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The Demon Cycle [Dramatized Adaptation] #1, Part 1
The Warded Man (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.
Audio CD
Published June 3, 2020
88 people want to read
About the author
Peter V. Brett
96 books12.6k followersPeter 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.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 3, 2019
7/10
This was an interesting read with a nice premise but ultimately fell a little flat for me due to listening to the graphic audio and not getting fully onboard with the volume levels. The story itself was engaging but as soon as a battle started I felt like I was unable to hear anything other than demons screaming. I likened it to trying to watch Jurassic Park at the cinema and trying to eavesdrop someone’s conversation 3 rows away during the T-Rex chasing the jeep scene. It frustrated me as there was no need for the levels that high. I was close to stopping it a few times but persevered. I will be doing the written version from here on.
The characters were engaging and I wasn’t sure about the montage like growth for the characters but it worked well to help progress the story. There was some cringy moments late on and led to some strange behaviours but other than that I was pleased with things. I’ll be diving into book 2 very soon and keen to see what happens next.
This was an interesting read with a nice premise but ultimately fell a little flat for me due to listening to the graphic audio and not getting fully onboard with the volume levels. The story itself was engaging but as soon as a battle started I felt like I was unable to hear anything other than demons screaming. I likened it to trying to watch Jurassic Park at the cinema and trying to eavesdrop someone’s conversation 3 rows away during the T-Rex chasing the jeep scene. It frustrated me as there was no need for the levels that high. I was close to stopping it a few times but persevered. I will be doing the written version from here on.
The characters were engaging and I wasn’t sure about the montage like growth for the characters but it worked well to help progress the story. There was some cringy moments late on and led to some strange behaviours but other than that I was pleased with things. I’ll be diving into book 2 very soon and keen to see what happens next.
December 17, 2025
اینو قبلاً کتاب صوتی معمولی شو گوش کرده بودم و واقعا این تاثیر رو نداشت
این تجربه دقیقا مثل یه فیلم بود توی ذهنم
اینم ویدیوش توی یوتوب
https://youtu.be/K_Zy7Ci0dG4?si=ZherH...
این تجربه دقیقا مثل یه فیلم بود توی ذهنم
اینم ویدیوش توی یوتوب
https://youtu.be/K_Zy7Ci0dG4?si=ZherH...
October 9, 2024
At first, I was a bit confused about all the different POVs and subplots, also the image of women seemed so sexist and disgusting. But it neatly came together at the end, and again there were male characters who restored the hope in humanity, even if it is just for this fictional world.
February 13, 2025
Audio effects are something to experience. I read the book translated to Croatian and it was good. This dramatised version, and in original, is a level up in comparison to other audio books. If you can, give it a go. You won’t regret it.
April 30, 2022
I listened to the Graphic Audio edition on Hoopla.
This was a reread for me, but my first time listening to the audio. And wow! The audio cast and producers really did an amazing job. A few times the music or background noise was a little loud, but the voice acting was superb. I also really enjoyed hearing the different accents v. reading them.
The story still holds up well in both mediums. A dire world, unique worldbuilding. Crappy stuff happens to everyone and it seems like the only decent people in the world are the three main characters (and a few random folk who help them). As much as the corelings are the most prevalent threat, it is the horrific actions of their fellow men that are the real monsters--though Brett doesn't really lean into this idea in his writing. More it seems a way of just showing that people are people, good and bad, and very bad.
The time jumps are a awkward at times--but it's much easier to deal with on a reread than on the first read. Having the world background you get after finishing the series gives a much better perspective, and so much more from the first book makes better sense afterwards.
One thing I really dislike is the almost constant weaponization of sex and violence towards women. I can see how it sets the atmosphere in the world, and I recognize that ignoring it or excising it from the story doesn't make its existence any less true in history or in rough worlds. I still hate it. It doesn't keep me from reading the books, but I find it very uncomfortable, and it makes me almost wish the corelings would just wipe the humans out. There doesn't seem to be that much left worth saving in the population.
