karsten moran

July 23, 2015

It’s worth your time to grab Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized brayan's gold, collection, demon cycle, elizabeth story, fanasy, fantasy literature, karsten moran, lauren k cannon, novella, peter v brett, review, sfcrowsnest, the book plank, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, there are inkspots on my page!

A quartet of reviews for Peter V. Brett’s intriguing THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

Photo: Karsten Moran

From SFCROWSNEST:

‘Brayan’s Gold’ being a novella, I don’t want to give any more of the story away. Suffice to say, it’s as a good a read, with plenty of action and adventure as well as another look at Arlen’s keen sense of justice.

<snip>

What makes [ The Great Bazaar] worth the read is the opportunity to spend more time with Abban, the merchant Arlen befriends in Fort Krasia. The scenes from his point of view offer a unique insight to a culture that obviously fascinates the author as much as it does Arlen. There is also plenty of excitement.

<snip>

While this collection of stories may serve as an introduction to ‘The Demon Cycle’, I do think they’ll be more appreciated by fans. For me, they bridge the gap nicely between the first and second books of the series, even if the stories are all set during the time period covered by ‘The Warded Man’. I hope Peter V. Brett is inspired to write more short adventures for Arlen and his companions.

THERE ARE INKSPOTS ON MY PAGE:

These two novellas were my introduction to Peter Brett and his Demon Cycle, and I must say, they were pretty great.

There are just enough references to the greater series for existing fans, and enough explanation for new readers to make it perfect for everyone, regardless of whether you’ve read the series or not. And really, if this is your first exposure and you don’t want to read more afterwards, you may be a little crazy.

My favourite of the two was The Great Bazaar, Arlen is a bit older than in Brayan’s Gold, and has settled into himself a bit more. Plus, it was just a good story.

<snip>

If you’ve read the series and want to know more about Arlen’s history: grab this book.

If you haven’t read the series and want to know whether it’s worth your time: grab this book.

It will be well worth your time.

FANTASY LITERATURE:

Also included are a Krasian Dictionary and a Ward Grimoire. The dictionary seems superfluous, as any foreign terms were recognizable from context within dialogue or description. On the other hand, the Ward Grimoire is very useful. Not only does it provide a history of ward usage and the delineations of those wards — usefulness against which demons and whether it’s intended for offense or defense — but each ward’s entry is accompanied by a picture of the ward and a detailed description of the affected demon’s habitat and appearance. I was particularly glad that this was included because it’s further evidence of the care and thought which Brett has invested in these books.

The Great Bazaar & Brayan’s Gold is a good introduction to Brett’s style for new readers, as well as the larger world of his DEMON CYCLE series. Readers who are already familiar with that series should also enjoy the extra glimpses into the life of Arlen as he battles demons and wanders the world. I’m intrigued enough to add The Warded Man to my to-be-read list, but not enough so that it’s going to zoom straight to the top.

Defensive ward against: Snow Demons
First appeared: Brayan’s Gold

Ward by Lauren K. Cannon, copyright by Peter V. Brett.

THE BOOK PLANK:

If you are new to the Demon Cycle series like me, both Brayan’s Gold and The Great Bazaar make up for a very good an clear introduction/teaser for the bigger series, they can be easily read and understand as standalone books.

The strength for me in these two stories really are the protagonist Arlen, he is a cool guy, as I said a bit naive but when he has to do things he will make sure the job gets done, and most importantly he sticks to his guns, no matter how dire the situation is. Another thing is the part of the whole demon fighting and the bigger idea behind it. I am a big fan of cool fighting scenes and unique systems with advantages/disadvantages and limitations and this is precisely what Peter. V. Brett utilizes in these two stories. This short omnibus edition featuring Great Bazaar and Brayan’s Gold has definitely wet my appetite for more!

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

July 17, 2015

You’re going to love the stories and characters in THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized bibliosanctum, brayan's gold, collection, demon cycle, elizabeth story, eric christensen, fantasy, karsten moran, novella, peter v brett, review, roqoo depot, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, the green man review

The reviews keep on rolling in for Peter V. Brett’s fascinating and thrilling THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

Photo: Karsten Moran

From BIBLIOSANCTUM:

Every fan of Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle series should check out this collection. I promise you won’t regret it! Not only does The Great Bazaar & Brayan’s Gold contain two excellent short stories, it also features fun little extras like “outtakes” from earlier versions of The Warded Man and a ward grimoire complete with illustrations of the wards themselves. While longtime readers of the series will likely be the ones to get the most out of this volume, I believe it can also serve as a great introduction and the perfect jumping-on point for newcomers to the Demon Cycle.

Not usually being one to pick up short stories outside of main novels, I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book. It probably helped that both The Great Bazaar and Brayan’s Gold take place during my favorite period of Arlen Bales’ life; that is, back when he was still a humble messenger traveling the world and going on his adventures, and before he was corrupted by demon’s flesh (and Renna Tanner – hey, I’m only being honest here) to become the Warded Man and the Deliverer.

While this one certainly isn’t required reading, the story Brayan’s Gold alone probably makes this book worth picking up.

<snip>

This edition of The Great Bazaar & Brayan’s Gold is a wonderful contribution to the world of the Demon Cycle, packed with bonus content-like material that enhanced my experience with the setting and characters. Filled with goodies for fans of the series and yet still accessible enough for new readers, this volume both thrilled and fascinated me. Highly recommended.

