scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
1.0
I am so sick of seeing mostly men write high fantasy with sexiest/straight laced/olden times society's and this one took the cake. I am fed up of high fantasy being reduced to medieval fantasy, like thats a time I love to get lost in. The characters were either stupid or bland, almost every man was a rapist, almost every woman only cared only about creating children and having a husband which the men would give zero shits unless they brought in money or protection, every one was so depressing and stifled into one boring path of life. So yeah, had quite a few problems.
My fave character was a demon, no lie. I could admire the one arm demon and found him rather amusing. The book was gripping, it pulled me in fast and didn't let go to the end which is why its more a 1.5.
First the rape thing with Leesha. So she is going to this other town and because of the demons, she kinda needs an escort so she decides to go with this messenger. Her father offers to give her safe passage to the other town but she says no. Later, the woman who is supposed to be a mother figure to her, practically goes you know he's going to rape you right, saying something like he will have you, no matter if you want it or not. Then, why let her go off with him if he is going to rape her, like why the fuck would you do that? You care about her but you're going to let her go off with a man who is going to be a rapist.
And then Leesha is like, oh I know but he'll only get as far as I let him and takes some herbs that will make sure that he can't get it up, like what protection is that? Sure he can't rape you but he can sexually assault you and your father offered you safe passage but no, you rather go off with a rapist. If you had no other choice, I could swallow it but you did, you just choose not to go with the safety option.
So they're on the road and the narration goes something like, despite her struggles and protests, she had to endure his kissing and groping and when he couldn't get it up, she would comfort him. What??? You comfort a guy for not being able to rape you? Like, what the hell? And then, she says this line 'I am saving him from himself, she thought each time she dosed his food, for what man wished to be a rapist?' No, a fucking man can wait for one fucking week without having sex, it's not like you're the last woman in the world, he can damm well resist you for one week! So don't you dare say, for what man wishes to be a rapist? Um, how about the fucking rapist? He choose to be one so clearly he wished it so don't go saying that shit.
So anyway much later on, she has to go back to her old town and again the same situation occurs. There's this guy who is like, I'll take you and he's still recovering from being ill and is clearly one of the few men who are not rapists but does she fucking take him up on that offer? Oh no. You know the guy who sexually assaulted her, yeah him, she runs into him again and she decides, I'll endure being actually raped by him this time to get home. Like girl, you have another option, why are you going with the worst one? And oh course, this guy is the most impatient rapist in the world and wants it there and then and she's about to let him. So she tries to get out of it using words and it doesn't work and then she's like I'm a virgin and he laughs and is like, no you are not. And that is when she decides she has had enough and fucking escapes. Like, what is legit wrong with this girl. Oh yeah sure, rape me just so I can get home but the minute he mocks that she is not a virgin, that is when she gets offended? That is when?
It doesn't end there because clearly with all these set ups, the author is going to get Leesha raped one way or another. So she takes the nice, ill guy and the two of them are eating dinner and they decide to announce that they are travelling alone, with money and protection to a bunch of male travellers who don't have that and then are shocked when they are later attacked. So Leesha ends up getting gang raped, not surprising because we knew from the start that Leesha was one day going to get raped.
So after the gang rape, because it's not over yet, oh no. Two nights later, there's this hot stranger and Leesha decides that she is going to have sex with him because it only takes a man to get over a rape right? Where the fuck is the suffering? Where? Oh yeah, two nights of being upset that she got raped where she mostly hates the fact that her virginity was taken, not that she was in fact forced against her will but I blame society for those thoughts, not her. But no matter what society, it doesn't take two days and a hot man to get over rape, it is so offensive.
Moving away from Leesha but staying on the topic of rape- The world is made mostly of men who are rapists and the few who aren't, oh they are the heroes of the story, how fucking cute. There's this guy who rapes his daughters and sells the others off to the first man who comes along because he can't be bothered to find himself a fucking wife. There's wife's who have lost their husband being passed along to the nearest men. There's groping and men looking pervy everywhere.
