| Title | : | The Great Bazaar and Other Stories (Demon Cycle, #1.6) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1596062894 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781596062894 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 101 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2010 |
The Great Bazaar and Other Stories (Demon Cycle, #1.6) Reviews
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2.5 stars
The Great Bazaar:
In THE WARDED MAN, one of Arlen's POV sections begins with him in the ruins of an ancient Krasian city where he finds the tomb of the Kaji. This is story of how he got the map to that city: hijinx ensue after his return from another abandoned city, having nearly been killed when he encountered a new type of desert demon.
Entertaining and informative, but not indispensably so.
Deleted Scenes: Arlen
Apparently, this was a writing assignment that birthed the DEMON CYCLE, but it was eventually cut, b/c having been written so long ago, it didn't match the tone of the novel that sprung from its loins . . .
At least that's what Brett's editor told him. Personally, I think she was being kind. The scene was meant to be a prologue, and is a glimpse into Arlen's childhood days of exploration, but it offers no new insights--every point had been sufficiently illustrated in the book itself, making it redundant and uninteresting.
Deleted Scenes: Brianne Beaten
I think it was a (self-indulgent) mistake to write Introductions/Why it was Cut explanations before each section. Scenes are always cut for good reasons, and readers understand that, wanting them anyway b/c author love, knowing full well that what they're about to read isn't going to be up to the author's usual standards.
BUT. Brett believes they are. He takes great pains to point out that he, and he alone chose to cut this scene, for no other reason than he needed to cut the word count and it was easily removed. So he did. Despite it being painful for him to do so.
In reality, like the Arlen scene, all the points made were points sufficiently made elsewhere, and the scene itself was haphazard and disjointed, coming out of nowhere, for no reason other than to make the already hardcore Leesha look hardcore.
Taken for what it was--a cut scene--it would have been fine. Taken on the author's incorrect belief that it should have been included, but word count . . . not so much.
Krasian Dictionary:
Moderately helpful, but incomplete.
The Ward Grimoire:
Meh. Just a very few of the most basic wards. There's more information about the demons they ward against than the wards themselves, and the majority of that information can be gleaned from the actual book as you read it. -
Peat gave me this years ago when we met in London with Myke Cole. A nice little booklet, signed and dedicated. I put it away for later. Later turned out to be five years later when I rediscovered it as I moved a bookcase from the upstairs hall to the living room under wife's orders.
It's a short story and takes less than an hour to read, so I sat down and read it rather than lose it again.
I really liked it. The story feels like a satisfying wedge of The Warded Man. It's told at a time where Arlen was decidedly at the human end of the human-demigod scale he accelerates through in the series, and to be honest I like him best when he is vulnerable and learning new things.
Abban is possibly my favourite character in the series, and the lame merchant plays a central role here. One of the things I've always liked about the books is that whilst the demons are powerful, murderous, and set on destroying all mankind ... it's actually the Krassians who are the most terrifying with the cruelties they habitually inflict on each other. We get a flavour of that here too.
So, in short, a great taste of the best the series has to offer.
It should be noted that my booklet is just "The Great Bazaar", there are no other stories in it. I couldn't spot that edition so I'm leaving this here.
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes -
Two short stories in this novella with the second being far superior. 7 of 10 stars
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This one fills in a big portion of the pre-warding Arlen right before he goes in search of the first Deliverer.
Pretty perfect for those of us who wish we had all that early-days Arlen after his filled-out childhood after he goes off on his own but before he gets screwed. Honestly, we get all the same information in the Warded Man, but this is quite a bit more fleshed out, almost as if it was cut for pacing issues from the original.
Which I understand, of course, but like the other novella, I kinda wish I could have the Warded Man (Director's Cut). :) -
Final rating: 3.75/5 stars
For the Great Bazaar - 4 stars.
For the other stories - 3.5 stars.
Was it worth it? It was - we were given some more insights in the new demons, and how Arlen got the map to the Anoch Sun.
