Lucidonline

As this is the first review of the new and improved Lucidonline.net i thought it was important to start with a really strong entry for the review section.  The painted Man is one such entry.

I had stopped reading fantasy novels for several months as I felt that there was nothing new or fresh that deserved my attention.  On a whim i ordered several books online.  The Name of the Wind (review coming soon), The Blade Itself (also a review coming soon) and The Painted Man. 

What a treat all of these books were.  I started reading The Painted Man first because the premise intrigued me. 

The Painted Man revolves around three central characters living in a world where demons rise from the core every night.  The only protection against the demons are magic wards that stop the demons entering peoples homes.

The main character is Arlen and we follow the arc of his development from a young boy frightened of demons to the strong warrior who brings the fight to the demons.  Any player of RPG will recognise the roles of the three main characters.  Arlen is the ranger, alone in the wilds traveling between the few cities and villages that survive the terrors of the night.  :The other main characters are Leesha the healer and Rojer the Baird.  While they may be familiar roles Brett has managed to adapt them to the world that he has created and my brief description above does not do them justice.

We follow the three characters as they learn the skills that will define and shaped there destinies.  For me the journey was much more satisfying than the climax.  Not because the ending was disappointing, far from it as it was action packed, well written and thought out.  I simply just enjoyed see these characters grow and learn and subtly change from the start of the book to the end.

From my point of view the novel isn't so much about the battle with the demons that stalk the night but rather the strength and weaknesses that exist in all humans. 

There is much to recommend itself in this book and I would recommend it to anyone who has become bored or disenchanted with the fantasy genre.  Also look out for the limited print of The Great Bazaar which I will review once I get my hand on a copy and the sequel to The Painted Man coming out in April, The Desert Spear (pre-ordered it and will review when I can).

I'll post more reviews and other stuff as i have a chance.  Don't worry they will be much better than this one.  This book really deserved a better review but I am out of practice writing.  I may rewrite it in the future...