As for what I did like--the world, the world, the world. How the main characters are all struggling against their cages, and the slow unfolding of weapons. There's a lot to hate and rage against, and while some is sickening (see above), much is also satisfying.
This was a reread for me, but my first time listening to the audio. And wow! The audio cast and producers really did an amazing job. A few times the music or background noise was a little loud, but the voice acting was superb. I also really enjoyed hearing the different accents v. reading them.
The story still holds up well in both mediums. A dire world, unique worldbuilding. Crappy stuff happens to everyone and it seems like the only decent people in the world are the three main characters (and a few random folk who help them). As much as the corelings are the most prevalent threat, it is the horrific actions of their fellow men that are the real monsters--though Brett doesn't really lean into this idea in his writing. More it seems a way of just showing that people are people, good and bad, and very bad.
The time jumps are a awkward at times--but it's much easier to deal with on a reread than on the first read. Having the world background you get after finishing the series gives a much better perspective, and so much more from the first book makes better sense afterwards.
One thing I really dislike is the almost constant weaponization of sex and violence towards women. I can see how it sets the atmosphere in the world, and I recognize that ignoring it or excising it from the story doesn't make its existence any less true in history or in rough worlds. I still hate it. It doesn't keep me from reading the books, but I find it very uncomfortable, and it makes me almost wish the corelings would just wipe the humans out. There doesn't seem to be that much left worth saving in the population.
As for what I did like--the world, the world, the world. How the main characters are all struggling against their cages, and the slow unfolding of weapons. There's a lot to hate and rage against, and while some is sickening (see above), much is also satisfying.
March 13, 2025
4.25⭐️
This is such an original story. With a gritty setting in ancient-like world humanity is plagued by demons at night, only ancient runes are able to save them, but so much was lost in previous demon wars, including humanity’s will to fight back. But, three brave characters will come of age in this world and find they do not want to cower and run, they want to find their destiny, and that destiny will bring them to the beginning of a new fight against the demon hordes.
However, humans will be humans, a deliverer is awaited, factions war against each other, so will they join forces and win and against the demons.
It’s a really well-paced story, with a good continuity and introduction to our MC and possible partner and lover, though the romance is instantaneous and rushed.
This is a reread for me, but it’s been 15 years, and I didn’t recall a lot, but enough to know I wanted to get back to it and finally finish the series, as it’s definitely a classic of high fantasy writing and storytelling.
This is such an original story. With a gritty setting in ancient-like world humanity is plagued by demons at night, only ancient runes are able to save them, but so much was lost in previous demon wars, including humanity’s will to fight back. But, three brave characters will come of age in this world and find they do not want to cower and run, they want to find their destiny, and that destiny will bring them to the beginning of a new fight against the demon hordes.
However, humans will be humans, a deliverer is awaited, factions war against each other, so will they join forces and win and against the demons.
It’s a really well-paced story, with a good continuity and introduction to our MC and possible partner and lover, though the romance is instantaneous and rushed.
This is a reread for me, but it’s been 15 years, and I didn’t recall a lot, but enough to know I wanted to get back to it and finally finish the series, as it’s definitely a classic of high fantasy writing and storytelling.
April 16, 2018
This story seems a little conventional as fantasy stories go, but pretty good. I feel like it's a little too grim in the beginning and if it weren't an audiobook format, I would have put it down. The audio is great, but sometimes the demon sounds are overdone and drown out the audio.
September 12, 2019
August 2019
3,5 stars.
Very interesting. Could have been even better if the arc of the main characters would have been disclosed has a flashback (à la The Stormlight Archive).
3,5 stars.
Very interesting. Could have been even better if the arc of the main characters would have been disclosed has a flashback (à la The Stormlight Archive).
March 12, 2025
3.5/5 stars
January 23, 2026
This dramatized adaptation of The Warded Man plunges listeners into a brutal, fully realized fantasy world where survival ends at sunset. Peter V. Brett’s premise humanity reduced to hiding behind fragile magical wards while demons rule the night is instantly gripping, and the audio dramatization intensifies the tension from the opening moments.