It was good, all in all. I really love Arlen - thank god all these stories are about him ♥ #Fangirl signing out.► REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
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The Warded Man (Demon Cycle, #1)
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Brayan's Gold (Demon Cycle, #1.5)
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The Great Bazaar and Other Stories (Demon Cycle, #1.6)
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The Daylight War (Demon Cycle, #3)
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Messenger’s Legacy (The Demon Cycle #3.5) -
[1.5 stars]: I didn’t get a single thing out of this short story that wasn’t already presented in The Warded Man. The first few pages were promising, but it was all downhill from there. I was hoping for more cultural immersion or at the very least some character development, but all I got was an expansion of a minor plot element for which I’d already known the outcome. I’d say pass on this one and move right along to The Desert Spear – it’ll give you cultural immersion tenfold.
www.NikiHawkes.com -
Lovely addition to the main series.
It contains the prologue and two chapters which were removed from the first book, from various motives (explained by P. Brett).
The main story, "The Great Bazaar", is a detailed one on how Arlen got the map from Abban and started looking for the lost city, Anoch Sun. There is also a battle on the way (prior to the scene related to this particular map) with some demons which do not appear in "The Warded Man".
The prologue, entitled "Arlen" (which is, in fact, the story from which the Demon's Cycle emerged) is introducing us in the life of Arlen as a child and the last one, "Brianne Beaten" reveals an encounter between Leesha and Brianne (I can't tell more without revealing clues from the first book).
Beside these three short stories, there are also a Krasian dictionary and a Ward Grimoire - with the designs of the main wards for all types of demons -, both very interesting and delightful.
Therefore, I'll say that this part is a must read for all those who want to know more details related to this unique world. -
The Painted Man (also known as The Warded Man for those who like their books American-Made) is one of the best fantasy epics of recent years. Period, exclamation point, throw whatever other punctuation you want at it, doesn’t matter; the book seriously kicked it, bringing it like Beckham (That Posh has skillz!) The novel’s protagonist, the demon-fighting Arlen Bales, easily captures the mantle of greatest Arlen ever, (trouncing Senator Arlen Specter who doesn’t fight demons, he just works with them.) Peter V. Brett’s debut was such the tasty fantasy goodness I’ve taken to stalking Barnes & Noble delivery trucks hoping a copy of the upcoming sequel, The Desert Spear, happens to fall off one. And into my greedy little mitts.
Pathetic, I know, but The Painted Man was that damn fantastic. Like half-blind, bikini-clad Scandinavian supermodel who owns a liquor store and golf course munching on a chocolate chip ice cream cone on a hot summer day kind of fantastic. But then you discover—Oh Horror—she’s rocking a purity ring and thinks MTV is high art, and suddenly, you’re left wanting more; it makes you greedy.
But like Gordon Gekko says, Greed is good, so embrace it, want more. Maybe even plant a big, sloppy smootch on its kisser. Because sometimes you get what you want—and what you need.
If The Painted Man was a Director’s Cut DVD, The Great Bazaar and Other Stories would be the second disc filled with all the Extras. More story, deleted scenes, a ward grimoire; it’s all here. Even Brett offering context and insight into the scenes. Love The Painted Man? Then you’re going to love this collection, since it features more of what made that book so great.
The majority of the collection is devoted to the short story “The Great Bazaar”, a fantastic piece that works incredibly well as a standalone introduction to The Painted Man universe. The story follows Arlen Bales, now settled down, and proprietor of the Bales Motel. Arlen lives with his mother in a nearby house overlooking the motel. One night a blond demon, escaping from her past, checks into the motel…Alright, I’m lying. Really, did you think I was going to give it away; the story’s short, go read it. Abban, a merchant in the Great Bazaar”, is the rockstar in the story. Forget Team Jacob or Team Edward, Abban will have the love-struck pre-pubescents shrilling like wind demons after they catch his deeds in “The Great Bazaar.”
If I hadn’t read Brett’s debut, this story would have forced me to; it’s such a wonderful scene. Much better than you’d imagine, and not what you’d expect from material that didn’t make the original volume. Often, one hears the phrase deleted scenes, and thinks, This is the stuff that wasn’t good enough to make it in. That’s far from the case in The Great Bazaar and Other Stories; all the material here has the same high level of quality found in the novel. There’s not as much as I would have liked, but hopefully it’s enough to get me through to The Desert Spear without getting slapped with a restraining order from Barnes & Noble.
