The Warded Man

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I can only barely give this 3 stars.



The world is quite interesting. A post apocalyptic fantasy world, where much has been lost, and the world is shrinking. Humans are losing a war with the demons who cavort in the night. The small towns on the edges of human society are dying out slowly through terror and despair. The Free Cities who depend on the raw products are unable to extend their protection further than their walls.



See, doesn't that sound interesting? The author is really good at setting up opportunities for himself to shine. He can focus on the small terrors and hardships of poorly slept nights, or the banality of laying your head down with only the wood walls between you and whatever stalks the night.



He could explore the frustrations, inadequacies and pettiness of the leaders in the cities, and explain how easy it can be for people living in The City to forget that anything important happens anywhere else(Yes that means you, New Yorkers).



He tries to discuss the difficulty of teaching hope to those who have lost it, but the big problem here is that this is his first book. At least, I hope that's the reason he couldn't build the atmosphere to go with his world. With just a little bit of gray, his book is filled with Black and White. His powers of description fail to bring the terror to life. His characters fall in love unconvincingly.



Now that I have picked on him, I have to say that the book was entertaining. It was imaginative, fast-paced, and the action was good enough. I'm having a hard time deciding if I will buy the second book. Authors often improve dramatically after their first book, so I think I will.



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