Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"The Vagrant" is a cross between a Mad Max movie and a classic sword & sorcery novel. Peter Newman owns the craft, he definitely knows what "show, don't tell" is all about. Come to think of it: writing about a character who's completely silent and doesn't utter a single word in 400 pages is not an easy task, considering the reader has no doubt about what the Vagrant's feelings are. This could have easily been a five-star review... if only "The Vagrant" had not been written in present tense. Aye, damn present tense!
Hello, weary travelers, pilgrims, and fellow adventurers! I'm back with another fantasy review. The Vagrant, Peter Newman's debut novel published in 2015, is possibly the strangest book I've ever read. However, despite its weirdness, I found it compelling as it pulled me deeper into its narrative. Newman delivers an enjoyable ride that will not be to everyone's liking, thanks to a unique premise, a strange cast of characters, an odd but easy-to-get-used-to writing style, and a world that is a mix of fantasy and sci-fi. So, what makes The Vagrant an enjoyable read? Let me share my thoughts with you, and we can discuss them in the comments. As always, there will be no major spoilers before we begin. This is a book that I believe should be read in its entirety, but I will discuss the premise and share some non-spoiler information about the world, the central character, and so on. If you prefer to go in blind, please see the TL;DR summary at the end. Let's take a look at the synopsis without further ado:
>The Vagrant is his name. He has no other. Friendless and alone he walks a desolate, war-torn landscape. His purpose is to reach the Shining City and deliver the only weapon that may make a difference in the war. But the Shining City is far away and the world is a very dangerous place.
**The Premise:**
*Unnoticed in the commotion, the vagrant travels on.*
The Vagrant's central premise is that its protagonist is completely silent. I mean totally and completely silent. We don't even know what he's thinking. Newman throws you into a world with no explanation and a character who is both externally and internally silent. The mad lad. The Vagrant is accompanied by a baby, a goat, and a sentient sword. That's all. Other characters will interact with this one, but the majority of the adventure will revolve around this silent protagonist. I am confident that you have never read anything like this. It certainly draws on established tropes, but it also adds its own unique twist and flair to the storytelling. The story takes place 1,000 years after humanity was all but destroyed at the hands of the Infernals, chaotic creatures unleashed by the Breach. Humanity fought back with the help of legendary warriors known as the Seraph Knights. However, as we can see, that failed, and humanity is dispersed, with many succumbing to the hordes of Infernals, others becoming mutated monstrosities, and few hardly remembering what it's like to be human anymore.
**The World and Writing:**
*In New Horizon, nothing is wasted.*
This is a dark and desolate world, but it is also an intriguing place. I'll be honest; Newman drops you in with nothing but what you read in the synopsis. You'll either take it in stride, stumbling slightly as you build up to a run, or you'll trip and fall. Nowhere is this idea more apparent than in the opening chapters. The first couple of chapters are difficult and perplexing due to the writing style and lack of information. That's one of the reasons I gave up on it a couple of years ago before giving it another shot. Because the protagonist is silent, you must rely on his interactions with the world and the people in it. The narration is told in a third-person omniscient style, giving the impression that you are being told the story rather than experiencing it through the eyes of the character. "Who is telling this story?" I often wondered. At times, it was difficult for me to picture some of the world, the monsters, and the characters. It's similar to playing a top-down isometric RPG in some ways. You have a bird's-eye view of what's going on, giving you a better perspective on the world or room layout. However, you might miss out on some finer details. It felt like that but in the context of a novel. It's also worth noting that this story is told in two different time frames. There is one in the present with the vagrant, and then there are flashbacks. These flashbacks give more backstory not only to the vagrant but to the world itself. While it can be a little difficult to get used to Newman's style of writing, you will eventually. I ended up enjoying it. Oftentimes, I would reread sections to see if I missed anything due to Newman's subtlety in revealing things. Despite the weird nature of the writing, I was compelled to finish the story.
**The Characters:**
*The next kick is more vigorous. Pulling back his coat once again, the Vagrant frowns down at the baby. It stops kicking and looks up at him. He raises his eyebrows at it and the baby smiles. The cycle repeats several times, the baby smiling a little more with each repetition.*
This specific passage from the book was included to highlight one of my favorite instances in the book. Newman must have also been a new father while writing this book because the interactions with the baby feel so real. They made me laugh during scenes like the one described here. Character interactions are critical to comprehending The Vagrant. There are only three notable characters who join the Vagrant: the baby, the goat, and Harm, who is introduced a few chapters in. Newman uses the Vagrant to demonstrate the power of silence in a way that would be difficult to pull off but is done masterfully here. It's difficult to imagine my favorite literary characters functioning without a voice. What Newman has done here has taken careful planning and creativity. The goat is mostly there for comic relief, and it does so effectively. It is used sparingly and never overstays its welcome. The interactions with the baby feel natural. Harm himself provides insight into what the Vagrant is saying and doing. He is the lens through which we see the Vagrant. There is even a reason for this explained in the story! I won't reveal that, but Harm understands the Vagrant when no one else can. Harm's development is positive, but it's not novel. He is a street urchin with a golden heart who has been given a second chance to right his wrongs. But it's his interactions with the Vagrant that really set him apart. There are other characters that make brief appearances throughout the story as well, but not enough to warrant discussion. Though they do provide interesting perspectives.
**Concluding Thoughts/Final Verdict (TLDR Section):**
***A few days pass in unlikely peace. The world outside is cruel, but within the bubble an illusion of sanity holds sway.***
The Vagrant is not for everyone. It's strange. The writing is unusual for the genre and can be jarring at first. Many people will be turned off by the silent protagonist, while others may like the idea but will bounce off the first few chapters. However, I believe that those who enjoy the premise and the idea of a world presented through the silent interactions of the Vagrant and the characters will enjoy this. Those who like SciFi with a mix of fantasy may want to check this out. If you are a fan of games like Hollow Knight and Dark Souls (the reason why I picked up this book years ago) that require you to kind of piece the story together through dialogue and descriptions, you may also enjoy this. The Vagrant is probably one of the strangest books I have ever read. It compelled me to finish it, and I am glad I did. I ended up enjoying myself immensely by the end. It's a rather quick read as well. The chapters are not overly long (the longest, I think, clocked in at 15 pages), the writing is sharp and efficient, and the book itself is barely over 400 pages. I am glad I picked it back up. If you are looking for an underrated and weird read, look no further. It was not my favorite, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
>The Vagrant is his name. He has no other. Friendless and alone he walks a desolate, war-torn landscape. His purpose is to reach the Shining City and deliver the only weapon that may make a difference in the war. But the Shining City is far away and the world is a very dangerous place.
**The Premise:**
*Unnoticed in the commotion, the vagrant travels on.*
The Vagrant's central premise is that its protagonist is completely silent. I mean totally and completely silent. We don't even know what he's thinking. Newman throws you into a world with no explanation and a character who is both externally and internally silent. The mad lad. The Vagrant is accompanied by a baby, a goat, and a sentient sword. That's all. Other characters will interact with this one, but the majority of the adventure will revolve around this silent protagonist. I am confident that you have never read anything like this. It certainly draws on established tropes, but it also adds its own unique twist and flair to the storytelling. The story takes place 1,000 years after humanity was all but destroyed at the hands of the Infernals, chaotic creatures unleashed by the Breach. Humanity fought back with the help of legendary warriors known as the Seraph Knights. However, as we can see, that failed, and humanity is dispersed, with many succumbing to the hordes of Infernals, others becoming mutated monstrosities, and few hardly remembering what it's like to be human anymore.
**The World and Writing:**
*In New Horizon, nothing is wasted.*
This is a dark and desolate world, but it is also an intriguing place. I'll be honest; Newman drops you in with nothing but what you read in the synopsis. You'll either take it in stride, stumbling slightly as you build up to a run, or you'll trip and fall. Nowhere is this idea more apparent than in the opening chapters. The first couple of chapters are difficult and perplexing due to the writing style and lack of information. That's one of the reasons I gave up on it a couple of years ago before giving it another shot. Because the protagonist is silent, you must rely on his interactions with the world and the people in it. The narration is told in a third-person omniscient style, giving the impression that you are being told the story rather than experiencing it through the eyes of the character. "Who is telling this story?" I often wondered. At times, it was difficult for me to picture some of the world, the monsters, and the characters. It's similar to playing a top-down isometric RPG in some ways. You have a bird's-eye view of what's going on, giving you a better perspective on the world or room layout. However, you might miss out on some finer details. It felt like that but in the context of a novel. It's also worth noting that this story is told in two different time frames. There is one in the present with the vagrant, and then there are flashbacks. These flashbacks give more backstory not only to the vagrant but to the world itself. While it can be a little difficult to get used to Newman's style of writing, you will eventually. I ended up enjoying it. Oftentimes, I would reread sections to see if I missed anything due to Newman's subtlety in revealing things. Despite the weird nature of the writing, I was compelled to finish the story.
**The Characters:**
*The next kick is more vigorous. Pulling back his coat once again, the Vagrant frowns down at the baby. It stops kicking and looks up at him. He raises his eyebrows at it and the baby smiles. The cycle repeats several times, the baby smiling a little more with each repetition.*
This specific passage from the book was included to highlight one of my favorite instances in the book. Newman must have also been a new father while writing this book because the interactions with the baby feel so real. They made me laugh during scenes like the one described here. Character interactions are critical to comprehending The Vagrant. There are only three notable characters who join the Vagrant: the baby, the goat, and Harm, who is introduced a few chapters in. Newman uses the Vagrant to demonstrate the power of silence in a way that would be difficult to pull off but is done masterfully here. It's difficult to imagine my favorite literary characters functioning without a voice. What Newman has done here has taken careful planning and creativity. The goat is mostly there for comic relief, and it does so effectively. It is used sparingly and never overstays its welcome. The interactions with the baby feel natural. Harm himself provides insight into what the Vagrant is saying and doing. He is the lens through which we see the Vagrant. There is even a reason for this explained in the story! I won't reveal that, but Harm understands the Vagrant when no one else can. Harm's development is positive, but it's not novel. He is a street urchin with a golden heart who has been given a second chance to right his wrongs. But it's his interactions with the Vagrant that really set him apart. There are other characters that make brief appearances throughout the story as well, but not enough to warrant discussion. Though they do provide interesting perspectives.
**Concluding Thoughts/Final Verdict (TLDR Section):**
***A few days pass in unlikely peace. The world outside is cruel, but within the bubble an illusion of sanity holds sway.***
The Vagrant is not for everyone. It's strange. The writing is unusual for the genre and can be jarring at first. Many people will be turned off by the silent protagonist, while others may like the idea but will bounce off the first few chapters. However, I believe that those who enjoy the premise and the idea of a world presented through the silent interactions of the Vagrant and the characters will enjoy this. Those who like SciFi with a mix of fantasy may want to check this out. If you are a fan of games like Hollow Knight and Dark Souls (the reason why I picked up this book years ago) that require you to kind of piece the story together through dialogue and descriptions, you may also enjoy this. The Vagrant is probably one of the strangest books I have ever read. It compelled me to finish it, and I am glad I did. I ended up enjoying myself immensely by the end. It's a rather quick read as well. The chapters are not overly long (the longest, I think, clocked in at 15 pages), the writing is sharp and efficient, and the book itself is barely over 400 pages. I am glad I picked it back up. If you are looking for an underrated and weird read, look no further. It was not my favorite, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This is one of the most poorly written books I have ever seen professionally published. The writing style reminds me of a twelve year old writing stories about their super cool Gary Stu OC. The setting feels needlessly gritty and dramatic. The writing is riddled with typos and grammatical mistakes. The redeeming aspects of the premise are completely ruined by the writing. I don't know how something that starts like this gets through the editing process. Perhaps I should have known by the cliche premise but I was desperate. Oh well. Live and learn.
The Vagrant is a unique book with unique writing style that was hard for me to read due to how vaguely some things are explained but I actually feel that this series could be really good.
I do not like it when weird technologies are not explained to me and are rather just tossed towards my face. I never completely understood many elements of the world and that made me lose my immersion multiple times. Nevertheless, I really like Newman's style. Maybe it's my fault for missing some things. Maybe not. The rest of the books actually have a higher rating and I will probably read them toi.
I do not like it when weird technologies are not explained to me and are rather just tossed towards my face. I never completely understood many elements of the world and that made me lose my immersion multiple times. Nevertheless, I really like Newman's style. Maybe it's my fault for missing some things. Maybe not. The rest of the books actually have a higher rating and I will probably read them toi.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to force myself to finish this book. I wasn't a fan of the particular style in which it was written. I am not one to tear down an author because I know I can't write to save my life. Basically, I'm saying that this book was not my cup of tea, but it wasn't necessarily a bad book or story.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good book and a quick read. The main character was interesting and I loved the way flashbacks were used to explain his background. The ending had me kinda scratching my head. It works as a standalone but not too well. Glad there will be a sequel