Fans of The Painted Man will love The Great Bazaar and Other Stories. People not familiar with Brett’s work will find this a great introduction. Being a fan of the novel, I can only view the collection in that context. Which means I’m biased. Which means I’m going to score this similarly to The Painted Man. Which means that bikini-clad, liquor store-owning Scandinavian supermodel might have just welded that purity ring onto her finger. Because already I want more.
Final Grade: 9.25 out of 10 -
well this was fun and served as a good reminder for me that I need to continue on with this series. Arlen remains an interesting protagonist - the annoying cliche parts of his personality (angry angsty guy always battling that voice of weakness in his head) are forgotten when chuckling over his willingness to be a dick to people who get on his nerves. I like seeing that in my heroes; it's usually a trait reserved for villains or anti-heroes.
clay demons were pretty fun, but even more fun was the basic scenario of searching for riches in a strange abandoned village. a very old plot line but I'm still happy to see it whenever it appears.
this short story also confirmed why I've been so hesitant to continue on with the series. I just don't have a lot of enthusiasm for reading about Krasian culture, even seen from outsider Arlen's perspective. I suppose there's interest to be had in reading about a pseudo-Islamic desert society in a fantasy setting, but I feel like I've seen versions of that in so many books, starting with Dune. and add to that familiarity the understanding that this particular culture is also deeply macho and deeply chauvinist... and that just doesn't get me excited. the concepts behind Krasia weary me. still, I guess I should soldier on. the first novel was pretty good and I do want more of Arlen. -
The Great Bazaar is a short story that sits somewhere between chapters 16 and 17 of
The Warded Man and tells of how Arlen gets Abban to help him steal the map to the lost City of Anoch Sun from the Krasian Temple of Heroes. Brett says he chose not to write about the three year period between those chapters when Arlen is working as a messenger and has instead opted to possibly revisit that time period later on. In his own words
This was an exciting, adventure-filled period in Arlen’s life, and a very fertile spawning ground for short stories about him traveling from town to town, touching the lives of different people living behind the wards.
Like Caine in Kung Fu.
If only. Just like Brett's other short story
Brayan's Gold, the supposed centrepiece(in this case stealing the map) takes up so little of the already meagre word count and is rather anti climactic when we get there. We do get introduced to clay demons - which was cool as far as adding to lore goes, but I would have preferred more of the plot to be devoted to the actual lifting of the map of the Lost City. Maybe something a bit Oceans Eleven; I don't know, but what we get instead lacked punch. Thinking about it, I had a similar issue with
Brayans Gold. I would have preferred a short meant to showcase snow demons to dispense with most of the travelling to and from and exchanging pleasantries to concentrate a large portion of the story on the snow demons themselves. Maybe have the book start with Arlen being stalked by one and surviving and give us the back story on the fly - But that's another story.
Back to this book, on top of The Great Bazaar, we get two deleted scenes that were cut because they added nothing to the story and interfered with the pacing. They were right to be cut. The first story is a prologue to
The Warded Man but was written so long ago that the tone just didn't match the rest of the book.
The second story centres on Leesha dealing with some domestic abuse while she is still apprenticed to Bruna. Again, it was right to be cut I think.
The best part of the book was the Grimoire at the end illustrating the wards and giving a brief description of how they fit into the magic system. There's also a Krasian Dictionary that may come in handy as a reference when reading
The Desert Spear.
Again, the fanboy in me is glad I read this book, but it is not a "must read" and I would not really recommend it as an introduction to the main series because it really doesn't showcase Brett's talent. I think he has tried to create standalones that can also act as mini chapters of the bigger series; but with too much in too few pages it just ends up a bit flat.
3 stars -
I probably don't need to mention this again, but I love the Demon Cycle by Peter Brett. It just gets me. It's not perfect, but there are so many great things about it that I can easily dismiss/overlook/completely ignore any shortcomings. I keep reading and I can't get enough.
Brett has created literary crack.