If a woman doesn't find a man, she's going to be raped and then became an outcast because she had sex with a man who was not her husband despite it not being her fault because she was raped but double standards, who the fuck cares?
Actually, one point with Leesha, she has to carry around herbs to blind a man for a few hours around her hometown where she is the doctor who cures these men and then can't walk around her own town without having protection from the same men she helped cure rape her.
The way rape is used is horrific.
Now the portrayal of gender. Women can either be a wife or a doctor, those are the only options. All women think about is babies, keeping men happy and getting deflowered from the age of 12. All men think about is fighting the demons, rape/sex with their wife and not much else. I've never met a more depressing, oppressed, sexist, boring cast of characters in my life. They have zero life in them.
When the main character who goes from a boy to a one man killing machine in the snap of a finger, wonders if these people are even worth saving. My answer, not really, I mean why should I give one shit for them? They're practically lifeless anyway. Just fucking raze this world to the ground, I can tell you how many shits I give. ZERO.
My fave character was a demon, no lie. I could admire the one arm demon and found him rather amusing. The book was gripping, it pulled me in fast and didn't let go to the end which is why its more a 1.5.
Spoiler
Let's talk about the portrayal of gender and rape because it pissed me off.First the rape thing with Leesha. So she is going to this other town and because of the demons, she kinda needs an escort so she decides to go with this messenger. Her father offers to give her safe passage to the other town but she says no. Later, the woman who is supposed to be a mother figure to her, practically goes you know he's going to rape you right, saying something like he will have you, no matter if you want it or not. Then, why let her go off with him if he is going to rape her, like why the fuck would you do that? You care about her but you're going to let her go off with a man who is going to be a rapist.
And then Leesha is like, oh I know but he'll only get as far as I let him and takes some herbs that will make sure that he can't get it up, like what protection is that? Sure he can't rape you but he can sexually assault you and your father offered you safe passage but no, you rather go off with a rapist. If you had no other choice, I could swallow it but you did, you just choose not to go with the safety option.
So they're on the road and the narration goes something like, despite her struggles and protests, she had to endure his kissing and groping and when he couldn't get it up, she would comfort him. What??? You comfort a guy for not being able to rape you? Like, what the hell? And then, she says this line 'I am saving him from himself, she thought each time she dosed his food, for what man wished to be a rapist?' No, a fucking man can wait for one fucking week without having sex, it's not like you're the last woman in the world, he can damm well resist you for one week! So don't you dare say, for what man wishes to be a rapist? Um, how about the fucking rapist? He choose to be one so clearly he wished it so don't go saying that shit.
So anyway much later on, she has to go back to her old town and again the same situation occurs. There's this guy who is like, I'll take you and he's still recovering from being ill and is clearly one of the few men who are not rapists but does she fucking take him up on that offer? Oh no. You know the guy who sexually assaulted her, yeah him, she runs into him again and she decides, I'll endure being actually raped by him this time to get home. Like girl, you have another option, why are you going with the worst one? And oh course, this guy is the most impatient rapist in the world and wants it there and then and she's about to let him. So she tries to get out of it using words and it doesn't work and then she's like I'm a virgin and he laughs and is like, no you are not. And that is when she decides she has had enough and fucking escapes. Like, what is legit wrong with this girl. Oh yeah sure, rape me just so I can get home but the minute he mocks that she is not a virgin, that is when she gets offended? That is when?
It doesn't end there because clearly with all these set ups, the author is going to get Leesha raped one way or another. So she takes the nice, ill guy and the two of them are eating dinner and they decide to announce that they are travelling alone, with money and protection to a bunch of male travellers who don't have that and then are shocked when they are later attacked. So Leesha ends up getting gang raped, not surprising because we knew from the start that Leesha was one day going to get raped.