ROQOO DEPOT:

At the end of the book is a short Krasian dictionary (the one included with The Skull Throneis bigger) and something really cool: a grimoire of wards. This section includes pictures of fourteen wards, detailing their uses against demons, as well as some nice descriptions of each of the different kinds of demons. So not only is it a guide to wards, but it’s also a guide to demons.

Having recently finished reading The Skull Throne, I was left in the aftermath of another great emotional epic of adventure. It also left a void of needing something else to read. How can anything compare to Peter V. Brett book? Well, the answer is simple, another Peter V. Brett book. Thus I dove into The Great Bazaar & Brayan’s Gold and was pleasantly surprised by how well Brett was able to capture the same magic of the series in these short stories. It’s a must read for fans and I give it a five out of five metal bikinis.

THE GREEN MAN REVIEW:

For hardcore fans of the Demon Cycle series — especially those trying to track down earlier versions of the two titular novellas — this one’s a no-brainer. More casual fans will probably get a kick out of the two longer pieces, while newcomers can probably pick a better place to start. Still, Tachyon is doing readers of Brett’s work a service by putting this short collection together, and its intended audience will no doubt receive it warmly.

ERIC CHRISTENSEN:

Writing interstitial short stories between novels is becoming increasingly popular among fantasy authors–a trend I couldn’t enjoy more (I love a little snack between courses). While these were originally (I believe) written after Brett’s first novel, I read them just now (in the gap before Brett’s last novel in the Demon Cycle series). But my enjoyment wasn’t lessened having read them so “late.” It’s nice to revisit Arlen as a young Messenger full of passion and eagerness to take the fight to the demons, Leesha when she’s just getting a handle on her new authority, and Abban when he was just a small-time schemer. More importantly, as someone who’s very interested in process, I really liked the introductions and commentary by Brett.

I had to travel recently for work, and I hate being cramped on planes. Having this to read definitely had me smiling throughout my flight. Anyone who has enjoyed the Demon Cycle so far would enjoy these stories. It’s a perfect little treat while waiting for the next novel. But for those who have never read Brett, I’d suggest picking up THE WARDED MAN/THE PAINTED MAN first. Just jump right in. You’re going to love these stories and these characters.

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

July 14, 2015

THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD is perfect for newcomers to Peter V. Brett

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized a reading machine, bookwraiths, brayan's gold, charlie hopkins, collection, elizabeth story, Faire's Fair Book Reviews and more, fantasy, interzone, karsten moran, novella, peter v brett, review, sci-fi and fantasy reviews, stephen theaker, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold

A quintet of reviews for Peter V. Brett’s highly recommended THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

Photo: Karsten Moran

From INTERZONE:

Paul W.S. Anderson, which is a recommendation to me if no one else and, like Anderson’s always enjoyable films, these novellas reminded me a bit of video games. Pulling a trailer of explosives up a bumpy road, fighting demons in ruins among smashed urns, questing for ancient manuscripts; these are pleasantly familia scenarios to gamers. The novellas also share with his films an uncomplicated and earnest desire to entertain. I think they succeed.

In an introduction Brett say that he hopes these short adventure stories will offer newcomers a convenient introduction to the Demon Cycle series and its characters, while giving existing fans a broader look at his world and a fix between full-length novels. I can’t speak to the latter, but for newcomers they are perfect; including a dictionary and war grimoire helps with that. No book in my collection is fatter than The Daylight War, third in the Demon Cycle, and that had put me off reading it. Now it looks like a feast.

SCI-FI AND FANTASY REVIEWS:

Overall, if you’re already a fan of Brett’s Demon Cycle books, this is an excellent adjunct to that series. If you’re coming to it fresh, these are perfectly fun standalone novellas – you actually don’t need to have read the rest of the series to ‘get’ them; that said, I’d recommend you do, because if you have, there’s more understanding to be had. In either case, this collection is entirely worth your time.

BOOKWRAITHS:

As I reflect on this story collection, the most enjoyable element for me was how Brett presents Arlen as a regular person. He is driven. He is talented. He might even be special, but … he makes mistakes. Mistakes that cause him harm: Physical, emotional, and spiritual. Nor is Arlen’s judgment with people supernatural. He does trust the wrong people. He gets tricked by them. And when he should admit their duplicity, he tends to ignore it, because of his very human fondness for them. All of which made Arlen much more relatable and easy to empathize with than the superhuman, infallible “Chosen Ones” who litter fantasy literature these days.

Now, The Great Bazaar and Brayan’s Gold isn’t a story collection that will astound you or turn the Demon Cycle on its head, but it is a very entertaining companion piece to The Warded Man, which every fan of the series will definitely want to read. I’d also encourage fantasy fans in general to check it out, because reading about a demon infested world is always a blast.

A READING MACHINE:

Both are very quick and easy reads and Brayan’s Gold in particular would make a nice introduction to any one who has not had the fortune to read The Demon Cycle series.

FAIRE’S FAIR BOOK REVIEWS AND MORE:

If your a serious fan of The Demon Cycle I highly recommend picking it up.

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

Tachyon Publications

karsten moran

tachyonpub