The Great Bazaar and Other Stories takes place somewhere in the middle (time-wise) of
The Warded Man, book one of the Demon Cycle. Our hero, Arlen Bales, is working as a messenger -those who brave the night and accompanying demons to bring messages to different towns. Brett explains in the introduction that this was a hugely fertile ground for stories that were mostly skipped over in the main sequence of novels because they would have taken a toll on the timing and pace.
Let me just say that I greatly appreciate authors who do this, streamlining the main sequence and releasing other stories, less important stories, that fans will read anyway, but that drag down an otherwise excellent book. Something I wish other authors would replicate...*looks to Erikson*.
So what's included in The Great Bazaar and Other Stories you may ask. Well, let me tell you...
The Great Bazaar is the main bulk of this book, as you can imagine, but also included are deleted scenes (one of which was the original beginning written for a writing class project), a Krasian Dictionary, and a Ward Grimoire.
The Great Bazaar is an excellent story of one of Arlen's visits to Krasia. Having already built up a name for himself as the only non-Krasian to enter alagai'sharak, the Krasian's nightly fight against the demons, Arlen learns of places that haven't been visited in ages, but which are supposed to contain many riches.
Sadly, they neglected to mention the clay demons, against which Arlen had no protecting wards. The Great Bazaar also delves into Arlen's relationship with the kaffit (essentially means coward), Abban, who helps Arlen out in The Warded Man.
The Krasians are a very interesting, hardly putting any value in anyone who can't fight, which means women and the weak are not much thought of. While I loved the action and adventure that was Arlen's trek through the desert, my favorite parts were probably in the bazaar where a former warrior picks a fight with Abban and Arlen.
I have to say I enjoyed The Great Bazaar more even more than I did
Brayan's Gold. While Brayan's Gold was high in action, there wasn't a whole lot of incite into the story, Brett's intention being only to showcase Snow demons and that's about it. Go read it, it's great.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Ps. It's only $4.99 on the Kindle. -
This novella set in Peter.V.Brett's Demon Cycle series actually features an unexplored adventure from Arlen's days as a Messenger. It was a tale from his time in Krasia. Arlen's old friend Abban had given him a map to the ruins of a desert village that was overrun by the demons twenty years ago. Arlen journeyed there hoping to salvage some of its secrets and to loot some of the old pottery the locals were famous for. All does not go smoothly as Arlen encounters a new type of demons that his wards have limited power against! After surviving the night Arlen returns to Krasia and soon convinces Abban to help him steal the map to the fabled city of Anoch Sun.
The story was short but fairly entertaining. The stuff with the demons in the abandoned village was a little dull but the time Arlen spent at the Great Bazaar and the glimpses we got into Abban as a character were entertaining and enlightening.
This was a decent short story. One worth reading but if you were to ship it you would not be missing out on anything crucial to the main series.
I listened to the audio so only the Great Bazaar novella was included. Additional deleted scenes and stuff were included in the physical version.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: Pete Bradbury gave another excellent performance of the audio. -
“Strah. Strah od sržnika. Strah od noći. Strah od smrti.”
“Oslikani čovjek“, prvi dio Ciklusa o demonima, jedno mi je od najljepših iznenađenja koje sam pročitala u posljednjoj godini. Atmosferično, zabavno i pametno štivo! Uostalom, da se ne ponavljam, recenziju te knjige možete pročitati ovdje.
“Sumrak se uskoro spustio, a uz zlokobnu se izmaglicu pojavio i zadah demona, curio je iz tla i zagađivao površinu.”
I dok željno iščekujemo nastavak koji se marljivo kuha u radionici Hangara7, ovih dana objavljena je još jedna knjiga iz istog serijala koja je umetnuta između prvog i drugog romana. U njoj se nalaze dvije novele, “Veličanstveni bazar” i “Brayanovo zlato”, koje nam opisuju dvije bitne situacije u Arlenovom životu, a koje su preskočene u “Oslikanom čovjeku“.
U ovoj knjizi se, također, nalazi i nekoliko izbačenih scena iz “Oslikanog čovjeka“: prolog koji nas vraća u Arlenovo djetinjstvo i koji je, angažmanom urednice, izbačen iz finalne verzije; i crtica iz Leeshinog života koji je iz knjige izbačen zbog smanjenja broja stranica.
