Barren

The Demon Cycle #5.5

by Peter V. Brett

After The Great Bazaar and Brayan’s Gold and Messenger’s Legacy comes Barren, an enchanting new short story set in the much-loved world of the DEMON CYCLE series

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, High Fantasy, Novella, Audiobook, Dark Fantasy

129 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2018

About the author

Peter V. Brett is the internationally bestselling author of the Demon Cycle series, which has sold over four million copies in 27 languages worldwide. Novels include The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, The Skull Throne, and The Core. Other works include the Red Sonja: Unchained graphic novel and the Demon Cycle novellas The Great Bazaar, Brayan's Gold, Messenger's Legacy, and Barren. The Desert Prince, the first installment of his Nightfall Saga, published in August 2021. The sequel, The Hidden Queen, is due early 2024. He lives in Brooklyn.

www.petervbrett.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PVBrett
Instagram: https://instagram.com/pvbrett/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVBrett/
TikTok: @PVBrett

Reviews

[carol.]

AKA: "Brett's Attempt to Correct for Gratuitous Anti-Female Plot Points In His First Book"


I'm old, I'm crabby, and I have no time for a dude who had meaningless gang rape followed by insta-love for the only woman in his first book to try and rectify his mistakes by adopting the narrative of a middle-aged lesbian.

From the blurb:
"And in a small community the personal and the political can never be divided." Straight out of Feminism 101. How come he missed the chapter on the problematic issue of women being defined by sexuality?

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review first posted on Fantasy Literature (along with two of my co-reviewers' 3.5 star reviews):

Notwithstanding the publicity materials for this novella, I’m here to say that Barren is not, in fact, a particularly satisfactory entry point for the DEMON CYCLE series. (I’ll also attest to the fact that I found the dialect, especially the repeated use of the word “ent” for “ain’t,” annoying.) I’m a complete newbie to the series, but when I unexpectedly received a review copy of this novella, it looked interesting enough for me to spend twenty or thirty researching the series and this world before launching into Barren. My research helped with a basic understanding of demons and wards, but it wasn’t enough to make Barren come alive for me.

Selia is an interesting protagonist, a 69 year old woman whose exposure to demon magic while fighting them has reversed her aging process, giving her the looks and vitality of a woman in her thirties. (One of my unanswered questions as a series newbie was why the reverse aging process has only recently begun for her. Is it just the recently discovered “combat wards” that lead to this effect?)

Selia is also a lesbian or “square,” in this society’s terminology. Since she’s living in a medieval-type society and in a small town, it’s pretty safe to assume that that lifestyle is not going to meet with general public approval. To make matters worse, Selia is in a secret relationship with 20 year old Lesa, which also raises squicky questions of age and power differences that are only partially addressed by Selia’s recent return to a more youthful appearance.

Other than Selia, most of the characters are fairly one-dimensional. In a series of flashbacks, we learn about Selia’s youthful relationships and how some key events at that time have affected her views and development as a person. Brett spends most of Barren exploring Selia’s personal relationships with three different young women, her struggles against prejudice and small-town politicking and power plays, and the effect of these things on Selia’s life, with the demon-fighting as more of a backdrop. I would have preferred it if the story had put more emphasis on the latter. Still, if I’d had the background of more of the series to add depth and color to the world, I think I would have appreciated Barren more.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. Thank you!

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tibbet's Brook has embraced the arrival of the fighting wards. The Brook has formed a militia and many of the town's elders have reaped the rewards of magic by growing younger once more. Selia Square, the woman known as Barren, is one such woman. The return of her youth has rekindled many parts of her. Selia seeks love in the arms of a young woman while trying to protect the Brook from the coming demon swarm.

Barren was an interesting story that really highlighted the life or Selia. When I first heard that Peter V. Brett was working on this story I didn't imagine it would be as compelling as it was. I hadn't read The Core when I first heard Brett was working on Barren and didn't know what a scandal Selia had been involved in during her youth. Loving a woman in the wrong family in a time and place where such was considered an abomination by many.

The story also reinforced one thought I always had regarding Selia Barren, that she does not play around. Selia from a young age was willing to put herself in harm's way to protect a person regardless of if she had to stand up to the Watches or a coreling. Selia will stand for what she believes in and protect everyone she can. It was good to see her get a chance at love even if she was somewhat uncomfortable with what people would say.

