The Vagrant (The Vagrant, #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Apr 08, 2016 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: worldbuilding-sf, 2016-shelf, fantasy

I wouldn't say this was an endlessly engaging book about a mute, a baby and a goat, but the quality of the writing was such that I was lost in evocation, the magical spell of the text.

I was slightly worried that this might have turned into a paint-by-numbers fantasy with a clever mute with a baby and a goat twist, but no, it actually became a flowing, even lyrical quest of redemption and slow reveals percolating from the past.

I mean, demon hoards and intelligent singing swords are pretty awesome ...more

71 likes · Like · see review

Nov 09, 2016 Philip rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2015-releases, not-for-me, dying-earth, fantasy, dystopia-utopia

1.5ish stars.

The premise is really cool. The dark tone is atmospheric and engaging. The sparse prose is pretty and had me entranced for a little while. Having said that, my experience reading this was much the same as it was while reading The Road (with which I've found this book has several similarities in style and content) but without any of the payoff. I eventually became disillusioned with the sparse, pretty prose and, within three or four chapters, found it to be frustratingly detached and ...more

49 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2016 Justine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-read

The Vagrant is a mute knight on a mysterious mission accompanied by a goat and a baby and travelling across a demon-infested post-apocalyptic wasteland. I would actually kind have liked to have been there when Peter Newman made his pitch to his agent because, even aside from the premise, a whole book where the main character never speaks is an interesting idea to say the least.

Newman also doesn't provide any insight to the reader by way of the Vagrant's thoughts or inner monologue either, but le ...more

40 likes · Like · see review

Aug 26, 2015 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalypse

4.5 rounded up. It would have been a perfect 5 but it took me quite a while to get into the book. A knight and squire, a baby and a goat....in a post apocalyptic world full of mutants, demons and the tainted. The goat was my favourite and the relationship between the baby and the Vagrant was so endearing.

23 likes · Like · see review

Jul 17, 2016 Helen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I started out with the expectation that I was back in my much-loved fantasy genre. Well, demons and magical swords are fantastical. Space-ship style transport, technology, body-moulding plastic? Not so much!

The main protagonist is mute, glimpses into the past show us this was not always the case, and as we don't even have his thoughts shared with us, he remains a man of mystery! He travels with a baby and gathers others to him, drawn by his goodness.

There is a theme of loyalty and a strength of ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2017 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was my second read of this book. The first time I listened to the audio, which was absolutely fantastic, but I missed some of what was happening and ended up a bit confused. I physically read it this time and found that I got more of the story but missed the voices from the audio. I'm not sure which way I'd recommend.

I think the most interesting thing about this is that the character is mute and you never see his thoughts. You still get a very clear picture of what this character is like, y ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Jul 11, 2016 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: brilliant-narration, audio

I'm having one of those "I have no idea what happened but I totally loved it" moments. I had a hard time grasping everything that was going on in this book but I think to do that I would need to listen to it at least three times in a row.

We have The Vagrant, a baby, and a goat on a journey across a landscape that has been destroyed in demon wars. The Vagrant is an interesting character because he never speaks, and despite the present tense omniscient POV, we never hear what he thinks. I mean, we ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2016 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: x2016-read, sf-f-h, favourites

This was a terrific book. The cover drew me in -- a baby!?!? What hero walks around carrying a baby? The Vagrant was a terrific character, caring, exhausted, and so committed to saving the baby. I loved how the baby evolved. The goat was hilarious, and I really enjoyed how Harm grew over the course of the story.

2 likes · Like · see review