The daylight war

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Ballantine
Publication Date
[2013]
Language
English

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWith The Warded Man and The Desert Spear, Peter V. Brett surged to the front rank of contemporary fantasy, standing alongside giants in the field such as George R. R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and Terry Brooks.The Daylight War, the eagerly anticipated third volume in Brett’s internationally bestselling Demon Cycle, continues the epic tale of humanity’s last stand against an army of demons that rise each night to prey on mankind.On the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men, both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all.Arlen Bales was once an ordinary man, but now he has become something more—the Warded Man, tattooed with eldritch wards so powerful they make him a match for any demon. Arlen denies he is the Deliverer at every turn, but the more he tries to be one with the common folk, the more fervently they believe. Many would follow him, but Arlen’s path threatens to lead to a dark place he alone can travel to, and from which there may be no returning.The only one with hope of keeping Arlen in the world of men, or joining him in his descent into the world of demons, is Renna Tanner, a fierce young woman in danger of losing herself to the power of demon magic.Ahmann Jardir has forged the warlike desert tribes of Krasia into a demon-killing army and proclaimed himself Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer. He carries ancient weapons—a spear and a crown—that give credence to his claim, and already vast swaths of the green lands bow to his control.But Jardir did not come to power on his own. His rise was engineered by his First Wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose formidable demon bone magic gives her the ability to glimpse the future. Inevera’s motives and past are shrouded in mystery, and even Jardir does not entirely trust her.Once Arlen and Jardir were as close as brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies rise, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all—those lurking in the human heart.Praise for The Daylight War“[Peter V. Brett is] at the top of his game. I give this my highest recommendation.”—Tor.com“[Brett] confirms his place among epic fantasy’s pantheon of greats amid the likes of George R. R. Martin, Steven Erikson, and Robert Jordan.”—Fantasy Book Critic“Brett’s prose and flow remain virtually flawless, providing for a smooth read during which you don’t feel guilty for skipping two meals so you can lie on the couch and keep reading.”—Fixed on Fantasy“The best book yet in The Demon Cycle. If you are looking for a great series, look no further.”—Roqoo Depot“After the phenomenal success of both The Warded Man and The Desert Spear, I was tentative aboutThe Daylight War; surely it couldn’t get much better? Well, I was wrong. . . . This will be a strong contender for one of the best books of the year, even this early on.”—Jet Black Ink“Brett has his hooks in me and I want more of The Demon Cycle.”—BestFantasyBooks.com

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ISBN
9780345503824

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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Brett further widens the scope of his epic fantasy saga with this third book in the Demon Cycle. Though the series is centered on two potential saviors of humanity Arlen and Jardir this volume focuses more on the women at their sides: Renna, Arlen's promised; Inevera, Jardir's First Wife; and Leesha, Arlen's childhood friend and Jardir's lover. The identity of the prophesied Deliverer is still uncertain, and Jardir and Arlen both have an army of believers on their sides. Inevera knows that the Deliverer is not born, but made, and she has schemed and sacrificed on Jardir's behalf only to have Leesha thwart her machinations. Leesha's own loyalties are warring, while Renna, worried about losing pace with Arlen, begins a dangerous process to increase her power. Although Brett advances everyone's story lines, he delves deeply into Inevera's fascinating backstory, chronicling her violent, meteoric rise to power, much like he did for other characters in prior books. Climaxing in a breathless confrontation between Arlen and Jardir and ending with a bang, this volume will leave series fans impatient for more.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Brett's third Demon Cycle installment (after The Desert Spear) offers little forward progression. Demonic "corelings" continue to rise and attack humans. Magicians Arlen Bales and Ahmann Jardir continue to fight each other for the sake of becoming the prophesied "Deliverer" from the demons. The first third of the novel focuses on Jardir's cunning First Wife, Inerva, whose backstory is fleshed out with some uncomfortable sexual power plays. The second half shows some movement and excitement when a coreling invades Arlen's mind, but Brett's fondness for silly dialects and faux-Arab stereotypes derails any sense of immersion. New readers will be welcomed by decent recapping, but Brett offers little for returning fans. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Kirkus Book Review

