The Painted Man by Peter V Brett (Harper Voyager)

This is the first in a fabulous new fantasy series by Brett. The new world he has created is complete, complicated and fascinating.

Set possibly on a far future Earth – where the planet and civilisation have undergone enormous upheavals, The Painted Man follows the lives of three characters.

The night has been lost to humanity with the rising of ‘demons’ every evening and their unrelenting attempts to wipe people from the face of the planet.

There are fire demons, wood demons, rock and air demons; all of them deadly and all of them carnivorous.

Brett’s story hints at myths and legends of earlier times when ‘science’ ruled society and demons didn’t exist.

But eventually science got out of control and the demons were released.

There are obvious modern-day parallels to global warming and the destruction of the planet; the rise of religion and the demonization of science.

However The Painted Man stands firmly on its own mythical feet.

The central character of Arlen is restless at humanity’s refusal to fight the demons and he burns with a desire to find a way to fight back.

As he learns more about his world his desire is realised and the culmination is an attempt to change the world.

Brett’s ability to make his creations feel real is the stamp of excellent fantasy.

This is a series that is likely to become a classic.

 

Verdict: Excellent fantasy literature; can’t wait for the next book.

 

 

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