The Painted Man

Rating 4.6
16h 54min
The Demon Cycle
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Description of the book

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 dark…

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.

Narrator:

Format:

Length Audiobook:

16h 54min

Language:

English

Published:

27/11/2014

Publisher Audiobook:

HarperCollins UK

ISBN Audiobook:

9780007568413

What others think

Reviews of The Painted Man

Found this book highly enjoyable. Really looked forward to hearing it each day and can't wait to hear the second story.

Annette

Would really recommend to anyone who's into fantasy. I was bored of rereading Tolkien and Martin and was struggling to engage with a lot of other fantasy, but I'm so happy I gave this a chance. Can't wait to start the next book.

Angus

Good

Lauren

A well written and more thoughtful book than many, weaving a number of sub-plots into a whole by the end. A very heroic male protagonist and some strong supporting female charaters. But the demons keep a-coming.

richard