Third in Brett's once-projected five-installment--now swelled to six--Demon Cycle. The demons in question, called "corelings," are the bad fruit of a world that has descended from enlightened civilization to darkness, which ought to be meaningful to anyone who pays attention to the news. These corelings--they come from inside the Earth, whence their name--are sort of like vampires, but with lots more magic, and if you're a human, you want to be endowed with or at least around someone with magical powers: Arlen Bales, say, who sports demon-fending body paint, or the desert warrior who sports a magical spear and is now assembling an army to battle the demons once and for all. Hmmm. World-ending battle driven by an object imbued with magical properties: LOTR, anyone? Brett's debts to Tolkien are many and obvious, though there's some Frank Herbert mixed in, too: "Soli was...still young to be wearing the robes of a full dal'Sharum, the black cloth still deep with fresh dye." "The ring seemed a simple silver bauble, but it was etched with tiny wards and powered by a half pebble of demon bone at its center." It has some surprises, too, as when Brett channels Thomas Hardy (" He ent bluffing,' Elona muttered. Been with him near thirty years, and still ent got a clue.' ") Ents? Orcs? No, but there's even some satisfying bodice-ripping to keep the story rolling ("She moved higher, pressing his face into her breasts as she pulled harder, and that seemed to help"). Obvious ancestry aside, and though the book is dense and a touch too busy, it's capable fantasy.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

Brett further widens the scope of his epic fantasy saga with this third book in the Demon Cycle. Though the series is centered on two potential saviors of humanity—Arlen and Jardir—this volume focuses more on the women at their sides: Renna, Arlen's promised; Inevera, Jardir's First Wife; and Leesha, Arlen's childhood friend and Jardir's lover. The identity of the prophesied Deliverer is still uncertain, and Jardir and Arlen both have an army of believers on their sides. Inevera knows that the Deliverer is not born, but made, and she has schemed and sacrificed on Jardir's behalf only to have Leesha thwart her machinations. Leesha's own loyalties are warring, while Renna, worried about losing pace with Arlen, begins a dangerous process to increase her power. Although Brett advances everyone's story lines, he delves deeply into Inevera's fascinating backstory, chronicling her violent, meteoric rise to power, much like he did for other characters in prior books. Climaxing in a breathless confrontation between Arlen and Jardir and ending with a bang, this volume will leave series fans impatient for more. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Brett's third Demon Cycle installment (after The Desert Spear) offers little forward progression. Demonic "corelings" continue to rise and attack humans. Magicians Arlen Bales and Ahmann Jardir continue to fight each other for the sake of becoming the prophesied "Deliverer" from the demons. The first third of the novel focuses on Jardir's cunning First Wife, Inerva, whose backstory is fleshed out with some uncomfortable sexual power plays. The second half shows some movement and excitement when a coreling invades Arlen's mind, but Brett's fondness for silly dialects and faux-Arab stereotypes derails any sense of immersion. New readers will be welcomed by decent recapping, but Brett offers little for returning fans. (Feb.)

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Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC
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PW Annex Reviews

Brett's third Demon Cycle installment (after The Desert Spear) offers little forward progression. Demonic "corelings" continue to rise and attack humans. Magicians Arlen Bales and Ahmann Jardir continue to fight each other for the sake of becoming the prophesied "Deliverer" from the demons. The first third of the novel focuses on Jardir's cunning First Wife, Inerva, whose backstory is fleshed out with some uncomfortable sexual power plays. The second half shows some movement and excitement when a coreling invades Arlen's mind, but Brett's fondness for silly dialects and faux-Arab stereotypes derails any sense of immersion. New readers will be welcomed by decent recapping, but Brett offers little for returning fans. (Feb.)

[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC

Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC
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