So after the gang rape, because it's not over yet, oh no. Two nights later, there's this hot stranger and Leesha decides that she is going to have sex with him because it only takes a man to get over a rape right? Where the fuck is the suffering? Where? Oh yeah, two nights of being upset that she got raped where she mostly hates the fact that her virginity was taken, not that she was in fact forced against her will but I blame society for those thoughts, not her. But no matter what society, it doesn't take two days and a hot man to get over rape, it is so offensive.
Moving away from Leesha but staying on the topic of rape- The world is made mostly of men who are rapists and the few who aren't, oh they are the heroes of the story, how fucking cute. There's this guy who rapes his daughters and sells the others off to the first man who comes along because he can't be bothered to find himself a fucking wife. There's wife's who have lost their husband being passed along to the nearest men. There's groping and men looking pervy everywhere.
If a woman doesn't find a man, she's going to be raped and then became an outcast because she had sex with a man who was not her husband despite it not being her fault because she was raped but double standards, who the fuck cares?
Actually, one point with Leesha, she has to carry around herbs to blind a man for a few hours around her hometown where she is the doctor who cures these men and then can't walk around her own town without having protection from the same men she helped cure rape her.
The way rape is used is horrific.
Now the portrayal of gender. Women can either be a wife or a doctor, those are the only options. All women think about is babies, keeping men happy and getting deflowered from the age of 12. All men think about is fighting the demons, rape/sex with their wife and not much else. I've never met a more depressing, oppressed, sexist, boring cast of characters in my life. They have zero life in them.
When the main character who goes from a boy to a one man killing machine in the snap of a finger, wonders if these people are even worth saving. My answer, not really, I mean why should I give one shit for them? They're practically lifeless anyway. Just fucking raze this world to the ground, I can tell you how many shits I give. ZERO.
novoaust's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first book of the Demon Cycle is one that I had read ages ago, enjoyed, but I never continued with the series. Hearing that it is getting an adaption, I decided to pick the series up again, and I am glad I did.
The Warded Man throws us into a futuristic-esque world, set in a pst scientific land ridden with demons that appear at night. The only thing protecting the dwindling population of people are magical wards, and that made for a unique and interesting magic system. The author did a great job building a world where we feel that humans are truly on their last leg, battling nightly for survival.
The story starts off following three young characters (Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer) as they grow up and find "trades" to work under. It was a slow start, but not in a bad way. I typically love the coming of age aspects of fantasy stories and this one was no different. Arlen gets significantly heavier page time than the other two (with Rojer having by far the least), but all three characters were easy to follow and easy to cheer for.
The worldbuilding and the writing style were the highlights for me, as I was sucked into the story right from the get go. The loss of stars comes primarily from the fact that the story lacks polishing and does suffer from some major pacing issues. I really think this book needed an extra 100+ pages to properly round the story out. While the story started slow, time jumps occurred that really hindered character development for me.
All the characters we watched struggle to pick things up and learn all become experts in their field at the turn of a page. The story accelerates rapidly and it feels like the reader just gets told that Arlen is now a master fighter, Leesha is a great healer, and Rojer is the best musician in the world. Everything that stems from this feels rushed. Be it the plot or the attempt at romance, nothing felt earned. The depiction of women in this one isn't great either and I personally hate when virginity is such a big theme in books.
Overall though, the magic system and world have me utterly captivated and I am now attached to the three main characters this series follows. I am looking forward to The Desert Spear.
The Warded Man throws us into a futuristic-esque world, set in a pst scientific land ridden with demons that appear at night. The only thing protecting the dwindling population of people are magical wards, and that made for a unique and interesting magic system. The author did a great job building a world where we feel that humans are truly on their last leg, battling nightly for survival.
The story starts off following three young characters (Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer) as they grow up and find "trades" to work under. It was a slow start, but not in a bad way. I typically love the coming of age aspects of fantasy stories and this one was no different. Arlen gets significantly heavier page time than the other two (with Rojer having by far the least), but all three characters were easy to follow and easy to cheer for.