It was interesting to see what happened to Tibbet's Brook since it didn't really get it's own story conclusion in The Core. The Brook took to fighting demons with similar fervor to Cutters Hollow. It didn't have the wardcraft the Hollow possessed thanks to Arlen and Leesha, but it was innovative in lesser ways. Brett did a good job involving characters many people were likely to have forgotten about such as Brine Broadshoulders.

Barren is a good novella that brings closure to the good people of Tibbet's Brook along with a peek into Selia Barren's life.

4 out of 5 stars

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very happy to get this novella following the events in The Core. Or rather, I should say it gives this small town the kind of ending it deserved in the tumult that wrecked the land in The Core. Huge things happened there. All towns getting attacked at once, demons pouring up from every corner, close calls, and a trip to the core of the demon realm. Big stuff. So of course, little towns of a thousand souls kinda get forgotten for the sake of pacing. And that's okay.

That's why writers invented novellas. :)

What sets this aside from all the other novels and side-stories is the repudiation of all the gratuitous uber dark brutalizations. In fact, it focuses on same-sex relations and the still-nasty small-town ugliness that follows those people of a different persuasion.

I personally thought these demon novels were partly a commentary on the ugliness of man, anyway. Adding demons to punish them just happens to fit the bill nicely. So the corollary is simple. Successfully fighting off the demons must come, in part, with setting ourselves to right. And this is what we get.

Not easily, and not without tragedy, but the fight to make things right is its own reward.

Plus gigantic worms crashing through the town square, mind-controlling demon princes, and slavering hoards of monsters adds a little spice. But then, doesn't it always?

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time I started it, I couldn’t get past the relationship between Selia, almost 70 years old and Lesa, barely 20. Second time, I said to myself: ok, ignore that and focus on the story instead. And it worked.

This is the story of Selia, the Barren. If you read the main series, you’ll know her from there. She is a great character, always helping others and trying to do justice for everyone. However, I was not that much interested in her story as I was in the fights against the demons.

I understood the message stated here – stand up for your beliefs no matter what and fight for your happiness – but I really didn’t care. What I loved about this series was the worldbuilding and this novella here doesn’t bring anything new on this. Therefore, it was an OK read but nothing more for me.

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads has the events of this book happening after the series was concluded. I would say this is happening during the last book. In this one, Selia is the main character and we learn about her love life in the present and in the past.

I was excited to get my hands on this book as I can be immersed in this world once again especially with a new book in this series coming out. The question is if Selia is a strong enough character to carry her own story and do I really care about her trysts. The answer is no on both accounts. This wasn't a bad story. I do love this world and the idea of corelings. The battle at the end was fantastic and I loved reading it. But for the most part we are reading about Selia and her lovers and how it is disapproved by many of the townspeople. I like the message that the author was trying to convey and I love when fantasy books do that. It just isn't the most exciting read as we get bogged down in politics because of one's sexual orientation.

If you are a fan of this series and have read the novels in it I believe you will like this book. If you are a casual fan or new to this series I would suggest reading something else in this series. The plot was kind of weak and this book feels like it was written just for the message.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent read. Kinda makes me want to revisit the series. 4⭐️

[Marc Rasp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella. We get to journey back to Tibet’s Brook and hear more of Selia’s tale and how she never gives up helping the town. I’ve enjoyed all of the novellas that have accompanied the Demon cycle. I personally think this is the best of them. I think it must be difficult writing a book that takes place in a world that doesn’t respect differences, much like our world, but Peat finds a way to do it in a way that works out. Looking forward to the next cycle.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an ARC of Barren in a fan art contest.
I read the entire book in one sitting. It was incredible and I feel like I need some time to process everything that happened in such a small story. Barren has earned a place as one of two tiny blue novellas which are very close to my heart.

[Jon Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I missed this series. This is a great return.

[Leigh009 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tired.......poor! Disgrace!

An absolute disgrace to read this book in line with the other books. Money making drivel!! No proper plot, characters thin with no substance! Why DO author's do this?? Ruin perfectly fine stories by extending its draw! YOU have told the story! Move on to different pastures! You're ruining your hard earned reputation, from great books, to drivel!!
DO NOT waste your time and money on this essay, marked at a D-! With a see me after class note!

