Demons Rule The Night

The Warded Man
By Peter V. Brett
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (March 10, 2009)
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible

The Warded Man starts off as three separate but inter-related tales which take place in a land where demons rule the night.  Being outside after the sun goes down isn't wise or safe. There are many breeds of demon ranging from dog-sized to man-sized and larger, any one of which is powerful enough to kill a human. The demons don't travel alone, but like wolves and other animals, they hunt in packs.  While defensive magical symbols (known as wards) can be used to keep the demons from attacking, magic isn't the entire answer to the demon problem.

Mr. Brett's concept is enticing and his prose well written, his characters appealing.  I was hooked on page one and didn't want to put this book down until it was finished.  I became a part of this world while I was reading about how the characters survive, the primitive society in which they live, and, all too often, die prematurely. Simple things like infections, caused by close contact with sharp demon claws, are deadly because few know the herbs with which to treat such injuries.

The three tales entertwine even more closely near the end of this non-stop adventure. The low level of technology available to the general population and the even lower instance of literacy in this world are intriguing and bring another level of interest to this not-to-be-missed debut novel. I eagerly await the next novel in this brand new fantasy series, which I recommend to all readers of fantasy age 14 and up.

Note: The author has been collecting review links on his website. Among others, he links back to my review of The Warded Man here: http://www.petervbrett.com/news/#reviews