The worldbuilding and the writing style were the highlights for me, as I was sucked into the story right from the get go. The loss of stars comes primarily from the fact that the story lacks polishing and does suffer from some major pacing issues. I really think this book needed an extra 100+ pages to properly round the story out. While the story started slow, time jumps occurred that really hindered character development for me.
All the characters we watched struggle to pick things up and learn all become experts in their field at the turn of a page. The story accelerates rapidly and it feels like the reader just gets told that Arlen is now a master fighter, Leesha is a great healer, and Rojer is the best musician in the world. Everything that stems from this feels rushed. Be it the plot or the attempt at romance, nothing felt earned. The depiction of women in this one isn't great either and I personally hate when virginity is such a big theme in books.
Overall though, the magic system and world have me utterly captivated and I am now attached to the three main characters this series follows. I am looking forward to The Desert Spear.
itkovian_books's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did the first time around, but the characters were still enjoyable, and the world was interesting. I think more time could have been given to the minor points of view during the first 3/4, since they take up a decent amount of time in the final 1/4.
The main factor detracting a full star, though, was a very unnecessary rape scene that occurred and then was kinda glanced over. Although I dislike the tendency to include rape, in general, I sometimes give passes to authors who at least focus on (without reveling in) the aftermath, long-term effects, and/or recovery of the victim. I don’t believe it’s something that can NEVER be written about, just something that should be written about with tact and care. To his credit, Brett doesn’t actually depict the scene, but the fact that he also ignores (for the most part) the aftermath just made it feel like any other obstacle. The only significant character-defining aftereffect was the victim character realizing that she shouldn’t have allowed society to place strong importance on female virginity, if it can be stolen so cruelly? But surely she could have reached that conclusion in an empowering way, instead (hint: she can just make the decision to sleep with someone she LIKES instead).
If the “grimdark” tone had been played up even more, I might not have felt so thrown off by that one scene. But the male characters never experience a dark or traumatic event on the same scale (in my opinion). I know that male characters also experience this sort of abuse in later books, but I can’t remember if that was handled any more or less tactfully. In any case it wouldn’t influence my opinion of this individual book.
To end on a high note, though, I really liked the time-jumping aspect of this book. Occasionally it made the pace a little choppy, but overall the author was successful at showing me a very large portion of the characters’ lives (especially Arlen’s) and by the end of the book I felt that I understood them all very intimately. I always wanted to learn what would happen next (I read the book 4 years ago but plenty of events still surprised me).
Rating: 8/10. Despite that one significant issue, this was a genuinely entertaining read.
The main factor detracting a full star, though, was a very unnecessary rape scene that occurred and then was kinda glanced over. Although I dislike the tendency to include rape, in general, I sometimes give passes to authors who at least focus on (without reveling in) the aftermath, long-term effects, and/or recovery of the victim. I don’t believe it’s something that can NEVER be written about, just something that should be written about with tact and care. To his credit, Brett doesn’t actually depict the scene, but the fact that he also ignores (for the most part) the aftermath just made it feel like any other obstacle. The only significant character-defining aftereffect was the victim character realizing that she shouldn’t have allowed society to place strong importance on female virginity, if it can be stolen so cruelly? But surely she could have reached that conclusion in an empowering way, instead (hint: she can just make the decision to sleep with someone she LIKES instead).
If the “grimdark” tone had been played up even more, I might not have felt so thrown off by that one scene. But the male characters never experience a dark or traumatic event on the same scale (in my opinion). I know that male characters also experience this sort of abuse in later books, but I can’t remember if that was handled any more or less tactfully. In any case it wouldn’t influence my opinion of this individual book.
To end on a high note, though, I really liked the time-jumping aspect of this book. Occasionally it made the pace a little choppy, but overall the author was successful at showing me a very large portion of the characters’ lives (especially Arlen’s) and by the end of the book I felt that I understood them all very intimately. I always wanted to learn what would happen next (I read the book 4 years ago but plenty of events still surprised me).
