Must have Books - The Demon Wars Series

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	The Demon Awakens by R. A. Salvatore Salvatore's new saga opens in a volcano, with a "demon dactyl" awaking and sending out goblins to ravage the peaceful land of Corona. The scourge orphans young Elbryan Wyndon and the maiden Pony, and the two have to flee for their lives. Meanwhile, on a beach far, far away, multicolored gemstones rain down and prove to have enormous potential for both good and evil magic, depending on whose hands they fall into. After many peregrinations, Elbryan and Pony end up guardians of the gemstones, but that is only their first victory. Salvatore lacks the command of language and the humor of some other exploiters of the classic elements of fantasy, yet he lacks nothing in pacing and well-handled battle scenes. Morever, the extra elbow room he gives himself in this stout volume allows him to improve his characterization and world building. This is his most ambitious book to date; if it is not superlatively original, it is certainly very readable.
	The Demon Spirit by R. A. Salvatore Corona is a fantasy world regularly menaced by the "demon dactyl" who organizes the usual suspects--goblins, dwarfs, giants--in hope of wiping out humanity. Having been comprehensively blown up in book one, the now bodiless demon resorts to corrupting the soul of the abbot who is Corona's chief religious leader. It's an easy task, since despite a few good monks the church is already a murderous, hypocritical outfit. On the other side, Elbryan the elf-trained warrior and his magic-wielding lady are busy cleaning up the increasingly disorganized remnants of the demon's armies, with skilled assistance from elf and thief companions. The magic comes from stones and jewels with various interesting powers, liberated from the church by a renegade monk in book one. This annoys the Abbot no end, and his "Brother Justice" assassins are hot on the stones' trail, bumping off rival clerics and innocent bystanders en route. There's plenty of slick incidental adventure and skirmishing, and even an exciting raid on the torture chambers of the biggest and best-defended abbey. Meanwhile the battle lines are being rearranged: the fight is no longer against the demon but the now demon-influenced church, with the final clash scheduled for the concluding volume The Demon Apostle. Fast-moving commercial fantasy that delivers action rather than misty enchantment.
	The Demon Apostle by R. A. Salvatore With the demon dactyl and its foul minions defeated, the war-weary citizens of the kingdom of Honce-the-Bear wish only to begin rebuilding their broken lives. Yet the specter of civil war haunts the ravaged land--and a specter more fearsome still. For the demon, though defeated, was not destroyed. And now its vengeful spirit has found an unholy sanctuary. The elf-trained ranger Elbryan Wynden presses north to reclaim the savage Timberlands from retreating goblin hordes. His companion, Pony, mistress of gemstone magic, turns south to the civilized--but no less perilous--streets of Palmaris. Suddenly they find themselves caught up in a ruthless power struggle to decide the fate of all Corona--a struggle that will push their courage and love to the breaking point . . . and beyond.
	Mortalis by R. A. Salvatore Readers of the Demon Wars trilogy won't be surprised that Salvatore is continuing Jilseponie Wyndon's career beyond the loss of her beloved Elbryan. Many may be surprised, though, at the heights this resumption of her adventures reaches. Grief-stricken and believing that her son by Elbryan is dead (actually, elves are raising him in secret), Pony is offered a barony in Palmaris, the rank of mother abbot of the tumultuous Abellican Church, and the prospect of becoming queen to King Danube of Honce-the-Bear. Then an outbreak of the rosy plague sweeps aside mundane considerations and a large part of the population, including many of the book's characters. Plots, counterplots, cowardice, and heroism are evident in every walk of life as Pony gropes toward making healing magic effective against the plague. The key to healing is in the power of the heretical Master Avelyn's spirit, and with a despised heretic becoming a source of miracles, the Abellican Church may never be the same. Salvatore's style isn't always equal to his themes, but his other skills have grown by leaps and bounds, with Jilseponie a protagonist whose company it is hard not to enjoy.
	Ascendance by R. A. Salvatore R.A. Salvatore begins his second DemonWars trilogy with Ascendance, continuing the story of Pony, who is now Jilseponie Wyndon, the Baroness of Palmaris. This first book in the trilogy effectively sets up a new battle of good versus evil with plenty of action, political intrigue, and foes both old and new. Good King Danube, ruler of the kingdom of Honce-the-Bear, is smitten with the lovely Baroness Jilseponie and seeks to have her as his wife against the wishes of his long-time mistress and much of the royal court. While Jilseponie does care for Danube, she still suffers from the loss of her husband, Elbryan the Nightbird, and their unborn child. Unknown to Jilseponie, the child she thought dead was actually stolen and raised by elves. Despite the elves' purpose, the headstrong young Aydrian has plans of his own. Under their harsh guidance he has come to possess the fighting skill of his father and his mother's talent with gemstone magic. Every night a dark spirit whispers to him, guiding him. But is it the spirit of his father, the Nightbird, or is it something much more sinister? As Aydrian escapes the elves, he finds an unlikely ally in Jilseponie's enemy, former Bishop De'Unnero, the weretiger. Together they set about a series of events that ensure that Pony's life and the peaceful kingdom of Honce-the-Bear will never be the same again. Fans of the first DemonWars trilogy will be happy to see the continuation of Pony's story, and Ascendance effectively sets up the next trilogy with a compelling conflict not destined to be resolved until the final book.
	Transcendence by R. A. Salvatore In Transcendence, the second book in his second DemonWars Saga, author R.A. Salvatore adds another layer to the events of book one, Ascendance, with a parallel plot line in the desert kingdom of Behren. He spotlights the Elven-trained Ranger Brynn Dharielle as she quests to claim her birthright and free the nomadic To-gai from the theocratic occupation of Behren and its dark kingpriest--Yakim Douan. Transcendence is as much the story of Brynn's quest to free the oppressed To-gai as it is the tale of their oppressors. While events in Ascendance are heating up, Transcendence introduces the Yatol leader Douan who is single-mindedly preparing for his, yes, "transcendence" wherein the leader will die to be reborn. It's the secret behind this miracle and Douan's machinations to secure his lands in preparation for the rebirth that will eventually allow Brynn to free the To-gai from the Behrenese yoke. But Brynn's quest will unleash the deadly power of an ancient ally who will test her resolve to win her people's freedom. Transcendence is excellent fantasy. Salvatore's characters stride across a grand stage that is epic in scale yet still detailed and personal. The juxtaposition of happenings in the first two books sets up what will be a thrilling conclusion as the political implications of each will undoubtedly collide in book three.