The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett

The Painted Man (The Demon Cycle, #1)

by Peter V. Brett

The stunning debut fantasy novel from author Peter V. Brett.

The Painted Man, book one of the Demon Cycle, is a captivating and thrilling fantasy adventure, pulling the reader into a world of demons, darkness and heroes.

Sometimes there is very good reason to be afraid of the darkā€¦

Eleven-year-old Arlen lives with his parents on their small farmstead, half a day's ride from the isolated hamlet of Tibbet's Brook.

As dusk falls upon Arlen's world, a strange mist rises from the ground; a mist that promises a violent death to any foolish enough to brave the coming darkness, for hungry corelings - demons that cannot be harmed by mortal weapons - materialize from the vapours to feed on the living. As the sun sets, people have no choice but to take shelter behind magical wards and pray that their protection holds until the creatures dissolve with the first signs of dawn.

When Arlen's life is shattered by the demon plague, he is forced to see that it is fear, rather than the demons, which truly cripples humanity. Believing that there is more to his world than to live in constant fear, he must risk leaving the safety of his wards to discover a different path.

In the small town of Cutter's Hollow, Leesha's perfect future is destroyed by betrayal and a simple lie. Publicly shamed, she is reduced to gathering herbs and tending an old woman more fearsome than the corelings. Yet in her disgrace, she becomes the guardian of dangerous ancient knowledge.

Orphaned and crippled in a demon attack, young Rojer takes solace in mastering the musical arts of a Jongleur, only to learn that his unique talent gives him unexpected power over the night.

Together, these three young people will offer humanity a last, fleeting chance of survival.

Reviewed by elysium on

3 of 5 stars

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3.5 stars

In Arlen's world there is demons, or corelings as they're called, who rises from the ground when the darkness falls. People try to protect their homes with wards and hoping the wards hold during the night.

Arlen lives with his parents at a small village when the village is attacked by the demons. When his mother is severly wounded and his father stays behind the safety of the wards watching, Arlen starts to wonder why people won't fight back and thinks that there must be some way to fight.
Arlen is disappointed in his father's cowardice and leaves his home to discover a way to learn to fight.

The book is also told from Leesha's and Rojer's point of view. Leesha becomes a herb gatherer, healer, and Rojer becomes jongleur after his village is attacked.

We get to know Arlen from young age and see him grow to a very determined, or obsessed, man. Fighting corelings becomes his whole life whic borders on obsession. He loathes his father and the people who are too afraid to fight but I could understand why they were afraid. Sometimes I wished he had just little more understanding with those.

I liked Leesha who was smart and had courage but why must every man want to bed her? And the romance part just came out of the blue. And I just don't believe someone recovers from rape that soon and then soon after has sex in the mud with near complete stranger.

But I did enjoy the book and it left me wondering what happens next. I'm definitely reading the next book!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 20 August, 2011: Finished reading
  • 20 August, 2011: Reviewed