Rating: 8/10. Despite that one significant issue, this was a genuinely entertaining read.
mkhaas29's review against another edition
4.0
An intriguing start to what I'm sure will be quite the saga. I liked the characters and the set-up, though at times you wonder at the level of detail for some of the more trivial occurrences and relationships (i.e. Renna, or Leesha's childhood girl friends). But all in all, the world was built thoroughly, still leaving your imagination lots of space to wander. I'm assuming we'll get to know more about the time for Arlen's full transition into The Warded Man. That was breezed past so perhaps in future stories to come. The Leesha/Warded Man relationship didn't ring true to me. She is a strong-willed woman who chooses purposefully to settle for no man her whole life. Then, horribly she is raped three times no less by a gang of bandit travelers and at the same time the WM comes into her life for the first time. A mysterious, angry, vengeful, coreling fighter who is a closed book, but is willing to protect them. And somehow, in their minimal interactions only two days later, she's ready to have his child? What? She was just raped. She doesn't know this guy. And she's been staunchly resisting all male advances for years, and then barely without knowing anything about this semi-human being, she's ready to commit. Not sold on that. And even as the story unfolded in the last couple chapters, still wasn't on board with the fact that she feels he's the one for her. But I guess I better get on board because she's going to find a way to understand what he's become, etc. etc.
Aside from that weirdness, I found myself engaged and interested throughout. A recommendation for anyone interested in a hero's journey in a fantasy land with an ancient magic system with aspirations of saving the world.
Aside from that weirdness, I found myself engaged and interested throughout. A recommendation for anyone interested in a hero's journey in a fantasy land with an ancient magic system with aspirations of saving the world.
erja_fr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
its_tara's review against another edition
5.0
This book is set in a world where every evening, demons rise from the core, and basically lay waste to everything that they come across, namely everything that the humans build, and the humans themselves. The damage is especially bad in small villages and hamlets, where there aren't large walls to protect the buildings like there are in the free cities. The only defense against these demons are wards, which protect buildings or spaces against them. Once there were powerful damaging wards, which could actually hurt these demons, but those are lost.
The book follows the stories of Arlen, Leesha and Rojer, all touched by the doings of these demons in different ways, and each with something to prove.
The book jumps from telling the story of one to the other in different chapters, but by the end, they are all interlinked. It took a while to get into the story, and there are time jumps, but these allow for fantastic character development - the changes that the characters go through and their personalities are easily explained by these, and this is part of what makes the book so enjoyable.
I went into this book not really expecting too much, but I misjudged it totally. Having read this, I fully intend to get the next one in the series!
The book follows the stories of Arlen, Leesha and Rojer, all touched by the doings of these demons in different ways, and each with something to prove.
The book jumps from telling the story of one to the other in different chapters, but by the end, they are all interlinked. It took a while to get into the story, and there are time jumps, but these allow for fantastic character development - the changes that the characters go through and their personalities are easily explained by these, and this is part of what makes the book so enjoyable.
I went into this book not really expecting too much, but I misjudged it totally. Having read this, I fully intend to get the next one in the series!
joliendelandsheer's review
5.0
Review on my blog, The Fictional Reader
I’ve been wanting to read The Warded Man for quite a while. Not only because Peter V. Brett is quite a well-known name in the fantasy genre, but also because one of the books in this series was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Fantasy Award.
I bought a Kindle copy of this book a few weeks ago because it was quite cheap. Ever since, the cover has just been staring at me. Yelling at me to pick it up. So I finally did. I really, really enjoyed this book. It surprised me, to be honest. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did for some reason.
WORLD
With fantasy books, the world is so incredibly important to me. I need to be able to imagine where a character is, otherwise it tends to be very confusing. I really quite enjoyed the world of The Warded Man. At first, I was wondering about the ruling of the cities. Usually there is a king or queen, ruling the lands. Yet aside from the mentioning of certain Dukes, there wasn’t any mention of that here. As you’re reading though, you’ll see the intention behind this.
