Peter V. Brett is the internationally bestselling author of the Demon Cycle series, which has sold more than 2.5 million copies in twenty-five languages worldwide. The novels in the series are The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, The Skull Throne, and The Core. He spends too much time on the Internet, but occasionally unplugs to practice kickboxing and dad fu. He lives in Manhattan.
Brett's debut builds slowly and grimly on a classic high fantasy framework of black-and-white morality and bloodshed. Young Arlen battles demons to save his mother while his father watches in terror; when his mother dies, Arlen runs away. Leesha leaves her village to work in the city hospital of Angiers after her betrothed claims to have taken her virginity. Jongleur Arrick Sweetsong saved himself from demons at the expense of a female friend, but he honors her last request and raises her son, Rojer, as his apprentice. Only near the end do the three strands of the story begin to intertwine. With its nameless enemies that exist only to kill, Brett's gritty tale will appeal to those who tire of sympathetic villains and long for old-school orc massacres. -Publishers Weekly I enjoyed The Warded Man immensely. There is much to admire in Peter Brett's writing, and his concept is brilliant. There's action and suspense all the way, plus he made me care about his characters and want to know what's going to happen next. -Terry Brooks The Warded Man works not only as a great adventure novel but also as a reflection on the nature of heroism. -Charlaine Harris An absolute masterpiece . . . The novel [is] literally 'unputdownable,' and certainly deserves to be the next Big Thing in dark fantasy. -HorrorScope A very accomplished debut fantasy, broad in its scope. -SFRevu A fabulous new fantasy series . . . that is likely to become a classic. Excellent fantasy literature. -The Cairns Post ,Queensland, Australia