U prvoj noveli pod nazivom “Brayanovo zlato” pratimo mladog Arlena koji je zapeo na poprilično opasnom zadatku dostave grom-štapića na Brayanovu goru koja se nalazi u snježnim predjelima. Ponovno se dokazuje svojom hrabrošću i dovitljivošću, ali i kao bračni posrednik. No, baš kao i toliko puta do sada, Arlen ima priliku vidjeti ljudsku narav u obliku koji prezire, a koji veže uz oca. Ljude definira njihov strah, a Arlen to svim srcem odbija.
U “Veličanstvenom bazaru” Arlen je već zreliji i ima konkretnije ideje o pronalasku simbola izgubljenog grada Anoch Suna koji će mu donijeti veću moć u borbi protiv sržnika. Opet upoznajemo neke nove likove, zanimljivih sudbina i stajališta.
Ove dvije novele daju nam dublji uvid u svijet u kojem se odvija Ciklus o Demonima. Upoznajemo neke nove demone, ali i neke nove likove. Brett jako voli izdvajati pojedince i sagledavati kako se oni nose s izvanrednim situacijama s kojima se svakodnevno susreću. Zapravo, on cijeli jedan svijet stavlja u dugu, nepreglednu izvanrednu situaciju, i to onu kojoj se ne nazire kraj i u kojoj je svaka nada izgubljena. Životari se i preživljava, a Arlenu to nije dovoljno.
Iako su ove dvije novele krasne male minijature, još veću ljepotu pronašla sam u izdvojenim odlomcima koji su spletom okolnosti ispali iz završne verzije prve knjige “Oslikani čovjek“. Riječ je o vrhunskom pisanju u kojem Brett pokazuje svu silinu svog spisateljskog talenta, a jako sam uživala i u njegovim kratkim uvodima u svako od izgubljenih poglavlja. Bio je to dobrodošli uvid u Brettove spisateljske, kao i uredničke, procese.
Ova kratka mala knjiga (prekrasne naslovnice, usput budi rečeno) ne nosi snagu i kompleksnost jednog “dugometražnog” romana, ali je dobrodošao izlet u svijet koji je, zapravo, tek u povojima što se tiče razvoja i gradnje. Ne mogu vam opisati koliko sam uzbuđena zbog toga! -
I really love this series!
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4,5 Sterne
Obwohl ich eigentlich schon so lange aus der Geschichte raus bin, habe den 1. Teil vor 3 Jahre oder so gelesen, war ich wieder sofort drin. Die 4 Kurzgeschichten fande ich wirklich gelungen und hat mir wieder Lust auf mehr gemacht. :) -
Simply put.
Just like Peter V. Brett said; The Great Bazaar shows everything I love about Arlen.
And also about few things Ward Grimoire, Demons and people you should know. Trust me, if you're a big fan of Demon Cycle just like me, you'll enjoy it.
Believe or not, to see Khaffit or the whole landscapes of Krasian Desert is really touching and was good adventure as always.
Your choice. -
Review in Portuguese from
Desbravando Livros:
E aqui estou eu novamente para contar a minha opinião sobre The Great Bazaar and Other Stories, outro livro do Peter V. Brett que se passa no mesmo universo da série principal.
Situado entre os capítulos 16 e 17 de O Protegido, The Great Bazaar já nos introduz a Arlen como mensageiro e atualmente em Krasia, a Lança do Deserto. Sempre quis saber mais sobre o local, e esse conto sanou um pouco a minha curiosidade a respeito dos krasianos e como eles se comportam.
Em busca de riquezas, Arlen vaga pelo deserto atrás de Baha kad'Everam, um vilarejo krasiano conhecido pelos seus artesãos e as peças de cerâmica que produziam, cujo valor é inigualável. Há mais de 20 anos não há notícias do que acontece no local, que jaz abandonado e sem a presença de humanos, como constatado após uma expedição realizada por krasianos há muito tempo.