[Adron Buske · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short version:
If Little House on the Prairie existed in a grim world of nightly demon attacks, Barren’s Selia Square would be a venerable but beleaguered Laura Ingalls, protecting a rural community against a backdrop of social politics and persecution over her own sexuality.

* * * * *

Rating:
I waver between 3 and 3.5 stars. I think a long-time fan of the Demon Cycle series will find much more to enjoy here. That said, it was still a compelling narrative and, after several chapters of complete confusion for me, I was able to appreciate this tale on its own merits.

* * * * *

I received a surprise advanced reader’s copy of Peter V. Brett’s Barren in the mail. I was previously unaware of his work and of the Demon Cycle series this book belongs to. I really like the novella length format, though, and the cover design very much strikes my fancy, so I dove in to see what it’s all about.

Marketing blurbs for Barren indicate this novella is accessible for the Demon Cycle uninitiated. I didn’t find that to be the case, as this book leans heavily on prior world building. Brett expends little word count on detailing the nature of the demons and the social structure of the small, rural setting. The first few chapters felt like an avalanche of character introductions, lots of names and vague affiliations I had no context for, most of whom I couldn’t keep straight even towards the end of the book. The first quarter of the novella seemed almost impenetrable to me as a newbie to the series. However, once Barren hits its first flashback sequence, the story smoothed out and I could grab on to a pretty compelling narrative.

The story follows Selia Square, a town elder (“Speaker”) who must constantly balance small town rivalries and political infighting while combating demon attacks after nightfall. Complicating matters is Selia’s relationship with a much younger militia member under her command, the 20-ish year old Lesa.

Barren’s most interesting character dynamic exists in the relationship between these two women. Selia is in her late 70s. However, a side-effect of killing demons is an absorption of their energies, imbuing aging warriors with supernatural youth, vigor, and desire. (This effect seems to be a recent discovery within the Demon Cycle world, but I was never clear on how or when it was harnessed.) Though she’s acted as Speaker for many decades, Selia looks and performs as a vital woman in her late 30s. Lesa, barely an adult, has been her lover in secret, hiding their relationship from a community with obvious Puritanical-style prejudices. The brazen young woman cares little for scorn or judgment and wants to love her openly. But Selia knows that her position as Speaker is tenuous, and that public reveal of her sexuality could undermine her leadership. With nightly demon attacks growing more concerted and disturbingly deliberate, Selia fears that the people of her community could suffer, violently, should their leadership falter to bickering and innuendo.

And, of course, Selia’s own personal history is marred by a half-century old tragedy which taught her to keep her true nature hidden.

A few flashback sequences build the foundation of Selia’s present day dilemmas. They have a sort of Wizard and Glass quality which I enjoyed. We see our protagonist in her 19th year, helping her mother teach school, learning leadership from her Speaker father, and kissing her best friend Deardra when they think nobody is looking. When a new girl, Anjy, is brought into her family’s household, Selia’s mundane routines give way to exciting, lustful, and eventually catastrophic events that shape her life in profound ways. These flashbacks fill in the backstory of her deep-seated, bad blood relationships with other township leaders, social infections bubbling to the surface fifty years later.

A problem with Barren, though, is that while Selia develops into a multi-layered character over the novella, the other love interests in her life do not. Deardra, Lesa, and especially Anjy are largely two dimensional and serve Selia’s story without seeming to live for themselves. For me, that lack of depth caused a few important scenes to feel devoid of real emotion.

The imbalanced power dynamic between the aged Speaker and the young warrior she both commands and beds is the most interesting relationship in Barren. The emotional impact for Selia is explored — her frustration and regret when she must exert that social dominance in unhealthy ways. But, because we know nothing about Lesa other than she is a passionate lover and excellent fighter, the development of that dynamic over 144 pages isn’t wholly satisfying.

Barren has a few other characteristics that I found a bit irritating. Brett writes his character dialogue with a very specific dialect, with a stilted grammatical structure. It caused me to pause often and reread lines to make sure I understood what was being said. In particular, the characters use the word “ent” constantly, as a blanket replacement for "will not/am not/ain’t”. It’s distracting, but I got used to it. The word “succor” appeared very frequently, even multiple times on a page, and while it’s clearly meaningful in Barren’s vernacular, its overuse felt clumsy.

The aspect of dialogue that bothered me the most, though, was use of the term “square” as Barren’s word for gay/lesbian. The flashback sequences detail how Selia and Deardra call themselves the "Square Girls Club", a secret organization of just two members. Yet, Square is also Selia’s surname, which feels VERY on the nose. I don’t think that surname even comes up until halfway through the book. When it did, it pulled me out of the story, trying to figure out if it was a typo.

All that said, Barren was a quick, pretty entertaining read. I quite liked the complicated Selia. The flashbacks held my interest. I’m still largely clueless about the nature of the demons. Brett just doesn’t spend any of the novella’s limited word count explaining much of what they look like or what their powers are. And the mystical system of Wards is referenced constantly but I gained no understanding of how it worked. I’d guess that previous Demon Cycle novels explore the nature of magic thoroughly, but there’s no context in this novella to create genuine interest in it.

The story ends abruptly, with no denouement, but it ties up all the plot threads and sufficiently completes this character arc for Selia Square. There are hints of greater demon struggles to come, which I imagine will be explored in the series’ next full novel.

Did I enjoy it?
I struggled with the first third of the novella. But, by the end, I was pretty caught up in Selia’s tale, even with some quibbles constantly gnawing at me. And it inspired some post-read story and craft contemplation, which is a big plus for me.

Am I the intended audience for this book?
Since this is book 5.5 (?) in a series of novels which I was not previously familiar with, not really. Also, the rustic, pioneer-with-a-fantasy-twist setting isn’t particularly appealing to me.

Would I have picked this book up off a store shelf?
The cover design for Barren would have definitely caught my eye. I like the blue, textured cover and mystical wards around the title treatment. I would have at least plucked it from a bookstore shelf to read the back cover.

Will I keep it on my bookshelf?
I’m unlikely to re-read Barren, so I probably won’t keep it on my shelf. However, I sometimes hold onto books with cool cover design or trade dress for use as inspiration. That might be the case for Barren, at least for awhile.

Would I read more from this author or series?
Since the world setting isn’t really my jam, I don’t feel compelled to dive deeper into the Demon Cycle series. But I’m convinced enough of Peter V. Brett’s storytelling abilities that I’d take another shot at his work outside of this world.

[Kinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how many well-built characters this series has - never would have thought Selia and Tibbet's Brook would get more focus after what happened with Renna, but I'm so glad it did. I'm just sad that the story is over.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice return to Thesa, here. Mind blowing? No. Cool and easy to read? Yes. And in some ways, I found this more enjoyable than The Core.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review; thank you Harper Voyager. And I wish I could honestly give this book a good write up but it seems to magnify all of the problems that I’ve had with Brett’s Demon Cycle - two-dimensional characters and simplistic YA-like prose and plot (and I love a good YA novel). I could hear the gears grinding as the author moved the plot along. This very short novella takes place in the shadow of the main events of the Demon Wars but some of the characters from the main story show up briefly in the background. Because of the story’s link to the larger series, the developments with the demons that are new and interesting in the larger story are here old and stale. Really nothing to see here. Not sure why this was published, unless it’s a money grab. Somewhere between 2-3 stars; I”m being generous.

[Amarinske · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars with an average of 7/10
My rating system:
1 star: 1.0-2.9/10
2 stars: 3.0-5.4/10
3 stars: 5.5-7.0/10
4 stars: 7.1-9.0/10
5 stars: 9.1-10/10
Rating based on characters, plot, and writing (2X).

Characters 8/10
We follow Selia, a character who is town speaker in the township Arlen was born (Tibbet's Brook) and her story in past and present. I thought she was a very interesting character, because she is a lesbian, in this world it's called a square girl and her struggles with it throughout time. The rest of the characters seem eerily akin to our modern day abrahamic religious people and condemn it. There seems to be only one thing they condemn more and that is hitting a girl/woman. These views play an important role in the way Selia, her romantic partners, and all the other people in her struggles. I thought the characters were very well written.

Plot 7/10
This book doesn't really have a plot, it follows Selia through the most important parts of her life. But I liked the way it's character driven. Although the modern day component does follow the final month of the main series books between the two new moons and we see Selia grow and come to terms with her sexuality and into her leading role. The plot could be summarized as: Selia and her current lover end in a bit of a fight when she doesn't want people to know they are together and we follow the fights against homophobia and demons as well as the struggle of a slowly diverging town.

Writing 6.5/10
I enjoyed reading the writing style, but there is nothing really special about it. It's just easy and fast to read.

General enjoyment 6.5/10
This was enjoyable to read, but didn't feel like anything special to me. The book also felt a bit unnecessary and just here to showcase a lesbian. As if it were just here for the representation and to showcase there are women in this world who go against the general derogatory treatment of females in this world as well as against homophobia. I do think this book is almost as bad as The Daylight war, but at least that book had a point in the overall grand politics and warring in this world. This book is just very insular, the most insular in the series.

[Jessica Strider]

Pros: fast paced, realistic relationships

Cons: homophobic world which may be distressing for some to read

Selia Square’s time as speaker of Tibbet’s Brook hasn’t always been easy, and as the demons start to swarm mistakes from her past threaten to destroy the Brook.

This is a demon cycle novella set around the time of the events in the novel The Core. You’ll be lost if you haven’t read the novels.

I liked Selia, though I’ll admit that the large age gap between her and her lover did give me pause. The novella is strongly focused on her sexuality and how being a lesbian goes against the religious and moral codes of the peoples of the Brook. Though it has a happy ending, some readers may find the negative language and how an earlier affair ends distressing. The author creates his own terms so there are no slurs, but it’s still a world that doesn’t accept gay couples.

The interpersonal relationships were handled realistically. Grudges festered, past events haunted the present, the youth didn’t care much about what happened before they were born. The town and its borroughs felt real and lived in.

It’s a quick read that fleshes in what happened in Arlen’s home village after he gave them the fighting wards and helps his father redeem himself.

[Jefi Sevilay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normalde ana kitaplar bittiği halde Demon Cycle evrenine gitmek, Arlen'i, Leesha'yı, Rojer'i ve yan karakterleri yeniden okumak beni mutlu eder. Oyun bitmiştir, konu kalmamıştır, ancak bir şekilde de o evrenden ayrılamazsınız. Aynı onun gibi olurdu.

Barren'ın yazılma motivasyonunu ise asla anlayamadım. Belki Peter Brett'in önceki kitaplarda kadınlara yaptığı haksızlıklar nedenli bir günah çıkarma olabilir, bilmiyorum. Ancak serideki pek çok kadın karakter "merit"leriyle varolurken şimdi kalkmış son buçuklu kitapta 70 yaşında bir kadınla 20 yaşında bir kadının aşk hikayesini anlatıyorsan, asıl hikayenin unsurlarından hiç bahsetmiyorsan, içinde demon olmayan bir demon hikayesi istiyorsan, o zaman burada ne işimiz var?

Bir de bir yandan Çukurova'nın köylerinde geçen İnce Memed'i okurken diğer yandan fantastik bir evrende Tibbet Deresi köyünden Selia Barren'in yaşadıklarının birebir aynı olması beni çok kıkırdattı.

Demon Cycle'dan başka buçuklu kitap kalmadı ve bu masal da burada bitti.
Herkese keyifli okumalar.

[Dane Bovee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

This wasn't the best novella in the series and it seemed to "clear up" something that happened in the last novel of this series that I didn't really care about or feel needed clearing up. That said, I love this world so much that I'm glad I read it and though it didn't add much to the series it was a decent little story and a good closer to the series. Take it or leave it, but it was good to complete the series!

[Samuel Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy from HarperVoyager in exchange for an honest review.

I've loved this world since I first picked up The Desert Spear of all books (made for an interesting experience, going back to read book one) and getting an opportunity like this to dig into the world and the minor characters that make it feel real, that people live in it, was amazing.

Set during the messy business of the last couple books of the Demon Cycle, Barren focuses on Arlen Bales' hometown and the trials they face as one of the demon prince's turn their eyes upon them. While half the narrative is focused on these trials, the other half digs into a tragic event some 50 years earlier and the root cause of some major divisions among the humans. The way both narratives are handled and intertwined leads to them flowing along what felt like a single narrative line and not two interweaving.

I look forward to whatever stories will be told next in this world.

[Tiago Gonçalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a well-written story that adds depth to most secondary characters from Tibbet's Brook. A fine addition to the main books from the Demon Cycle saga.

[Brynjar Steinbakk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Litt annerledes men ganske bra

[Bob Reiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the problems with epic fantasy series is that as the story progresses and the world gets bigger, often the smaller tales slip through the cracks. In Barren, Brett brings us back into the world of his Demon Cycle and gives us a small glimpse at how the town that was the original home of Arlen Bales has progressed. Its great to return to this world and see look at how these characters have developed. Plus, plenty of demon killing action. Narrator Xe Sands delivers a solid performance. At times the cadence of her delivery seems awkward but sometimes the awkwardness actually plays into the narrative.

[C.W. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, brutal and once again bloody brilliant! Pun intended! One of my all time favourite authors. Superb writing that’s a joy to read.

[Rowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, but a lovely companion to the demon cycle, and answered a few questions I had as well as some I hadn't thought of

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's well written, i'll give it that. However, after finishing reading, I was left asking myself why this was written in the first place.

The main character in Barren is Selia, the speaker from Tibbets Brook. She was a voice of reason in a town gone crazy during the demon cycle books and she seemed pretty damn cool. An unrelated note was that she liked women, this was a bit of flavor added to the character. It was cool.

Guess what? This book is about Selia liking women. That's it. Granted, it's a nice story about her liking women and coming to terms with that, but really, it's a story we didn't need.

If you're looking for some backstory into a cool character, feel free to read this. If you're expecting anything to be added to the world or story of the demon cycles, you can pass on this.

[MasterSal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed being back in the world and I generally liked the story and the theme of tolerance. However, there were just too many names and nasty humans who I didn't care about. Our MC Selia was great but the rest of the cast could have been cored for all the difference it made to me (probably should have been cored before this novella). It left the story a little flat for me overall. Selia really carried it, and the Town, on her shoulders.

Honestly she could have employed a little less patience and a little more arsenic - just saying.

[Matt Reno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the better entries in the series. It feels like he was trying to make up for the way people reacted to his female characters in book one than anything else

[Marzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Upon accepting to review this novella, I read the first two books in the Demon Cycle series to try to learn about the setting, the magic system, and frankly to gather my own thoughts about a series that I've seen alternately praised and reviled by readers as stunning but filled with violence, especially sexual violence. I can definitely say that The Painted/Warded Man and Desert Spear are violent books, with ample sexual violence (female and male rape). I also took time to read an AMA on Reddit in which Brett tried to explain his rationale for the sexual violence in his stories and in a way, his point about how common sexual violence is is certainly being made for him at present when one peruses the tweets with #MeToo and #WhyIDidntReport hashtags all over Twitter. Sexual assault is an all too common experience in our culture and the will to survive and thrive is one that needs stoking. However, I also think it's a valid point that some readers may want fantasy without this particular horror. This series is definitely not for those people who don't want to see sexual violence in fantasy. For those who might want a taste of the series without the level of violence in some of the earlier books but with a feel for the magical battles against demonic creatures called the corelings, Barren might be a fit, though I'm not sure its the best entry point for these series since it does appear to have, unsurprisingly given its position in the Demon Cycle timeline, spoilers for the series. I'm also not sure it's Brett's finest writing in terms of character development compared to what I've seen.

