Brayan’s Gold by Peter V. Brett
Read by Pete Bradbury
Length: 1 Hr 54 MIn
Genre: Fantasy
The Great Bazaar by Peter V. Brett
Read by Pete Bradbury
1Hr 29 Min
Genre: Fantasy
Quick Thoughts: For fans of Brett, these tales add depth to the stories you already know and are just enough of a taste of his world to get you ready for The Daylight War. For those who have yet to experience Brett’s creations, these stories are a great introduction to one of my favorite Dark Fantasy authors.
Grade: B+
As we are about to embark on the year 2013 it seems appropriate to start getting excited for next year’s releases. There are a ton of books I am really looking forward to in the early part of 2013, like Myke Cole’s next Shadow Ops novel, a new Robert Crais stand-alone, and the latest entry in the tales of our fun loving serial killer Serge Storms. Yet, the book I am really looking forward to most of all is The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett. The Daylight War is the third book in Brett’s Demon Cycle, about a world where humanity’s only protection from demons that rise from the earth every night is the use of magical wards. I listened to the first two novels in this series before I actively began blogging about audiobooks, but the second book, The Dessert Spear was in my Top 20 Audiobooks of 2010, which was one of my first posts on this blog almost two years ago. Since then, I have followed Peter V. Brett on Twitter, and really enjoy his blog which is full of some excellent fan art and fun contests that makes me wish I was more creative. I was also happy to learn that Brett is a big supporter of the audio version of his novel, and an avid fan of Pete Brabury, the series narrator. As a lover of audiobooks, I always enjoy authors who support the medium. Now, with the release of the newest book in the series less about two months ago, I must deal with one of the harder aspects of being an audiobook blogger, hearing all my favorite speculative fiction bloggers gushing of their ARCs of The Daylight War. Knowing that this would cause me angst, I patiently waited to listen to the two audio novellas that Recorded Books released this year set in the world of the Demon Cycle. This allowed me to satiate my love of the world, as well as prepare me for The Daylight War.
Brayan’s Gold takes us back to the early days of the series, as Arlen, the eventual Warded Man, is working as an Apprentice Messenger. Arlen is sent on a trip aside a full messenger to deliver precious cargo to a mining town run by a powerful Count. Along the way Arlen must deal with brigands, betrayal and one of my favorite "characters" from the series, the one armed rock demon. In The Great Bazaar, Arlen is now a fully trained Messenger with a reputation for taking on dangers other messengers won’t. In the city state of Krasia, Arlen makes a deal Abban, the accomplished merchant who is stigmatized by his culture for not being a warrior, to uncover secret knowledge that may be vital in the war against the demons. I often look at novellas such as these as a gift to the readers of the series. These two novellas act like deleted scenes in a movie, adding more depth to tales we already know. They also offer a taste of the dark beauty Brett puts into his world. Typically, I wouldn’t recommend stories like these to people unfamiliar with the world, but here, these tales stand well on their own and I can’t help but believe that anyone who gives them a listen wouldn’t want to learn more about this world. Both tales are full of adventure and wonderful characters and Brett’s penchant for imagery and detailed world building come shining through. The Demon Cycle is a work that should appeal to a broad audience from fans of epic fantasy, to those of horror and dark fantasy. For fans of Brett, these tales add depth to the stories you already know and are just enough of a taste of his world to get you ready for The Daylight War. For those who have yet to experience Brett’s creations, these stories are a great introduction to one of my favorite Dark Fantasy authors.
Peter Bradbury has the perfect voice for Peter Brett’s World. The World of the Demon Cycle has a broad range of cultural influences which include Western Americana and Arabic, and Bradbury has a wonderful range of tones to his voice. It many ways, his range takes you by surprise. His base narrative voice is sort of gruff and gravelly, yet he manages to find an almost musical rhythm to each culture he is portraying. His pacing is precise, yet manages to flow with the story. I think these two tales really highlight his skills, showing you how he manages to enhance each setting through his tons and rhythms. I was quite excited when I heard Bradbury would be on board for The Daylight War, making my anticipation for this upcoming book even greater.
The Guilded Earlobe 
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