What sets this adaptation apart is its immersive production. The layered narration, sound design, and pacing transform the story into a cinematic experience, making the threat of the corelings feel immediate and relentless. Rather than relying solely on action, the narrative carefully builds dread through atmosphere, loss, and the slow erosion of hope.
The introduction of three young survivors anchors the epic scale of the story in personal trauma and resilience. Their decision to step beyond the wards carries real emotional weight, reinforcing the novel’s central theme: that reclaiming the past may be the only way humanity can survive the future.
For fans of dark fantasy and high-stakes worldbuilding, this dramatized adaptation delivers intensity, depth, and momentum. It’s an excellent entry point into The Demon Cycle especially for listeners who value immersive audio storytelling alongside rich mythology
What sets this adaptation apart is its immersive production. The layered narration, sound design, and pacing transform the story into a cinematic experience, making the threat of the corelings feel immediate and relentless. Rather than relying solely on action, the narrative carefully builds dread through atmosphere, loss, and the slow erosion of hope.
The introduction of three young survivors anchors the epic scale of the story in personal trauma and resilience. Their decision to step beyond the wards carries real emotional weight, reinforcing the novel’s central theme: that reclaiming the past may be the only way humanity can survive the future.
For fans of dark fantasy and high-stakes worldbuilding, this dramatized adaptation delivers intensity, depth, and momentum. It’s an excellent entry point into The Demon Cycle especially for listeners who value immersive audio storytelling alongside rich mythology
September 19, 2024
Audio added to experience.
February 12, 2025
”I’ve been so occupied with what I was fighting against, I’d forgotten what I was fighting for.
Edition: audio [✔️] Kindle [❌] Physical [❌]
This was a reread (i read it back in 2018) and honestly the graphic audio made me love this book even more. It was a 5⭐️ read for me in 2018 and even better today. Kudos to the cast of this audiobook. This was so beautifully put together I almost felt like I was reading it for the first time again.
I forgot how much I loved the characters in this book!! Bruna was 10000% my favorite but Arlen and Lisha are close seconds. I’m starting with the novellas next before I revisit The Desert Spear for the second time 🏜️ and i cannot wait !
Thank you Peter V Brett for such a beautifully written story.
Edition: audio [✔️] Kindle [❌] Physical [❌]
This was a reread (i read it back in 2018) and honestly the graphic audio made me love this book even more. It was a 5⭐️ read for me in 2018 and even better today. Kudos to the cast of this audiobook. This was so beautifully put together I almost felt like I was reading it for the first time again.
I forgot how much I loved the characters in this book!! Bruna was 10000% my favorite but Arlen and Lisha are close seconds. I’m starting with the novellas next before I revisit The Desert Spear for the second time 🏜️ and i cannot wait !
Thank you Peter V Brett for such a beautifully written story.
April 30, 2015
The Warded Man creates a cohesive and consistent fantasy world full of demons of the Core which prey upon the scattered remnants of humanity when their scraps of magic fail while they wait for the inevitable end. We are introduced to three unrelated protagonists, Arlen the boy who despises being caged, Leesha, the promised village beauty, and Rojer, a boy orphaned before he can remember and taken in by an entertainer past his prime. Focused primarily on Arlen, the story follows these three characters over the span of fifteen years as they go from being children (And a toddler in Rojer's case) to being highly competent members of this post-apocalyptic world.
Brett weaves together a world that feels cohesive through his unique terminology and does an excellent job at capturing the small towns which serve largely as the backdrop for his story. At it's core, the story is about simple men and women who are not content with accepting the things that everyone else sees as immutable laws. While the main characters are explored enough to make feel like actual individuals, the secondary cast tends to be put into neat boxes and they don't stray from their roles.
