The Vagrant

I do not know what to make of this book. Part of me loved it with a passions and part of me thinks it was just kind of ‘meh’, and I truly cannot decide which. First, the things I loved about this book. As you may be aware if you have read any of my other reviews, I am a sucker for an original universe. When a writer creates a world that is new, deep, and steeped in its own lore and culture I am always going to be in favour. The trick is to make it accessible, to not bury the listener beneath a tide of prose that leaves them lost at sea grasping desperately for a reference point. At the start of The Vagrant the later seemed to be the case, but by the end I felt that enough explanation of the world had been given so that the post-apocalyptic, techno-magic world within which the Vagrant finds himself wandering was able to stand by itself.

The demon filled nightmare within which our titular hero and the baby he is trying to protect find themselves is some Lovecraftian take on a Fallout style landscape, with multiple demonic factions vying amongst themselves for power and dominion over the remaining humans after the defeat of the forces of good some eight years prior to the books start. This book is dark, depressing, and delicious from a lore perspective. However, this brings me to one of my major issues with the book. Simply put, it is a little too dark for my personal tastes.

Let me explain. I’m fine with a dark world. Hell, I usually love them. What I’m not super keen on is a depressingly bleak story, absent any wit, banter, or even the cutting edge of gallows humour. There is just no joy anywhere in this book. No happy-go-lucky adventurers trying to seek their fortune or comedic back and forth between friends as they try to scrape by in a world gone to shit. This book is beautifully written, coming down closer to literary fiction than commercial in a lot of ways, but I just wish a bit of the abundant skill that Newman has shown could have been directed to a little levity at some point. In a world entirely devoid of joy, why bother hoping for a better tomorrow?

This lack of sparkling conversation brings me neatly to my next issue. The main character does not talk, and he doesn’t even get any steady companions until over a third of the way through the book. I have to admit that by the end of the book we get a pretty good grasp on what the Vagrant is like, which speaks volumes to Newman’s ability as a writer, but because of this lack of communication, it took me a very, very long time to develop any sort of a bond with our hero. And when I did it was only because of the constant prodding from his chatty companion. I had to judge the man’s character entirely based on his actions and never on his intent. It just made getting to know him a lot harder. Conversely, the brief sections that come from the baby’s perspective are absolutely delightful. This is about the only light-heartedness that Newman allows in his world, and the fact that it comes through the innocent eyes if a child works beautifully. I will also admit to enjoying the brief glimpses into this world through the eyes of the Vagrant’s antagonistic pet goat. I know that sounds odd, but you’ll just have to read/listen to it and find out for yourself. I bloody love that goat.      

In short, if you are after a classic action/adventure with sparkling back-and-forth between kind-hearted companions, then this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a slogging trudge through a desolate and diabolical landscape as one man tries his damnedest to save himself, his baby, and his singing sword from falling into the hands of an unfathomable evil, then The Vagrant is the book for you. It is a good book, but it just wasn’t a perfect fit for my tastes.

Now for the narration, and in short, this may be one of the single best performances that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Jot Davies’s range is unbelievable, but specifically his portrayal of the demonically possessed is unmatched. You can almost hear the pustulous boils burst and the rattle of decomposing lungs in every word that the demonically infected speak. And that’s not to say his portrayal of the still-human characters is lacking, because it most certainly is not. He projects the dire and desperate nature of the world’s poor inhabitants with a skill that I really can’t think of a match for. I have no Idea if he would excel to such a degree in a book about happy unicorns and gumdrop forests, but for a dark, bleak, terrifying world with every inhabitant beset by a litany of painful and horrific realities, Jot Davies is simply the best man for the job. Outstanding!

Personal score: 3 stars   

Professional score: 3.75 stars