Chapter 16, but got cut for space...

[Tom]

About 3/4 in and I still like the story arcs of the three main characters. Arlen is fascinating. I look forward to seeing if Leesha gets some respect. (view spoiler)[ There seems to be a tension in presenting her as a strong, heroic character but at the whims of the world (men) around her. (view spoiler)[ I hope these characters meet up in future books. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

That's a good description of the tension around Leesha--and I feel like that description can be applied to a lot of the women in this series...

[Tom]

Agreed.

[Beena]

Sorry guys, I will get round to this soon, I've had some life things going on.

[Tom]

Finished it and Brayan’s Gold and The Great Bazaar. I like the series enough to continue, but have to wait until September for Hoopla to give me 10 more borrows. Will anyone here continue reading the series in order?

[Nirkatze]

I think a bunch of us are planning on continuing. Hopefully! Me for sure. When Beena joins us we can see what works for folks. Almost certainly won't be before Sept!

I totally forgot about the shorts! I need to pick those up.

[Nirkatze]

Burned through the shorts yesterday! Brett does a good job with them. Each is a complete story in its own right, and while there's some great worldbuilding info, nothing that is necessary to the books.

Brayan's Gold--a story from Arlen's messenger days. (view spoiler)[Snow Demons exist! Also dynamite. And I think the couple might show up again later in the series. I also like how it shows Arlen living the example, and people stepping up to the plate: the exiled lover originally not willing to take the plunge, changes his mind because of Arlen's words. (hide spoiler)]

The Great Bazaar--How Arlen found the ruins. This is a great precursor to the next book, which will have a LOT of Krasia in it. (view spoiler)[I love that this really showcases Abban--bookending us with his philosophy. Starting with the story of what his father taught him, and ending with a bit of a twist and a knife jerk at just how mercenary he is... friends are to be exploited.

I also love that the nephew is just as cunning--and they took out that former Sharum merchant. That actually is a big trope in the series... you end up rooting for horrible people because they people they're up against are worse, and it's satisfying to see them taken down... (hide spoiler)]