The book has a fun little map in the beginning, so it’s easy to see in which city or village the characters are at any given time. In this world, demons rise from the ground once the dark settles and kill anyone who isn’t within a warded area. This means that people flock together in villages and cities, which makes it easier to survive. There are little villages like Cutter’s Hollow (where Leesha’s from) and Tibbet’s Brook (where Arlen’s from). And then there are a few big cities such as Fort Miln and Fort Angiers. Each of these forts/big cities is ruled by a duke.
Because of the dangers during the night, no one really travels unless they have to. Yet not every city can provide for themselves, especially the small villages. Certain produce needs to travel, in order for people to survive. That’s where the Messengers come in. They are trained, and part of the Messenger’s Guild, and travel from the big cities through the small ones, trading for necessary goods.
I found this world so intriguing. Especially the magic (in a way) system. I loved the idea of the Wards. So, each Ward serves a specific purpose. You have some that keep out demons, some that can make demon-fire into harmless air or water, and so on. These wards are painted on walls, on floors, and pretty much everywhere else. I do wish that they have drawings of the wards in the book? In the Kindle version at least, there weren’t any which I though was quite a shame..
The last things I want to say about the world are that I thought the religion was intriguing too, and the different cultures within this country. The religion was intriguing because a sort of holy book does exist, and they have Tenders in small villages to preach and keep a Holy House. I also loved how Arlen challenged it. And the different cultures were intriguing too, especially in Krasia, a desert city.
PLOT
This felt like a fast-paced read to me. I felt like this book gave me both an action-packed experience, and the time to get the know the characters. I think that’s because this book spans over several years, and it’s told through multiple POVs.
So we follow each character for several years. This really lets you live their life alongside them? You get to experience every hardship and triumph as it happens. I really love when novels are written this way. It’s no longer the man with the mysterious past. No, you get to see what happens to them immediately, and watch them grow into themselves.
I was just captivated by this book. I don’t have much time to read lately, but every spare moment I picked this one back up.
CHARACTERS
As I’ve mentioned, we follow 3 perspectives in this book. Thus, there are 3 main characters: Arlen, Leesha and Rojer.
I don’t really want to say a lot about each character because the synopsis doesn’t either. If the synopsis doesn’t say anything, neither will I. I do want to say that I admire each character for different reasons. I love Arlen because he’s so eager to learn, and doesn’t just accept something because everyone tells him that’s the way it is. He’s so brave. I love Leesha because she’s smart. Because she’s learned to stand up for herself. Because she doesn’t give up hope or trust, even when humanity has shown her its worst side. I love Rojer because of his eternal optimism. He’s always trying to make the best of a situation. There are many more characters I love though.
I also really appreciated the focus on women in these books. Often when fantasy books have a medieval kind of setting, they see the women as less than men. As they did in reality during those times. But not The Warded Man. Here are some of the quotes I loved:
All in all, it’s safe to say that I loved this book. I’m curious to read the next books and see what happens, but I’m apprehensive at the same time. I’ve already heard that the sequels have many mixed reviews while the first one is more “universally loved”. So I’m a bit afraid. But I still want to see what happens to these characters!
I’ve been wanting to read The Warded Man for quite a while. Not only because Peter V. Brett is quite a well-known name in the fantasy genre, but also because one of the books in this series was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Fantasy Award.
I bought a Kindle copy of this book a few weeks ago because it was quite cheap. Ever since, the cover has just been staring at me. Yelling at me to pick it up. So I finally did. I really, really enjoyed this book. It surprised me, to be honest. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did for some reason.
WORLD
With fantasy books, the world is so incredibly important to me. I need to be able to imagine where a character is, otherwise it tends to be very confusing. I really quite enjoyed the world of The Warded Man. At first, I was wondering about the ruling of the cities. Usually there is a king or queen, ruling the lands. Yet aside from the mentioning of certain Dukes, there wasn’t any mention of that here. As you’re reading though, you’ll see the intention behind this.
