The Warded man starts off as three separate but inter-related tales which take place in a land where demons rule the night. Being outside after the sun goes down isn't wise or safe. There are many breeds of demon ranging from dog-sized to man-sized and larger, any one of which is powerful enough to kill a human. The demons don't travel alone, but like wolves and other animals, they hunt in packs. While defensive magical symbols (known as wards) can be used to keep the demons from attacking, magic isn't the entire answer to the demon problem.

Mr. Brett's concept is enticing and his prose well written, his characters appealing. I was hooked on page one and didn't want to put this book down until it was finished. I became a part of this world while I was reading about how the characters survive, the primitive society in which they live, and, all too often, die prematurely. Simple things like infections, caused by close contact with sharp demon claws, are deadly because few know the herbs with which to treat such injuries.

The low level of technology available to the general population and the even lower instance of literacy in this world are intriguing and bring another level of interest to this not-to-be-missed debut novel. I eagerly await the next novel in this brand new fantasy series, which I recommend to all readers of fantasy age 14 and up.

This review was previously published on Dragonviews. ( )

The character development was awkward. ( )

I am at the point where I choose books by strange authors at random from the Santee library. While not an illiterate community, it is a far cry, a distant shifting, from the opulant savory indulgence of a visit to the library in Seattle.

So I grabbed this book. And was happily surprised, after putting down a couple as unreadably bad.

Good d*** book. 4 star rating. I enjoyed it immensely. This review is several weeks after the reading, so the details are lost, but I remember it was a compulsive, happy, giddy to have found a decent book to read read for me.

If I see the sequel, I will read it. Demons and magic etc, yet in a fresh manner. ( )

I loved this book because they showed the characters as they changed and grew up. ( )

This truly is an excellent book. The concept is intriguing, the characters are appealing, the writing is brilliant . . . there are many, many good things to say about it. As a central character, Arlen is brilliant, especially the way the author develops him from childhood to adulthood. The other main characters, Leesha and Rojer, are the same -- at every point in the story you understand where they are coming from and why they make the decisions they do. That aspect of Brett's writing makes this a very relevant story about humanity -- human mentality, human society, human weakness and strength. But for all its philosophical depth, this book is still vastly entertaining. I would absolutely recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre.

I was put off by one part of the story, though, and here be spoilers, so consider yourself warned. Like other reviewers, I didn't care for how Brett handled Leesha's rape. Not the actual rape itself -- which fit with the setting and circumstances she was in -- or even her sexual encounter with Arlen after -- because it makes sense to me that after having her virginity from her she would reclaim her body through the act of choosing to give sex to another man. What didn't sit well with me was the emotions portrayed in Leesha and Arlen during and after their involvement. It all felt forced, insincere. Happily, this isn't a romance novel in disguise, and the plot moved quickly back to the battle against the corelings. I'll consider this issue a hiccup in an otherwise fabulous story, and I look forward to the sequel. ( )