The Vagrant and the City

The Vagrant #2.5

by Peter Newman

The second short story set in Peter Newman’s incredible world of THE VAGRANT.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Ebooks, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

76 pages, ebook

First published February 23, 2017

About the author

Peter Newman co-writes the Hugo and Alfie Award winning Tea and Jeopardy podcast and is also the voice of the butler, Latimer.

His debut novel, THE VAGRANT, was published by Harper Voyager and won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for best newcomer in 2016. It was followed by THE MALICE, and then THE SEVEN.

There are also two shorter stories set in the same world, available as ebooks. THE HAMMER AND THE GOAT (which is set parallel to THE VAGRANT) and THE VAGRANT AND THE CITY, which is set between books 2 and 3.

He has also written for WILDCARDS, and Fantasy MMO ALBION ONLINE.

He's currently working on a new series. Book 1, THE DEATHLESS, is coming out in the UK in June 2018.

Reviews

[Marielle]

A very nice and short in-between-story. You shouldn't read it unless you've read The Vagrant and The Malice. I can't wait for The Seven now! Looking forward to new adventures!

[Ashley]

I'd say The Vagrant is my favorite character, but honestly I really love them all in this series.

This one though is a good side story following The Vagrant before the final book in the series. By how long I have dragged out reading this series, it would seem like I hate it 😂 But I really just don't want it to end.

One more book to go, it'll probably be the same, another year from now, so it lasts a little longer...

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜]

hmm. Novella's are sometimes hard to rate and review. Important events happen in this story that will obviously have great impact on the 3rd book. This story didn't feel much into character. It didn't have the depth nor humor I look forward to. Hopefully, I'll find the chance to move on to the 3rd book soon.

[LJ]

Another strong addition to a growing series, this book adds depth and character to an evergrowing epic adventure.

[Mieneke]

I dove right into this novella after finishing The Malice and it was a joy. Because not only do we get a glimpse of how things stand about five years after the ending of The Malice, we also get a new story completely focused on the Vagrant. He remains a unique character and it made me remember how much I enjoyed him in the first book. 

One of the things I truly enjoyed about The Vagrant was the way it portrayed parenthood and the challenges it offers. In The Malice we saw that the Vagrant and Harm had thrown themselves into raising Vesper whole-heartedly, perhaps taking that as their new mission. But with Vesper out on her own and a self-sufficient adult, the Vagrant is at somewhat at a loss. He’s lost his sense of purpose and being in the world. The Vagrant and the City is all about him finding that again. In a sense, this novella is about a parent’s empty nest syndrome and how they rediscovered their focus.

But it is also a fantastic adventure with high stakes, treason, a character you love to hate (I’m looking at you, Sir Heras) and not one, but two awesome sidekicks. I really liked that Newman keeps the Vagrant to his silent ways, even if we know that he can speak. His style of communication with both squires and Sir Heras were not only effective, they also offered some levity during the more tense exchanges. The Vagrant’s — or the Champion as he’s known once out on mission — bond with the two squires, Borz and Nama, was one I enjoyed a lot as he treats them as true pupils, not underlings the way Heras does. It is their reaction to the events of the story as much as Vesper’s request that seems to prompt his decision to truly take up the mantle of Champion.

I really enjoyed The Vagrant and the City. It made for a great bridge between The Malice and The Seven and I can’t wait to discover how the story ends in the latter. Be advised though, The Vagrant and the City definitely contains spoilers for The Malice, so you should hold off reading the former until you’ve read the latter.

[Robert Phillips]

Lovely short thing that develops the Vagrant and Malice characters in expected and unexpected ways. And grows the world too. Only thing that's missing? Not quite enough goat.

[Paulo Vinicius Figueiredo dos Santos]

Fui apresentado ao mundo de Peter Newman há muitos anos atrás na época em que Mark Lawrence havia virado modinha aqui no Brasil. Com um estilo diferente, mais voltado para o lovecraftiano, e sem medo de experimentar e misturar elementos de ficção científica, fiquei encantado pelo mundo de The Vagrant. O primeiro volume contava com um personagem que não falava, então o autor precisava se virar em situações que exigiam diálogo. E mesmo assim o personagem era muito expressivo. No segundo volume, a narrativa se voltou mais para a Vesper, o bebezinho que o Peregrino carregava no início da história. Ela agora já crescida havia ficado de posse da Malícia, a espada amaldiçoada contendo os poderes de Gamma, um dos Antigos. Ou seja, Newman ampliou a construção de mundo no segundo volume. Esta é uma novella situada entre o segundo e o terceiro volumes. Alguns pequenos acontecimentos se sucedem que vão gerar mudanças no status quo.

Começamos com Vesper voltando até seu pai em uma nave do céu. O que parecia ser uma visita, se transforma em algo diferente quando o Peregrino nota uma barriga gigante na jovem menina. O pai é ninguém menos que Jem, que havia se tornado o interesse amoroso de Vesper em The Malice. Só que Vesper tem seus deveres como a portadora da Malícia e precisa levar a ordem até os lugares alcançados pela Ordem do Olho com Asas. Com a gravidez já avançada ela não pode mais resolver questões que exijam a força bruta então ela pede ao pai que a substitua para uma última missão. De forma relutante, ele aceita. Genner o coloca a par de uma confusão em uma aldeia chamada Seaside Town onde o governador local parece estar estocando armas ilegais e se aliando a salteadores da região. O espião que foi enviado até lá para fornecer relatórios sobre a situação aparentemente desapareceu. O dever do Peregrino é tentar uma "negociação" e restabelecer a ordem. Simples, não?

Aqui Newman volta à dinâmica de usar a inabilidade do protagonista de falar. Ele precisa se comunicar com gestos ou movimentos. Isso exige criatividade do autor para fazer as situações parecerem claras para o leitor. É uma das coisas que me fizeram me apaixonar pela série e vale a pena os autores conferirem para ver como trabalhar com alguém que possui uma limitação. Até hoje esse foi o único personagem de fantasia que eu vi com essa característica. E o personagem já está mais velho e carrega em si anos de experiência e dores, ou seja, ele acaba sendo mais cáustico na sua relação com as pessoas. Mesmo com Vesper, a gente vê que nem sempre eles se entendem apesar do amor que ele sente por sua filha. Ao mesmo tempo a idade o tornou mais sábio e isso ele demonstra ao lidar com os cadetes de Seaside, passando um pouco daquilo que ele sabe.

A missão no geral é simples. Assim como The Hammer and the Goat outra história curta que se passa entre os volumes 1 e 2, essa é uma história de transição que serve para mostrar a gravidez de Vesper e um outro desenvolvimento que eu não posso comentar. A narrativa é previsível, mas é legal ver que Newman experimentou algumas coisas neste volume. O Peregrino investiga aquilo que está acontecendo no forte e na cidade, e precisa ficar atento ao local e às pessoas para juntar as peças do quebra-cabeças para entender a história real por trás do incidente. A gente acaba adivinhando os próximos passos da narrativa, mas a escrita do Newman é tão divertida que nem percebemos o tempo passar. Não é exatamente uma leitura obrigatória na série até porque estes acontecimentos provavelmente serão retomados no volume 3, The Seven, mas é divertido para acompanharmos esta aventura.

[Christopher]

The Vagrant and the City is a cool story expanding non events between book as we get to see the Vagrant in action again and the stories moving on with Vesper and Jem having a little one Reela! :D The book also sets up more world building with us being introduced to more colonies like Fortitude's Peak adding to the locations and politics that are taking place! :D

The Vagrant and the City is clever, fast-paced, world-building and action packed! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D

[Jeff Hanlen]

Newman's side-stories are a delightful addition to the Vagrant series. There is nothing astounding about this book, but it is a comforting return of the Champion, doing what he does best: frowning, grumbling and rolling his eyes.
We get to see how Vesper is doing years after the events of the second book in the trilogy, and how when he is confronted by a familiar challenge, the Champion will step forward and do the jobs that must be done.

[John Ross]

The Kindle cover for The Vagrant and the City by Peter Newman.

[Brian]

I mostly consider these in between stories to be extensions of the other ones and I enjoy them just as much. It's nice to visit the characters for a few hours and see what they're up to between adventures.

[Denise Alcaraz]

One of the best short stories I’ve read, with quite a surprise in store. I feel as though this is a short story that should NOT be missed and perhaps should have been included in the end of The Malice as an epilogue or the beginning of The Seven. It feels too important.

[Raja]

A fun little detour.

[Vijay]

Seems a bit rushed, don't feel as involved in the story.

[John]

Quick fun read focused entirely on the Vagrant. Wish I'd read it before The Seven as it sets a few things up

[Ami R]

The Vagrant is one of my favorite series.

[Grismund]

Wonderful book, but a bit on the nose. Very imaginative. A wonderful survival story.

[Gary Meades]

The Vagrant takes centre stage again in this great short story that presages what might be to come in the final book. A bit lacking in goats though...

[Dijuke]

2.5

[Buck Wilde]

Booktubed in blistering detail here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SA1h...

[Maurice Spurgeon]

A nice little appetizer before the main course that is the finale to the trilogy. Shout out to Peter Newman for showcasing that pregnancy is spontaneously beautiful as well as difficult for the mother. Even just in this short little story, it was nice to see Vesper get even more development and I’m intrigued to see how her journey ends in the next book

8.25/10

[Lorre]

This novella happens 5 years after The Malice.
It is an excellent story with the charismatic Vagrant as the main focus.

[Pavle]

Nit je obavezno, nit je nužno - izuzev poslednjih pet stranica. Ima finih momenata, ali ima i onih drugih. Bar sad mogu mirne savesti (i velike, velike želje) početi treću, poslednju.

2+

[James Downe]

If you've read 'The Vagrant' and 'The Malice', this is an awesome little short story following the Vagrant in the years after those books. Its great to see what he's been doing, and to know he's back!

[T.O. Munro]

This short story is like an extended prologue to "The Seven" We get to see the Vagrant as mute protagonist again in an inventive story that - I think - leaves me well prepared, and eagerly anticipating, the events of the Seven when the whole gang will assemble again!

I reviewed this and Peter's other short story "The Hammer and the Goat" for fantasy-faction here http://fantasy-faction.com/2017/the-h...

[Simon]

Nice little teaser for the seven