The book has a fun little map in the beginning, so it’s easy to see in which city or village the characters are at any given time. In this world, demons rise from the ground once the dark settles and kill anyone who isn’t within a warded area. This means that people flock together in villages and cities, which makes it easier to survive. There are little villages like Cutter’s Hollow (where Leesha’s from) and Tibbet’s Brook (where Arlen’s from). And then there are a few big cities such as Fort Miln and Fort Angiers. Each of these forts/big cities is ruled by a duke.
Because of the dangers during the night, no one really travels unless they have to. Yet not every city can provide for themselves, especially the small villages. Certain produce needs to travel, in order for people to survive. That’s where the Messengers come in. They are trained, and part of the Messenger’s Guild, and travel from the big cities through the small ones, trading for necessary goods.
I found this world so intriguing. Especially the magic (in a way) system. I loved the idea of the Wards. So, each Ward serves a specific purpose. You have some that keep out demons, some that can make demon-fire into harmless air or water, and so on. These wards are painted on walls, on floors, and pretty much everywhere else. I do wish that they have drawings of the wards in the book? In the Kindle version at least, there weren’t any which I though was quite a shame..
The last things I want to say about the world are that I thought the religion was intriguing too, and the different cultures within this country. The religion was intriguing because a sort of holy book does exist, and they have Tenders in small villages to preach and keep a Holy House. I also loved how Arlen challenged it. And the different cultures were intriguing too, especially in Krasia, a desert city.
PLOT
This felt like a fast-paced read to me. I felt like this book gave me both an action-packed experience, and the time to get the know the characters. I think that’s because this book spans over several years, and it’s told through multiple POVs.
So we follow each character for several years. This really lets you live their life alongside them? You get to experience every hardship and triumph as it happens. I really love when novels are written this way. It’s no longer the man with the mysterious past. No, you get to see what happens to them immediately, and watch them grow into themselves.
I was just captivated by this book. I don’t have much time to read lately, but every spare moment I picked this one back up.
CHARACTERS
As I’ve mentioned, we follow 3 perspectives in this book. Thus, there are 3 main characters: Arlen, Leesha and Rojer.
I don’t really want to say a lot about each character because the synopsis doesn’t either. If the synopsis doesn’t say anything, neither will I. I do want to say that I admire each character for different reasons. I love Arlen because he’s so eager to learn, and doesn’t just accept something because everyone tells him that’s the way it is. He’s so brave. I love Leesha because she’s smart. Because she’s learned to stand up for herself. Because she doesn’t give up hope or trust, even when humanity has shown her its worst side. I love Rojer because of his eternal optimism. He’s always trying to make the best of a situation. There are many more characters I love though.
I also really appreciated the focus on women in these books. Often when fantasy books have a medieval kind of setting, they see the women as less than men. As they did in reality during those times. But not The Warded Man. Here are some of the quotes I loved:
“…Apart from Miln, none of the others give their women much voice at all.” “That sounds just as dumb,” Arlen muttered.
“Spare me the recitation from the Canon,” Bruna cut her off. “It’s a book written by men, without a thought given towards the plight of women.”
“Men are good for breaking and building, but politics and papers are best left to women who’ve been to the Mother’s School. Why, it’s Mothers that vote to choose a new duke when the old one passes!”
All in all, it’s safe to say that I loved this book. I’m curious to read the next books and see what happens, but I’m apprehensive at the same time. I’ve already heard that the sequels have many mixed reviews while the first one is more “universally loved”. So I’m a bit afraid. But I still want to see what happens to these characters!
cyyriellec's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
chiefhaole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
Loved the first half of the book, not crazy about the second half! I also didn't love the gender normative roles of the characters.
I really liked the writing from a child's perspective, and his parents impact children abd their world views.
I really liked the writing from a child's perspective, and his parents impact children abd their world views.