The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett (REVIEW)

An improvement on the first two instalments in almost every way, The Daylight War sees Peter V. Brett successfully pull all the elements together and really hit his stride. Don't get me wrong, The Warded Man and The Desert Spear were both solid reads, but the technique was a bit rough around the edges, especially in the transition between the two, where it almost seemed if the story had gotten away from him.



Much as he did with the second instalment, Brett casts us back in time to open up the novel, introducing us to the back story of Inevera. It's a truly fascinating tale, perhaps more so than her husband's, which truly serves to flesh out her character and better definer her edges. Rather than transform her from villain to hero, as the opening of The Desert Spear did for Jaridr, it lays the ground for a more sympathetic understanding of her motives, and establishes her as a much more cunning and dangerous foe. Most interesting of all, we get to see the 'truth' behind her die casting, the unvarnished facts as she reads them, not as she interprets them for others.



In terms of technique, Brett does a far better job of weaving in her history while keeping the story moving forward, although I suspect that may be a deliberate move on Brett's part. It's only in seeing how he treats Inevera's story that we truly recognize how Jardir, like Arlen, had so much uninterrupted space to dedicated to his back story. That dedication, especially when contrasted to Inevera's more traditional telling, puts the two on an even footing, so to speak, further clouding the question as to which (if either) is the Deliverer.



In terms of the other characters, Renna proves that her heroics in the closing chapters of the second book were not just an anomaly, while also developing her relationship with Arlen in some rather intriguing ways. There's a desperate sort of happiness there that is entirely unexpected, humanizing Arlen even as he demonstrates just how close he's come to the Core. I wasn't sure about her role after the last book, and I still have a nagging fear that there's either a fall or a betrayal in her future, but Brett succeeds in making her a partner worthy of The Warded Man himself. More importantly, he doesn't allow questions of love and duty to blind Arlen to the truth, resulting in some surprising (but welcome) revelations late in the story.



Already a favourite of mine, Rojer really outdoes himself in this volume, earning himself a place at the forefront of the battle. He grows and matures as the mantle of responsibility settles a little more comfortably upon his shoulders; he makes an awkward, politically arranged, suspicion-laden marriage not only work, but become a high point of the story; and he even comes to terms with his past, as he's forced to publicly confront Arrick's misdeads . . . and lingering legacy. He's not the flashy, attention-demanding hero that Arlen is, but neither is he the meek, content to linger in the shadows, sidekick that he seemed set up to be in the first two volumes.



If there were to be a weak spot for me in the characterization, though, it would definitely be with Leesha. The drama, the romantic entanglements, and the teenager-like angst were just too much for me. The power and the strength that she showed in the first two volumes really seemed to be leached away here, as she began feeling sorry for herself and almost insisting that she be defined by the men in her life. It's a shame, because she clearly has a significant role to play in future instalments, but perhaps Brett is taking her down a few notches to that he can make her resolution more powerful.



The story progression follows a weird arc once again, with some early developments, a lot of waiting, and a premature climax. Fortunately, there's a lot of story between developments, with the evolution of the Hollow, the new application of wards, and the rather stunning theft (and subsequent enhancement) of tactics by the demons more than enough to keep things compelling. It's an even darker tale than the first two volumes, with stakes both grim and dire, yet there's a sense of hope that's entirely refreshing. Once again, though, there's an oddly impatient transition to the true climax of the story, with an abbreviated major confrontation, and a cliffhanger ending that is as brilliant as it is excruciatingly painful.



Compelling, exciting, and thoroughly entertaining, The Daylight War is certain to please fans of the first two books. Even if it doesn't quite tell the story I expected, and denies us the fight we most desire until the very end, it's still a beautiful piece of storytelling.







Published February 12th 2013 by Del Ray

Hardcover, 639 pages

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The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett (REVIEW)

Wow. As The Warded Man wrapped up, I thought I knew precisely where the story was going, with the ominous march of the Deliverer's army across the desert setting up the next logical chapter. Imagine my surprise when The Desert Spear opened not with their march, and not with the Painted Man's journey, but with the introduction of a new class of demon. Peter V. Brett raises the stakes right from page one, exposing us to a hierarchy of cold, calculating princes and sinister mimics within the demon ranks. It takes a while before we make our way back to this new threat, but it makes for a climactic ending that puts many similar novels to shame.



As if that weren't enough of a shock to system, Brett takes the bold step of rewinding matters to the opening chronology of the first novel, and then switching the dominant focus from Arlen (the Painted Man) to Jardir (the Deliver). We get to re-experience much of their relationship, this time from the other side, providing deeper insights into just who Jardir is, and what made him the kind of man who could so coldly put duty and destiny before comradeship. Like I said, it's a bold move, establishing him as a protagonist in his own right, rather than just the villain he seemed set up to be in the first book. It took me a while to settle into his world, anxious as I was to get on with the story, but I really appreciate the way in which it creates a conflicted sense of loyalty for the author, the reader, and the characters.



Jardir's opening arc ends with the first stage of his Northern conquest, and that's largely where the core plot stops moving forward. It's another gamble on Brett's part, taking us to what we expect to be the main thrust of the novel, and then hitting 'pause' on the war. Instead, what he does is layer on the character development, bringing back all the key characters from the first book. If that sounds like a complaint, it most definitely is not. He allows his characters to mature, to grow, to explore their relationships, and to take on new responsibilities within a world on the cusp of war. Main characters become fully-fleshed out, with Arlen, Leesha, Rojer, and Jardir carrying the weight of the tale, but even the secondary characters taking on new life.



