My third book review of 2019 is The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett. It is a fantasy novel. Peter V. Brett was born on February 8, 1973. He studied English Literature and Art History at the University of Buffalo. After graduating, he spent a decade working in the pharmaceutical publication field before settling down to write full time. The Painted Man was released in 2008, it is the first book in the Demon Cycle Series.
The Painted Man is the first book in a five book series.
The Painted Man is a story that follows the story of three P.O.V characters from childhood to maturity. The civilisation that these characters grow up in has gone from an advanced civilization to a civilization back in the dark ages, due to attacks from demons called corelings. Corelings are powerful beings with magical abilities and differing elemental natures, these include wind, fire and wood demons. Every night they rise from the earths core and wreak havoc until daybreak when they are dragged to the Earths core. The only protection the civilians have from the corelings are wards that are etched into wood of their homes. Wards are magical runes that can be drawn, painted or inscribed to form protective barriers.
The first P.O.V we meet is a young boy named Arlen Bales who at the beginning of the book is helping clear up after a coreling attack along with his father. While clearing up a messenger arrives. Messengers are men who go from town to town delivering messages and foodstuffs. When Arlen meets the Messenger, he decides that is what he wants to be when he is of age. He moves in with Ragen Messenger and his wife. While living with Ragen and his wife, Arlen begins an apprenticeship with the Warder of the town to last seven years. Arlen is discouraged by both Ragen's wife and his love interest in becoming a Messenger as they believe its not the job for him. Arlen thinks differently so he takes a job and leaves. He travels to the lost city of Anoch Sun and learns of the lost wards of combat. Arlen paints the wards that he has learned all over himself thus becoming The Painted Man.
The second P.O.V we meet is Leesha Paper who lives with her father and her abusive mother. Leesha's life at the beginning of the book is pretty much set in stone, she is already promised to a boy in the town to marry and have children with. This is scuppered when a vicious rumour is spread about her, she loses the respect of her friends and townspeople. She comes across the town herb gatherer known as Bruna and helps her after she takes ill. Bruna decides to take Leesha on as an apprentice to learn the skill of herb gathering.
The third P.O.V we meet is that of Rojer Inn who is only three years old at the beginning of the book. When he and his father go to find the warder to ask can he come to the inn and reinforce the wards for better protection. That is when they meet the Messenger Geral and his Jongleur Arrick. A Jongleur is a jester who can sing, juggle and play music. While the messenger and his jongleur are visiting the inn, a coreling attack occurs. During this attack, Rojer is bitten on the hand and loses two of his fingers. To save Rojer, his mother sacrifices herself. Arrick looks after Rojer as he grows up and teaches him to be a Jongleur. Even though Rojer has a crippled hand that does not stop him playing the fiddle. While he plays the fiddle behind the wards we are shown that the corelings can be controlled.
The three P.O.V character Arcs continue separately until The Painted Man comes across Leesha and Rojer after they have been attacked and robbed by bandits. The Painted Man agrees to travel with Leesha and Rojer to the next town to keep them protected from the corelings while they return to Leesha's home town to help the ill townspeople.
The book ends with Leesha and Rojer agreeing to go with The Painted Man to the other towns to help them deal with the coreling attacks by teaching them all they know about herb gathering and music.
I am very much looking forward to continuing this series.
Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
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