Book Review: The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett

Note: This book picks up exactly where book 3 ends, therefore everything in the review is a spoiler, including the synopsis.  I highly recommend the Demon Cycle series, because while there are some grimdark elements (rape, murder, etc) it also has something a lot of grimdark fantasies lack: a sense of hope.  In this way it reminds me of books by the authors I grew up reading (Brooks, Eddings, etc.), books that are now classics of the genre.  Here's my review of book 1, The Warded Man (The Painted Man in the UK) if you've not read the previous books.

Pros: lots of politics, lots of intrigue, complex characters, the last 100 pages will blow you away

Cons: have to wait for the next book

Both Arlen and Jardir disappear after their fall from the cliff, putting Inevera in a difficult position to keep her sons alive and off the Skull Throne, while maintaining the unity of the clans that she and Jardir fought so hard for.  Leesha and her companions return to the Hollow where she agonizes over what to do about her coming child, her growing love for Count Thamos, and organizing the gatherers.  The Hollow leaders are soon called to Angiers by the royal family.  Leesha, to help cure the Duke’s infertility; Gared, to find a wife; and Rojer, to introduce his Krasian wives to the court.   Meanwhile, Arlen has a dangerous plan in mind.

Get ready for deep intrigues and a lot of politics.  This book is fast paced and a quick read, despite its near 700 pages (which includes the ever helpful Krasian dictionary at the end).  

The characters remain complex, with tough decisions to make and lots of compromises between how they want the world to become versus dealing with how it actually is.  I loved the scenes from Ashia’s point of view, getting to know her and the other sharum’ting (female warriors).  Their training was interesting, as was the family politics she was thrown into with regards to her marriage.  I felt both admiration for her and pity for her situation.  Though I started to find Leesha irritating in book 3, here she’s back to the woman I admired in books 1 and 2, only with more responsibilities and harder choices to make.  I love Inevera as a character, even though she can be quite horrible at times.  This book made me again appreciate her intelligence and drive while pitying her when things start to spiral out of control.  Abban’s manipulation of power made him less sympathetic in this book, but his storyline remains intriguing.  The interplay between Rojer and his wives is so interesting, especially given their various abilities.

Unlike book 3, this one doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but it will have you cursing the fact that book 5 isn’t out yet. The last hundred pages or so really ramps up the action as all of the political maneuvering comes to fruition in unexpected ways.  This series continues to get better and I can’t wait to read what’s going to happen next.

*** SPOILER SECTION ***

SERIOUSLY, I’LL BE MENTIONING SOME MAJOR SPOILERIFIC THINGS,  SO IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK YET, DON’T READ THIS

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK

ALRIGHT, YOU ASKED FOR IT

The day after I finished the book I thought of something that’s potentially a plot hole.  After the Milnese use their fire weapons (ie guns) so successfully to defeat the Krasians I was left wondering why Lord Sament of Miln and his 50 soldiers, weren’t equipped with them as well.  It’s possible that the guns were supposed to be part of the leverage of the marriage contract between the Duke and Lorain, and were therefore kept under lock and key until that marriage took place.  But had I been one of Sament’s men, I’d have been pissed knowing our side was about to die because the higher ups wanted to keep the guns secret and/or used for political leverage.  Then again, given the forces they faced, 50 men with guns may not have turned the battle, so logistically it probably was a smart idea to keep them hidden until a more strategic time.

I REALLY wanted to comment in my review about how Peter V. Brett George R. R. Martined the ending of this book.  Those last 100 pages where so many people dropped dead was such a surprise to read.  But I didn’t want to ruin that for others.

Book Review: The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

Pros: characters continue to grow, several people get much needed dressing downs, lots of romance (and sex), more background on the dama'ting

Cons: several characters in Everam's Bounty have similar names, which got confusing at times, cliffhanger ending

The Daylight War picks up directly where Brett's previous book, The Desert Spear, left off.  The third in the Demon Cycle, I can't give much of a synopsis without seriously spoiling the previous books.  So all I will say is that you learn more about the dama'ting, from Inevera's POV as she grows to womanhood within the organization and both Arlen and Leesha return to the Hollow, much changed by recent events.

The characters continue to grow, with - and I loved this - several of them growing backbones and telling the interfering people in their lives to butt out while they make life changing decisions.  It was great seeing Rojer come into his own and Gared getting some much deserved recognition for his contributions.  I'm still not sure how I felt about some of Leesha's decisions but I loved seeing Arlen's relationship.

