I loved this book. Two thirds the way through I might have said it was my favorite book of the year, but the ending diminished that feeling somewhat and left me with the opinion that it was merely fantastic. 
 You can find the blurb anywhere, but my take on it, quickly, is this is a world that gets turned over to demons every time the sun goes down. Humanity, once capable of marvels long since forgotten are huddled in strongholds and homes that are protected by magical wards that keep the demons away. Any place on the map that is more than a day ride away is as far away as a place on the other side of the world. Humanity has been cut off from one another. 
 Well, not exactly, brave souls can make a fortune if they dare brave the night and the demon haunted world beyond. Messengers dare to take news and trade from place to place, and keep the remnants of humanity tied together. Arlen is tired of hiding from the demons that terrorize the night, he wants to fight back, he believes the only way to do so is to become a messenger... and maybe even something more. 
 When the story of Arlen is told - he begins as an 11 year old boy and grows to manhood over the course of the novel - the book is as good as it gets. I root for this kid like you wouldn't believe. Later though, once he more or less becomes what he is destined to be, the story loses a lot of its charm. 
 I'm not entirely sure why, but the events surrounding the meeting of the book's three main characters somehow seem to lessen them all. I cared for them much more as individuals than I do as a troop. 
 Still, I'm quibbling. This was a great book, one I was in love with almost from the first page. I wish I bothered to see if this was the author's first publication, because it's frightening how much I dug this. I can't praise it enough - I have the follow up, The Desert Spear, right by my bedside and had to make myself not pick it up and read right away. I'm going to read something else first, but I can't wait to jump back in to this world again soon.