It's interesting the way in which Brett adds a political aspect to the story, offering us an alternative to war that relies on the tenuous relationships of challenged, damaged individuals. The culture clash is just as harsh as you would expect, and the ways in which it's dealt with are as entertaining as they are original. I truly appreciated how Leesha and Rojer became involved in Jardir's world, and the long-simmering conflict between Leesha and Inevera was a high point of the tale. It's not just a culture clash between the North and the South, however, but between those who would fight and those who would hide. In taking his wards to the people, the Painted Man demands that they prove themselves up to the challenge of making use of those wards. It's a journey that ultimately leads him back to Renna, with their relationship forged anew, contributing to an ending that's as dark and dangerous as it is exciting.



At this point, I'm not entirely sure what to expect with The Daylight War, given the ways in which Brett so surprised me with the transition between the first two volumes. I do know that I'm far more invested in the characters than I was in the first volume, and that the revelations regarding demon hierarchies has me intrigued to see where he's taking the story next. The Demon Cycle is quickly proving to be a favourite of mine, with the back-to-back-to-back journey between books precisely the kind of exhilarating ride I always envy in readers who are new to a series.









Published March 1st 2011 by Del Rey

Paperback, 638 pages

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The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett (REVIEW)

Despite my best intentions, I seemed to spend more time adding to my TBR pile last year than actually reading any of the books on it. This was particularly true of series reads, where there were just too many literary commitments to chose from. So, for 2013, I've decided to target those series with upcoming instalments during the first half of the year.



First up is the The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett.



While my tastes in fantasy generally run more towards epic than heroic, everything I'd heard about The Warded Man intrigued me. It almost sounded post-apocalyptic, with its demons rising after night, villagers trapped behind their own wards, and a lost history of fighting back. I was a bit wary of the whole coming-of-age element but, again, I'd read enough reviews to be assured that it was handled quickly and well, with the main characters developing and maturing significantly over the course of the novel.



Once I settled on it for my first series read of the year, I found myself hooked right from the first chapter. Brett's writing style is crisp and efficient, but also elegant in its own way. There's a voice there that pulled me in and invited me to take a seat behind the warded door and listen to a story. More than that, there was a depth of emotion to the telling, surprising me with how quickly I found myself invested in the fate of this new world, and sincerely concerned about the demonic threat presented by the corelings.



It was clearly early on, even without reading the cover blurbs for the rest of the series, that Arlen was destined to be the hero of the tale. Here is a boy who is bold, brave, and defiant to the dangers around him, one who cannot understand why humanity is content to hide away each night, rather than confront the demons. He is still a child, however, innocent and vulnerable to the cruelties of the world. I quite liked the way Brett built up his character, establishing both his motives and his potential for the future.



While I was less clear on how they'd fit into the overall story arc, Leesha and Rojer immediately stood out as characters worthy of a place in the telling. In each case, they're as much defined by the people around them as by themselves, but Brett does a great job of giving all his characters a personality and a backstory, creating a necessary sense of community. There were times where I feared Leesha might prove to be too stubborn or obstinate, falling on the exasperating side of independent, and that Rojer might prove to be too damaged by his past, falling on the sword of self-pity, but their development within this first volume was entirely satisfying.



On the surface, the settings of the tale are largely generic, consisting of medieval type villages, towns, castles, and desert fortresses, but they're detailed enough to take shape in the reader's eye. We get a hint of the political landscape, of class wars within the cities, and of pragmatic racism in the desert. Beneath the surface, however, is where the tale really comes alive, with significant potential for the rest of the series. Arlen's delving into the depths of ancient ruins, raiding the tombs for weapons and wards, was a very nice touch, the elaborate sewer-like pathways for trapping corelings in the desert was a great set-piece, and the tantalizing hint of what might exist within the core itself certainly has me intrigued.



If I were to have one complaint about this first volume, it's that going into the last part of the novel the story really seems to jump in terms of timing and tone. It almost felt as if I were reading two different books. It may not have been so noticeable had the jump come at the halfway mark, but that late in the story it almost felt as if Brett were impatient to move on. Regardless, I liked the new direction he took in the final chapters, resolving some elements of the story, moving others ahead, and setting up some new elements at the same time. It was one of the more exciting, climactic wrap-ups to a story I've read in quite some time, with all the characters contributing to an escalation that felt natural and welcome, as opposed to being forced upon the story. More than that, where so many other reads falter in the finale, it lived up to the expectations of the story before it.



Overall, I was certainly impressed. I can't think of any point where the story lagged, and there's no character or plot element that stands out as being unnecessary or mishandled. The magic of the wards is simple, but effective, and I like the idea of so many being lost or held secret. As for the battle scenes, they are very well done - action-packed, frantic, imaginative, but grounded in plausibility (even when magic is involved). As a self-contained story, this first volume works well, and the final scenes are perfect for teasing the next volume, without negating the end of the first. With an ARC of The Daylight War awaiting, I will definitely be moving onto The Desert Spear next.

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