One of the most interesting parts of the book was Inevera's upbringing and her reasoning behind certain decisions.  You also learn a lot about pillow dancing, as most of the characters in the book indulge in it, multiple times.

This only happened a few times, but there are several characters in Jardir's court at Everam's Bounty whose names start with 'A' and who all appear in the same scenes, specifically Ashia, Asome, Ashan and Asukaji.  There's a glossary of certain characters and terms at the back of the book (called the Krasian Dictionary), but I've found using those with ebooks (the form of my review copy) more hindrance than help.  Context usually helped with who was whom, and the author tried to remind the reader of everyone's connections, but there were a lot of similar names in this book.

The ending is shocking, with a sudden cliffhanger that will have your cursing the fact that the next book isn't out yet.

If you've liked Brett's previous books, this is a superb follow-up.  If you haven't read Peter Brett and like well written fantasy, I urge you to give him a try.

Peter V. Brett Hosts Audio Contest

The contest will be to record the best reading of a section from one of the Demon Cycle books (you can read from The Great Bazaar or Brayan’s Gold as well as from The Warded Man and The Desert Spear). We’re looking for a fun, and enjoyable reading. You may make various voices for the different characters, but it isn’t required.

Go to the website for contest details.  The winner gets a "personalized deluxe edition of Brayan’s Gold, an absolutely beautiful volume. It is bound in white leather with the ward signs embossed on the cover. It also comes with a special dust jacket. This only had a print run of 750."

Desert Spear, Book Review

By: Peter V. Brett

Pros: excellent characterization, immersive writing, fast paced

Cons: some readers may not like the brutal realism of the narrative (lots of rape - though nothing is graphically described)

The Desert Spear is one of those rare books when the sequel is better than the first book. Mr. Brett really comes into his own in this book.

The plot (and if you haven't read The Warded Man/Painted Man this will contain spoilers):

Jardir, now proclaimed Shar'Dama Ka (Deliverer), has left the desert to conquer- ahem - unite the men of the North under his banner in preparation for the Sharum Ka, the final battle with the demons.

Through flashbacks we get to learn how Jardir progressed to his current position, creating a sympathetic, though still brutal, antagonist. And if you don't like realism in your fantasy (rape, bullying, etc.) you won't like this.

Meanwhile, Arlen, going solely by the name 'the Warded Man', tries to ally the northern nations to fight against Jardir's forces. During this mission he encounters many people he hasn't seen since his childhood, meetings that cause him to question the decisions he has made. And though others hail him as their deliverer, he has no desire to take on that role.

Finally, we are reintroduced to Renna Tanner, whose father Harl became too friendly with his daughters after his wife's death. Her story is quite horrific.

Mr. Brett's characters are fascinating, and remain complete people, each with good and bad points. Even Leesha, Deliverer's Hollow's herb gatherer who, under a different author would be insufferably perfect, is written so well you like her despite her many many abilities. Each character's story is interesting and heartbreaking in its own way. In fact, I wanted to skim by the (well-written) fight scenes just to get back to the character based storylines, they were so good.

The demons get nastier, with a new breed introduced who are watching the two potential deliverers.

Final verdict: read these books. Peter Brett's one of the best new epic fantasy writers around.

The Warded Man - Peter V. Brett

The Warded Man (called The Painted Man in Britain) is told from three character's viewpoints.

There's Arlen, who's tired of hiding from the demons that rise from the ground each night, battering the wards (magic that keeps them at bay but which fail all too frequently). He wants to bring the fight to the demons but all the offensive wards were lost centuries ago.

Then there's thirteen year old Leesha, who's ecstatic at the thought of marrying Gared, until one lie from him destroys her trust and propels her towards a very different goal in life.

Finally there's Rojer, trained to be a minstrel, required by circumstance to travel beyond the free cities, but due to a horrific childhood memory, terrified of being outside at night where the demons are not kept away by stout walls as well as the warding.

As the characters age, they are each propelled towards very different destinies than they once believed. And when their paths cross at the end of the book, things REALLY get interesting.

The writing is incredible. Fast action sequences alternate with stretches of introspection, so you feel you really know the characters - both the good and the bad - and what they're working towards. The world is written with such detail that you can almost step right into it. The Warded Man is an epic novel that comes up with a lot of fresh ideas. An excellent read.