are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive. A handful of Messengers brave the night to keep the lines of communication open between the increasingly isolated populace.Briar Damaj is a boy of six in the small village of Bogton. Half Krasian, the village children call him Mudboy for his dark skin. When tragedy strikes, Briar decides the town is better off without him, fleeing into the bog with nothing but his wits and a bit of herb lore to protect him.After twenty years, Ragen Messenger has agreed to retire and pass on his route to his protégé, Arlen Bales. But for all that he’s earned the rest,the writing of The Daylight War. One portion, Mudboy, first appeared in Shawn Speakman's anthology Unfettered and didn't really work on its own. The folks at Subterranean Press then gave Brett the opportunity to elaborate and tell Briar's early tale in full. But for all that, Messenger's Legacy is not as fluid as the previous novellas. But since this protagonist will be featured in the forthcoming The Skull Throne, I figure that the author needed to introduce him to his readers beforehand.

At the beginning, Brett focuses on Briar Damaj's POV. Living in a small hamlet, as a half-Krasian he is known as Mudboy because of the color of his skin. The author does a good job setting the mood as we learn more about the family life and