Review: two mini-reviews of Messenger's Legacy and The Dispossessed

Messenger's Legacy is Peter V. Brett's third limited edition novella set in the same world as his Demon Cycle series.  This one follows a young boy in a swamp after he loses his family in an accident.  It's a decent enough story at first, even with a secondary character from the main series getting his own POV, but then partway through there's a big time jump to a point past the timeline in The Daylight War effectively tying this story to the rest of the books.  None of the other two novellas were like this.  You could read them with the series or not without any difference.  If it wasn't obvious before, it should be by now that Brett has lost control of his series.  Disappointing.

Rating: 5/10.

The Dispossessed probably doesn't need an introduction!  It's another one of the classic sci-fi books by Le Guin I hadn't yet gotten around to and finally did.  There is a reason Le Guin is rightfully considered a Grandmaster of the genre.  This book is full of ideas, analyzing and deconstructing both capitalist and anarchist societies.  There is some really brilliant stuff here.  Highly Recommended. 

Rating: 8.5/10.

Review: The Warded Man

The Warded Man
by Peter V. Brett


Format: Hardback, 416 pages
Publisher: Del Ray
Cover Design: Albert Stark, Lauren K. Cannon
Release Date: March 10, 2009
ISBN-10: 0-345503805
ISBN-13: 978-0345503800


For as long as anyone can remember, night has been the dominion of the corelings - demons that rise like steam from the core of the earth to take on terrible forms. For hundreds of years, the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards. Ages ago, mankind battled the corelings are equal ground, but the fighting wards have long been lost and fear is the only thing most people know.

However, three survivors are determined to change their world. Rojer was crippled by the demons that killed his parents and seeks solace in music only to find that music can also be a weapon. Leesha, harmed by both men and demons, becomes a master healer and a gatherer of knowledge. Arlen, the main focus of the narrative, will pay any price to battle the corelings. His path will lead him beyond the boundary of what it means to be human.

The Warded Man was published as The Painted Man in the United Kingdom late last year, yet the American title seems more appropriate as it is the term used in the book. The book is really a pretty standard fantasy with dark forces that prey on humankind and a farm boy who will rise to greatness. Indeed, Arlen is a bit of a “Mary Sue”, doing and thinking of things that apparently nobody else ever has before. Another problem was that the initial family dynamics for each of the characters seemed a little contrived to produce the characters that would be necessary later on.

Luckily, the novel’s early problems are lessened and resolved a bit as the plot advances. I admire the fact that the author cut across months and even years to keep the plot and pace going steadily. He also did a good job making me care about the characters. Although the three main characters aren’t especially complex, they do evolve a fair deal with Arlen experiencing the most development. Overall, the book was a good, fun read and I liked the world that Peter Brett created.

The Warded Man is a standard fantasy story yet it’s also an entertaining one and I look forward to the next book. Recommended.

Rating: 7.5/10