​Review; The Vagrant

By Paul Fiander

Written by: Peter Newman
Narrated by: Jot Davies
Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins 
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

When your central character lacks the ability of speech you could assume an audiobook adaptation would be found lacking. Some writers would side step this with the use of an inner monologue but to his credit Peter Newman relies on the strength of his story to craft a compelling story about the Vagrant. Of course he was writing for a book but the narrative still plays out in the same way.

The Vagrant is certainly the central character in the story and the mystery surrounding his past is revealed somewhat in the latter stages of the book. This can infuriate some readers as the lack of background is off putting, however for my tastes I found it refreshing. Throughout stories we are told how good characters are mostly by themselves, the Vagrant however is judged totally by his actions. There is no pretence of doing good and acting to the opposite and this for me is the ultimate pleasure of this character. He lives by a knightly code in a world that is sorely lacking in honour.

That world is a post apocalyptic wasteland with the odd oasis scattered throughout. The land and its people's have been by war and disease and so treat each other with violence and fear. There is a steampunk feel but this is mostly in the ruins strewn throughout the land that give us some wonderful visual descriptions but play little part in the story overall. This though is a land that feels hostile from its inhabitants to its very climate, giving the reader the conviction that this is a lived in World.

​The Vagrant does find allies in his journey and these are a fascinating mix of players from the world. However his two main companions are a baby and a goat. Again with the rest of the story the reasons behind this are shrouded until the end of the book so I will not spoil things here. The relationship with the child though is a delight, the tenderness described replaces the need for words in a truly fleshed out bond. You can see the baby on the cover along with a rather tasty sword which is a character all by itself and more than worth the time it spends on page.

The narration is by Jot Davis and he comes across rather methodical. This can be to the annoyance of some listeners as comments on Audible mention listening at 2x speed. I did try this but for me it sounds wrong at this speed. I quite enjoyed the narration it felt well suited for book but as always give the preview a listen before purchasing as it is a great example of the pace and annonciation of Davis.

Overall this is a very strong start to what will hopefully be a fulfilling series. I have the second book Malice on pre-order and we will review it as soon as we possibly can after release.