Todo mundo sabe que pra trabalhar com cerâmica tem que ter barro e argila, e como isso existe em excesso no local também dá pra imaginar que existe o que mais? Isso mesmo, demônios do barro/da argila!! E nada melhor que um ambiente propício como esse para se camuflarem e realizarem emboscadas contra os viajantes mais desavisados, como é o caso do nosso Arlen...
Voltando um pouco a Krasia, temos um capítulo com o ponto de vista de Abban, o khaffit que Arlen negocia suas mercadorias e o recebe sempre com um humor diferenciado e lábia inigualável.
Nessa parte fica mais evidente o modo que as pessoas em Krasia são tratadas, sendo que os guerreiros possuem um lugar destinado ao Céu e quem não tem capacidade de segurar uma lança e lutar é desprezado imensamente, mesmo que alguns desses "párias" virem bons mercadores no futuro. E as mulheres, então, são praticamente tratadas como ninguém. Algo como acontece atualmente nos países muçulmanos, diga-se de passagem. Isso é assunto polêmico para outra hora.
Krasia é uma cidade com hábitos e costumes totalmente diferentes de todo o resto da Thesa, seja pelo modo como tratam os seus habitantes e reverenciam os seus sacerdotes, seja pelo modo como combatem os terraítas à noite em seus labirintos feitos especialmente para isso.
E a bebida que Abban apresenta a Arlen? O tal couzi é uma "mistura de canela com grão fermentado destilado", muito forte e com um gosto horrível nos primeiros goles. Muitos guerreiros a bebem antes das batalhas, buscando a coragem que possa lhes faltar. Será que Arlen gostou? :v
Mas o momento mais importante do livro não é esse. Quando Arlen e Abban estão discutindo sobre suas mercadorias, o guri do Riacho de Tibbet pede algo que poucos têm acesso: um mapa das ruínas do Sol de Anoch, a cidade perdida onde o Salvador teria dado seus primeiros passos e comandado toda a humanidade contra os terraítas. Um local que não é encontrado há séculos e pode esconder relíquias de valor inestimável, assim como proteções que ninguém mais se recorda.
PULO RÁPIDO PARA O CAPÍTULO 17 DO LIVRO 1: todos sabem que essas ruínas dão uma mexida total na vida de Arlen, e gostei muito de saber como Arlen consegue o mapa de sua localização.
The Great Bazaar and Other Stories também traz trechos cortados de O Protegido por pedido do responsável pela edição ou por vontade do próprio Peter V. Brett mesmo. Um desses trechos é o que Peter desejava que fosse o prólogo da obra principal, mas o editor pediu para cortar por ter uma narrativa diferente do restante da obra. O outro é um capítulo com Leesha indo ajudar uma ex-amiga a recuperar-se de ferimentos, o qual mostra como ela cresceu mentalmente e parece estar preparada para o que o destino lhe reserva.
Temos também acesso a um dicionário krasiano de termos e a um grimório de proteções ao final, sendo que esse possui imagens de proteções ainda não vistas no 1º livro e que podem ser melhor compreendidas por quem já tiver lido os volumes restantes. Muitos me recomendaram ler esse livro curto só depois do livro 3, mas acho que consegui aproveitá-lo de uma maneira satisfatória.
Resumindo, The Great Bazaar and Other Stories é uma leitura interessantíssima e deve ser desbravada por todos os fãs da série e quem mais desejar. Recomendo! -
This is a nice little companion book for the main Demon Cycle series. It includes a novella about Arlen’s formative years as a Messenger, recounting a tale of a trip to collect some rare artifacts on his way to the Great Bazaar of Krasia where he interacts with the merchant Abban. It’s a nice story and allows some more details about clay demons to come out. The book also includes two “cut scenes” from
The Warded Man manuscript including the original story that the author wrote for his fantasy writing class back in 1999 where the assignment was to write a first scene of an original fantasy novel. It’s an OK scene and works here as a curiosity but it’s easy to see why it was cut. A second cut scene relates to Leesha and also works as a stand-alone vignette for those that have read the book. If not then I feel sure it would seem incomplete.
