I've heard nothing but good about this book since it came
out (and unlike some people, Brett and his publisher had the sense to give away
the first in the series even if it's older).
Brett has created a grim fantasy world. Every night,
"demons" emerge from underground, determined to kill as many humans
as possible. Victory is measured by the number of births relative to the number
of deaths - and humanity is losing. The demons appear to prefer to hunt humans
- and perhaps there's some explanation as to the origins of the conflict in the
sequels.
Humanity's protection lies in magical wards, but the secret
of constructing them (which appears to be mathematical) has been lost and as
time passes, so have many of the wards themselves.
So, this is a story about, well, fighting back against
impossible odds. It's also about rediscovery. Although it's not immediately
obvious, this is also a post-apocalyptic story. It's definitely a fantasy, but
I'm not entirely convinced it isn't a future Earth - again, maybe the sequels
shed more light. Where did the "corelings" come from?
Oh, and it's also a story about courage and protecting
what's yours. With some very well realized characters. It's every bit as good
as rumor has it and I'll be tracking down the rest when I have a chance.
(Copy obtained at World Fantasy Con).
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