The Painted Man (The Demon Cycle, Book 1)

By: Peter V. Brett

Narrated by: Colin Mace

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.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Demon Cycle:

‘Peter V. Brett is one of my favourite new authors’
Patrick Rothfuss

‘There is much to admire in Peter Brett’s writing, and his concept is brilliant. There’s action and suspense all the way.’ Terry Brooks

‘[Peter V. Brett is] at the top of his game. I give this my highest recommendation.’
Tor.com

‘[Brett] confirms his place among epic fantasy’s pantheon of greats amid the likes of George R.R. Martin, Steven Erikson, and Robert Jordan.’
Fantasy Book Critic

My favourite story

I picked this book up randomly years ago and it became my favourite saga honestly the best I’ve read. Characters strong world strong development strong. Hoping for more from this author!

Must Read

This is one of the best books I’ve come across, first read it a few years ago and thought to try listen to it, and I don’t regret anything. Good character development and even greater story.

A genuinely good and well thought out book

A smart, well written book, lots of thought has gone into making the role feel real.

Fantastic world building and character development. Highly recommend this book.

This book was brilliant. I finished it in a week which is not normal for me. I was gripped by the characters and the concepts. if you are a fan of the dark tower series by stephen king then you will love this book.

Fantastic you will want to continue to the next

Fantastic, you will want to continue to the next book. very well narrated. worth the money.