The Warded Man: Book One of The Demon Cycle (Demon Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Peter V. Brett (Author)

Book Description

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 this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Brett's debut builds slowly and grimly on a classic high fantasy framework of black-and-white morality and bloodshed. Young Arlen battles demons to save his mother while his father watches in terror; when his mother dies, Arlen runs away. Leesha leaves her village to work in the city hospital of Angiers after her betrothed claims to have taken her virginity. Jongleur Arrick Sweetsong saved himself from demons at the expense of a female friend, but he honors her last request and raises her son, Rojer, as his apprentice. Only near the end do the three strands of the story begin to intertwine. With its nameless enemies that exist only to kill, Brett's gritty tale will appeal to those who tire of sympathetic villains and long for old-school orc massacres. (Mar.)
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—In his debut novel, Brett catapults readers into a world in which demons rise at night and the human population lives in fear and seclusion. Only those who brave the unsheltered night and survive see what lies beyond their birth town or city. The setting itself is spare and underdeveloped with the focus instead being on the flawed heroes of the tale. Brett spends a majority of the novel—the first of a series—establishing the backstories of the main characters, three humans who come from different towns and backgrounds and are thrown into the battle at a young age. Readers are held in suspense until the three finally meet. Brett uses the demons and magic to examine issues prevalent in our own society, such as religion versus science. The book is captivating and well written, quickly drawing readers in. The Warded Man is a must-read for anyone looking for a new fantasy world to explore.—Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1483 KB
• Print Length: 432 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (March 10, 2009)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001NLL6QW
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,781 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #1 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Dark Fantasy
  • #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Dark Fantasy
  • #87 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 140 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A new classic June 26, 2009

By Rich Gubitosi

Format:Hardcover

Not since Mistborn have I been so captivated by a story and charmed by its setting. The Warded Man is an impressive debut and probably my favorite book of 2009 in any genre. If Peter Brett continues to write this way, he will need to clear space on his mantle for awards.

The Warded Man is about Arlen, a villager who must survive in a grim fantasy world ravaged by demons at night. His character arc propels the narrative once he realizes that survival is not enough. Two other characters eventually join him in his exploits against the demons: Rojer and Leesha. I like how they are regular people--too many fantasies deal with long-lost princes, wizards, queens, and knights. The best thing I can say about the three main characters is that I cared about them. Since the author takes his time developing them from children to adults, you almos feel like you are growing up alongside them. When they suffer, you will cringe, but when they excel, you will cheer.

The author's depiction of village age is authentic and folksy. Everything feels right--the gossip, the neighborliness, the barter, the sense of feeling apart from the other villages and cities. The world is dangerous, and not everyone gets along, but people set aside their differences when the demons strike. Later in the novel, the author describes city life just as well as village life, especially once Arlen reaches Krasia, a hub of a warrior society with Arabic influences.

The novel packs action, adventure, romance, and substance. I like how it considers the nature of heroism, the futility of passivity, and even the plight of women. The scenes of combat between man and demon are gratifying, and the one romantic scene is heady with tenderness and passion. The author has a pleasing, crisp, lively style that serves the story and does not overwhelm it.

Like many fantasies, The Warded Man ends with a teaser for the next book. For once, I am glad that a book does not end conclusively. I am counting days until Brett's next book. If you only read one fantasy in 2009, The Warded Man is the one to read.

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars review 164 :) June 9, 2011

By Sarah Almahdali

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

With so many reviews typed up, I'm not sure that mine will be even read - and I normally don't write reviews at all, but this book was something else. I loved it for the first 2/3's of the book, and like other readers I wanted to give it a 5 star up to that point and I was probably driving my family crazy by talking about it too.

Pro's
- I love how the book was put together for the most part. There are three very different main characters that the author shares with the readers. And we get to see how they all grow up and how they develop.
- The writing style was really neat. Brett brought in so many different cultures, ideas, topics and perspectives with enough detail that readers could appreciate and understand them all, but not too much detail that readers got lost in the background.
- The plot (for the first 2/3's) was AMAZING!

Con's
- The last 1/3 of the the book - the characters that the author had spent most of the book developing did a 90 degree flip if not a 180. You didn't recognize the characters that you grew to love
- Almost every scene where there was a woman, sex or child bearing was the topic of conversation. Brett made it seem like a woman's only interest/purpose was creating babies or making men happy. I totally get why (in a world where human population is decreasing, you want to have more children) but, really, there is no point in kicking a dead horse.
- Leesha - one of the main characters. (SPOILER) She really emphasized the above point and I don't like how she "saved" herself for 27 years, then completely falls in love the another character, and gives herself to him, at the end of the story after having met him for all of 1 week. Her character was honestly really unrealistic. At the beginning of the story she was bearable, but in the last 1/3 I read through her portions as fast as possible.

As you can see from the lengths of the pro's and con's, sadly, I could not give this book that 5 stars that the first part deserves. I would recommend it if you need a change of story, b/c it really is an intriguing idea. But I just want you to take this note as a warning about the last part of the story.

55 of 68 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rousing Fantasy Debut March 10, 2009

By N. Bilmes VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Brett's debut novel is well-told, action-packed, and as addictive as any book I've ever picked up. The main characters are introduced to us in separate vignettes detailing the momentous turning points in their youths that spur them to become the heroes they will later prove to be. In the world created by Peter Brett humans fear the night, and seek protection from the demons that rise from the ground at sunset to wreak havok (which mostly involves eating human flesh).

The storytelling and snippets of humor keep the narrative lively and fresh, and while Brett's main character turns out to be rather humorless, the other people in the story are more than colorful enough to make up for that failing.

This book has similiarities to Elantris (the wards of power) by Brandon Sanderson, Mystborn (creatures arise by night) also by Sanderson, Robert Jordan's earliest books of the Wheel of Time, and a speck of George R.R. Martin. There is more humor in Brett's novels than those of the other authors, and the action is taut and frantic.

If you enjoyed any of those authors' books, or the writing of Patrick Rothfuss, you're going to love The Warded Man.

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#37 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#65 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#71 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#86 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#37 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#65 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#71 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#86 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy