The Warded Man...opinions?

[Michigan]

So I just started reading it, seemed to get mentioned alot around here and this is where I go to find new book ideas. Anyways i'm only about 100 pages in and i'm not overly impressed. The premise seems interesting, the writing keeps me interested, it's certainly not a chore to read, but it still seems second rate. The characters don't seem believeable at all, a bunch of grownups acting like kids and kids acting somewhere between spoiled brats and adults. Maybe it's just because all the main characters are still kids, or it being his Bretts first book (I think). Right now I would probably put it somewhere in between Brandon Sanderson and Kate Elliot. No need to go spoiler heavy as i'm pretty early in the book, just looking for some other opinions and discussion.

[TheEvilKing]

I got a bit further than you, to about 120 pages, and decided it was rubbish and put the damn thing down. Similar reasons to yourself. I thought the dialogue is really, really poor, which made the characters quite cartoonish. But it's very highly rated round here.

[mars]

I managed to read through the whole book, felt sick most of the time (allergy to cliches and predictable plots)

[algernoninc]

i finished this recently. It is indeed full of cliches and predictable in plot twists, but I found it entertaining and well paced. I would say it is a good beach novel, so if you don't expect it revolutionize the genre or rock you off your feet, it is worth trying as an adventure romp.
I'm now reading the Desert Spear, and the series remains decently written and fast, but a little less engaging than the first book. The focus is on a different character, and the whole desert culture portrayed here is a little politically incorrect by exclusively focusing on violence and religious intolerance. I know it's a fantasy world and the author should write whatever he feels it belongs in his setting, but it still bothers me.

[NickeeCoco]

I'm with you. Personally, I thought the book was awful. It had a solid idea behind it, but the execution fell flat. The writing was atrocious. While I've only read Elantris by Sanderson, and haven't read Elliott, I'd put Sanderson above this one (and I wasn't a huge fan of Elantris either)

[chris777]

I thought the books were good. The characters a little thin. But, if you like the dark demon realm type story, it's a good read. It's nowhere near GRRM or Abercrombie, but it's still worth reading. My biggest complaint was how they evolved Leesha.

[Darksbane]

I had a hard time getting into the book but ended up enjoying it well enough. I thought that the second one was better, but most fans of the series seem to think the opposite. As it is for me, the next book will probably be a first day purchase, but I wouldn't put another book down for it. But I'd say the writing is a few steps up from "atrocious", which seems like a decent bit of hyperbole to me.

[Rob B]

Lots and lots of opinion on the book in this thread:
The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett

[Michigan]

Lots and lots of opinion on the book in this thread:
The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett

Thanks alot for pointing me towards that spoiler heavy thread when I said in the initial post to avoid spoilers.

[sdelu]

I'll just go ahead and add another "AWFUL" to the list.

Hated it with a passion. It is not worthy of the praise it gets at all. I couldn't finish it, and that is a very, very rare thing.

I also think Brett's writing is less than impressive.

And don't even get me started on the sex. Very much mishandled.

[s271]

Couldn't get into it either. Premises were seems too contrived too me, no gripping plot, no deep characters. Dropped after ~100 pages

[Ornery Wyvern]

Thoroughly enjoyed it and the follow up, been a bit too long for me to give a detailed critique. I enjoyed the Desert Spear a great deal to and look forward to the next installment.

[chris777]

Thanks alot for pointing me towards that spoiler heavy thread when I said in the initial post to avoid spoilers.

Ah that sucks. Shame on you Rob! =)
I think Rob would rather everyone just read really old threads that are related rather than posting their own new ones. Effectively killing the activity of this forum.

[NickeeCoco]

I had a hard time getting into the book but ended up enjoying it well enough. I thought that the second one was better, but most fans of the series seem to think the opposite. As it is for me, the next book will probably be a first day purchase, but I wouldn't put another book down for it. But I'd say the writing is a few steps up from "atrocious", which seems like a decent bit of hyperbole to me.

No, I wasn't using hyperbole. I thought it was that bad. To me it read like something a high school student would write. Actually, I liked Eragon better, if that's saying something. At least the author was actually a kid.

The pacing was off, the characters were two dimensional cardboard cut outs, and the descriptions were just off. Some things needed to be expanded on, while others needed to be cut down, and I think it could have used a couple more re-writes. To me, it read as a first draft minus the spelling errors I'd expect to find in a first draft. In all honesty, it was a complete waste of my time and money. I really do not understand the appeal it seems to have on here.

[Darksbane]

I really do not understand the appeal it seems to have on here.

I disagree with much of what you said about the book, outside of that things could have been expanded upon and somewhat awkward sentence structure. I certainly did not enjoy Eragon better, but that is just me. There are things that make me bulk when reading a story which are probably different from what you look for. Which is why to me "atrocious" is hyperbole. To you it is that bad, to me certainly not, and apparently not to his publisher or editor either. You didn't enjoy it and cannot understand the appeal, which I can appreciate, but I have a hard time when people approach criticizing a book in such a harsh way.