Barren is the story of Selia Square, a Speaker (Leader) of Tibbet's Brook. Selia is sixty-nine at the book's opening but the magical warding used in battling demons that plague Tibbet's Brook has caused a reversed aging process and she looks much younger than her years. She has taken a much younger woman as a lover (Selia is a lesbian) and she worries that this will give her community the excuse to "stake her" like they have recently done to another woman, who I gather was a central character in the Demon Cycle series. (Staking someone at night in this world seems to imply they will meet a horrible end, though honestly I'm not 100% sure that the character referred to really bit the demon dust.) Even the community's minister, Tender Harral warns Selia about her misguided ways, and when Selia responds that she is who she is, he replies that "We are who we want to be," echoing the offensive real world idea of a "lifestyle choice." Selia, of course, scoffs at his warning. We get to see several relationships that Selia has had thanks to flashbacks to fifty years before, when she was a young woman of nineteen rejecting the idea of marrying an eligible young man her father approves of and who, it seems, becomes a lifelong foe of hers, as a result of this perceived slight. The development of Selia as a gay character was balanced between her sexuality and prowess as a demonfighter/leader in her community, meaning her success as an individual, something I always consider a positive. Selia's various lovers show robust physical affection with her and the physicality was pleasant to read, as well.

Although through the flashbacks we come to see Selia's terrible loss of a lover, and the lasting consequences, to the present day, that followed this tragedy, I can't say that I felt I learned much about many of the other characters in the novella. They were rather thin characterizations, and in some ways I find that quite uncharacteristic of Brett's writing, which, while it may not be quite my fare, is skilled in both world-building and character development according to what I found in the first two novels.

I'd heartily recommend this novella for longtime readers of the Demon Cycle series. It may also satisfy those who are looking for shorter works depicting queer characters working their way into an open lifestyle in a resistant community. Selia's success is the most heartening part of the story for me.

I received a copy of the final book from Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

[Patrick St-Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to be way behind on my Peter V. Brett reading, with no excuse to offer to explain this. And now that the sequence is complete, I figure I will have to do something about this sooner rather than later. Still, having enjoyed all of the author's previous novellas, I was happy to give Barren a shot when I was offered an early read.

If, like me, you are not up to date with Brett's Demon Cycle, keep in mind that this novella contains minor spoilers as to what has been taking place in the main series. In any event, I'm not sure why anyone uninitiated would want to read Barren before the Demon Cycle installments, as it's meant to sort of fill in the blanks regarding some characters and storylines. Hence, I reckon this one to be for existing Brett fans and not for newbies.

Here's the blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett returns to his groundbreaking Demon Cycle series with this enthralling novella—the latest story set in his much-loved fantasy world.

Each night, the world is overrun by bloodthirsty demons. For centuries, humanity survived only by hiding behind defensive wards—magical symbols with the power to repel the demons. Now, the rediscovery of long-forgotten combat wards has given them the magic they need to fight back.

In Tibbet’s Brook, the fighting wards have brought change, but the factions and grudges of a troubled past remain. Selia Square, the woman they call Barren, has long been the force that holds the Brook together. As a terrifying new threat emerges, she rallies her people once again.

But Selia has a past of her own. And in a small community the personal and the political can never be divided. If Tibbet’s Brook is to survive, Selia must uncover memories she has buried deep—the woman she once was, the woman she once loved—and retell their story.

As was the case with Brett's The Great Bazaar and Other Stories and Brayan's Gold, understandably this latest novella is part of a vaster story arc. And unlike Messenger's Legacy, Barren worked well as a stand-alone. In all likelihood due to the fact that this latest work doesn't contain important spoilers like its predecessor. Indeed, Barren is meant more to further flesh out the main protagonist, Selia Square.

There is only one point of view and it's that of Selia. The woman is Tibbet's Brook's Speaker. Her mandate demands that she balance what is often small town bickering and politicking while coordinating the community's struggles against the nightly demon attacks. As a lesbian in such a small rural environment, Selia's sexuality and how it affects how she is perceived are at the heart of the tale that is Barren.

The structure of the novella follows two different timelines. The first features an older Selia, the Speaker in her seventies, having a secret love affair with a much younger woman. The second occurs fifty years earlier and essentially recounts Selia's backstory and that of the Square Girls' Club. And though protecting the town against demons come every nightfall is part of the plot in both timelines, ultimately Barren is more about the exploration of social politics and sexual persecution in a small, rural community.

These novellas give Peter V. Brett a chance to explore a different locale from his universe, while telling a tale that helps flesh out one of his main protagonists even more. And as was the case with Messenger's Legacy, Barren once again captures the author's knack for creating a dark atmosphere, one in which certain characters act as beacons of light offering a brighter future to come.

In the end, Barren should appeal to Brett's numerous fans as they eagerly await his new series set in the same universe.

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