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The Painted Man
- The Demon Cycle, Book 1
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
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The Painted Man
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Summary
The stunning debut fantasy novel from author Peter V. Brett.
The Painted Man, book one of the Demon Cycle, is a captivating and thrilling fantasy adventure, pulling the reader into a world of demons, darkness and heroes.
Sometimes there is very good reason to be afraid of the dark…
Eleven-year-old Arlen lives with his parents on their small farmstead, half a day's ride from the isolated hamlet of Tibbet's Brook.
As dusk falls upon Arlen's world, a strange mist rises from the ground; a mist that promises a violent death to any foolish enough to brave the coming darkness, for hungry corelings – demons that cannot be harmed by mortal weapons – materialize from the vapours to feed on the living. As the sun sets, people have no choice but to take shelter behind magical wards and pray that their protection holds until the creatures dissolve with the first signs of dawn.
When Arlen's life is shattered by the demon plague, he is forced to see that it is fear, rather than the demons, which truly cripples humanity. Believing that there is more to his world than to live in constant fear, he must risk leaving the safety of his wards to discover a different path.
In the small town of Cutter's Hollow, Leesha's perfect future is destroyed by betrayal and a simple lie. Publicly shamed, she is reduced to gathering herbs and tending an old woman more fearsome than the corelings. Yet in her disgrace, she becomes the guardian of dangerous ancient knowledge.
Orphaned and crippled in a demon attack, young Rojer takes solace in mastering the musical arts of a Jongleur, only to learn that his unique talent gives him unexpected power over the night.
Together, these three young people will offer humanity a last, fleeting chance of survival.
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Editor reviews
The masterful audiobook The Painted Man is Book 1 in The Demon Cycle series written by highly-acclaimed fantasy writer Peter V. Brett and narrated by voice artist Colin Mace. The darkness of night has never been so frightening. Death is upon anyone who ventures into the haunting demonic mist that encircles the village at night. It is up to one young boy and two unlikely comrades to set out bravely and save the entire human race from the clutches of evil. This is a pure feat of fantasy writing at its best. Available now from Audible.
Critic reviews
"I enjoyed The Painted Man immensely. Action and suspense all the way." (Terry Brooks)
"If the next two books in this series live up to this one it will be one day named as a classic fantasy series." (Joanne Horsley)
What listeners say about The Painted Man
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Steve
- 20-12-14
The start of the Story
i found the story compelling. The narrator using an unexcited tone which works very well for me, because at times the scenes are fast and furious especially during battle scenes. The three main characters of this story each have their own tale and they are interwoven expertly. A great novel
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Euan
- 07-04-15
Rompingly good book!
An enjoyable listen - lots of intrigue and interest - excellent character development as book progressed a little slow to get going - but when it did it hit he mark. Excellent
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Warn
- 30-09-18
Amazing first book, hope the next is just as good
Very impressed with this book, started slow as it gave the story of each of the three main characters but after that, amazing!!! What a great read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- digi-mech
- 26-10-18
Fantastic fantasy..
Proof that fantasy lives on after Tolkien. A superb tale. Well worth the credit. :)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Happy and Smiling
- 13-01-16
Gripping storyline
What a great book. Had me hooked all the way through. I bought it as a 'deal of the day' book and wasn't expecting much but I could not stop listening and found excuses to keep it playing, to the detriment of work and family. The storyline is very original, and brilliantly written, with many cliff hangers as the story follows the lives of three different characters. It is set in the future, where monsters come out to fight humans every night, though humans are safe if they are indoors. Though it is set in the future, the way of life is medieval in nature, as there is no longer electricity, science, or cars or any modern gadgets. That knowledge has been lost and much of humanity has died through wars and demon attacks. The towns that are left are spread out and far afield. People ar riding horses for transport, and farming the land. Thoroughly enjoyable book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D. Cotton
- 19-06-16
A truly enjoyable fantasy!
What did you like most about The Painted Man (The Demon Cycle, Book 1)?
The world building was incredible and the magic system was very interesting (and unlike many others I've come across). I enjoyed that the alternating point of views gave the 'reader' a wider view of the fantasy world, and that we got to experience different places and cultures through the three characters' eyes.
What other book might you compare The Painted Man (The Demon Cycle, Book 1) to, and why?
I'm not sure that you can compare it as such, but the style is similar to Brandon Sanderson, I suppose. It's just a good one if you're into this kind of fantasy.
Which character – as performed by Colin Mace – was your favourite?
Leesha was my favourite character – although this was a tough call between her and Arlen. She was strong and despite the overwhelming amount of things stacked against her, she still manages to come out on top and fighting. She knew what she wanted and she wouldn't settle for anything less.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
No idea ... I'm not very good at this kind of thing.
Any additional comments?
I highly recommend this audiobook – especially if you're quite new to them. Colin is incredibly easy to listen to and really makes the Demon Cycle world come alive. This book will have you on the edge of your seat for the duration of the story, and will leave you wanting more. I'm already listening to book two in this series.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Southyorks1234
- 26-05-18
Great book.
Good characters. Well thought out story lines. Sometimes too big a gap between chapters on the same character.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Woody
- 16-11-17
excellent... hooked!!
great book with cracking chatacters. brilliant fantasy tale with real depth. looking forward to the rest!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anja
- 12-01-18
Loved every bit of it
Great story had me spellbound throughout. Can't wait to heat the next book. Colin Mace have a great voice for it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Paul Smith
- 29-07-21
what else to say really. An epic in every way.
ones of the best books I've listened to in ages, epic in every way, absolutely loved it.
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