Two more tidbits are included: a short glossary/dictionary of just 3-4 pages and a “ward grimoire” where we get to see what some basic wards look like. The value here is less about the artwork of the wards themselves as the accompanying information about the various demons they defend against. -
Good little addition to the Demon Cycle series. Nothing spectacular, but still worth reading if you enjoyed the other books in the series. I'd recommend reading it after Warded/Painted Man and before Desert Spear though, as all of the stories and deleted scenes are from Warded/Painted Man.
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Very entertaining short read.
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Eine nette Geschichte mit Szenen die für die eigentlichen Bücher einfach zu lang sind.
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I really liked these stories, and it was nice to give the readers the chance to read some scenes which were cut from the first novel, but which are still very close to the author’s heart.
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more authors should publish side stories like this!!! i loved the intros to each story and the explanation of why it was cut from the original book, and im so glad that we still got to read these stories. my favorite was the leesha one she’s such a badass honestly 😩
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This book contains a short story that takes place during The Warded Man. It also has two deleted scenes from that novel and there is a glossary of word definitions and the different wards that characters use in the book.
I enjoyed the short story and the deleted scene with Arlen. These two events help portray how Arlen is different from his family and gives the reader more examples of Arlen's beliefs. The other material is nice for a perusal but really doesn't add anything to this world.
This book is nice for the fan who cannot get enough of this world and must read everything. If you are looking for the same entertainment value as the novels this book doesn't reach that level and you are probably better off just sticking with the novels. -
http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2... -
Жалко, че не е включена в първата книга. Много по-добре обяснява началото на търсенето на Анокх Слънце. Редакторът се е престарал.
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Demon cycle world is one of the best. Anything to be in this world is worth reading
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The short: This is an interesting collection of tidbits for the completionist. It can be skipped without fear of missing out, or enjoyed lazily on a whim.
The long:
I half-read half-listened to this book. I started with The Great Bazaar Graphic Audio adaptation--but the first third of the story is a long action sequence with almost no dialogue. I've really come to enjoy the Graphic Audio productions, but they shine best with dialogue, and I find the background music and sound effects they incorporate into long narrative scenes--especially action scenes--to be hard to follow, so I switched to text until it got back to the dialogue. The deleted scenes I also read.
The short story takes place right before Part III of the Warded Man. If you're interested in a full-chronological read, it works pretty well squeezing it in there. It's a decent introduction to Krasian society--no better or worse than Part III, but it does answer some of the disorientation I personally felt on my first read-through of this series, being like "wait, what? Arlen's already a what? When did that happen?"
For the story of the Great Bazaar itself--it's okay. I can't see the story holding on its own outside of the larger framework of the Demon Cycle universe. It really does feel like another deleted scene in this collection, albeit a better self-contained one. A peek at Arlen, a peek at Abban, a peek at Krasian society and a few answers to how Arlen ended up where he was at the start of Part III.
As for the deleted scenes... In the introduction for the first scene, "Arlen", Brett writes that his editor insisted it be deleted because it was "...told in a very different voice than the rest of the book and didn’t fit." Reading it, I wholly agree. It is an interesting peek at a young Arlen, but it really doesn't fit with the tone of the first book in general, and would have been a weak start. I found it interesting from a writing analysis standpoint, to see just how much Brett's writing had progressed since the time when Arlen Bales was a twinkle in his eye. But that's about it.
The third entry--"Brianne Beaten"--I actually think I liked a little more than The Great Bazaar, though it still doesn't add anything to the world that we don't get out of other scenes in the books. -
Warum habe ich dieses Buch gelesen? Warum existiert es überhaupt?
Bei jedem Buch fallen Szenen weg, das ist ganz normal. Vor allem bei längeren Titeln. Was macht diese Reihe so speziell, dass man diese aussortierten Fragmente sammeln und veröffentlichen muss? Durch die Lektüre habe ich nicht das Gefühl, etwas gewonnen zu haben oder eine Lücke zu füllen.
Dennoch sind die einzelnen Geschichten teilweise ganz nett und unterhaltsam.
Die Reihe selbst habe ich übrigens nach 200 Seiten von Band zwei abgebrochen. -
Good, but since this is tagged as occurring during the events of book one I feel the sigil grimoire at the end of this should have noted it included demons from book 2.
