Brayan's Gold

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I???m really enjoying these little novellas that Sub Press puts out. Because they???re meant as stand-alone side-stories, they???re a great way for me to get a feel for an author???s world and writing style before jumping into a big series.

Peter V. Brett???s Brayan???s Gold is the story of how Arlen, one of the main characters in Brett???s Demon Cycle, goes on his first solo job and meets a snow demon. The episode is referred to in the story collection The Great Bazaar, but hadn???t been written until Brett???s friend asked him about the story. So, here it is.

Even though I haven???t read Brett???s The Warded Man or its sequel The Desert Spear, I had no trouble jumping right into this fascinating world where demons rise up from the Earth when the sun goes down. Rock demons, wind demons, flame demons and others terrorize humans and kill those who are not under wards. Nobody???s ever met a snow demon and lived to tell, so Arlen isn???t sure if they really exist until he comes across one while he???s unprotected.

Since this is a prequel of sorts, it???s not a spoiler to say that Arlen survives; watching him plan, bargain, and fight is the fun part. I liked Arlen immediately ??? he???s ???got stones like a rock demon??? ??? and I liked Brett???s world. I???m ready to spend some more time with Arlen and his friends as they battle the demons (I already have The Warded Man and The Desert Spear in my Audible Library).

Brayan???s Gold is a short novel ??? only 88 pages, but it???s the perfect appetizer. I recommend Brayan???s Gold to fans of Peter V. Brett, and to readers, like me, who want to taste his world before putting a whole helping on their plate. I think I???ll be going back for seconds or thirds on this one!

This one is all Arlen and One arm. Their never ending battle keeps one interesting and so do the new corelings from the snow lands. Fun read