A highly enjoyable and gripping story, the excellent pacing does stumble near the last third of the book. For the first portion of the story, Brett handles leaping across several years at a time gracefully, but as the story nears its conclusion there is the sense that he can't wait to get to "the good stuff" so to speak. These huge leaps lead us to seeing all the protagonists as fully realized masters of the various paths they've taken and culminates in an action packed finale that sets the stage for the much larger conflicts to come.
Overall I would recommend the book to any fantasy readers. I personally plan to pick up the following books and see how the story progresses. I'm crossing my fingers that now that all the characters are fully matured adults we won't be seeing the leaps from the original story. While Brett handled the passage of time well his story telling is at its strongest while its focused on the small and very human moments that make up the lives of his characters.
Brett weaves together a world that feels cohesive through his unique terminology and does an excellent job at capturing the small towns which serve largely as the backdrop for his story. At it's core, the story is about simple men and women who are not content with accepting the things that everyone else sees as immutable laws. While the main characters are explored enough to make feel like actual individuals, the secondary cast tends to be put into neat boxes and they don't stray from their roles.
A highly enjoyable and gripping story, the excellent pacing does stumble near the last third of the book. For the first portion of the story, Brett handles leaping across several years at a time gracefully, but as the story nears its conclusion there is the sense that he can't wait to get to "the good stuff" so to speak. These huge leaps lead us to seeing all the protagonists as fully realized masters of the various paths they've taken and culminates in an action packed finale that sets the stage for the much larger conflicts to come.
Overall I would recommend the book to any fantasy readers. I personally plan to pick up the following books and see how the story progresses. I'm crossing my fingers that now that all the characters are fully matured adults we won't be seeing the leaps from the original story. While Brett handled the passage of time well his story telling is at its strongest while its focused on the small and very human moments that make up the lives of his characters.
March 25, 2021
Trigger warnings: Rape.
There are better books out there to read. Better skip this one.
This book sucks! You have 2 men and 1 woman as the main characters, and that woman's story starts crappy, gets better and then completely derails when you introduce rape into it. WTF!
All the women are portrayed that way. The men are all horny bastards. The women are only considered baby making machines. That's literally all they want too. One town has a government system where women serve as officials but that only depends on whether they have kids or not. So if for some reason, you don't have a kid, you can't become a government official and people sort of ostracize you.
I thought Leesha's story would be different since she got out of her town to learn herb gathering, but fucking hell nooooo! I disliked everything. Also, stop calling it her flower. WTF is this?! She gets nagged by 30 different women to just go and have sex with a dude and have kids. She decides she wants to learn instead. Good for you. But then later on, she mopes around thinking she should have just given her flower to someone. Again, WTF 😒
This book is the reason why people say fantasy treats women badly.
Arlen's story was going well. I was genuinely invested in his quest to learn to fight the demons, but then it just goes ??? He becomes the warded man but the wards make him absorb demon magic? What noo. If that was the case, your village wards should also be absorbing magic and becoming powerful, not weaker.
And the core is calling to him 😳 huuuh? He can travel to the core? Huuuuuh. That is utter and complete nonsense. No explanation.
There was a 3rd character? Yeah, completely useless one.
I'm gonna go back to reading the godlike fantasy books Brandon Sanderson writes.
There are better books out there to read. Better skip this one.
This book sucks! You have 2 men and 1 woman as the main characters, and that woman's story starts crappy, gets better and then completely derails when you introduce rape into it. WTF!
All the women are portrayed that way. The men are all horny bastards. The women are only considered baby making machines. That's literally all they want too. One town has a government system where women serve as officials but that only depends on whether they have kids or not. So if for some reason, you don't have a kid, you can't become a government official and people sort of ostracize you.
I thought Leesha's story would be different since she got out of her town to learn herb gathering, but fucking hell nooooo! I disliked everything. Also, stop calling it her flower. WTF is this?! She gets nagged by 30 different women to just go and have sex with a dude and have kids. She decides she wants to learn instead. Good for you. But then later on, she mopes around thinking she should have just given her flower to someone. Again, WTF 😒
This book is the reason why people say fantasy treats women badly.
Arlen's story was going well. I was genuinely invested in his quest to learn to fight the demons, but then it just goes ??? He becomes the warded man but the wards make him absorb demon magic? What noo. If that was the case, your village wards should also be absorbing magic and becoming powerful, not weaker.
And the core is calling to him 😳 huuuh? He can travel to the core? Huuuuuh. That is utter and complete nonsense. No explanation.
There was a 3rd character? Yeah, completely useless one.
I'm gonna go back to reading the godlike fantasy books Brandon Sanderson writes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 9, 2021I enjoyed reading this book. Perfect for a moment of escape from the real world. However, nothing surprised me in there at all. Characters are for now pretty cliché and the upcoming events can be easily predicted. I like the way the world was built, it sure is original and despite using concepts we encounter in our world (class differences, the dualism between rural and urban lives) they're presented in quite an extraordinary way. Nevertheless, the dullness of the characters really hit me at certain moments of the book. Another thing pretty much disturbing me is, the reader doesn't know much about the world and its history - these, however, might be explained in the next volumes, so I'm stopping myself from judging it now.
Summing it all up, I sure recommend this book as a light fantasy read. It's not too complex or serious and because of the world rules and specifics, it doesn't become boring at all. Character building could be improved a bit, but it doesn't influence the reader's reception to large extent.
Summing it all up, I sure recommend this book as a light fantasy read. It's not too complex or serious and because of the world rules and specifics, it doesn't become boring at all. Character building could be improved a bit, but it doesn't influence the reader's reception to large extent.
March 30, 2020
Watching three characters lead separate lives in a world where people cower behind wards to survive the demons that materialize in the night, made for quite an interesting tale. Everyone is simply trying to survive, and they go about that in their own ways making do with what they have. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what these characters can do together and apart to continue surviving in the subsequent books.
May 29, 2022
This is my first graphic audiobook or whatever its called having originally read the Warded Man and loved it I thought I'd try it this way. To be honest it really didnt do it for me, I much prefer just one narrator and didnt particularly like all the sound effects and acting so will go back to normal audiobooks in future.
The story is still great though although as they split this in half you dont actually get any of the good part, just the back story of how it all started for Arlen etc.
The story is still great though although as they split this in half you dont actually get any of the good part, just the back story of how it all started for Arlen etc.
June 8, 2012
A whole book of prologue; this is how the team gets together. There is no single story here, more world-building and character creation. My continued reading had a lot to do with an interesting premise and other reviews here promising that the second book is better. I'm still intending to give the second book a chance.
March 1, 2016
A serviceable, if not entirely unique, act one of a larger series. I would've liked more of a feeling of completeness as far as this opening book is concerned. LOTS of exposition even in the Graphic Audio version. If not for the fact that this was Graphic Audio's performance, it would be 4 stars for me. But, I am curious to see where the story goes, because this was a pretty good prologue.
August 2, 2022
As always with graphic audio titles, I love the full cast audio and the sound effects that go along with the story. Excellent performances in this audio, and lots of fun to listen to over all. Starting the second part now, (at nearly 1:30 in the morning), yeah, it's that good.
August 31, 2023
This is a re-read for me as I read the regular book over a decade ago. Being a fan of other GraphicAudio full cast + music + sound effects productions, I knew they’d do something cool with this one since it involves giant monsters… and they deliver.
December 16, 2011
This book was outstanding, well written, great flow.
June 23, 2015
Loved this one - looking forward to the sequels!
February 4, 2021
Excellent read, loved to style of magic system used. Had some nice foreshadowing that didn't give away the whole plot, but left you anticipating things to come.
October 3, 2022
Outstanding introduction to the characters of the Hollow and the back story of the Krasians. Arlen & Jardir ..
August 26, 2023
Excellent audio play!
The story comes across clearly with the narrators telling and the characters are well played by the voice actors. The sound effects make it a great listen.
The story comes across clearly with the narrators telling and the characters are well played by the voice actors. The sound effects make it a great listen.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews